Norwegian Jewel Review
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We wanted to cruise Alaska. Shopped all sorts of options and decided to try Norwegian. Loved every single step of the way.
Arrived in Seattle a day ahead. Didn't want to chance an airline gaffe. Morning of the cruise, walked from our hotel to Pike Place and had time to shop. Around noon we headed to the Pier. Embarkation was EASY. The lines were a little long to drop off baggage but it moved at a good pace. We were greeted repeatedly along the process by land and sea staff. Once onboard, we checked out our room. Was terrific! Just below and down 4 windows from the bridge. Headed to Garden Cafe to have a bite to eat. Watched the Navy families on the shore visiting their enlisted members while we had lunch. We also bought spa memberships the first day. This allowed us to go to the spa each day for the co-ed area to sit in the thermal pool and then lounge on the heated chairs while viewing the scenery from a bank of windows along the front of the ship. No kids allowed - and quiet rules. Also there is a poolside cookout the night the ships leaves Seattle. Burgers, steaks, chicken on large open grills. All the trimmings.
We never ate at a specialty restaurant. Didn't need to. Plenty of choices without them. We had laundry done 2x but waited for the cruise special. It was $24.99 for all we could cram into the bag. The magician is a great entertainer though his jokes might not resonate with younger viewers. But they were good and not offensive. The hypnotist was hysterical - you MUST go to the adult show. We also went to her session on weight loss for kicks. Managed to both be hypnotized with others in the audience. We took in a workshop on detoxing the body as well.
Cabin Review
Balcony
10506 - it's so close to the front of the ship that there's practically no traffic in the hallway! Secluded but not at a secluded price. The stateroom was tiny and the floor under the bed wasn't so clean. But we wouldn't have noticed if we hadn't been cramming the suitcases under it. We took extra plastic hangers which came in handy. But there was plenty of room for 2 adults who packed everything from parkas to bathing suits. By the way, we didn't need the parkas. The bathroom was tiny but fine. We got in the habit of showering in the spa so didn't use the stateroom's shower as much as we would have otherwise. This cabin being at the front is just an easy 2 flights down from the spa and fitness center. And it's just outside the spa and fitness center that you'll find the pools. We took a powerstrip and plugged it into the desk outlet and set it on the top shelf after we moved the coffee maker to the closet since we didn't need it. The perch of the shelf made a handy place for charging all our cameras and notebooks. Having the balcony was great. Waved at the crew on the bridge a time or two. If you want to watch the piers while the ship is docked, stay on the starboard side. Port side usually faced the water except in Victoria. This was fine with us though.