This was my first time sailing NCL and my 4th cruise overall, having sailed RCL, Princess, and Carnival. I would say it was a great success.

The ship itself: The Jewel is a lovely ship. It was clean, the decks are easy to navigate, and it had lots of places where you could simply sit and watch the ocean as you sailed (something I really enjoy). At the very end of the ship is semi-covered outside dining area that was never crowded and was a favorite spot of mine to dine. The size is not huge or small.. just right.

Staterooms  We had an inside stateroom that was comfortable for two people. It had plenty of storage and drawer space, was nicely furnished, and the beds were in great shape. The shower was especially good. It had strong water pressure, a hand-held shower head (excellent for getting sand out of your hair) and could hold two people (if you really like each other). The only negative about the cabin was that the ships theater was directly below us. That meant no naps during the day when the theater was in use for rehearsals, and forget about going to bed before the end of the last show at night. The music and pounding sounded like it was coming from inside the room! I have to laugh though, because the friends we were traveling with inadvertently got a room above the Karaoke lounge. Theres nothing like hearing bad singing in your room until 2am. So I cant complain too much since others had worse. Also, there was a horribly loud sound (loud enough to wake us) on mornings when we docked. I assume it was the anchor, but whatever it was it was LOUD. I will be more careful in selecting a room location in the future. Otherwise, the inexpensive inside cabins were plenty good! The balcony cabins looked nice, but at almost twice the price Id rather take a second cruise with the money. Read more