Norwegian Jewel Review

Don't do it!!

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
User Avatar
bltrn
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: May 2008

My family sailed on the Norwegian Jewel, from Dover, UK, to the Baltics on 5/29/08. I would like to tell you a few things about our trip. I have tried to express my feelings by phone, but it appears that NCL could care about those of us who work 9-5. They work those hours and appear to care less about those of us who are looking for a vacation. It seems that with today's economy, you just may have SOMEONE who would listen. Apparently not. (Guess what? Most other lines do!!!). Our ports of call were absolutely amazing and we would not have missed them for the world. However, the ship experience was horrible. This was the 7th cruise for our family. I will not mention any of the lines that we have traveled with, but each experience was far superior to NCL. It began with the cruise itself. Their description made NO mention of the difficulties it would take to get to the port of debarkation. After my initial booking, it took me several months to coordinate everything. Unless we wanted to pay a minimum of $160.00 dollars for a cab from the airport to downtown London, we had to take a bus to Victoria Station and walk three blocks with all of our luggage to get to our hotel (which I had to research and pay for myself). THEN, we had to get to Charing Cross Station (12 Pounds cab fare), to catch the train to Dover Priory. THEN, it was an additional 8 Pounds to get from the train station to the ship! (I won't go into the return trip). Once we got to the ship, I thought things would be fine. On the second day, one of the persons in our cabin became ill. Before she woke me up, she discovered that she had her period. She went to the reception desk to look for tampons. The person behind the desk gave her two packages with a handwritten receipt. At approximately 9 AM, I went with her to the ship's Doctor. She was told that she would have to stay in the cabin for at least 24 hours, as they feared that she had the "Norwalk" virus, and that she would receive a $200.00 credit which would appear on her statement at the end of the cruise. SHE DID THAT. During that day, I went to the Excursion desk to book an excursion in Russia, as I was afraid they may sell out quickly, and I took her card. Whoever was at the desk had NO problem booking the excursion without her presence and using her card , even though she wasn't there. Was that her fault? When we questioned why she had not received the credit on the last day of the cruise, we were told that they had her on camera outside of the cabin on the day that she was confined. I would like to see that evidence! I felt that they were looking for any excuse to not give her that which she was entitled to. I would love to see those tapes! Furthermore, how long did it take for your employees to input a handwritten receipt??? The meals on the ship were mediocre at best. You call it "Free style dining". I call it "Free-for-all dining". With the exception of a couple of restaurants, there was a cover charge of $10.00 to even enter, not to mention more charges if you wanted something extra. As far as I was concerned, we paid enough to go on this cruise. The Garden Cafe, (where most people ended up) had very bland food. I feel that we were served leftovers from the high priced restaurants. Any time we entered the restaurant, we were unable to touch anything. We were handed EVERYTHING, including plates and utensils, salt and pepper, ketchup, etc. One could not even enter an eating establishment without having your hands sprayed. If we tried to even pick up the tongs to serve ourselves a salad, the crew chastised us. There was one morning when I had to wait for FIFTEEN minutes for two slices of toast! I also have issues with the crew. Our cabin steward was overly friendly, to the point of being obnoxious. If I heard "I only want to make you happy!" one more time, I could have vomited. We took two younger persons with us. One was 20 and the other 26. Had we known that the average age over 80 years of age, we may have reconsidered our plans, as there was very little for them to do. As it is, I am 54 years old and I was bored to death after 10 PM. There was no one around at that time! I tried to amuse myself at the casino, but last call was at 1:30 AM. Also, on the last day of the voyage, ALL of the hot tubs and pools were closed. (Wasn't it to be a relaxing day at sea?) In brief, the staff was horrible, the food was blasE, the entertainment was ridiculous, and the pre and post trip information was non-existent. I would never recommend NCL to anyone. I participated in their post-cruise e-mail, but have heard nothing in response. I don't think they even care! That's why I am putting this in writing and will be more than happy to share it with anyone who will listen. I intend to share my concerns with all of the major on-line booking companies. I have requested that they please do not send any further promotions to my e-mail or home address, but they continue to

Cabin Review

Cabin 11
previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Jewel Cruise from $249

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.