Norwegian Jewel Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We took this cruise during our Spring break in Manitoba Canada. We had a group of 12 total (3 families), split up into 4 Balcony rooms on Deck 9. My wife, daughter an I were on the Jewel in July of last year for an Alaskan cruise.
We flew into Houston the night before the cruise, and stayed at the Best Western Plus in Seabrook. This hotel specializes in pre and post-cruise stays, and provides a free shuttle ride to and from the cruise terminal. The hotel was adequate. We used the free shuttle to go to the Kemah boardwalk area the night before the cruise and had a good time. We also stayed post cruise and used the shuttle to visit the Johnson Space Center. The staff were friendly, and the rooms clean and adequate. There are not many things around the hotel (A Subway and a Gas Station with a large convenience store), so if you are staying here, use the shuttle to get some entertainment time.
Embarkation was quick and well handled. Due to it being Spring Break there were over 700 under 18 on board. This lead to very crowded kids activities and areas. Overall I feel the staff did an appropriate job in provided for all the kids, and still trying to have the rest of us have a good time.
Cabin Review
Balcony
We were on the Jewel in July 2014 and stayed in an inside room (10077), but this time we spent the extra for the balcony. When opening the door the closet and bathroom layout are very similar. As compared to the inside the Balcony bed is placed on the side wall. The balcony has a convertible sofa bed, and this space is the biggest benefit as it allows a small seating area that doesn't exist in the inside rooms.
The balcony room is nicer than an inside room, but I will continue to look at the price difference when booking as there are plenty of great views available from public areas, so I don't feel the need for a balcony for this. Also the balcony doors do not do as good a job at blocking sound, so we found it easier to sleep in the inside room.
Port Reviews
Cozumel
The small merchants are very pushy here. The shops were about what we expected and we found some nice souvenirs to bring home for people. There are also some great spots along the shopping area to take some pictures with the ship and the incredibly beautiful water in the background.