Norwegian Jewel Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,355 reviews

First Time on Norwegian

Review for the Mexican Riviera Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
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Travelin_Bear
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jan 2016
Cabin: Oceanview Picture Window

As previous cruisers with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, we decided to give Norwegian a try with a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise. I would say that our overall experience was very good. Having said that, it's important to consider that travelers find various levels of comfort with each cruise line. Everyone has differing requirements and expectations when cruising and you generally know when you've found a comfortable "niche" with a particular brand. I have mostly only good reviews of our experience on the Norwegian Jewel. I realize that those parts with which we may have felt somewhat uncomfortable have to do with those above-mentioned personal requirements and expectations. This is not a criticism of what Norwegian is offering but rather an observation of what it seems we happen to be most comfortable with.

Having said that, first off are the negatives. And again, it's not a reflection of how Norwegian is aiming to please its guests. What they're doing seems to be working for most people.

We'd stayed in Cabo San Lucas on a time share swap for a week, a few years back. It gave me an idea that the Mexican Riviera ports pretty much cater to the party crowd, which is fine. I didn't go into it expecting Paris or Florence. I knew that Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta do have a bit of history and culture to check out, which we did on shore excursions. I realize, too, that it's just a week-long cruise out of Los Angeles, so it likely caters to the party-ish crowd. Still, I figured that with the holidays behind us and the kids back in school, the atmosphere might have been a bit more reserved than it actually was. This proved useful for us since it's helped to inform us as to the types of cruises where we might feel a little more comfortable.

Cabin Review

Oceanview Picture Window

Cabin OC

Our cabin was neat as a pin and meticulously clean. It was pretty cramped, but I know that cabin sizes vary and there are probably cabins larger than ours. The psychedelic-patterned rug is garish and could use a steam cleaning. The small bathroom is attractive and functional. Built-in furnishings and the closet are fine and in good condition, but there was an awkward little table and goofy little chair that are partly useful and partly in the way. The beds, pillows, and linens were extremely comfortable, apart from that "hump" down the middle when two twin beds are joined together. Our cabin steward, Suzanne, was perfect. Delightful and helpful while being unintrusive yet always available. Plus, she is an absolute artist with towel animals!

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