Norwegian Jewel Review

Time to Meet the Family Jewels from Cruise Critic

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
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AFT_LOVER
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2009
Cabin: Balcony

12/6: We Woke at 3AM to shower, dress & drive to train station where we park for free to ride to the airport. Then Delta flies us CLE-CVG in a mini jet that we are told is 35 min flight but take 1.5 hours. Then to wait for the plane to MIA which is FC as we bought for the whole trip. So 3 Bloody Marys apiece & great taxi ride to the ship & instant Latitudes line for Silver tho our cards state bronze. Up to 7 to go to Tsars for lunch & we were first there. Great lunch of roast pork, side of shrimp & salad with a cup of cappuccino. Then up to our 10 deck BA stateroom. Seemed small when we alway got minis at least, but OK for $500 each. The luggage showed very fast (2:15) so we unpacked. I got my supplies for Meet & Greet tomorrow, the name tags Jerry printed for the FAMILY JEWELS, as we called ourselves. Had my gift ready too. Then we walked around the ship seeing everything all over again. At the Atrium I was stopped by a man & 3 gals who remembered me from Oct 2008 in Canada. So instant 4 friends. They knew it was our 30th anniversary, so our PCC did her job. Trevor who had my husband's large print daily delivered 7PM nightly for the next day had those 2 best friends. Then Mick, as I called Michelina who is now promoted to Restaurant Mgr. She comes to hug both of us for our great review of her work to Bob Becker, VP. She tells us we are truly family. After Muster Drill we head to Sky Bar for the Sail away & met a good 20 folks. Sprinkles were starting with lightening & top floor isn't desirable for that so we went it for dinner. Back to Tsars at 5:30PM to dinner and we both had more shrimp cocktail, apple soup, the beef tenderloin with double stuffed potatoes and lima beans which neither of us liked. The rolls were wheat & very good. Cappuccino was repeated refilled all dinner & desert. Service was close to 70% Philippines with a few Romanians who were head waiters & they each have a Jr Waiter. We both hit the hot shower, and out on the balcony to leave Miami to for Gulf. Lovely evening & to bed we went by 9PM.

12/7 Up at 7AM, Showered & I washed my hair but the dryer seemed strong but my long hair was soaked after 15 minutes running it on it. SO I walked the ship outside for instant hairdryer with the heat getting warmer to hot by 10AM. Then to Azura dining room for Meet & Greet. The staff there had tables with tablecloths all lined nicely for 60 people. Mayra was replaced with a new Group Event Coordinator Roxanne Brown. Instant friends & very alike. She had 60 spaces for names, stateroom numbers with email addresses for Homeland Security for the Bridge Tour. She stated Captain Kostas (Konstatinos Fafalios) is a friend of mine & I pulled out my portrait taken Oct 2008 with Jonas, the Staff Captain in place of Captain Kostas since he left for vacation halfway thru the cruise. Amazing that the 6 men only Jonas & Kostas are still there. No definate locations for them but Epic was staffing itself. So in walks our Family Jewels to get a name tag & fill out the form for all 60 folks, which everyone did. Tho 10 people didn't make it since TA's with the PHD for NCL U where they learn to be NCL all week. In walked Captain Kostas with Jonas & 9 more Officers. Steve replaced Julian as Hotel Director in October & he leaves Jewel with us to walk across the terminal to Pearl where he will work & Joe replaces him. Mick was there; Eric Cousin, Exec Chef; Mustafa, Food & Bev Dir; Carolyn, Guests Services Manager; Que, Cruise Director; Concierge Avar and 2 others that I did not get name cards for. Great get together for Cruise Critic members with the Captain to ask questions, get to know them all as well as each other. The Gift Exchange was very cute with me having the Captain & his Officers drawing the numbers. The one Officer who speaks very little english draws "M" which turned sideways is "3" the number we needed. Everyone loved it. Jeff even yelled it is "W" also so the Officer felt like one of us. He was cute though out the cruise to everyone.After lunch we did a walk of the ship & a cute couple playing shuffleboard and very good at it decided to teach us the game. So they left to rest & we took over with folks jumping over what we had fired across the floor. Some though we were going overboard but NCL has that blocked. Great to learn a game that goes back a century. The show that night was "Bank on the Run" which is excellent. Songs from the 70's and a great show from Jean Ann Ryan.

12/8 Up at 8AM to shower & dress for a very hot (92) & humid (100%). We are so hot in the room and the mirror behind the bed is like a hot shower was running. So balcony door closes. So to breakfast we go & then to go visit Routan. We did their stores, I got a sea shell charm at Diamond Int'l. For my 30th anniversary present he was going to upgrade my 1 KT diamond tennis bracelet to 2 Kt. $975 we were told. NOPE! So back to the ship where we meet up with Jonas to meet some more new folks with the restaurants, entertainment for that night with Pat Murray and his dummies that he works with. That night will be Matilda his hot Jamaican babe who has been around. What we saw had us going to it that night. Another Capella group "Cat's Pajamas", are 4 guys that know how to entertain, similar to the "Jersey Boys". Again we get them tomorrow. Then they have the art auction with free champagne but just one glass when you walk in, no refills. Pretty boring so we left. Went to the show after dinner and had a great laugh with a very smart dummie. Murray told me it is ie not y since she is a lady. But then his wife comes our with a large Ant named Antonio and we left since it got bad.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin BB

BA is a 215 sq ft stateroom with 2 twin beds together as a king. Very comfortable sleeping. Too hot & humid for balcony door to be opened & AC worked great. Towel animals every night. No choclates on pillows anymore. Water boiler instead of coffeemaker with instant coffee offered. Bathroom has shower with dispenser of shampoo & shower gel, then center is sink with hand soap dispenser & to the far left is toilet with sliding glass door. So using the toilet while someone is in shower is fine. Sliding glass doors make privacy. Closet with sheving for storage. TV has 3 drawers for clothes and the hair dryer is left of closet with mirror and small wooden shelf for makeup.

Mini bar that steward will clar our for you to use as fridge with safe atop it.

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