Norwegian Jewel Review
Neither snow nor sleet...nor Super Bowls could stop us.
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NORWEGIAN JEWEL, February 7-14, 2010. How many realized it was Super Bowl weekend in Miami when they booked this cruise? Not until we learned the very mediocre Ft. Lauderdale Airport Cruise Port Hotel was charging us well over $300 per night did we connect Super Bowl to the cruise sailing date. And of course, who knew that a crippling snowstorm would blanket the Northeast the day before embarkation, canceling flights and shutting down major airports? Perhaps surviving both obstacles made the Caribbean sun seem even brighter. At the very least, many, if not most of the passengers had amazing travel stories to share.
My husband and I planned this cruise with his brother and wife for no reason other than to spend time together. We knew the weather would be a lot better than it would be in Pennsylvania and we could relax and rejuvenate together. Both the embarkation and debarkation were as easy as we have ever experienced. For us this was our 12th or 13th cruise....maybe our 14th.....who's counting? We obviously love cruising. For them is was cruise number 2. We are all semi-retired, semi-adventurous cruisers who have learned to embrace the "whatever o'clock" lifestyle on NCL.
People sometimes ask us which is our favorite cruise line. We started with NCL in the early 1990's and are now back to sailing with her. In between we moved up and we moved down in cruise ship ratings. Certainly the 5-6 star cruise ships offer more luxury at a significantly higher cost. Certainly the 1-2 star ships are bargain priced with basic amenities. I guess that's why, like Goldilocks said, the ones in the middle seem just right! We have sailed the JEWEL twice and definitely rank her in the upper end of the popular middle ranked ships. We like her size, about 2300 passengers. We like the layout of the common areas, the walking track, the mix of passengers, the restaurant choices and, most of all, the service delivered by the officers, staff and crew. The Jewel's Hotel Director, John O'Hara, was the most accessible officer we have ever encountered. He found ways to resolve issues....and always with a smile.