My wife, (2) daughters and I just returned from a 7 night cruise on the NCL Jewel out of NYC to Florida/Bahamas from July 24 - July 31. This was our first cruise on any line.

Embarkation: We arrived at the port at 11:30 and proceeded through the screening area without any problems. We were on the ship at around 12:15. We then proceeded to the MDR Tsars, they will push the Garden Buffet but head for Tsars. I found this to be an issue mentioned many times in reviews and still do not understand why the staff does this. The mini-suite was spaciouus for the four of us. Our cabin stewards did make great "towel animals" each night that put smiles on the kids faces.

Ship Activities: Sunday was our M&G at the Le Bistro. The Captain, any many other members of his team were there to greet us. We attended many of the shows. Some better than others but it kept us busy. You have to get to the pool early in order to secure a lounge chair around the pool area. I played bing (lost) and the slots in the casino (lost more). The slots are very tight on the ship! Also, could not keep the kids out of the Kids Club! They had a ball and met many new friends. Read more