This was our 5th cruise with NCL and our 2nd on the Jewel. We traveled by bus from NE Pennsylvania to NYC, took a cab (about $10 including tip) to the pier. We checked in and, after a short wait, were on the ship by 11:45. We had lunch at Tsars when it opened at noon. Cabins were ready by 2PM and our bags were delivered soon after. We had a partially enclosed balcony cabin on deck 8 forward. This type balcony was a plus on this itinerary as we enjoyed it with very little wind. The cabin was fine with plenty of storage and our cabin steward, who took very good care of us, introduced himself immediately.

The Jewel is very clean and well maintained. True, there's no grand atrium that you may find on other ships but the Jewel is very attractive and its easy to find your way around. Just the right size.

The food and service in the main restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner was very good. The chilled soups are wonderful along with the variety of breads freshly baked on board. We only had to wait for a table once, and then only about 10 minutes. We had dinner in 2 specialty restaurants, Chin Chin (well worth the surcharge) and LeBistro (service exceptional, food maybe worth the surcharge). We ordered room service for breakfast a couple of times. It arrived at the time we requested on the order form and we even got a phone call that breakfast was on the way. We had a couple of lunches at the buffet. Read more