We had planned to just walk to the trolley in Port Canaveral for a cheap trip to either Cocoa Beach or maybe a mini-golf place we had read about, but then the ship docked way on the north side of the port so that we really had to pay for a shuttle or taxi to go anywhere.  We drive to Florida every year to see my mother, so we decided there was nothing we wanted to do badly enough to pay a lot to get there (and at 85 degrees, we thought mini-golf might be sweltering) so we stayed on board, played a game of Win, Lose, or Draw (aka Team Pictionary) and then enjoyed the relatively uncrowded pool.

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Great Stirrup Cay provided a nice outing although it was quite warm and I regretted not getting a clamshell earlier in the week - they were sold out by the night before. (I knew better from Cruise Critic and then forgot -- darn it!)  We brought our own snorkel equipment, and I can tell you that snorkeling with my boys, pointing out colorful fish to each other under the water -- that was one of those blissful memories I will always treasure.  I ended up unfortunately feeling ill after a bit and realized I was probably dehydrated after swimming in the sun, so I ended up going to the kitchen area to get water and eventually some $2 Gatorade.  (Note: there is NO drinking water at the bars, and the kitchen is a hike from the Hippo Slide area!  And a thumbs-down to the woman who saw me at the bar begging for water and when I sat down on the nearest bench, kicked me out of her seat even after I explained that I felt ill and just needed to sit a minute.  BOO!)  But Mike and the boys enjoyed more snorkeling, swimming, and Hippo Sliding once I assured them that I would be OK, and after almost two hours of sitting in the shade and sipping beverages I was able to eat and eventually resume enjoying my day, but by then everyone else had had enough sun!  GSC is still being worked on -- no lazy river yet.  I heard that someone said they reserved a cabana, but I wasn't aware of them being available, and the ones I could see from the beach had yellow tape in front of them and it appeared that workers were up there, not loungers, so I'm not sure.  I do wish that there was more green on that island -- the dusty/sandy landscape is not all that appealing IMHO.

Great Stirrup Cay

In Nassau, I was happy to have done my research so I could confidently walk past all the taxi drivers competing loudly for my business.  One guy laughed when I said I was taking the Jitney, and another said "OK, Boss Lady."  (I liked him.)  We walked straight to Bay St. and George St. (one block inland and several to the right) where we caught the #10 Jitney to the Sheraton at Cable Beach.  Riding the local transportation was eye-opening...they have fold-down seats that come into the aisle so NO space is wasted, and everyone is nice and cozy together.  Most people were friendly, and the other few ignored us.  We were glad for the local experience, even my teenager.  The Sheraton was lovely -- the reception counter was slow, so it took a little while to get our wristbands, but then we enjoyed the pools, the beautiful beach, and a walk next door to the Wyndham for their pool and waterslide (very fun!)  The hippo slide at the Sheraton costs $, and if you ride more than like 4 times, the one at GSC is cheaper.  (Especially if you order before your cruise.)  

We had hoped to stop by the Fish Fry for a meal on our way back, but we left the Sheraton later than we had intended, and then a Jitney driver on the wrong side of the road called to us across the street and convinced us that he would get us to the Fish Fry.  Well, he did, but not before going around to a bunch more stops out of the way -- it took 25 minutes to get back to where we had been standing in the first place!!!  And then the bus was so crowded, I worried that we might not be able to find one with room after eating, as we had a little over 90 minutes left to eat and get back to the ship.  Too close for my comfort, so we stayed on the bus to downtown.  After we drove past the Fish Fry I realized we might have been able to walk back, but Mike and I are not in great shape anyway, so we left it alone.  We bought some souvenirs in town, and were really bummed about missing out on local food when we entered the building by the ships and saw a conch fritter stand -- hooray!  And right next to it, a beverage stand with the local beer, Kalik.  The four of us split two yummy orders of fritters plus two beers each for the grown-ups, and my teen bought a soda and realized with glee that there was no tax added to the price.  Everyone was happy, happy.

Nassau

Cabin 11552 was wonderful - good size for two adults and two kids, with one heavy curtain dividing the room into two sections plus another to block off the balcony for three total separate areas when changing or otherwise needing privacy.  There were four large drawers, two small drawers at the desk, and a wonderful large closet with a light that we didn't notice until we were leaving!  The bathroom was AWESOME - glass doors separate the commode on one side and shower on the other from the sink in the center, so three people could be in there at once if necessary.  We were right below the pool deck and could hear the music above during the day from the balcony, but it wasn't terribly loud, and I did notice some noise from movement of deck chairs above in the evening, but again, only from the balcony, not the room.  Great views from the port-side balcony.

"  But with so much to choose from, we all found food we liked at every meal, and I personally never felt like I had to go back to the same choices again because there were plenty of good options.We did order one $5 pizza to our room right after we got back from Nassau, and it was quite good.

Norwegian Jewel Review

Spring Break on the Norwegian Jewel

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Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

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