Several years ago my wife and I sailed to Alaska aboard the NCL PEARL and had a wonderful time with great food including lobster the first night. We are retired and this latest Caribbean cruise aboard the Jewel for our 50th anniversary was disappointing in many ways. Smaller Atrium with only a piano and no live music. The buffet food was not that good, had burnt crust pizza, luke warm food, tough meat, biscuits that crumbled apart, some of the buffet food was good, but it was usually everyday common food. Lots of children running all over, some people dressed like slobs. The Azura and Czars palace restaurants had better quality food and great service but we were annoyed by roaming photographers and a "loud mouth" we shared a table with. Cagney's was very good and enjoyed the meal, superb waiter service, but within one hour later we both had a diarrhea from it, perhaps the mushrooms? Never did see any lobster, king crab, prime rib anywhere except the "specialty restaurants".

On disembarkation, we saw a poster advertising prime rib that night at O'Sheehan's bar and grill (was not on our cruise). All the alcohol drink prices very high with automatic gratuity of 15%. The head bartender at the cocktail lounge didn't know how to make a Bacardi cocktail and insisted it was Bacardi rum mixed with Pepsi or just on the rocks. Oh boy!!! The ship itself (Jewel) was older than the Pearl, not as nice but was well kept up. I got scolded by one of the photographers (Russian girl) for taking a photograph inside that area and was ordered to delete it off my camera.

Our stateroom was clean and comfortable, the stewardess was FANTASTIC, so very friendly and took care of all our needs, gave her a big tip. Theater shows we attended at the Stardust theater were good, but many did not appeal to us because they were for children or adult themed. Unlike the Alaska sailing, all there was to see, was the sea itself and not much to do on board except eat, drink, gamble, walk around, sit by the pool (water too cold to swim) or go into the hot tub for a little while. Read more