NCL Jewel - Western Mediterranean Review
I was on the 7/8/07 sailing of the Norwegian Jewel to the Western Mediterranean. This was my first taste of Free-style NCL (I last sailed with NCL way back in 1978). I am in my early 50's and single. This was my 14th cruise overall, with most being on RCCL, Carnival, and Princess. Overall, I was very satisfied with the Free-style and enjoyed it very much. The cruise was tiring because there was so much packed into a short cruise. I would recommend spending a day or 2 in Barcelona either before or after the cruise.
Transportation Since I only booked the cruise at a late date, I booked my own air from JFK on Aer Lingus (through their website) with a change in Dublin each way. Both flights were pleasant and on time. For the first time in a long time, I had an empty seat next to me on every flight, so I was not squished next to someone. Once in Barcelona, I retrieved my bags quickly and went outside to hail a cab. There was some traffic getting into the pier and the fare ended up being $27E and change. I gave him $30E. This is after I tried to purchase transfers from the NCL rep at the airport for $25E who talked me out of it and told me the taxi fare is only $20E! This would not be bad if you had a traveling companion to share the cost, but I was traveling alone.