Background Information Six of us -- all close friends -- traveled together on the Norwegian Jewel ... an adventure for us New Englanders eager to take a respite from the snow and ice and cold of the season. We wanted to relax and enjoy a stress-free vacation in the Caribbean, and the concept of free-style cruising really appealed to us. We were not disappointed.

Hotel Info We flew into Miami a day in advance and settled into the three adjoining rooms we had booked at the Embassy Suites Hotel. It's a beautiful hotel with all the amenities --including a rainforest-like atrium, a water fall, koi fish swimming lazily around in a free-form pond, a large outdoor swimming pool, exercise room, and free internet! Our experience there was extremely pleasant, though if you sit pool side airplanes take off overhead with ear-numbing regularity. Inside the hotel the noise is almost non-existent and even outside, you get used to it. The staff was excellent, from the Hotel Manager, Juan Carlos, to everyone on down the line. We grabbed a free hotel shuttle to the hotel from the airport and were delighted with our driver, Arturo, who took us under his wing and recommended an exemplary Cuban restaurant (La Rosa) for our dining pleasure that night. Orlando was the concierge who greeted us when we came in with true warmth and hospitality. The young women at the desk who quickly checked us in were lovely as well. Tamara too, was helpful as we ate our breakfast and checked in and out.

Shortly after we arrived, we wanted to grab a drink at the bar which wasn't open yet and we managed to track down Sylvia Bianco, who obviously had some clout, who welcomed us in and got us our drinks with a smile. Upon our return to Miami from the nine-day cruise, we stopped again at the Embassy Suites and found the experience excellent yet again. By the way, the hotel offers a delicious breakfast and, in the late afternoon, a free manager's cocktail hour which we very much appreciated. It's all part of the cruise package and we felt we got more than our money's worth. Ship Info The Norwegian Jewel is just that -- a handsome, , sparkling, well cared for floating hotel. We had three adjoining mini-suites that were very comfortable, clean and well designed. Our decks each had doors that opened onto each other and two of the rooms had an inside door that opened between the two rooms, so we felt very connected. The accommodations provided us with plenty of space to store our clothing and gear and also the large and comfortable bed was high enough to allow for the storage of our suitcases underneath. Read more