This was our first voyage on the NCL Jewel. We have traveled on NCL before to the Caribbean about 10 years ago ( we have cruised on other lines), and we were totally satisfied then. Even though we had an ocean view cabin then and were awakened by noise from the anchors( we had a cabin close to the bow at the time), the ship left us with a great impression. The food was awesome, and the entertainment was terrific. The ports were handled very well, and the staff was there for all our needs. All in all, it made for a memorable trip. That was then, this is now! After a gruelling journey on British Airways(crammed into small seat area that was hot almost the whole way) we arrived at Dover. Seeing the Jewel gave us our first impression that we were in for another great ship. But that was not to be. Don't get me wrong. The Jewel is a beautiful ship. It has alot to offer. BUT, NCL needs to get its act together. My wife and I absolutely believe NCL cares more about your money than you! As soon as we arrived at the embarkation building, we had to wait over an hour so they could disinfect the ship from the previous cruise(seems about 50 passengers got sick from a stomach virus). To be sure, we were happy to hear that the ship was taking precautions. The precautions lasted until the next to last day. We were required to wash our hands in conveniently placed pumps before entering ANY restaurant and had to ask for everything from condiments to food. We weren't allowed to touch anything. The walls and chrome were washed down with solutions that when dried, left dingy streaks. We felt they could have been wiped down better. However, we did not get sick which excused this. Our cabin was a mini-suite and was VERY comfortable and kept immaculate by our cabin stewards. The staff for the most part went out of their way to be helpful, except for a game host who was 20 min. late and a dining room employee who told me more than I needed to hear, saying some guests who got sick were full of s--t. Our friends who traveled with us had to wait all day and into the night until they found his bag(after tipping each person). He also paid extra for oxygen which was not ready on his arrival. The things that we feel should have been handled better was the lack of care in preparing the food or making you feel special. The food in the "free" dining rooms was fair at best. I had a steak, and it was tough as leather. The other dishes were ok on some days and disasters on other days. For instance, mini shrimp cocktail was served many days, and it didn't come close to a regular shrimp cocktail and the soups were watery. Even the desserts were so-so. We ate at Chin-Chin and Mama's Kitchen, and found the food to be way below par. The Bistro was the only "specialty" restaurant worth the extra money. The food was very good. Interesting to note, the food in the Garden Cafe(cafeteria style) and Tapas were the best places to eat. There you could get a real shrimp cocktail(with TWO shrimp)that was good. The asian dishes were also good (much better than Chin-Chin).In Tapas, you could get good "comfort" food Another thing that bothered us was that they never celebrated the countries we visited. It would have been nice if they included a dish representative of the different countries, but alas, no attempt. There wasn't even a chocolate night, or anything special. Waiting times were much longer at the dining rooms than the "specialty' restaurants because most weren't worth the extra price. Still another pet peeve was the internet service, or rather, disservice. Not wanting to wait for a computer in the internet cafe(.75 cents a min. w/o package), We paid $99 dollars for the privilege of hooking up my laptop in room. That was our BIGGEST mistake. Admitting that we were credited back minutes because of serious lagtime, we used up over 4 hours in less than a week without being able to send all emails. It just ate up minutes waiting to get to email and sending. We were told it was faster at the "cafe", but that was NOT much better. Also, why is NCL continuously trying to sell you something aboard ship. I heard many people complain that enough was enough. As for the ports, they were the highlights. We paid $399 each for the trip from Warnemunde to Berlin. It was very good, but we were only given about 30 min. to shop. The other tours we arranged ourselves, and we were delighted. We could do what we wanted, and they were even cheaper. These ports were the highlights. You won't be disappointed. However, on days we arrived back to the ship before the required time, I am still wondering, with the rush of the 2,000 plus people coming aboard hungry, why didn't the ship make an effort to hold open the main restaurants just a little while longer to avoid lines in the smaller eating facilities? I understand they must set up for dinner, but they could have been more accommodating. And why do they allow smoking in the casino which limits people who do not want to be subject to constant smoke? The Jewel is a nice ship but far from being a great ship that it could be. When I travel again, I will consider other cruise lines, not just NCL. I hope other cruise ships care more about the guests than their bottom line.