Norwegian Jewel Review
Second time is the charm - with the right cruise line...
Rating by category
Additional details
My first time on a cruise was with another brand name. I was worried that I might be somewhat bored but that was not the real issue. The main thing was the environment.
Norwegian's Jewel, on the other hand, was quite nice everywhere. It was modern, well lit and overall just fun from a design perspective. There were enough activities and yet there was also a delightful amount of "me time". This was truly a fun vacation.
We loved the Ultimate Dining Package with only one exception. We had one of the worst meals ever, on or off a cruise ship, when we went to the Brazilian Churrasco restaurant. While the appetizer bar was quite nice, the main issue was that no one could correctly cook the meat. The garlic beef was so overcooked it was simply inedible and the filet, although pink, was tasteless and chewy. The ribs were completely dry and the meat would not release from the bones. The picanha was also overcookerd and was not properly served (it should be cut off in slices and not served as a chunk). The sausages were dry and also tasteless.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Oceanview Picture Window
Clean and comfortable. No problems with the size. The bathrooms are always a little small but it was clean and modern. There were lots of drawers and closet space. There was a problem with the television (bad cable) and it was missing the remote control but they fixed the problems once reported.
Port Reviews
Houston
Houston is an oil port and it does not seem like the best of environments. The cruise terminal is isolated from any easy-access hotels and the cab ride to that terminal from the airport is very expensive.
Cozumel
The shopping district is very nice along the waterfront. You felt completely safe. It was also very clean. There were plenty of resting areas and nice little statues/landmarks to use a backdrops for photos.
Roatan
The wharf was relatively new but only partially filled with stores which seemed to indicate economic problems. The real problem was that we had been warned that Norwegian had had an employee killed during a leave at this location. Norwegian suspected cruises here for a few months until the authorities could demonstrate safety and control. Nonetheless it just did not feel safe. There was so much poverty visible just outside the gated terminal area.