Norwegian Jewel Review
Incredible Panama Canal Cruise on NCL Jewel
Rating by category
Additional details
SImply a great cruise - The ship was fantastic, the crew incredibly attentive and polite, the food delicious, and the entertainment top notch.
Loved all restaurants except Cagney's atmosphere did not do the food, or the other Cagney's on other NCL ships credit (we were seated by the kitchen, it was loud and not intimate at all). We loved Tsars main dining (the best comp dining we have had on a cruise yet), Tepanyaki, the Brazilian steak house, and the BBQs on deck. We purchased 8 specialty dining on this 14 day cruise prior to the cruise, and as the complimentary dining was so great, we probably should have purchased fewer.
Passage through the canal will be a cherished memory for the rest of our lives - truly awesome. Read a good book about the construction of the canal prior to the cruise so you can try to appreciate what a marvel it is.
Cabin Review
Mini-Suite with Balcony
Excellent cabin - plenty of storage
Port Reviews
Miami
Beautiful city - stayed at a hotel prior to cruise.
Puerto Quetzal (Antigua)
Went on a private tour through Viatar (I forget the tour company name), and it was great. Learned so much about the country, its people and politics - fascinating. We will always take smaller, private tours in the future.
Acapulco
What a sad city - so sad to see it fall so far from its previous splendor. One feels bad about the economic plight of the folks who used to work in a booming tourist industry (our taxi driver told us five years ago there were two ships in a week, now one a month). Even though one feels bad it is easy to get extremely annoyed at their pushy sales pitch.
We went on our own to the fort (just walk across the street), and greatly enjoyed it. We then took a taxi to the hotel (Miramar?) that hosts the cliff divers. Hint: Go early, get a good table and order their very tasty lunch and enjoy a cold beer - you will get a great view.
Cabo San Lucas
As different as night is from day, this city is that different than Acapulco. Here the tourist trade is booming, and walking around enjoying the shops and a cantina or two is a great way to enjoy a day - which is what we did (had a very short stop here).