Norwegian Jewel Review
Top entertainment, great restaurants and bars
Rating by category
Additional details
We originally chose this ship for the itinerary and to try out a different line.
The original itinerary included Melbourne, Geelong, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln, Hobart and Eden. This was changed after 6 months to Melbourne, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Burnie, Hobart, Eden and Sydney. Still an excellent itinerary with 18 hours in Melbourne allowing us a full day visiting family. The visits to Kangaroo Island and Eden were not full days and with both ports being tender operations made it difficult to get full value out of the offered tours. We opted to go it alone or book with private tour groups saving many dollars.
Embarkation and Debark at Sydney was a breeze and a pleasant experience.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
Huge King bed (2 large singles joined) with pillowtop mattress always provided a restful sleep. Bathroom a little small but sliding doors on both shower and toilet were a godsend - not clinging plastic shower curtains.
Cabin size is average at 205sq feet but with a small 38sq ft balcony. The size of the bed makes it a bit hard to navigate the room which also has 2 small tables and a 2 person sofa.
Otherwise, plenty of storage space.
Port Reviews
Sydney (Australia)
Embarkation and debark was simple and quick.
Melbourne
Docked. Easy access through terminal. Has information and transport desk. Longish walk to end of pier. Shuttle bus service to downtown or take tram 109.
Adelaide
Aussie band welcoming. Lots of volunteers to assist. Local train into Adelaide runs every 30 minutes and Seniors are free between 9am and 3pm
Kangaroo Island
Tender port. Booked local shuttle bus to Kingscote through information centre pre cruise. Ship Shore excursions limited due to short time in port.
Hobart
Fabulous information centre within dock facilities. Short walk to Salamanca place for local markets - a must visit on any Saturday. Everything within walking distance for 1 day visits. Port Arthur and other historical places nearby need more time that a ship visit can give.
Burnie
Working port requires free shuttle bus into town and return. Very long lines waiting for bus from ship. Very friendly town with huge volunteer group. Penguins can be seen in their burrows from the boardwalk.
Eden (Australia)
Short tender into port. Once again a big volunteer group and friendly town. $10 shuttle ride into town but many walked up the steep little hill to the Whaling Museum. Great coffee at the port.