We chose Norwegian cruise ship Jewel for the Freestyle Cruising. We have taken many Caribbean cruises and liked the idea of not having to pack all the extra evening wear. Packing of warmer clothing for layering in cooler climates can be difficult when trying to stay within TSA luggage weight requirements. We found the more relaxed way of dressing & dining made for a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. We could choose when and where to dine and dress up or down by our own choice.

We had read many complaints about "unfriendly" staff on the Norwegian Jewel prior to our cruise. We did not experience this at all. Any staff members that we encountered were always very pleasant and more than willing to serve our needs.

The only complaint that we have concerning this cruise was the embarkation process in Vancouver. We took our hotel shuttle to the port. When we arrived we had to board an elevator with our luggage and wait in line on the second level to have our check-in luggage taken from us. As, we are an older couple, this was a very tedious process. More notable was the fact that anyone dropped by shuttle who was boarding the Disney Cruise ship had their luggage taken immediately from them upon arrival - they did not have to drag their luggage for any distance. We felt that the Disney cruise people were being catered to. We have never before experienced this process of dragging our luggage around before boarding on any other cruise (company) before. We don't know if this was the port's or Norwegian's policy - but we feel that much improvement is needed in this process. Read more