Norwegian Jewel Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,357 reviews

NEW DECOR AND PRODUCTION SHOWS MAKE THIS SHIP A REAL GEM!!

Review for Australia & New Zealand Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
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rubyjack67
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
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Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2018
Cabin: Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

Norwegian Jewel departing Sydney on December 1st 2018 to New Zealand for 12 nights. My husband and I booked only 6 weeks prior to the departure date and managed to get a great deal on a mini-suite. The ship had been in dry dock immediately prior to our cruise so everything was fresh and clean.

Embarkation - the embarkation and disembarkation processes were extremely quick and painless.

Dining - Norwegian does Freestyle Dining which means you can really choose when and where you want to have dinner. For complementary dining, there are 2 main dining rooms - Azura and Tsar's Palace, a chinese restaurant called Chin Chin, an Irish pub called O'Sheehan's (get it? O'Sheehan's! O-ceans!! Hmmm...my husband didn't get it either...)

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cabin MA

Our suite number was 11538 - 11 is so high up and on rockier nights it seemed to creak and groan more than a lower floor, but we enjoyed being up the top. The only downside was being directly under the sun deck and the noise of lounges being dragged early in the morning was noticeable but not overly annoying. I posted a video tour of the cabin on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afUS6ZxsLzc

The cabin was refitted just before our cruise. Unfortunately we had a problem with water seeping from the shower through to the main cabin, soaking the carpet. Guest services gave us another room for the night while they dried the carpet and the plumbing was fixed while we were out the next day. They compensated us with a bottle of wine, a cheese platter and a complementary dinner at a restaurant of our choice. It happened again mildly a few days later so we got another cheese platter and bottle of wine. It was fixed promptly and we weren't really inconvenienced by it. Our bed was ok - my preference would be for a firmer mattress - and mattress protectors!!!! Also the pillows were really crappy. I slept with one of the cushions instead. There are 2 airconditioners with separate temperature controllers. A big flat screen TV is in front of the couch which means if you're watching TV in bed, the person furthest away is in an awkward viewing position. We took some movies on a USB and they were able to play through the TV - mp4 format only. The ship has 4 movie channels - action, drama, comedy and family - as well as a tv show channel and various news shows. And guess what? The movies are all free!!! Ask guest services for a programme guide and have a pyjama day! The movies are mostly recent movies that have come onto dvd or foxtel rental. There are only a couple of power outlets in the room but there are 2 USB charging points by the TV and at the base of the bedside lamps. A really good bonus was a little espresso machine that boiled water instantly so you can make your own tea and coffee without calling room service or going out. Supplies provided. There is a stocked mini bar and also a safe. Lots of storage space. Nice furnishings (now) although I didn't like the artwork in our room (or really any of the artwork around the ship!!) Except for the leak the bathroom was great. Soap and shampoo are in dispensers on the wall and there are plenty of towels. Did I mention there is a bath? Having a bath at sea was a fun indulgence!!! I indulged 4 times! Our cabin attendant was Gerald who is nearly 40 but looks 25. He is Filipino and very lovely. A good indication of what the working conditions are like is finding out how long some people have worked on the same ship or for the same company. Gerald has been with Norwegian on 2 different ships for 10 years and he's still smiling! This is a lovely room but except for the bath is not really worth the extra money compared to a balcony room. It's not that much bigger and doesn't come with extra perks. We only booked this because the balconies were sold out by the time we booked.

Port Reviews

Auckland

We did an open top bus trip around the city - 2 x 1hrs covered by 2 different buses. There are 2 companies and they do the same routes and are the same price. Worthwhile especially if you don't want to walk too much.

Tauranga

Hired a car from Rite Price Rentals who pick up and drop back to the ship. Made our own way to Rotorua to see the Geothermal pools. There are 2 places to see the geysers - we chose the less commercial one that is run by the original family business.

Napier

Napier is really beautiful and worth wandering around to see all the artdeco buildings or go for a ride in a vintage car or walk along the beachfront with the black sand.

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