About the Reviewer: It helps to gauge where the experiences you're about to read come from and to put them in perspective. I'm a 28 year old male non-traditional college student who traveled solo for the first time on a non-Atlantis charter for spring break. As a side note I did have to pay the dreaded single supplement which is 200% of per person fare. I have sailed on the Norwegian Jewel twice with the most recent being January 3, 2010 (read the review here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=61953 ) and in 2007 for a 12-day Egypt, Greece & Turkey itinerary. The Norwegian Jewel is the ship I've spent the most time on (25 days) and there's good reason for it! This was my 7th Latitudes Norwegian cruise and 8th overall with NCL on March 14, 2010. I've sailed on other lines to make comparisons including Princess (5x) and Carnival (1x) and have sailed on Atlantis charters on Celebrity (3x) and Royal Caribbean (1x). This was my 18th cruise and it was an experiment for traveling solo on a non-Atlantis cruise. Would it work?

Pre-Cruise Stay: Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport - Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As insurance on New England weather I flew down the day prior and I'm happy I did as New England experienced a Nor'easter which caused flight delays. By the time I arrived at the hotel it was after midnight on Sunday morning. The room was very well cleaned and appointed and provided a comfortable environment to crash in for 6 hours. Hotel staff was very accommodating for the late arrival and very helpful. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. It's not centrally located to any stores though so if you forgot something you're going to spend a lot at the hotel's store.

Transportation to Port of Miami: SAS Transportation shines through once again. It's a hidden gem here on Cruise Critic and their service was incredible. I was picked up on time and after a brief stop at the Fort Lauderdale airport we were on our way to Port of Miami. Read more