We had a wonderful time on the Jewel. We have been on 6 prior cruises; this was our second on NCL. We flew into Tampa and drove down to Miami. The drive took about 4 hours. It was an easy drive and we saw quite a few alligators on the way down. We rented the car from Alamo. No drop off fees and they take you to the cruise port.

We arrived at the cruise port at 12:45. The line was horrible to check in. We were later told that customs forgot about the time change and that is what delayed check in. We were on the ship by 2:15.

The ship is absolutely beautiful. We had a mini suite for the first time. I must say we are now spoiled! We loved it. We were on deck 11 towards the back of the ship. This was very convenient for the buffet and Tsars. We loved how dark the room could get with the drapes closed. Our two girls slept on the sofa bed. The deck was bigger than a balcony room making it easier for 4 people to be out on it. We loved the bathroom. It had a toilet with door, sink and then a tub. My girls really enjoyed having a tub. Read more