This was our 1st NCL cruise and we went on board with an atitude that if it wasn't what we enjoyed , we wouldn't do it ever again. This is what we found...

We flew into NYC a day early , had free shuttle to Comfort Inn at Laguardia airport. Not a great neighborhood but it was a place to sleep and it was clean. We made previous arrangements for car service (Dial 7) to pick us up at 11:00 A.M. They were prompt. Took us to peir 88 in Manhatten. Chech in was very smooth , no more than 20 minutes. Went to Tsar's Diningroom for lunch and had bbq ribs as well as peach cobbler. Very well prepared. No crowd in sight in the diningroom. Maybe 25-30 people . Afterwards we started exploring our new world. Home away from work! The ship is so very clean, colorful and comfortable. NCL has done a great job in maintaining this ship and all their crew do a excellent job throught out the ship. Never saw anything that was not up to pare, anywhere at anytime. The lifeboat drill went same as all other lines . Our area was Tsar's so it wasn't hard to find. Sat there for about 15 minutes and when dismissed we went to our room and unpacked. We had a oceanview on deck 8 at the back of the ship. Room was a little larger that we expected , all kinds of space to put everything away. The ship left on time and we sailed out of New York In full view of Ladt Liberty and Ellis Island. Sun was glaring a bit but the photos came out excellent. Our two room stewards were dedicated to making us comfortable. Both men were talkative and freindly each time we saw them. The beds were pillow top and Hubby loved them but I sleep better on a firm mattress so the pillow top was a killer. Well the pillow top can be removed which I realized on the third day out. Ask if they would seperate the beds and leave the top on hubby's bed. These guys kept apoligizing for having to seperate the beds. One was 4-6 inches taller afterwards. The food was very good throughout the ship. Did not have a bad meal, some were a little too dressed up for us plain southern folks but we managed to gain weight anyway! We ate at the main dining rooms mostly as well as the buffet. Tried Tango's which was Tex-Mex . Good but did not think it was better than the others, so back to the main dining room we went. The buffet was very plentiful with different menu each day except breakfast . There you were stuck. Every kind of cooked eggs including made to order omelettes free. Bacon, sausage links, baked city ham, 3 kinds of fried potatoes , gravy, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pecan crusted rolls, waffles, pancakes, french toast with warm fruits and syrup to top them off. Bagels, English muffins, rolls also add oatmeal, grits and a fresh fruit bar. There are 20 items or more I'm forgetting, sorry. You can graze there from 6:30A.M.-10:30A.M. then it closes and reopens in an hour for lunch. American fast food bar, Asian, India Bar, Pizza bar, Salad bar, Sandwich bar, Hot food bar, Ice Cream & desert bar. You get the idea. If you go away hungry you should have stayed home. You are too picky! We sailed straight to Newport , Rhode Island for 1st full day of our cruise. Walked along the Cliff walk. After we did a one hour harbour tour to see the mansions. Yep we picked out a few but couldn't decide so we just kept what we got. No prearranging tour needed. It's right there on the pier for $15.00. Next day was sea day , We did the Meet & Greet. Got to meet the powers that be on ship. Very accommodating group of professionals. They spoke to our group and served refreshments. Captain invited everyone to tour the bridge. He had the invitations sent to our rooms. Halifax was next port. Spent the day on a taxi tour with four other CC members. Rained part of the day but never while we were out in it , always while we were traveling down the road. Visited Titanic Victims graveyard, Ma hone Bay , Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove. Two days at sea then we sailed into Quebec City through the St. Lawrence River. Walked around old town, did the Funicular ( $ 2 canadian) . Also did a tour through Viator of Mortmorency Falls, as well as the Shrine of Ste Anne Beaupre .

Last stop was Sydney after another day at sea. It was not really worth the bother. Only 4 hours and a half on shore on a Sunday morning. Most all shops were closed. Last day at sea had to hold on to the rails a few times. Hurricane Igor was slamming Burmuda and chopping up the water somewhat. 7-12 foot waves. Loved it, hoped it would get worse but it calmed down about 10:00 that night. They barred the outer doors to keep people from going out. Safety. Watched most of the shows through out the trip including the "Nick "ones Even had our picture taken for Grandchild back home. Very few kids on board. If adults didn't go to show they would have been canceled!! Very long line of grandparents to get their photos made . We did dress casual for dinner each night for dining room instead of buffet. Most all that we saw were in dress slacks and nice shirt or blouse. This was an older crowd since school has started everywhere so very few people wearing bluejeans or tee shirts in the dining rooms. Pool was open and there were some brave souls using it . Not a problem getting deck chairs when it's barely 60 degrees. Lot of people had to try it though. They were wrapped in towels and jackets huddles in their deck chairs! Floated back by our Lady Liberty coming back to where we began. We were some of the last to get off the Jewel as we signed up for a 2 hour NYC tour through the ship. Took us to Time Square right where the ball drops every New Year's Eve to welcome the new year. Did you know there was a police station right smack dab under that thing? Went to SoHo district, China town , Fashion District, by Macy's, Time Warner (CNN), Empire State building, Central Park and one street over from ground Zero and the Wall Street Bull . Tour ended at Laguardia Airport. All good thing must come to and end. The jewel really is a Gem. Would love to sail with her and her staff again , just wish it was somewhere warmer and wish the homeport wasn't so far north. Will go again , did get the onboard credit to sail again. Please give NCL a try. It is well worth what you pay.