Norwegian Jewel Review

Second NCL Cruise

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Norwegian Jewel
User Avatar
jasperdog
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Mar 2011
Cabin: Aft-Facing Balcony

This was our second time cruising (both on NCL) and eerily the stock market tanked on both of our trips. Our first trip was in September 08 and the only news that we continuously received onboard was the collapse of Lehman Bros., AIG, and the US economy. In our stateroom this time we witnessed the current catastrophes in Japan and the turmoil in Libya. So if any CC readers are interested in selling any of their portfolios look no farther than here when we post our next sail date.We had a great trip on the Jewel, leaving NY on March 13 and returning the 20th. The weather was ideal but hooded sweatshirts were needed the first and last sea days. Nickelodeon was featured on this trip and truth be told, children were not a problem------- pretty well mannered. The same can be said for the Spring Breakers. Aside from monopolizing the front pool and hot tubs, I didn't witness any bad behavior------like fighting or excessive drinking. Nothing like what I have been reading what happened on the Dawn. Speaking of the Dawn, the Jewel is so similar to it that it was impossible to lose your bearings.Embarkation---took about 1 hour from the time we arrived at the terminal until we boarded the Jewel. Interestingly, on our first cruise (and not Latitude members), the process took a grand total of 15 minutes. The desk for Latitude members was not very well staffed at first----2 agents at 12 Noon, followed by 2 more agents at 12:15 and finally 2 more agents at 12:30. Once the 6 agents were processing, the line moved.Stateroom----we had and aft cabin on Deck 10 with a huge balcony. The balcony was quite wet the first day due to the washing above us but we never had that problem again. Our steward Armando Cruz took great care of us and the room. It's mind boggling how hard NCL personnel work and always have a smile on their face. Our travel agent surprised us with concierge Adrian Bica and he surprised us with a few perks. If you are reading this Linda, thanks again!Food----we ate mainly in Tsars' for dinner and Tango and Le Bistro for 2 nights. We are more than satisfied with food in the MDR but will probably splurge on Le Bistro again. It is well worth the $40 + tip. The only complaints we had of Tsar's was that the luncheon hamburgers arrived rather cold on two separate occasions and the lobster was nearly inedible at one dinner. If you can bear the crowds, the Garden Cafe/ Great Outdoors are excellent for breakfast. Whether you want, oatmeal, fresh fruit, omelets ----it's all there.Entertainment---the Jewel has a "jewel" in the comedian Steven Scott. The man is not only funny but also has a talent that he can imitate many musical instruments. His jam session with the cruise band was remarkable. Close your eyes and you will swear you are hearing the real thing. Jimi, Miles and Buddy would be proud. Le Cirque Bijou was excellent the last night. We did not really enjoy the magician, Jean Pierre Parent. The act we saw was really drawn out.Excursions-----this cruise only had 3 ports: Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau. On our previous cruise we visited 5 ports, which we found to be too many. Four ports over a seven day cruise seem to be ideal.1. Port Canaveral----we did the Kennedy Space Center tour and really enjoyed it. Considering that an adult admission is $62 at the gate (parking????), the $79 we paid included round trip transportation from the ship was very reasonable. Once you are in the Center you line up for a bus to take you around the complex. After you visit an exhibit you re-board the same bus or another bus to drive to another exhibit. Our advice is to get off the bus at the first exhibit (Observation Gantry) and go to the waiting line for the next bus. The observation deck is not very interesting and this should save you enough time to see both of the 3-D movies in the IMAX theaters. Be sure to check the show times. The movies (Hubble and the Space Station) were fabulous.2. Great Stirrup Cay---after reading all the negative comments on the CC forum, we were all set to skip the tender trip. To our surprise our concierge, Adrian, arranged for us to board an early tender-----and we are glad he did! We sunbathed for about 3 hours by the water and took an early tender back to the Jewel. Those, young and old, who were lucky enough to find a lounger didn't think twice about dragging it through the sand and setting it up by the water. I saw a woman's bag knocked to the sand and dragged along to the waterfront. A wheelchair with those huge rubber wheels was bounced away from its original position by someone dragging a lounger to a better site. Those who originally had only sand between them and the water were now in the 3-4th row. For anybody travelling on a later tender, you have our sympathy. Huge crowds and no chairs. I know NCL is doing a lot of work on the island so hopefully there will enough space and activities to satisfy the later arrivals. Until then, it's every cruiser for himself/herself.3. Nassau-----we booked the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Observation for $43 each online through NCL. We were expecting to stand on a platform and watch tourists interact with these great mammals. Nowhere in the excursion description did it mention that at least 1 member of your party had to participate in a dolphin swim ($230 pp) or dolphin encounter ($150 pp). We found this to be the case in the printed excursion brochure the night before. Fortunately we were able to cancel the excursion. For $230 or $150 that better be a helluva swim or hug with the dolphins! If we are to spend that sum of money, it's going to a dolphin conservation program.We decided to walk around Nassau for the afternoon but as luck would have it, we met a tour operator at the end of the pier named Dan the Man. For $30 pp he drove us and 2 other couples around the island in an AC van for 2 ½ hours. We learned a lot about the history of the Bahamas, visited the Queen's Steps and Atlantis (casino only), and saw some poverty. There were several school groups of various ages visiting the Queen's Steps and let me tell you they could teach us Americans the art of politeness. Well done Bahamians! If you are lucky enough, have Dan the Man give you a tour. You won't go wrong. Note: Dan the Man should not be confused with the assistant cruise director, who goes by the same moniker and has quite a lovely singing voice, which you will discover at the crew talent show.Disembarkation----thanks to our concierge, we were able to leave early but even then there were long lines going through customs. As we did on the Dawn, we grabbed a porter, tipped him and we breezed through customs. Unfortunately, we waited a long time for our ride home because the West Side Highway was closed southbound from 72nd St. down for some race Drivers were waiting over an hour to exit the highway and use the city streets.

Cabin Review

Aft-Facing Balcony

Very quiet cabin. Huge balcony.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Jewel Cruise from $249

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.