ranran87

Very nice! We are going on the LOTS next month. Loved the time-lapse scenes!

Hi, question for the OP - did you get a VOOM or talk to anyone who was using one, and if so, how was the Internet connectivity?

Sailing on LOTS in September, enjoying your review and the pictures!

I was on the Jewel in January and the bone-in ribeye at Cagney's was amazing. Maltings whiskey bar sometimes had hot popcorn in the early evening, so that was nice for a snack. Speaking of snacks, I really enjoyed sitting at the bar in O'Sheehans and enjoying their appetizers - mozzarella sticks, spinach dip, and chicken wings were all quite tasty.

DW and I were in Cozumel off the Jewel in January, and we did the Dolphin Swim and Ride All Inclusive package. We had a great time getting up close and personal with a dolphin, but the "all inclusive" part was lame. The lunch buffet was tasteless and the small bar had long lines and generic brand booze, so we did not stick around after the dolphin swim was over. The dolphin place was only a 10 minute walk from the pier, so after our swim we wandered back along the main drag and found a nice place to have lunch and get some free wi-fi to catch up on emails before heading back on board. If swimming with a dolphin is on your bucket list like it was mine, this might be a good opportunity to check it off.

DW and I were on the Jewel Jan 3 - 10, and on embark we were escorted to our forward penthouse suite.

What am I missing here, or are you meaning it's a reference to the {former} CEO, Kevin Sheehan? :)

They pronounce it like the word oceans, which I believe is the pun he referenced. Took me a while to realize it as well.

So looking at my receipts from sailing day, I can see they charge about 8.25 percent tax. For instance, 2 glasses of Prosecco at Magnum's totaled $18.00, and they charged me $1.49 tax. 1 glass of Meridian chardonnay, 1 Shiner Bock, and 1 mojito at Cagney's totaled $20.50, and they charged me $1.69 tax. Interestingly enough, it seems they did charge tax on my soda. That afternoon at Magnum's I got a Grey Goose on the rocks for $8.50 and DW had a Diet Pepsi for $2.10, and they charged me $.87 tax, which means the DP was taxed as well. (I am ignoring the automatic gratuity, which was charged as a separate line item. I had the UBP, and only the tax was charged to my onboard account.)

do you have to pay taxes on bar "purchases" if you have the UBP?

Yes, I had the UBP and I was charged taxes on drinks while in Texas waters. Here is a link to where I posted the "limited" menu they use in all bars and restaurants in Texas waters:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=45224896&postcount=54

You can see the selection is not that bad, and I believe we cleared Texas water space by about 8:00 pm, at which time the full drink menu came into force and there were no more taxes charged.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us! You have a very engaging writing "voice." :)

Thank you for the nice compliment. :)

Jewel - Garden Cafe - worst bloody mary ever. Never ordered one again but I've never been a huge bloody mary drinker.

On the other hand, on the Jewel last week I had a bloody mary, extra spicy, Tito's vodka, from the Great Outdoors bar at the aft end of deck 12, and it was delicious. I did not like the bar in the buffet (garden cafe). If Great Outdoors bar was not open early, I would recommend the java bar. I didn't get a bloody mary there, but I had a couple of espresso martinis there--quite a nice way to rally when you need a hit of caffeine to go with your booze. :D

Just off the Jewel, they had Woodford Reserve in many of the bars, maybe all. I remember seeing JW Blue, but I don't drink scotch so I didn't ask how much it was. Woodford Reserve, Basil Haydens, Belvedere, and Grey Goose were all available and all covered by UBP.

This was our state room for that cruise but had to cancel due to the sudden death of my wife's sister. Glad you got to enjoy it. We are going to re-book it for a later date. Glad you took the pictures was hard finding any pictures of it.

I was originally in a mini-suite and upgraded when the room was available a few days before departure. I felt lucky to get it, but I had no idea it was because of a family tragedy. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Smell cigarette smoke? I thought NCL's new smoking policy forbade smoking in the room and also on the balcony as of November 2014? We are both non smokers and are thrilled with their new policy. I just hope it is being enforced.

At least two of our nearby neighbors were not following the policy, much to my disappointment. However, if they stay out of sight to the back of their balconies and dispose of the evidence, apparently they can get away with it. I smelled smoke on several occasions, and one time I even saw an arm extend from a 9th deck balcony to flick a cigarette butt into the sea. :eek:

Randall, awesome picture review. I am booked in aft penthouse; so I assume the room will be similar; my question is; how many 60 cycle outlets are in the room? I will be charging two iPhones; two iPads, and camera batteries; not all at once; but am curious. Did you and your wife ever feel crowded in the suite; or in the bathroom?

I think there were outlets by the balcony door, at the desk under the TV, and at the makeup table. There was one in the bathroom which was labeled as suitable for shavers only. We were quite happy we brought a power strip and an extension cord.

I never felt crowded in the main area, but the hallway to the bathroom was narrow, so we had to do a bit of dancing while negotiating our way to and from the bathroom/makeup table/storage area.

Here is the liquor menu in all bars and restaurants the first night before you leave Texas waters. Be aware, you will be charged tax on these drinks, but it is a small percentage.

Thanks for posting the pics. Honestly though, except for the balcony it looks pretty unimpressive. Looks like 1950's decor.

I suppose you are right, although I did not pay any attention to the decor. That stuff means little to nothing to me, though DW may have noticed it. She perceives stuff like that, but I couldn't even tell you what the colors of the bedspread and the drapes in my bedroom were if I weren't looking at them at the time. :o

Thank you so much for your pictures and review! We have room 10000 booked on the Dawn. I appreciate seeing the balcony pictures. Was curious how you felt about the lack if privacy on the deck? Did you feel "watched"? Privacy is a big deal for us and we are trying to balance the need for privacy (Family Penthouse) with the deck space and experience of a forward facing penthouse that we haven't experienced yet.

The bridge never bothered me, maybe because I wasn't doing anything they might have found interesting--when I was out I was either gazing out to sea or sitting and reading. It was a little disconcerting when the neighbors, either to the side or below, were also out. If they were just sitting quietly, I wouldn't know they were there, but then I would hear a cough or smell cigarette smoke, and I would be reminded I was not alone.

Randall,

 

Wow that was a wonderful photo review of your suite. I always wondered about the balcony door and you provided the answer with your photos. The balcony is fantastic.

 

Linda

Thanks for the feedback, Linda. :) It took me quite a few hours to put it together, so I was hopeful it was not time spent in vain and someone would find it helpful.

This photo of the towel animal menagerie we collected over the week concludes the photo tour of NCL Jewel suite 10002. If you have any questions about the room, feel free to ask.

One was never truly alone on the balcony, for even if the neighbors were not out, the floor-to-ceiling windows of the bridge loomed just above us. Here is a photo of the inboard side of the bridge above our balcony.

And here is a photo of the outboard side of the bridge above our balcony.

Here is a view from the starboard side of the rail looking to port. You can see our inboard neighbor’s balcony and window. If I went to the left side of the rail and looked toward his room, I would be able to see his entire balcony and perhaps into his room, if his door was open or curtain was not drawn. Of course I never did that, but I was always conscious of the possibility that my neighbors could do that to me, if they wished.

A similar view from the opposite direction. Here you can see the outboard neighbor’s balcony opening.

Here is a view from the railing. You can see the openings of the balconies for the corresponding rooms on deck 9, and beyond them you can see the crew lounging area on the bow deck. They had a small plunge pool there, and sometimes when they were not working, several of them could be seen out there soaking up the sun.

Here I used my camera’s features to attempt a panoramic photo of the view from the rail. The ship appears somewhat distorted, but I think it gives somewhat of a sense of what a sweeping vista you have from a balcony at the front of the ship.

Finally we get to the balcony. Before we go out, here is a view of the balcony from inside the room looking out the window. You can see it is very deep. We requested ahead of time to have two loungers, and when we arrived we had two loungers, a chair, and two tables. I don’t know if that is the standard configuration.

Here is a view from the rail of the balcony back toward the room. DW is playing Words With Friends against her phone, since we didn’t sign up for the Internet on board. The sea door is held fully open with a clip to prevent it swinging around, because it is quite heavy. You can’t really see into the room through the window, because the sheer curtain is pulled over. The chair cushions were very comfortable for sitting, and they dried quickly after a rain.

This is view from my eye level while sitting in a chair toward the back of the balcony. As you can see, from this vantage the bow of the boat and much of the sea is not visible, but you can see the horizon and the sky.

Here is a view of the shower/tub with the door slid shut. You can see through the doors that we were using the clothesline inside to hang a few items to try to dry them.

Here you can see the far wall inside the shower/tub enclosure. I’m sorry I did not get a shot of the tub underneath, but it was quite small. On the left are dispensers of shampoo and shower gel, and on the right are two shelves to hold other toiletries. On the top left, you can see one end of the clothesline. The shower pressure and temperature were both excellent. One note of caution, though, the shower area is quite short. I am 6’1”, and the ceiling was about an inch and a half above the top of my head. It was not a problem for me, but if you are taller you might find yourself having to bend to avoid hitting your head.

One last photo inside the bathroom, this time the inside of the bathroom door. This door is directly across from the sink and leads back out into the hallway. You can see several towel bars and a handy row of hooks for hanging clothes or towels.