Jusr off the Jewel

[tonyd285]

We just returned from a cruise on the Jewel (February 2 through 9) and had a wonderful time. We had an aft penthouse (9670) and were able to use the balcony every day because the weather was so nice. The staff on the ship were very pleasant and accommodating. Our concierge, Virginia, was the nicest of all we have encountered. She organized a birthday celebration, arranged dinner reservations every night and went out of her way to make sure we were happy. Our butler, Teodoro, was also very helpful. We hardly ever saw our cabin attendant and the first couple of days we had to let Teodoro know that the cleaning was not up to standard. Apparently the attendant was new to the ship and needed some guidance. On a down note, our TV never worked properly (sound problems), not an issue for the Superbowl but problematic if we wanted to catch the news. The food on the ship was great, both in the MDR and in the specialty restaurants. We only had one meal in the MDR which didn't measure up. We mostly had breakfast and lunch in Cagney's so can't speak to those meals in the MDR. I have to mention the Ecology & Hiking trip in Roatan. It was one of the best tours off a ship we have ever taken. Our guides Jorge and Jose were marvelous and the wildlife and scenery spectacular. We spent three days in New Orleans prior to the sailing and learned something about tourism there. Visit Monday through Friday. On Saturday the city is jammed, with a lot of drunks in the street, restaurants with long waiting lines, etc. Anyway, I'm glad we went. It was great to enjoy warm weather even if for only ten days.

[russianmom]

Great to hear about Virginia. We're headed down Saturday morning.:D

[CarlsDad]

Thank you for your thoughts tonyd! Virginia IS wonderful :) Glad you had a great time and enjoyed the Jewel.

[NSinMG]

Thanks for the review. Did you get enough sun on the balcony for tanning or was it usually shaded?

[tonyd285]

The balcony was usually shaded. Did notice that occasionally some debris from above would drift down onto the balcony. Mostly sugar wrappers, that sort of thing. Of course, Deck 12 has an outdoor dining area so that is probably where the trash comes from.

 

I understand that the ship is going into drydock in May. It really needs a thorough updating, things are starting to look a bit tacky. And maybe they will replace the TV in 9670.

 

By the way, the décor in the Tsars Palace MDR, right side extension as you look forward is a bit creepy if you know Russian history. There are several portraits of Czar Nicholas II and his family. They were all murdered by the Bolsheviks on direct orders from Lenin.

[r2mach1]

Hi Tony,

 

I believe we spoke at Maya Chan. +1 on Virginia! She was amazing, the best concierge we have ever had.

 

Ryan

[halehana]

I have to mention the Ecology & Hiking trip in Roatan. It was one of the best tours off a ship we have ever taken. Our guides Jorge and Jose were marvelous and the wildlife and scenery spectacular.

 

Is this the excursion to Maya Eden Eco-Park? I've been trying to find more information online and there isn't much out there.

 

We have a private tour booked with Bodden and are trying to decide what to see and where to go. I would like to do some hiking and was thinking of going to Carambola Gardens for that, as well as to see flora and fauna. Can you tell me what flora and fauna you saw on your tour? Were the orchids blooming? Did you see any monkeys, snakes, or parrots? Did you go in the butterfly shelter?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions, but this will likely be our only trip to Roatan, so we want to make the most of it.

Thanks for your help!

[tonyd285]

Look up Mayan Eden on line, also on Facebook. And yes, the butterfly exhibit is part of the park program. Absolutely fantastic experience. NCL refers to it as the Ecology and Archeology Hike if I remember correctly. Hope you get Jose as your guide if you choose this tour. He was wonderful.

[tonyd285]

I forgot to mention the monkeys (several species), snakes and some other wildlife. The flowers and trees are also varied and beautiful. Our guide was "friends" with several animals and they would come up to him for treats.

[halehana]

Thanks for the additional information! Sounds like a nice place!

[galliegirlie]

Is this the excursion to Maya Eden Eco-Park? I've been trying to find more information online and there isn't much out there.

 

We have a private tour booked with Bodden and are trying to decide what to see and where to go. I would like to do some hiking and was thinking of going to Carambola Gardens for that, as well as to see flora and fauna. Can you tell me what flora and fauna you saw on your tour? Were the orchids blooming? Did you see any monkeys, snakes, or parrots? Did you go in the butterfly shelter?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions, but this will likely be our only trip to Roatan, so we want to make the most of it.

Thanks for your help!

 

We stopped in Roatan back in January on our Dawn cruise. We booked a private tour with Bodden, and our group of 4 went to Carambola Gardens. $10 entry fee. It was off and on rainy the day we were there, but it was still a nice place to visit for 1.5 hrs or so. There are well identified trails that weave through the gardens, with signs that identify the different types of flora and fauna. There are several covered pagodas throughout the gardens in case you want to sit down and reflect on the beauty. We also did the 20 min hike up the "mountain" to the look out point. There had been several storms before our visit, so that trail was covered in many layers of palm branches and leaves. I'm not sure how often they clear out the trail, but I could see how this would make the trail too challenging for some. The view from the top looks down on Anthony's Key and a private island. We had a good time, and we only saw 4 other people in the gardens besides our group.