1st Jewel Cruisers out of Bayport?!?!?!?

[mdallasm1]

Upload to Photobucket, then link to the pics there. (That's what I do. :))

 

thanks. lets try this

 

http://s1369.photobucket.com/user/dallas6/library/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-10

 

password is norwegian

 

pictures aren't great so if you're looking for something specific, let me know and i'll take a better picture and upload it. these dailies pictures were from my phone. i take a picture every morning and make it my background on my iPhone. comes in very handy for having it always with me. by the way- the iconcierge is worth every penny. we used it all week and was a huge help for us

Edited October 19, 2014 by mdallasm1

[txhomeschoolmom]

SUCCESS :D Thank you!

 

thanks. lets try this

 

http://s1369.photobucket.com/user/dallas6/library/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-10

 

password is norwegian

 

pictures aren't great so if you're looking for something specific, let me know and i'll take a better picture and upload it. these dailies pictures were from my phone. i take a picture every morning and make it my background on my iPhone. comes in very handy for having it always with me. by the way- the concierge is worth every penny. we used it all week and was a huge help for us

[Realitoes]

Hello all,

 

I plan on writing a review on the cruise critic, but will provide a little information based on our experience here. We sailed the NCL Spirit (Europe) and the Carnival Truimph last year.

 

We arrived shortly after 11 am and there were already loads of folks waiting around to check in. They didn't start processing until close to Noon. There was no indication on how the line up would proceed, so we asked one of the employees and he sent us right into line - so we processed quickly and got on the ship. Apparently they were handing out group numbers somewhere - but we never saw them.

 

We attended our Roll Call Meet and Greet and one of the officers explained that since this was their first time in this port, there were some immigration issues that backup the whole process including the check-in and loading. This was the reason for the delayed departure.

 

The ship was great in our opinion, though we didn't find the crew as friendly (especially the dining room staff) as our experience on the Spirit. The food was very good! The entertainment was good, though again, we felt it was much better on the Spirit.

 

All the ports were great. We did the Salsa and Salsa excursion in Cozmel - which we highly recommend (especially if you love Salsa and Margaritas!). Take a look at their facebook page if you want to see pictures). In Belize, we just went ashore to shop. It was very hot and the Tender ride wasn't too bad. Trujillo was definitely a different type of experience. The tender process was much smoother than Belize (probably because we were using the ships boats). We did the Historical Tram with the Nature Park and Beach excursion. The Tram was actually a van, but it did something close to air conditioning. As others said, the people were very excited to see us and welcomed us everywhere. The area is very economically depressed and shows. Our guide took us to the historical district by the fort and we walked about a bit. There was a very heavy police presence in the whole town and along the route to the Nature Park. The Nature Park is nice, though not much there - we didn't do the beach, but it looked a bit crowded.

 

Getting off the ship was a breeze - sailed right through customs and onto our bus to the Space Center then on to our airport.

 

Overall we had a great time!

Edited October 19, 2014 by Realitoes

[txhomeschoolmom]

Thanks much for sharing your experiences...sounds like you had an enjoyable cruise :)

 

Hello all,

 

I plan on writing a review on the cruise critic, but will provide a little information based on our experience here. We sailed the NCL Spirit (Europe) and the Carnival Truimph last year.

 

We arrived shortly after 11 am and there were already loads of folks waiting around to check in. They didn't start processing until close to Noon. There was no indication on how the line up would proceed, so we asked one of the employees and he sent us right into line - so we processed quickly and got on the ship. Apparently they were handing out group numbers somewhere - but we never saw them.

 

We attended our Roll Call Meet and Greet and one of the officers explained that since this was their first time in this port, there were some immigration issues that backup the whole process including the check-in and loading. This was the reason for the delayed departure.

 

The ship was great in our opinion, though we didn't find the crew as friendly (especially the dining room staff) as our experience on the Spirit. The food was very good! The entertainment was good, though again, we felt it was much better on the Spirit.

 

All the ports were great. We did the Salsa and Salsa excursion in Cozmel - which we highly recommend (especially if you love Salsa and Margaritas!). Take a look at their facebook page if you want to see pictures). In Belize, we just went ashore to shop. It was very hot and the Tender ride wasn't too bad. Trujillo was definitely a different type of experience. The tender process was much smoother than Belize (probably because we were using the ships boats). We did the Historical Tram with the Nature Park and Beach excursion. The Tram was actually a van, but it did something close to air conditioning. As others said, the people were very excited to see us and welcomed us everywhere. The area is very economically depressed and shows. Our guide took us to the historical district by the fort and we walked about a bit. There was a very heavy police presence in the whole town and along the route to the Nature Park. The Nature Park is nice, though not much there - we didn't do the beach, but it looked a bit crowded.

 

Getting off the ship was a breeze - sailed right through customs and onto our bus to the Space Center then on to our airport.

 

Overall we had a great time!

[lilcruzr]

We had an absolutely wonderful time on the Jewel.....until very early Friday morning. I woke up with severe vomitting...I thought at first I had just drank too much wine the night before. No such luck! I then had severe abdominal pain and well you know.... My husband called our concierge, John. He called medical. They called and requested we come to medical on deck 4. Yes, I brushed my teeth and changed out of my nightclothes. Slowly of course! Next time I will request a wheelchair. Let's just say even in the elevator, it was a long way to the green mile. That was when I got a tour of the first restroom in medical. Nurse Brian was very nurturing and knowledgeable. He asked if I had eaten any local food, where I had eaten and what on the ship. He pushed on my now flat and sensitive stomach which felt like he was punching me. He finally diagnosed me with gastroenteritis, an infection of the small intestine. He wasn't sure if it was something I ate or if it was viral. I'm thinking, just give me something quick! And oh boy, did he! He gave me a shot in "the bum" for the vomitting, pills for severe abdominal pain, more pills for vomiting, and pills for well you know... He stated he wanted to assume it was viral and thought I should stay in my room until we disembarked the next morning. I assured him and my husband that I was in no condition to feel like dancing or going to a show or eating ever again! That is when I got the tour of the other restroom even before we asked about the Bill.

 

My husband asked if he needed a copy of our insurance card. Nurse Brian politely answered that NCL does not charge for care of gastrointestinal issues. Hallelujah, said my husband. I was expecting the Bill to be more than my cruise fare! Due to my latest tour of the last medical restroom and the green mile trip, my wonderful husband requested a wheelchair for me.

 

I gratefully slept most of the morning without incident brought to me by the the shot from Nurse Brian. Later, I slept on the balcony. Hey, if I am ill, sleepy and quarantined to my room, at least, I had a great view of the ocean and the sun on my face!

 

In all seriousness, NCL was exceptional. Senior staff called to check on me several times. Alfie, guest services supervisor, is an absolute doll! We had dinner with her earlier in the week! She asked if I needed anything. I asked for green apples and crackers. She magically made sure they appeared in my room while I slept some more on my balcony. Our room steward, James, a dear boy, cleaned our room last as is policy. He was very concerned and tried to be quiet while I slept or when I could actually open my eyes. I stayed in my room, washed my hands often, used our wipes and did not touch anything, my husband did that, when we disembarked.

 

In all fairness to us and NCL, there are hand sanitizers everywhere and staff who spray your hands often. We used sanitizer even when we just passed through the buffet area. We brought our own wipes and used them when we went on excursions. We used our own wipes to wipe down the snorkeling gear. And of course, I washed my hands and used a paper towell on the door handles of the restrooms on the ship as requested.

 

The Jewel staff were also just as wonderful when I was feeling great. I will attempt to write a review when I am feeling at my very best. I took a lot of notes and pictures.

 

Please, if you have any gastrointestinal issues, call medical and stay in your room! I didn't get the back stage tour, we had just turned Platinum after our last cruise, but I did get a full complimentary tour of medical. Even though I was ill, I was still on a cruise with fresh air and was treated exceptionally well!

[txhomeschoolmom]

lilcruzr

 

So sad you got sick on the cruise :( glad to know you were well taken care of both in sickness and in health :) hope you're feeling better and getting stronger each day :)

 

Have a great evening!

[WildcatRock]

lilcruzr - OMG, what an experience for you! Quick question - you said the Concierge was John? We're on the Jewel in 5 weeks and the pre-cruise concierge told us our Concierge would be Florentina. Do you know if John is leaving the ship soon? Just want to make sure the intel from the prw-cruise concierge was accurate.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

[The Mister]

Please, if you have any gastrointestinal issues, call medical and stay in your room!

Especially if you've handled any lab samples connected with a certain medical situation in Dallas! ;)

 

I hope you're feeling better.

Edited October 20, 2014 by The Mister

[jla418]

 

we really liked the bartender at the whiskey bar too but i can't remember his name. he would always remember our names when we walked by and remembered the drinks we liked too.

 

Would that have been Kumar? He was great on our 16 night Panama Canal to Houston!

[mdallasm1]

 

 

 

we really liked the bartender at the whiskey bar too but i can't remember his name. he would always remember our names when we walked by and remembered the drinks we liked too.

 

 

 

Would that have been Kumar? He was great on our 16 night Panama Canal to Houston!

 

 

Yup that was him. Great guy. Didn't hurt that he had the best drinks on the ship :-)

[jla418]

 

 

Yup that was him. Great guy. Didn't hurt that he had the best drinks on the ship :-)

 

Amen to that....He also made a damn good "Mean Mary" at O'Sheehan's in the mornings....

[chloemonkey]

lilcruzr - OMG, what an experience for you! Quick question - you said the Concierge was John? We're on the Jewel in 5 weeks and the pre-cruise concierge told us our Concierge would be Florentina. Do you know if John is leaving the ship soon? Just want to make sure the intel from the prw-cruise concierge was accurate.

 

 

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

 

John is leaving in 3/4? Weeks and will not return until early January. And his ship assignment may also change......sad for those of you that will miss him as he made even the horrendous boarding situation last week enjoyable!

[TowerOrchard]

I know this was mentioned upthread, but just to calm any future cruisers concerns... the reason for the loooooong wait to check in & board was because the authorities at Bayport required a full immigration check for every employee on board the Jewel when they arrived. NCL did not know this was coming, and it delayed everything significantly. So, it was no fun for us but fortunately it is not an ongoing problem.

 

We were also on this cruise and had a great trip! We loved Trujillo. We usually try to move past all the touristy stuff to experience some local culture wherever we stop, and this was easy to do there - we are glad we got to experience it before they start building a bunch of Senor Frog's and T-shirt shops, etc. Some of the friendliest people we have ever encountered, and prices for everything - food, drinks, local products - were quite reasonable.

 

We thought the food was slightly better on the Jewel than other NCL cruises we've been on. We had GREAT service in Azura from Melbin (from the Philippines) and requested him every night we went there. We also had a great bartender in the Sky High Bar in the evenings, when it was fairly quiet up there - Rudolfo. Great drinks, and he was a lot of fun.

 

Jolena, SO SORRY to hear you got sick!!! I hope you are recovering well at home!

[ahaught]

Where are you? We need your reviews, your insight, your guidance!

 

How was the embarkation process?

 

Where is the VIP area? How do we find it?

 

How's parking?

 

How were your ports of call?

 

Where are the Freestyle Dailies?

 

And I'm sure we all have many, many more questions. Jewel, Bayport cruisers post some info........PLEASE!!!! Inquiring cruisers are needing to know!!

 

Embarkation went smoothly for us. We arrived at the port around 11:00. When we walked in we were handed a group number, but then saw the sign for the Gold & Platinum line. Went there and were on the ship for lunch around 12:00.

 

Parking was good, we were there earlier than most so parked close to the door and carried our luggage from the car to a porter. Also paid $75 for parking about a month in advance.

 

Went to El Cozumeleno for the second time in Cozumel. We like it. We book it through Island Mkt'g.

Went to Goffs Caye in Belize for the second time, it was alright. Water was rough, so the snorkeling was not very good.

Took a tour of a coffee/Cocoa/Mahogany plantation in Trujillo. We were the first group to ever tour this place, so they were testing it out on us and we felt like we received extra good service. It is 390 Acres that American purchased 25 years ago to provide jobs for the people there. Seems to be working out well.

 

Dailies are posted in a separate thread NCL Jewel Freestyle Dailies from Houston 10/11/14

[MissDreXray]

Hey hey,

 

i rarely post on here but told myself i would this time since its the first cruise of the season from Houston- and also with trujillo being a new port.

 

To answer a couple of your questions

 

-worst embarkation process we've ever had (granted, only 5th cruise). we waited IN LINE for roughly 2 1/2 hours. If i were going again tomorrow I would show up roughly 1:30, but that's just me

 

-on the plus side, parking was the best of any port we've sailed from- go figure. $80 if you pay there or $75 if you book online. we logged on that morning to purchase and were too late to get the $75 deal, so book early i guess

 

-i will try to post dailies as well. never posted pics but i'll try

 

any other questions people wanna know

 

 

OoO! Do you have the website by chance?! Thanks in advance!

18 Days and counting!!

[ahaught]

OoO! Do you have the website by chance?! Thanks in advance!

18 Days and counting!!

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bayport+cruise+parking

[MissDreXray]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bayport+cruise+parking

 

 

Hehe! Thanks for the laugh! It's much appreciated! :rolleyes:

[srussell]

Trujillo…..since we were the first large cruise ship to tender at this port there was a lot of media attention and local attention. The port area is brand new and beautiful. This is a tender port and Norwegian uses lifeboats. It only take 10 minutes to reach the port. The port area includes shops, bars, restaurant, information center and bathrooms. Taxi's are located outside the port gates and is about a 5-10 minute walk. There are tour vendors outside the port gates but I highly recommend using Norwegian's shore excursions at this port. They use a company called Banana Coast Tours and include a nature preserve, kayaking, a starfish snorkeling tour and a couple of others. There are 4 bars/restaurants along the walk into town with beach access. You can rent a chair for $5.00 and get 3 beers for $5.00. I recommend the bars/restaurants that are further from the port gates because they have more shade. The walk into town takes approx. 15 minutes but there is a steep hill. A taxi will take you to the center of town for $5.00. In the town center there are souvenir vendors, a wifi area, drinks, ice cream and the fort is located here also. There is a shortcut path up the hill to town but unless you are a mountain goat or a kid I would not recommend using the paths. I used the path to come back down and I got more than a few giggles out of the kids. Oh, speaking of the kids....do not give them money if they are begging. We only encountered two but we were quickly told by the locals not to give them money because they do not want to encourage this behavior. The locals were very friendly and very happy that tourists are coming to their small town. It was so nice to visit a port that has not been commercialized yet.

[srussell]

If you have any questions about Trujillo or the Norwegian Jewel I will be happy to answer.

[txhomeschoolmom]

Hi ahaught

 

Thanks much for sharing your experience and for posting the dailies...once I select link for the dailies, receive the following message:

 

Invalid thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

Am I doing something wrong? :confused:

 

Thanks much!

 

Embarkation went smoothly for us. We arrived at the port around 11:00. When we walked in we were handed a group number, but then saw the sign for the Gold & Platinum line. Went there and were on the ship for lunch around 12:00.

 

Parking was good, we were there earlier than most so parked close to the door and carried our luggage from the car to a porter. Also paid $75 for parking about a month in advance.

 

Went to El Cozumeleno for the second time in Cozumel. We like it. We book it through Island Mkt'g.

Went to Goffs Caye in Belize for the second time, it was alright. Water was rough, so the snorkeling was not very good.

Took a tour of a coffee/Cocoa/Mahogany plantation in Trujillo. We were the first group to ever tour this place, so they were testing it out on us and we felt like we received extra good service. It is 390 Acres that American purchased 25 years ago to provide jobs for the people there. Seems to be working out well.

 

Dailies are posted in a separate thread NCL Jewel Freestyle Dailies from Houston 10/11/14

[zipnover]

How was the entertainment in the evenings? We have really enjoyed some of the people on the other NCL ships like Oh What a Night and Arvin & Emily and are hoping to find some new favorites on the Jewel!

[kabbie]

I posted this question on another thread, but I think it might have gotten deleted. <shrugs>.

 

Does anyone happen to know which night the Chefs table was offered on the Jewel on the new sailings?

 

Many thanks!

[The Mister]

Hi ahaught

 

Thanks much for sharing your experience and for posting the dailies...once I select link for the dailies, receive the following message:

 

Invalid thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

Am I doing something wrong? :confused:

 

Thanks much!

Looks like the mods deleted the entire thread for some reason. I don't know why they would have done that. Is it wrong / against the forum rules to post scans of dailies?

[snow1]

Hi ahaught

 

Thanks much for sharing your experience and for posting the dailies...once I select link for the dailies, receive the following message:

 

Invalid thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

Am I doing something wrong? :confused:

 

Thanks much!

I'm getting the same message. Tried to open it on my phone and it says Message Deleted.:confused: Can anyone else download the Dailies? HELP

[kabbie]

I'm getting the same message. Tried to open it on my phone and it says Message Deleted.:confused: Can anyone else download the Dailies? HELP

 

I copied them in a word doc and can email it to you if that helps. It was easier for me to print them that way.

 

Sent me a PM and I'll send it over.

 

Thanks!