Norwegian Jewel Singapore-Hong Kong, March 10 2018

[mjrtomsajunkie]

Hello everyone :) Just sitting bored waiting on the first of our very long flights home and thought I’d do a mini review of our cruise! Had hoped to do a live review but didn’t have internet package and also kind of forgot if I’m honest!

 

This was our fourth NCL cruise, previously been on the Jade, the Epic and the Escape. We were travelling as part of a group of 26 Scots.

 

 

Embarktion process was quick and very straightforward. Passports were taken off us which felt a bit weird at first but was actually quite nice not worrying about them!

 

 

The ship itself is very similar to the Jade in layout etc and I did like it but if I’m honest it was probably my least favourite ship of the 4 I’ve been on.

 

 

The Sugarcane Mojito bar is a bit of a stretch, it’s in Moderno Restaurant so not a stand-alone like on the Escape. That said, we went a few times and really enjoyed it, the mojitos were fantastic and the barmaid is a real credit to NCL and one of the best staff members on ship!

 

 

We had the 4DP so ate in -

1. La Cucina. The menu was different to the other shops I’ve been on, they had pizza which I haven’t seen before. My fiancé ordered and enjoyed his but it was quite a thick base which wouldn’t be to my taste. The minestrone soup was the best I’ve ever tasted and my Uncle really rated the shrimp linguine! It was quiet every time any of our group went and service was quick and great but we all found it a bit chilly so I’d plan your outfit accordingly!

2. Cagneys. So good we went twice. Baked potato soup is beautiful. The fillet mignon is to die for, we had three sides each and they were all fantastic, the Oreo cheesecake is an absolute treat and generous portion! Make sure you don’t pig out before going here to get the most of it! Reynaldo waits between here and out of Moderno and he’s a gem!

3. Teppanyaki. I didn’t have high hopes for this at all, went with my parents more for the experience and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I think this was my favourite meal on the ship! Our chef Diego was amazing, very funny and entertaining. Really recommend having the steak and prawns, I don’t even like seafood but the prawns were divine and that steak was to die for. Very generous portion sizes here too! Matcha ice cream is worth a try!

 

 

Otherwise I ate in Azure once, was nice enough, and the rest of the time between buffet and O’Sheehans. I was quite disappointed in O’Sheehans compared to the other ships, the menu was limited and the quality of the food wasn’t as food as I’ve found before. A lot of the waiting staff were quite sullen (I don’t know if we were nearing end of shift for a lot of them) but the bar staff in here are excellent. Ida in particular was great fun, we had two kids in our party and he made them “cocktails and shots” etc. Another credit to NCL!

 

 

The buffet was great, really recommend making sure you go for Mexican lunch, I had three plates of food and it was incredible, look out for the sweet potato burritos!

 

 

Entertainment was very good. We went to see the Cirque show which was excellent and the Kings music trio. Between our group I think we covered every show and everyone had only positive things to say. Was easy to get a seat in the Stardust theatre. The bands were also great, Hot Wire were the best I’ve seen on the ship. 24 Karat were very popular. Went up to Spinnaker lounge a few times, they all did great sets and really enjoyed the band showcase where they all perofmed together!

 

 

Spa was a bit of a disappointment. My fiancé prebooked us a Thermal pass but when we went we found the spa was very small (which in itself would have been fine) but the sauna, steam room, jacuzzis etc are all gender separated so the only communal part of the spa is the ceramic beds and a whirlpool bath. This might not bother some people but we wanted to use things together and this isn’t really clear online so we asked for a refund and the manager was excellent, offered us a refund or couples treatment no problem.

 

 

This was the first time we’ve ever done NCL tours and I don’t know if I’d rush to do one again. I felt that it was a bit of a circus getting down to the theatre to queue up to get a sticker for your bus or tender etc, it was a long and stressful process and I don’t understand why this couldn’t be done the night before over a few hours to make things run a bit more smoothly. However I have no reference point so I don’t know if this is just normal to expect when booking excursions?! I felt quite sorry for the staff, people were giving them a really hard time about it but realistically it wasn’t their fault and I felt they all really did their best.

 

 

There also was a bit of a sewage issue - toilets kept getting blocked in our room corridor. Wasn’t pleasant when it was getting fixed but I’ve got to say when we had to call guest services they responded promptly. I think the problem was actually passengers flushing things they shouldn’t have been too!

 

 

Casino we used minimally, normally we gamble quite a lot but the layout wasn’t great and anytime my fiancé went to play cash poker there was little to no interest.

 

 

The other passengers were, on the whole, great fun. You Aussies and Kiwis are an excellent bunch! Big shout outs go to Alison and the 24 crazy Kiwis and lovely Janet and Greig from the Gold Coast in particular but we met so many lovely people!

 

 

Overall I had an absolutely fantastic holiday, any of the negative points I’ve mentioned certainly didn’t distract from the overall experience. That said, I wouldn’t rush to go back to the Jewel. If there was an amazing itinerary I wouldn’t rule it out but I’d seek out the Epic etc above the Jewel.

 

 

I haven’t mentioned anything about the ports themselves (Singapore, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang and Halong Bay, and Hong Kong) but if anyone has any questions I’ll do my best to answer :)

 

 

And this quick review has turned into an essay so if you’ve read this far I salute you! Give yourself a Mudslide!

 

 

Jen x

[kiwicruisers51]

Hello everyone :) Just sitting bored waiting on the first of our very long flights home and thought I’d do a mini review of our cruise! Had hoped to do a live review but didn’t have internet package and also kind of forgot if I’m honest!

 

This was our fourth NCL cruise, previously been on the Jade, the Epic and the Escape. We were travelling as part of a group of 26 Scots.

 

 

Embarktion process was quick and very straightforward. Passports were taken off us which felt a bit weird at first but was actually quite nice not worrying about them!

 

 

The ship itself is very similar to the Jade in layout etc and I did like it but if I’m honest it was probably my least favourite ship of the 4 I’ve been on.

 

 

The Sugarcane Mojito bar is a bit of a stretch, it’s in Moderno Restaurant so not a stand-alone like on the Escape. That said, we went a few times and really enjoyed it, the mojitos were fantastic and the barmaid is a real credit to NCL and one of the best staff members on ship!

 

 

We had the 4DP so ate in -

1. La Cucina. The menu was different to the other shops I’ve been on, they had pizza which I haven’t seen before. My fiancé ordered and enjoyed his but it was quite a thick base which wouldn’t be to my taste. The minestrone soup was the best I’ve ever tasted and my Uncle really rated the shrimp linguine! It was quiet every time any of our group went and service was quick and great but we all found it a bit chilly so I’d plan your outfit accordingly!

2. Cagneys. So good we went twice. Baked potato soup is beautiful. The fillet mignon is to die for, we had three sides each and they were all fantastic, the Oreo cheesecake is an absolute treat and generous portion! Make sure you don’t pig out before going here to get the most of it! Reynaldo waits between here and out of Moderno and he’s a gem!

3. Teppanyaki. I didn’t have high hopes for this at all, went with my parents more for the experience and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I think this was my favourite meal on the ship! Our chef Diego was amazing, very funny and entertaining. Really recommend having the steak and prawns, I don’t even like seafood but the prawns were divine and that steak was to die for. Very generous portion sizes here too! Matcha ice cream is worth a try!

 

 

Otherwise I ate in Azure once, was nice enough, and the rest of the time between buffet and O’Sheehans. I was quite disappointed in O’Sheehans compared to the other ships, the menu was limited and the quality of the food wasn’t as food as I’ve found before. A lot of the waiting staff were quite sullen (I don’t know if we were nearing end of shift for a lot of them) but the bar staff in here are excellent. Ida in particular was great fun, we had two kids in our party and he made them “cocktails and shots” etc. Another credit to NCL!

 

 

The buffet was great, really recommend making sure you go for Mexican lunch, I had three plates of food and it was incredible, look out for the sweet potato burritos!

 

 

Entertainment was very good. We went to see the Cirque show which was excellent and the Kings music trio. Between our group I think we covered every show and everyone had only positive things to say. Was easy to get a seat in the Stardust theatre. The bands were also great, Hot Wire were the best I’ve seen on the ship. 24 Karat were very popular. Went up to Spinnaker lounge a few times, they all did great sets and really enjoyed the band showcase where they all perofmed together!

 

 

Spa was a bit of a disappointment. My fiancé prebooked us a Thermal pass but when we went we found the spa was very small (which in itself would have been fine) but the sauna, steam room, jacuzzis etc are all gender separated so the only communal part of the spa is the ceramic beds and a whirlpool bath. This might not bother some people but we wanted to use things together and this isn’t really clear online so we asked for a refund and the manager was excellent, offered us a refund or couples treatment no problem.

 

 

This was the first time we’ve ever done NCL tours and I don’t know if I’d rush to do one again. I felt that it was a bit of a circus getting down to the theatre to queue up to get a sticker for your bus or tender etc, it was a long and stressful process and I don’t understand why this couldn’t be done the night before over a few hours to make things run a bit more smoothly. However I have no reference point so I don’t know if this is just normal to expect when booking excursions?! I felt quite sorry for the staff, people were giving them a really hard time about it but realistically it wasn’t their fault and I felt they all really did their best.

 

 

There also was a bit of a sewage issue - toilets kept getting blocked in our room corridor. Wasn’t pleasant when it was getting fixed but I’ve got to say when we had to call guest services they responded promptly. I think the problem was actually passengers flushing things they shouldn’t have been too!

 

 

Casino we used minimally, normally we gamble quite a lot but the layout wasn’t great and anytime my fiancé went to play cash poker there was little to no interest.

 

 

The other passengers were, on the whole, great fun. You Aussies and Kiwis are an excellent bunch! Big shout outs go to Alison and the 24 crazy Kiwis and lovely Janet and Greig from the Gold Coast in particular but we met so many lovely people!

 

 

Overall I had an absolutely fantastic holiday, any of the negative points I’ve mentioned certainly didn’t distract from the overall experience. That said, I wouldn’t rush to go back to the Jewel. If there was an amazing itinerary I wouldn’t rule it out but I’d seek out the Epic etc above the Jewel.

 

 

I haven’t mentioned anything about the ports themselves (Singapore, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang and Halong Bay, and Hong Kong) but if anyone has any questions I’ll do my best to answer :)

 

 

And this quick review has turned into an essay so if you’ve read this far I salute you! Give yourself a Mudslide!

 

 

Jen x

 

Excellent feedback Jen. Thanks for taking the time to do that. I would be interested in your report of Koh Samui particularly the tendering process. Also Bangkok - did you do a ship's excursion and if so is Bangkok worth visiting?

 

Thanks Sue

PS We are cruising Vancouver b2b to Singapore in September.

PPS Glad you like us kiwis :D

[mjrtomsajunkie]

Excellent feedback Jen. Thanks for taking the time to do that. I would be interested in your report of Koh Samui particularly the tendering process. Also Bangkok - did you do a ship's excursion and if so is Bangkok worth visiting?

 

Thanks Sue

PS We are cruising Vancouver b2b to Singapore in September.

PPS Glad you like us kiwis :D

 

Oh wowwww that sounds like an amazing trip! How long are you on the ship?!

 

Koh Samui was the longest tender I’ve experienced, think it was about 25 minutes or so but it was an enjoyable ride. Because I’m latitudes gold I didn’t have to queue for tender tickets, I don’t tend to rush to get off first thing anyways so I found it quick and easy to get onto the tender a couple hours after docking but I gather from other passengers it was busy and hectic if you were rushing off promptly. We did a taxi tour, there’s lots of taxis as soon as you get to shore waiting to take you anywhere you want to go! We went to the Big Buddha, to another temple and then Chaweng beach which had some nice bars, massage places etc. Was a nice wee day. We navigated that to 3200 baht between 7 people so it was cheap as chips, guy sat and waited as long as we wanted. The tender on the way back was a bit mental, the queues were long and only seemed to be one boat going back and forward so a lot of people were getting angry about that but we didn’t head back until close to “closing time” so you kind of expect it to be busy at peak time! I’d just give yourself extra time and you should dodge the crowds.

 

Bangkok I organised a bus for our group via a company called Oriental Escape (who I’d really recommend if you wanted to do your own transport - very prompt, decent English, reasonably priced, air conditioned buses with water etc.) We got picked up at 1pm at the ship then 1am. I didn’t speak to anyone who did a NCL tour in Bangkok so I can’t speak for those but it might not be the worst idea. Bangkok is MENTAL. Traffic is hellish! We went to the Grand Palace but it closes at 4pm so if you want to get in and about then I’d go early. The Reclining Buddha is right next to it which is a spectacle anencephaly open later. From there you’re right at the river and the Wat Arun is just across which is beautiful. We got a private longboat for our group - definitely an experience - they’ll take you anywhere! I have friends in bangkok so we met them at Asiatique which is on the riverfront, it’s a complex with lots of bars, restaurants, markets, open air. It’s quite western and popular with tourists. Khaosan Road is supposed to be a taste of “real bangkok” but we never made it this trip (ie got a bit too caught up drinking with our friends!) If you don’t do a tour in Bangkok when planning your day I’d just keep in mind it can take a long time to travel a short distance if you’re unlucky with traffic. Download an app called Grab, it’s just like Uber so super handy. Tuk Tuks are a bit quicker than taxis I think! If you’re doing an overnight on the ship I’d maybe book a hotel, if I was going back I’d have done that just to give yourself more time to get about. Was just over an hour and a half drive for us to get to Bangkok itself (and then another 45 minutes or so just getting off the motorway to get dropped off!)

[jdvmd]

Thanks for sharing!

[Clarea]

Thanks for the excellent report, I'm off to get my mudslide now.:)

[www3traveler]

Thank you for posting this review. I read another very long detailed review of this cruise in which the poster was extremely negative about everything from embarkation to disembarkation.

[kiwicruisers51]

Oh wowwww that sounds like an amazing trip! How long are you on the ship?!

 

Koh Samui was the longest tender I’ve experienced, think it was about 25 minutes or so but it was an enjoyable ride. Because I’m latitudes gold I didn’t have to queue for tender tickets, I don’t tend to rush to get off first thing anyways so I found it quick and easy to get onto the tender a couple hours after docking but I gather from other passengers it was busy and hectic if you were rushing off promptly. We did a taxi tour, there’s lots of taxis as soon as you get to shore waiting to take you anywhere you want to go! We went to the Big Buddha, to another temple and then Chaweng beach which had some nice bars, massage places etc. Was a nice wee day. We navigated that to 3200 baht between 7 people so it was cheap as chips, guy sat and waited as long as we wanted. The tender on the way back was a bit mental, the queues were long and only seemed to be one boat going back and forward so a lot of people were getting angry about that but we didn’t head back until close to “closing time” so you kind of expect it to be busy at peak time! I’d just give yourself extra time and you should dodge the crowds.

 

Bangkok I organised a bus for our group via a company called Oriental Escape (who I’d really recommend if you wanted to do your own transport - very prompt, decent English, reasonably priced, air conditioned buses with water etc.) We got picked up at 1pm at the ship then 1am. I didn’t speak to anyone who did a NCL tour in Bangkok so I can’t speak for those but it might not be the worst idea. Bangkok is MENTAL. Traffic is hellish! We went to the Grand Palace but it closes at 4pm so if you want to get in and about then I’d go early. The Reclining Buddha is right next to it which is a spectacle anencephaly open later. From there you’re right at the river and the Wat Arun is just across which is beautiful. We got a private longboat for our group - definitely an experience - they’ll take you anywhere! I have friends in bangkok so we met them at Asiatique which is on the riverfront, it’s a complex with lots of bars, restaurants, markets, open air. It’s quite western and popular with tourists. Khaosan Road is supposed to be a taste of “real bangkok” but we never made it this trip (ie got a bit too caught up drinking with our friends!) If you don’t do a tour in Bangkok when planning your day I’d just keep in mind it can take a long time to travel a short distance if you’re unlucky with traffic. Download an app called Grab, it’s just like Uber so super handy. Tuk Tuks are a bit quicker than taxis I think! If you’re doing an overnight on the ship I’d maybe book a hotel, if I was going back I’d have done that just to give yourself more time to get about. Was just over an hour and a half drive for us to get to Bangkok itself (and then another 45 minutes or so just getting off the motorway to get dropped off!)[/quote

 

Thanks so much. That's really helpful. Our cruise is 35 days. A bit shorter than our 57 days last year on The Star :)

Sue

[AusQueen]

 

This was the first time we’ve ever done NCL tours and I don’t know if I’d rush to do one again. I

 

There also was a bit of a sewage issue - toilets kept getting blocked in our room corridor. Wasn’t pleasant when it was getting fixed but I’ve got to say when we had to call guest services they responded promptly. I think the problem was actually passengers flushing things they shouldn’t have been too!

 

Overall I had an absolutely fantastic holiday, any of the negative points I’ve mentioned certainly didn’t distract from the overall experience. That said, I wouldn’t rush to go back to the Jewel. If there was an amazing itinerary I wouldn’t rule it out but I’d seek out the Epic etc above the Jewel.

 

 

Wise decision. There are other ships in the NCL brand that are heaps better than the Jewel. Our toilet did not block though. That I guess is the other thing ( the 2nd thing actually) that I can be thankful for :')

 

 

We are definitely staying clear of the Jewel which is sad because it is based around these areas ( Australia). We will probably give some serious thought about Norwegian in the future as we had a very unpleasant experience in the Jewel just about a week ago.

 

It is sad how one bad experience can completely turn things around.