Norwegian Jewel

[carohs]

Just booked what will be my first ever NCL cruise and have so many questions! Can you please tell me what you liked/disliked about this particular ship? I'll be on with MIL, DD and DS so I'm extra curious about family activities, booking dining, shows, and excursions. Also is the $50 excursion credit more like a gimmick (i.e. excursion prices inflated to cover the "discount") or comparable overall?

[complawyer]

the $50 isnt a "gimmick" but it certainly doesnt qualify as free shore excursions (my one truly great beef with ncl) whatever the price of a shore excursion is (say $100) and you have the 4 of you going. the $50 is deducted from the person whose name is the primary one on the reservation, they pay $50 instead of $100, and the total cost for that excursion becomes $350.  you can login to your ncl account and under explore and plan, it will give you the options to book for shows, dinners, excursions, etc. every night you will receive a list of daily activities and happenings for the next day. 

 

if by chance you have booked a haven or a suite, you also get the services of a butler, concierge, and priority. if you ask 1000 people what they liked or disliked you'll probably get 1000 different answers.

 

my wife and i have taken over 20 cruises with ncl over the last 20 years (covid shut down obviously excluded) and have sailed on many different ncl ships. 

 

personally, i have enjoyed each and every one. some we have had minor annoyances, but not enough to spoil the cruise.  you can eat and drink yourself into oblivion if you want to (or not) , you can book shore excursions through ncl, but some are really high priced. at most ports if it's at all feasible, we take the descriptions of the excursions with us, and hire a cab. we show him where we want to go, and generally speaking it's cheaper, and we've never had a problem getting back to the ship on time.as this is your 1st ncl cruise, i suggest you stay with the tried and true and book thru the ship.

jokingly i have complained (but most truth is said in jest) that in every ncl cruise i have ever taken, whenever i get an hamburger, the bun "ALWAYS" falls apart. hamburgers were not created to be eaten with a knife and fork.

sorry for the lenght, bottom line is you're on an amazing cruise ship,with goodies galore, and i imagine you will have an outstanding. memorable vacation.

 

BON VOYAGE!

[cruiseat50]

We have been on 15 cruises and all but one on NCL.  We have been on the Pearl 6 times and the Jewel twice and they are sister ships so pretty much the same.  They are both beautiful and fun ships.  What type of cabin(s) are you in? 

 

The $50 excursion isn't really a gimmick but just a little something extra along with other "free" offers included.  On all of the cruises we've taken we have rarely used the ship excursions  (maybe 3 or 4 at most) and prefer to find our own even on our first cruise.  Just go to the Ports of call forum on CC and research the ports to see what excursions are recommended.   It's not always cheaper on your own but we like them as they are usually less crowded or we get to spend more time at the beach, or exploring than an NCL excursion.  Personally I wouldn't just take a cab to where you are going unless you have researched and know exactly what time you will need to leave in order to be back on time.  We generally book and excursion with a company recommended where transportation is included but have occasionally taken a cab.

 

Welcome to what will most likely be a new addiction which you won't want to be cured of.

[carohs]

We're just in an inside room. I like the location but didn't necessarily see the value add in the extra cost for a balcony. The room does seem smallish though. Is there room under the bed for suitcases?

 

Previously cruised DCL and Carnival. Every cruise line is gonna have positives and negatives so I'm exploring what suits us best. 

 

As far as the shows, I'm reading some ships require reservations is that right? Would I book the activity once onboard?

[singleflyer]

Have the Jewel rooms been renovated?  I am seeing some videos that the ship was dry docked in 2018 but really only public areas were done.  But then on the NCL website it says refurbished in 2022; so I'm hoping the rooms were done then?  Can you confirm?

[Urban trekker]

Yes there is room under the beds to store suitcases - I do it all the time.

In all of my NCL cruises I have never had to make a reservation to see the nightly shows but now that we are living in a whole new world perhaps that has changed.

Dennis

Edited March 15, 2023 by Urban trekker
typo

[Turtles06]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:02 PM, carohs said:

As far as the shows, I'm reading some ships require reservations is that right? Would I book the activity once onboard?

There are no reservations needed or taken for shows on the Jewel or her sisters. Only on the newer, mega-ships. 

[dohboy43]

Just got off the Jewel last week. Rooms are renovated - having more storage and USB outlets was nice. 

[casofilia]

One major positive, Steven Jacobsen the GM, the way he leads his officers and then the way those officers lead the crew you will interact with during the cruise.

[dolls123]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:33 AM, Turtles06 said:

There are no reservations needed or taken for shows on the Jewel or her sisters. Only on the newer, mega-ships. 

Good to know

[jcollin]

Hi,  Can someone tell me how the Sushi restaurant works with FAS?  We were just on the Escape and we could use FAS for 4 dishes per person.  We shared the 8 dishes with my sister and her husband and it was plenty of food.  Does the Jewel Sushi place work the same?

Thanks