Back from the JEWEL 4/02 Western Cruise... my review in parts

[mcello77]

Just a little background, We were a group of 12, about half of whom were first time cruisers. This was my fifth cruise, and by far, the best experience I have ever had! My brother recently celebrated his 40th birthday and he decided that a cruise would be the best way to bring the family together to celebrate. It was really special because half of us are from NYC and the other half are in Uruguay, way down in South America. Needless to say we do not see each other as often as we'd like. Everything about the Jewel left me wanting more. Ok, so of course it was not perfect the whole way through, but the few small complaints I might have are way in the back of my mind after all the great times we had. I should also mention that I was originally booked in a minisuite but when I was offered an upsell to an owner's suite I could not say no, paid the extra money, got a great deal and boy was it WORTH EVERY PENNY!! :D

 

Embarkation:

We got to the pier at around 11:30, it was more crowded than I thought it would be but that being said lines moved fast and we were on the ship in less than an hour. My partner and I were taken to the suite lounge where we met our concierge Ruth and then our amazing butler Karan who came down and escorted us to our room.

 

AA Suite 10504: My oh my, it is incredible. So big that we did not even discover we had a second bathroom until day 2! (Silly on our part, but we thought it was a door to a connecting room) I am going to eventually post pictures of the room I specifically took for this review. Karan let us settle in, showed us around the room and how to use the espresso machine and then off we were to check out the courtyard upstairs. We made dinner reservations immediately with Ruth as we were a group of 12 that wanted to dine together every night, definitely necessary. More on the food later.

 

Sorry I can not do this all at once, but I am still exhauasted and must now get some sleep. More to come on the room and the rest of our amazing trip!

[Hoosier Cruise]

We were in the OS below you - 9504 and it was fantastic. I just posted a short review specifically on the owners suite. Did the same thing with the second bathroom so don't feel bad! It was too funny when we realized that there was a second bathroom in addition to the huge main bathroom and there were only the 2 of us in the suite.

[mcello77]

So more on the room, The room was mostly blues and lush reds with gold accents. Sounds a bit bright but it actually worked well. We had a small bathroom off of the living area. The living room had a couch a chair and a chaise with a flatscreen and a DVD player. Off to the side in the corner was a bar area and accross from that there was a seperate alcove that had a dining table and four chairs. Through the red curtain into the bedroom where there was a great king size bed, very comfortable. Another flat screen in the wall with a DVD as well. Off to the side was a desk with a laptop. Accross from that was the entrance to the huge bathroom. All white tile with two windows, one a large porthole facing the ocean and the other a picture window facing the port side balcony. There was a seperate bathtub with no jets as I had originally thought. Above it was the third flat screen. Off to the side was the shower that had more jets than I have ever seen, water coming from everywhere! Off of the bathroom was the walk in closet that had two sides, one for each person to have more than enough storage area, as well as a safe on each side. I loved this room, and it was perfect for having my family over for drinks pre-dinner. I do think though that if I cruised again just the two of us that It would not be necessary for a room of such size! The room came with three bottles of booze which did come in handy to save some money at the bars. We also had some treats delivered by the butler everyday around 5ish which was nice to have a little something when we got back from a long day ashore. Last thing I can think of was we had great bathrobes, very plush and comfortable.

 

I also want to mention the butler, Karan from India. What a truly nice guy. He served us 4 breakfasts in our room as well as one cocktail party for all 12 of us. We ordered tapas from Tango's and he had platters made so there was enough for all of us. He stayed and made us drinks for the hour and was extremely friendly, it was almost like having another family member there the way he engaged in our conversations. One thing that really struck me about how genuine he is was that we mentioned to him our interest in traveling to India and that my partner might have to soon for work. He told us that he was going to be on vacation soon and we should try to get over there while he was home so we could contact him and he could show us around his beautiful city. I truly felt like he meant it, not everyday you meet a stranger and they offer to show you around a foreign country on their own time off!

 

Ruth the concierge was very pleasant, she made us dinner reservations and then later in the week was able to change them as we requested. On our first sea day I asked her if I could make an appointment for a massage in the spa through her and she said no but she would have someone call me. Within two minutes the manager of the spa called and he fit me in that same afternoon.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions and here is a link to the pics of the room I promised, sorry about the mess in the room, it was our last evening on the ship and we were depressed, definitely did not feel like keeping it tidy!

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/549394079ptOpvz

 

 

Next up restaurants and entertainment....

[cruizinpooh]

Hi mcello77-

 

I have a few questions that I would really appreciate if you can answer them for me. We are on the 4/30 Transatlantic sailing in Penthouse 10000. I can only assume that Karan will be the butler for those Suites in Deck 10 fwd. Did he mention when he was going on vacation? I'm wondering if he will be there for the Transatlantic crossing...

 

Also, I noticed in one of you pictures that you had what looked like 3 pitchers of juices? Were those provided upon request? If so, was there any hesitation of them providing it? The reason I ask is because I like to make Sex on the Beach's and on my last Princess cruise I chugged along a six pack of Cranberry juice and a six pack of Pineapple juice. Just wondering if I would need to do the same for our upcoming cruise or if they can provide me with the juices. I already ordered the bar set up.

 

My last question would be and I'm probably sure it's been answered already but I figured I'd ask you. Did you have to make any kind of reservations for Breakfast or Lunch in either Le Bistro or Cagneys or can you just walk right in? Do you remember until what time they serve breakfast? Finally, is there a cover charge for breakfast or lunch?

 

Thank you and I truly appreciate if you can answer the above.

 

Cruizinpooh

[mcello77]

Karan said he would be leaving in a few weeks, but I did not get the exact date. You might be his last cruise before he leaves, but I can't be sure. As for the juices, yes they were provided, and refilled as needed so no need to lug any onboard. There was no hesitation at any point for that request or any other actually! On the specialty restaurants during the day, I actually never used them, was lazy and just ordered breakfast in and then had lunch as a group with others in my party. From what I remember there is no need for reservations during the day as they are not very crowded. It was complimentary and I believe breakfast ended at 9 or 9:30. They were only open for an hour or and hour and a half I believe. I hope this helps and by the way, I REALLY ENVY you! You are going to have a blast.

[cruizinpooh]

Karan said he would be leaving in a few weeks, but I did not get the exact date. You might be his last cruise before he leaves, but I can't be sure. As for the juices, yes they were provided, and refilled as needed so no need to lug any onboard. There was no hesitation at any point for that request or any other actually! On the specialty restaurants during the day, I actually never used them, was lazy and just ordered breakfast in and then had lunch as a group with others in my party. From what I remember there is no need for reservations during the day as they are not very crowded. It was complimentary and I believe breakfast ended at 9 or 9:30. They were only open for an hour or and hour and a half I believe. I hope this helps and by the way, I REALLY ENVY you! You are going to have a blast.

 

Thank you soooo much! My DH really appreciates your response as he would be the one to lug the juices throughout that LONG gangway! lol.. No need to envy me, come along with us. We've got a great and CRAZY group on our Roll Call and I'm sure one of us will be able to stuff you in one of our cabins! lol...

 

Thanks again and I look forward to your next review...

 

Cruizinpooh

[snorklinbarb]

Mcello,

 

"Uruguay - 12" - Glad to see you boosted the #'s!;)

 

Your suite sounds utterly fantastic!

 

I knew you and your extended intl. family would have a great time on the Jewel. How did the freestyle work for all of you? Did you end up eating after 9pm as planned? It's always just the 2 of us. Some say freestyle can be a challenge with a big group, so wondering how you guys fared.

 

Any standouts in the main DR's? Did you get a chance to try any of the specialties?

 

Was Paul Baya back? We've had him as CD on the Dawn and Jewel and enjoyed being with him, Kanani & the rest of the staff.

 

Was there a "singer" onboard or are they still just offering cocktail piano music due to the unenclosed cigar bar?

 

What's up next?;)

[mkad1109]

Hi mcello77-

 

I have a few questions that I would really appreciate if you can answer them for me. We are on the 4/30 Transatlantic sailing in Penthouse 10000. I can only assume that Karan will be the butler for those Suites in Deck 10 fwd. Did he mention when he was going on vacation? I'm wondering if he will be there for the Transatlantic crossing...

 

 

Cruizinpooh

 

I am in 10000 as of Sunday 4/16. I will let you know for sure who our butler is. All of these reviews have me so excited!!!!!!!

[cruizinpooh]

I am in 10000 as of Sunday 4/16. I will let you know for sure who our butler is. All of these reviews have me so excited!!!!!!!

 

 

OOOKKKKKAAAAAYYYYY... Now, I envy you! You get to sleep in my bed first! lol.... I hope you post a review upon your return. If you can, would you please take some pics of the cabin and the balcony. I'd really appreciate it!

 

Thank you and enjoy!!!

 

Cruizinpooh

 

P.S. Snorklin'barb- Yes Paul is back!

[luvseadays]

Hey cruizinpooh, fancy meeting you here!

 

I am right in the middle of selecting my clothes for packing, been trying things on all afternoon ever since I got home from work, not through yet though. Looks like DH will have to make dinner tonight!

 

Can't wait to read more of this review, thanks for taking the time to post it. And to everyone else who goes the extra mile to share their experiences with the rest of us. It is always so nice of you all.

 

I have a wardrobe question, can I wear a pair of lightweight "zip" pants, (they look like cargo pants but are a nicer material), for casual dining? I was planning on Mama's or one of the other very casual eateries.

 

Also, exactly what is Blue Lagoon? Many cruisers seem to mention it but could you go into a little more detail?

 

Thanks all!

[sweetpea-2]

sounds like you had a great time....we just got back from an 11 night cruise on the Dawn and had a blast and yes we are still tired,lol....

Sounds like it might be a nice ship to try for us in the future thanks !!!

[micheleg]

mcello77...thanks for the review. Glad to know that you had a wonderful time. Looks like folks that have sailed on the Jewel lately have been very pleased... :)

 

Anny/Linda...lol...as usual, we're looking for as much info as we can before we get on board for our wonderful Transatlantic!!! I think we should plan a girl's night out and leave the DH's all at the Cigar bar or something..

 

Linda...zip/cargo pants are fine. I'm bringing some myself as well. The Blue Lagoon is a 24 hour casual eatery where I'm told you can get some great fish n' chips, wings, etc. No way we're going hungry anywhere on this ship.

 

Not much longer now.:D

 

Thanks again to everyone that's posted their reviews!

Michele

[EdandDebbie]

Thanks for the great review. Looks like there are quite a few of us on the 4/30 looking for more info. When we went on the Spirit they also had a Blue Lagoon. It wasn't much of a resturant, more of a small eatery kind of open to the hallway. We ate there quite often and always enjoyed the food. It is often open when nothing much else is and great for a snack. I am pretty sure from the sounds of it the one on the Jewel is similar. They had great little cake like banana bread and pound cake. We would get some on a plate and take it back to the room for a lite snack. They would cook small meals such as burgers, hotdogs, fish chips etc. Hope this answers some of your questions. Ed and I loved our last Norwegian cruise, we did the repo Panama Canal. We thought the bingo and drinks were pretty expensive but that was our only complaint..except for pool lounge chair hogs...ugh! We loved the free style dining and the entertainment we got was great! Look forward to our next one...just about 2 weeks!:)

[cruizinpooh]

Aha! Michele/Luvseadays & Debbie-- Funny how many of us have jumped on this post!

 

Michele- A girls night out sounds great to me! Now, do you think we can count on you leaving your Penthouse??? lol... Mrs. Newlywed???

 

I haven't started to try clothes on yet as I don't want to get depressed so soon! lol...

 

mcello77- Still patiently waiting the rest of your review. I just can't get enough Jewel reviews.

 

Thank you!

[mcello77]

I am sorry for the delay everyone... I just got home from work at 11:30pm tonight and yes I got there at 9! I wanna take some time to answer questions that were asked and then I promise I will continue on the rest of my review.

 

Barb... Freestyle worked great for us. We did eat at 9-9:30 everynight and we had no problems. We tried just about every resaurant I will give you a low down soon I promise. Paul Baya is back and I thought he was great, very funny and I did not get that fake feeling that I have gotten from some in the past on other lines. I got the sense that he was really having a good time entertaining others and loved his job. On debarkation morning when I was moping around towards the buffet Paul did something that really made me appreciate the whole expericence. He came on the loud speaker and made the following announcement: "Attention everyone I have a special announcement, to the gentleman who lost his gold rolex watch, the time is now 8:30am" Thanks to Paul for putting a smile on my face when I was not really feeling like smiling much. I realize that this may have been done in the past but I don't care, he made me laugh just when I needed it and up unitl the very end.

 

There was a piano player at bar central but I do remember him having a sing along one night which was fun, especially after a few martini's :cool:

 

Blue Lagoon is above the atrium accross from tango's, it's like a mix between a coffee shop (decor) and a pub (menu). I like eating here for a snack in the middle of the day. It tends to have opposite hours as the other restaurants (not 24 hours as it says) which makes it a great option when there aren't many. The fish and chips were great as were the potato skins and wonton soup though I felt it needed a little salt. Oh and the fried onions on the burger are really tasty as well. Can you tell I ate alot?? I will break down the restaurants one by one next, again sorry for the delay but I am paying at work for being out last week. I need a vacation!:(

[luvseadays]

Hey ladies--girls night out--Nancy and I are in, I'm speaking for her of course, but I'm sure that she'd say yes. Any breaks from John and Larry are a godsend.

 

mcello--we appreciate your review, whenever you can. Lord knows that all of us have had those awful experiences of back to work and cruise withdrawal.

 

Thanks for the details on Blue Lagoon, we have to know where John can get his snacks, wouldn't want to miss out on any food anywhere!

[mcello77]

Moving on to food, a very hot topic on these boards. As has been said before, this can be very subjective and the following is my opinion...

 

I loved the freestlye concept, but not so much for the ability to come and go when you want because we were in a large group and made reservations for pretty much the same time every night. The reason I loved it is because of the variety. Never have I been on a cruise with so many choices. We ate in a different restaurant every night except once we repeated Tsars. The specialty restaurants are definitely worth it. The food is noticably better, though I did not really encounter any bad food. Here are my opinions per restaurant.

 

Cagneys- Very good steak, not quite Mortons as some have said but definitely better than any steak I have had at sea. The sides are not small they are TINY. I understand the concept of saving food and agree with it, however, when I ordered the creamed spinach it came in a bowl that was way to big for the amount in it. It just doesn't look right, it was laughable. That being said, I went into it knowing that, thanks to these boards and I ordered 3 sides! Overall this was a great way to start our cruise, service was great, very friendly attentive staff.

 

Tsars- We ate here twice, Monday was lobster night and friday which was french night. The food here was good, not great. Reminded me of the food served in a hotel ballroom. Mass produced catered food, you know with that gravy... The service here was also great, very attentive.

 

Teppenyaki- Lots of fun, great food and a lot of it. Very similar to Bennihana (spellcheck?) The seafood, steak and veggies on the hibachi grill are quite tasty. We had a lot of fun here, very festive.

 

Mama's- Ok, so if I had to choose a least favorite, here it is. I found the menu to be small, if you like pasta you will be fine but as I am not a big pasta or pizza eater I was sort of lost. Service as well was disappointing but everyone has a bad night so I am not holding it against them. I don't even remember what I had to be honest, this is the only place I could say that.

 

Chin Chin- Yummy Yummy, this place was awesome. I love spicy food and they have plenty of it! The tuna is some of the best I have ever had. The tandoori chicken was also very tasty and spicy even though it is not marked as spicy on the menu so beware. Also worth mentioning was the beef (sirloin) and broccoli.

 

LeBistro- As good as everyone says it is and totally worth it. Don't have the ceasar salad for a change and go for the spinach salad with goat cheese and tomato vinagrette, my mouth is watering thinking about it. Service here was good, there was an incident here where a hot french onion soup fell on one of the people in my party. This was not the server's fault. My brother moved his arm and knocked it over as the waitress said excuse me. The maitre'd was very nice and came over to make sure no one was burned. Offered to get a doctor and continued to check on us all night. Fondue was great as was the creme brulee.

 

I dicussed blue lagoon earlier, it was great for munching. I did not eat at Azura's or Tango's though we ordered for a party in our room some onion blossoms, mozz sticks, gucamole and chicken quesadillas from tango's. Aside from the guac being a little bland for my taste it was all pretty good.

 

Garden Cafe- I thought this was the best buffet I have seen at sea. A huge variety, and lots of it. Food was always hot and fresh. You just have to remember folks, this is a buffet, not The Four Seasons.

 

All in all this was the best dining I have ever had on a ship. I can not pick a favorite though Chin Chin did take me by surprise leaving me the most impressed. I want to say one thing about the negative food reviews. I live in nyc and enjoy dining in fine restaurants. You just can not compare them to a cruise ship it is not fair to the cruiseline. The volume and the fact that they are not land based is a disadvantage. That being said they are great restaurants. You will enjoy!

 

Entertainment:

 

I went to see all three main production shows. Band on the Run was ok, not great in my opinion. The lead male singer as some have said in the past needs to go! Painful at times. Cirque Bijou is indeed the must see. It was the best show I have seen at sea. The three male dancers that do the acrobatics are amazing. Makes me realize I need to hit the gym. Sit in the sixth row center, you will be in for a fun surpise as I was! Country gold, I think this is a new show because I had never heard of it on the boards, I enjoyed it very much and I don't even like country music, well for the most part. :D The other stand outs among the dancers were the married couple that were like contorsionists, she was amazing.

 

I enjoyed many nights in the casino and lost a lot of money! FYI for those that like to party late and are looking for a deal. The casino had 2 for 1 drinks from 12-2am on some nights.

 

Bingo- was dissappointing for me. It was much more expensive than my last cruise and if you do not fork over the extra cash for the new electronic sets you basically have no chance of winning.

 

Spinnaker at night was fun, I introduced myself to DJ Arnel the first night (after a few drinks) and for the rest of the cruise he played whatever I asked that he had. On one night when the time changed unfavorably and we arrived when he was already shutting down (thinking it was an hour earlier) he even played two songs for our group just so we could get a little before bedtime dancing in. Ok I lie after that I went back to the casino! The other thing I like as much as eating is partying! :cool:

 

I can't remember if I am leaving anything out as once again it is late and I am fried! Feel free to ask any questions and if I think of anything else I will add it tomorrow.

 

Next up ports of call western carribean style:D as well as pool deck and public spaces.

 

One last thing I know this has been a hot topic, the murder mystery dinner was back and there were two martini and margarita clinics, unfortunately for me I missed both:(

[mcello77]

My thoughts on Fyzz the kareoke bar. I was actually disppointed. I was hoping for a lively fun bar atmosphere, lets face it people drinking make for good kareoke. Every night at Fyzz was family kareoke which made it quite boring for me, lots of kids singing. I understand kids need to have fun too but I think they should have a few adult only nights as well.

[Cruisin' Patty]

Thanks for taking the time to review.

[life is good]

My thoughts on Fyzz the kareoke bar. I was actually disppointed. I was hoping for a lively fun bar atmosphere, lets face it people drinking make for good kareoke. Every night at Fyzz was family kareoke which made it quite boring for me, lots of kids singing. I understand kids need to have fun too but I think they should have a few adult only nights as well.

I totally agree with you Mcello. Very family oriented. Would have liked to seen karoake more geared towards adults. I love to watch adult men make total fools of themselves!! LOL

[mcello77]

I enjoyed the ports on this cruise though tendering EVERY time did get a little annoying. There was one place, I think Roatan that we docked in the morning and then they moved the ship at noon.

 

Roatan- Did not see much here. A group of us tried the Discover Scuba adventure and we loved it. Perfect way to sample something before committing to getting certified. I had heard Roatan is one of the best dive sites in the world so I figured here was the opportunity to test it out. I will be getting certified this summer. It was amazing! Saw a giant turtle swimming in the distance as we approached the steep ocean wall. Absolutely Beautiful.

 

Grand Cayman- booked the Stingray city and reef snorkel combo. The snorkeling was great, got to see some huge moray eels, kinda scary looking but very cool at the same time. Stingrays were great too, never experienced anything like it. Seeing my mom and Aunt scream, squirm and laugh all at the same time was priceless. Then they took us to the beach colony resort for lunch, staff was rude, did not feel welcome at all. That left a bad impression on us unfortunately.

 

Ocho Rios- I was very hesitant aobut this port from all the bad reviews, but it was by far my favorite. I found everyone there to be very friendly and outgoing. They went out of there way to make us laugh and have a great time. We did Dunn's falls and Dolphin Swim, both were great. If you go to Dunn's falls my advice is don't do the holding hands thing, makes it harder. Break away on your own and you will be better off, you need your hands in case you slip. Do not go into the shopping area at the Fall's, they do not know how to take no for an answer. I was expecting this, so dealt with it and moved on. Also, we were told this was the best port for shopping and my parter got a great deal on a TAG watch at a place called Casa De Oro. Jenni our shopping guide recommended it and they were very friendly and helpful. Loved Ocho Rios, had beautiful rain forrest-like landscape, reminded me of Costa Rica, much prettier than Grand Cayman which was flat and dry looking.

 

Great Stirrup Cay- My 2nd time and I will try not to go back. It's not that it is bad, just very crowded. I like quiet beaches, off the beaten track, this was definitely not that. If you don't mind crowds you will like it, but just not for me. I stayed for about 20 minutes and went back to the ship where there was plenty of open area on the pool deck. I should also mention that my Aunt had an incident here with another passenger. Will make for an interesting debate. (seperate post for this one)

 

Time to wrap it up finally. We had a great time on this amazing ship. I am now spoiled after doing a suite. The courtyard upstairs with the private sundeck alone makes it all worth it. I loved laying on the beds in silence away from the noisy pool area. I will also say that it will be hard to go to another line because of the upsell. We saved a lot of money and stayed in a room we would have not been able to afford for the full price or on another line. Thanks to NCL and hope to be on the Pearl 9 day early next year. Any questions please feel free to ask.

 

Adios amigos!

[Host CMLA]

Thanks for the thorough review. Have you submitted this on the official review page too?

[snorklinbarb]

Thanks for the great review, mcello! Please do add it to the Member's Review section as well so that more people can see it.

 

Cecilia, love the new picture. Isn't this the age they're fascinated with their hands and feet?;)

 

Also, could you give us an update exactly how old Nathan is. I've lost track.:D

[luvseadays]

Thanks mcello, great job, Enjoyed every minute of it!

[mcello77]

Just submitted it on the member review page. Glad you all enjoyed it. Can't believe it is over, I am still very much in withdrawal. Hope to be back on the seas soon:D