NCL Jewel Med 5/21 Sailing Review - Long

[mslhb]

Just got back from the 5/21 sailing of the Jewel in the Meditteranean. This was the 1st cruise for me and my husband and also the other couple we went with. I have been lurking on this board for a few months and have gotten so much useful information that I wanted to post my thoughts on the cruise.

 

BARCELONA:

We flew in the day before and stayed at the AC Diplomatic. For 1 night the hotel was very nice. It was in a great location and a short walk to Las Ramblas and most of the major sites. We all really enjoyed Barcelona and glad we arranged to come the day before the cruise to see it. La Sagrada Familia is a must see. Loved getting to climb up in the towers.

Getting on the Ship. This was very easy. I wasn't sure what to expect but by the time we got to the pier we were in our room in less then 30 minutes.

 

ROOM ON SHIP:

We were originally booked in balcony cabins but the week before we left we got a chance to upgrade to mini-suites for $150/couple. For 2 people the mini-suite was plenty big. Beds were very comfortable. Balcony was good size. Did enjoy having the bigger bathroom with the mini-suite. Really nothing about the room that we didn't like.

 

FOOD ON THE SHIP:

We all thought the buffet was pretty good. It was close to our room which probably increased our frequency of going there. Thought it was a little strange at 1st that you weren't allowed to serve yourself. Obviously in response to the virus problem. There were hand sanitizers everywhere. Made you feel somewhat paranoid about touching anything. Towards the end of the cruise you could serve yourself at the buffet which felt a little strange after they were so adamant about not serving yourself. For the specialty restaraunts we ate at Cagney's twice, Mama's Italian Kitchen twice and Tangos once. Liked Cagneys the best. We thought Mamas and Tango were both good but not exceptional. Made almost all our reservations when we 1st got on the ship and didn't have any problem getting the times we wanted. Room service was good and fast but the menu is limited.

 

SICILY:

We explored Messina on our own. There was a kiosk handing out maps when you 1st get off the ship. Enjoyed just walking around and taking in the views. We didn't want to do full day tours every day so Siciliy we were back on the ship by about 2 and then enjoyed the afternoon by the pool since it was a hot and sunny day.

 

NAPLES:

We went on our own to Pompeii. Really enjoyed this. I had no idea it was that big. If you go definitely get the handset that describes everything. Could not imagine being there though in August. I thought it was very hot in May. It is a lot of walking on uneven ground. Saw a couple people with strollers and not sure how they managed.

 

ROME:

We signed up for the NCL Rome and its Underground Mysteries Excursion. Liked this one because you took a private train to Rome. They actually put you on a bus and drive you less then 5 minutes to another part of the pier. And there is the train. For some reason I thought we would go to an actual train station. They then put you on a train and when everybody is there it leaves. This was a problem because one large tour group from NCL was about 30 - 40 minutes late. So we just sat there on a hot train. Eventually they turned on the air conditioning. Also our tour person was brand new and seemed very confused. Once we got going though the train ride was very comfortable and seemed very short. I didn't pay attention to my watch but it couldn't have taken more then 45 - 50 minutes. It goes straight into Rome and lets you out at the station by St. Peters Basilica. There we met our actual guide who luckily seemed like she knew what she was doing. From there we took a bus that drove through the city and passed by the major sites. It dropped you off by the colosseum. 1st we went to San Clemente Basilica. I guess this is the "Underground" part of the tour. Honestly it was NOTHING like the description. It was interesting but easily could have been skipped. Luckily we probably only spent about 15 minutes there before moving onto the colosseum. The colosseum was wonderful. This tour allows you to go inside and walk around for awhile. After the colosseum went to lunch and then the bus took us to St Peter's Square and we went into the Basilica. After that we had time to shop and explore on our own before boarding the train back to the ship. Overall I was very happy with the tour. I think it is a new tour and taking the train seemed a little confusing but I am sure they will iron the kinks out after a few times.

 

FLORENCE:

We signed up for the NCL Florence and Pisa Excursions. Very happy with this tour. We 1st boarded a bus and drove to Florence. Riding through Tuscany is beautiful. Wish we could have spent more time in Florence. There is just no way to see everything. After Florence we went to Pisa. Loved seeing the Leaning Tower. It was a beautiful sunny day and got some great pictures.

 

VILLERFRANCHE:

On our own we took the train to Nice. Didn't spend too much time there since we were tired from 2 previous days of full tours. Villefranche was actually very nice. Lots of little shops and cafes and plenty of good views of the bay. Since it is a short time in port this was also a good chance to spend some time by the pool.

 

DISEMBARKTION:

We chose to do the express disembarktion which means you walk off with your own bags. Not sure why you wouldn't choose this unless you booked cruise air or had a lot of luggage. It was so easy. You could get off the ship anytime between 6 and 9:30 am. Since our flight out of Barcelona wasn't until 1:00 pm we took our time having breakfast and left the ship around 9:00 am. No problems at all.

 

OVERALL:

Overally we loved and enjoyed everything. Thought it was a great ship and an excellent itinerary.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. Again I got so many useful tips before we left for our 1st cruise that I wanted to share my experience.

[oceannotion]

Great review...We are on the 8/6 sailing (mini-suite as well) and your Rome excursion was particularly helpful to us. Thanks for the post...:)

[cruisingfromMN]

Thanks so much for your review. The information on the ports was especially helpful.