How I Spent Thanksgiving Week on the Jewel!

[coka]

(Thank you Dreamtravelr, Cosmo and Dwrist for sharing your experience! I told hubby everything about the cruise and he STILL does not want to cruise with me...he said I tired him out just talking about it)!

 

Friday morning arrived and it was a full day at sea. All the documents and information for debarkation were delivered the night before. I suggest reading through them all to avoid confusion on debarkation day. One debarks the ship in a variety of ways: Express walk-off (you get off first)...you must carry off all your own luggage, then passengers with flights to MIA or FLL before 3pm, then guests with shore excursions (you meet in a separate area), then guests with independent travel arrangement (arranged by deck locations), following with guests who have FLL or MIA transfers with flights after 3pm.

 

I suggest you fill out your customs cards, comment cards, luggage tags and check your onboard account within the last two days of cruise. This avoids the potential long line at the purser's/information desk debarkation morning. Who wants to end their holiday stressed out?

 

I wrote out my thank-you letters for the Thanksgiving dinner invite and then packed a bit while watching "Pirates of the Caribbean (part 2)" on the movie channel. Oh my gosh, who knew of the selection of free movies along with the selection of other dvd games available? I never get the chance to go to the movies at home so it was a treat to see this one for free.

 

I decided to spend the day at sea checking out all other area's of the ship. After the breakfast buffet I went up to sports deck and to the sun deck. A full size basketball court (also used for tennis and volleyball) with stadium seating was impressive. I found a golf swing area, a giant size chess board game, more shuffleboards, and the private area to garden villas. The sun deck was forward and I concluded this was a nice private area away from the pool. A few passengers were vegging out on the loungers and I did not want to disturb them.

 

The chapel was small and not very decorative.

 

My attention was captured in the card/lifestyles room and in the library. The card/lifestyle room had a view of the ocean. Tables were set up where one could play games (bridge/cards/checkers/chess). I looked in all the cabinets and found plenty of board games including monopoly, rummikub, cribbage, sorry, etc. I even found cards which were nonexistent on previous cruises!

 

The library room was the best library at sea I ever noted. A view of the ocean, comfy cubby chairs, and tables by the windows, the book selection was fantastic. I noted fiction, non-fiction, best-sellers, children's, health, travel and other subjects. Passengers have the opportunity to check out books throughout the cruise and to return them by week's end. I found three great travel books on Paris and spent the next two hours perusing them. My first visit to Paris is in three weeks and I learned a lot. I guess while on the streets in Paris I am not supposed to look French men in the eyes nor respond to their greetings...unless I want to get picked up.

 

The Jewel Club Casino is a brightly decorated one with plenty of slots, tables and tournaments. I bought the perfume in Antigua with my gambling money so I never made a donation. I spoke with a nineteen-year old who had beginner's luck at the crap's table and according to him, he spoke to people who had won big at various times. I asked him the last night if he was in the black or red. He had broke even yet commented he enjoyed every minute of it. At least he learned the correct way to gamble...

 

The internet cafe, located on deck 7 had about six computers. A staff member is nearby to assist passengers. An art gallery was nearby and art auctions took place all week. There were some pieces I liked but due to the art complaints on the cruisecritic boards, I really did not spend much time there. I should have inquired more about that with the art director, but I did not.

 

The Galleria shops are located deck 7 aft. I had already turned in my comment cards and had not really spent time there. I wish I turned the card in later because I would have marked excellent in all areas. The employees were cordial and helpful. I bought t-shirts for hubby, boxes of caribbean rum balls (which are not what you expect...they are similar to Dunkin Donut Munchkins...and are mighty tasty)! They had specials throughout the cruise so I suggest looking every day in your freestyle dailies for them. I purchased a great carry-on duffle-bag for 26 dollars. I could not bring the perfume liquids on the plane so I had to re-arrange my packing. The store also had perfume, jewelry, gift ornaments, clothing, and toiletries. So, if you ever forget something, the Galleria store will probably have it.

 

A small non-inviting room adjacent to Le Bistro entrance and to the piano area is the Corona Cigar club. I wondered if they had any customers throughout the week. The NYer had gone in one time and she said it was nothing compared to the Sun's cigar lounge...

 

I usually get my hair cut at sea but since finding a Montreal stylist who can do the exact same thing as the stylists on board, I did not use the salon.

 

I finished my self-guided tour with a buffet lunch of cold soup, pork ribs and iced tea. Yummy. Back at the cabin I told the NYer I was going to finish packing so I did not have to rush that night. She politely informed me that we still had another port of call the next day (Great Stirrup Cay) and what the heck was I thinking? Having no concept of time or date all week, I thought we were debarking the following morning. Could this cruise get any better...?

 

Coka

[Zeno]

OMG - what an amazing, funny detailed review!

[Planer's Edge]

Coka...I am so glad that my warning....err announcement of your arrival was recieved by the appropriate people. Sounds like you had a typical Coka type cruise. It would be fun to meet face to face someday.

 

PE

[coka]

(PE, I think you had something to do with it...the statement was "glad to meet you finally..." so I thank you very much!)

 

The Nyer attended the towel making demonstration and I attended the icecream machines. My first dessert of the week, I found two stations at both ends of the Garden Cafe. You can get chocolate, vanilla or mixed. They have sauces and sprinkles available. Cones (the good kind) are present but I don't eat them. Instead, I gave the icecream server my best smile when I handed him my giant soup bowl. He grinned as I whispered, "whatever, right?"

 

I thought of my father, now deceased, as I sat by myself amongst the crowded Sapphire pool area. Having a family of 13, our special treat was taking us for rides in the car and going to the Dairy Queen. If it was just him and I, he would always get me the super-giant size creemee as long as I could eat it all before I got home so my mother and siblings would not find out...I could never do it and he always helped me out as we pulled into the driveway. I remembered toward the end taking him for rides and for creemees as he still finished what I could not. As 1/2 the ship's passengers gathered at the Sapphire pool, it was just him and I. I ate the entire serving and even licked the bowl.

 

Feeling like a little kid again, I watched a great show at the pool. Grand Illusionist Charles Bach performed an underwater escape challenge. In true Houdini fashion, he had the entire crowd in awe. Passengers chained him up and threw him in the water. Amazing how long this guy could hold his breath. The real little kids were jumping and pointing in anticipation as the minutes passed. I found myself jumping and pointing and holding on to stranger's arms as I watched. This was a great addition to the NCL program. Totally cool.

 

I found the NYer at the Sky High Bar and we decided to pass on the bingo, casino tournaments, name that tune, exercise classes, seminars at sea, and singles socials. Instead, we perched ourselves on the stools overlooking the pool below and met a lot passengers...some new and some familiar. We began with mojitos which were full of mint and yummy. I can only drink one of those though. We continued with her double-scotch and me double-mount gay cocktails. Much to our surprise, the activities came to us...

 

I had returned getting awesome sandwiches from the station set up in Garden Cafe and found out Kid-Bingo-Coverall was taking place by the pool. The prize was 400 dollars and it was one game only. NCL set it up in the cutest way. Each little kid received a beach ball. At the top of the slide, the staff had the machine balls and wrote out the number on each beach ball. The little kids slid down with their beach ball bingo number and held it up for the cruise director to announce. It was coverall and some of the little tykes were pooped towards the end. Some dropped out. I admire the ones who endured the entire game. If you want to make sure your child goes to bed early, then have them participate! They got to keep the balls too!

 

The sun was setting and the NYer and I were still perched at the SkyHigh bar and we met two wonderful gals having just a great time as we were. The four of us laughed a lot and we wished we met earlier in the week. Come to find out, one gal was cruisecritic's PerkyTheDog. The four of us remained there until they had 20 minutes to get to dinner and left. The Nyer and I met more passengers along their way. Who says you can't meet interesting people at a bar? It had been dark for a while and it was getting foggy out. We noticed everyone dressed up while we were still in our bathing suits. We left the Sky High Bar with a Sky High bill. Returning to cabin, we realized we were indeed Sky High.

 

Coka

[coka]

We had dinner in Tango's restaurant. During the day, the location of it seemed odd as one had to pass through it to get from one side of ship to the other. The Blue Lagoon was on the port side with the same design. One could see below the Java Cafe and reception area. We had fun practicing on the Tango carpet during the day (they have foot pictures on how to do the tango) and were not sure if we would like dining there at night.

 

We were pleasantly surprised. The ambiance at night with the lights dim, the live music playing below, and no passengers passing through was delightful. Our waiter Norman was excellent. I had the chicken soup and fajitas...the NYer had the spring rolls and quesadillas. We loved the meal. Below are the options we had to choose from:

 

Tango’s Menu (Tex-Mex and Tapas Bar/Restaurant)

 

Appetizers: Taquitos (pork/beans/ranchero sauce), Nachos Grandos (corn tortillas, refried beans, shredded beef, guacamole, pico de gallo, chile con queso, fresh coriander, jalapeno), Southwestern Spicy Spring Rolls (smoked chicken/black beans/corn/jalapeno/montery jack cheese/red pepper/crispy shell), Quesadillas (grilled chicken breast or crab meat and shrimp to select from), Atun (sliced seared tuna loin/citrus chile crust/creamy gazpacho)

 

Soups and Salads: Sopa de Tortilla (chicken soup/grated cheddar/chicken croutons/avocado/crisp tortilla strips), Ensalada Tostada (tortilla /romaine and iceburg/roasted corn/avocado/marinated tomatoes/black beans/cheddar/eggs/fajita beef strips), Ensalada de Caesar (chicken Caesar salad)

 

Main Courses:

 

Mariscos en Banderilla: shrimp, salmon, and swordfish skewer, spicy tomato, lime-chile vinaigrette, Mexican rice and plantain chips

 

Snapper Veracruz: with avocado, papaya, Mexican rice and vegetable salsa

 

Il Popo: grilled chicken, skirt steak, peppers, onions, tomatoes, pineapple, jalapenos and more all flamed with tequila…mexican rice, flour tortillas, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream (this house specialty is available to parties of two or more)

 

Sizzling Fajitas: marinated chicken breast or shrimp, onions, bell peppers all on a skillet, Mexican beans and rice, warm tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo

 

Tex-Mex Burger: beef, shredded chipotle, avocado, Monterey jack cheese, lettuce, spicy fries

 

BBQ Por Back Ribs: tender spare ribs, chili bbq sauce, stuffed potato skins, spicy corn relish

 

Vegetable Enchiladas: flour tortilla, roasted vegetables, refried beans, cottage cheese, tomatillo salsa, guacamole, Mexican rice

 

Desserts: Berry Tostada (fresh berries/cream/crispy almond wafer basket), Pina Colada Coupe (coconut sherbert/fresh pineapple chunks) La Crema del Chocolate Sopla (cream puffs, coffee ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, toasted almonds), Flan con Dulce de Leche (baked custard caramel, chocolate chili tulip wafers), Mexican Cinnamon Churros (fried sugary dough pastry, foamy milk chocolate mousse), Daily Ice Cream selection

 

Coka

[coka]

After Tangos we went to the Fyzz Lounge and watched the cruise staff teach line dancing. A few started out and others joined as they realized just how fun it is! The cruise staffmember was excellent and a very good teacher. I remember she taught me a few moves on the Sun a few years ago.

 

The big JAR show that evening was Cirque De Bijou. Held in the beautiful Stardust Theater forward, every seat was a great seat. There is nothing to block a view in this theater. The design was very well thought out. With exception to the peacock curtain, the colors and decor worked well.

 

The show was fabulous. I sat in the very back at the top and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Billed as "an artistic and awe inspiring aerial ballet featuring world recognized aerialists, rhythmic gymnasts, acrobats and bungee jumpers hurling from 40 feet in the air..." I totally agree this is a show NOT to miss and that it is definitely the "the best show on the seven seas." If you sit in the first 8 rows, you have to stay the entire performance due to safety reasons. You have performers flying about above you coming within feet of your head!

 

Also not to miss is the after-show farewell by officers/staff/crew. NCL does the best send-off compared to my Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises. As the farewell progressed, I realized the answer to my question all week long. As I heard the words sung "This is your home...away from home...you are part of our family..." and saw everyone up there, I reviewed the week in my head. How true those words were for me on this cruise. I opened this review with stating that NCL treated me like a goddess and like a family member at the same time. These are the words I use when anyone at home or work ask how my vacation was...Of course, they all want to come with next time. Well, all except hubby still!

 

After the show we had good intentions of attending the well announced chocoholic buffet set up in the Garden Cafe and the Late Night Comedy Liars Club. Instead, The NYer went to sleep. I watched The Da Vinci Code, another movie I was pleased to see for free. I found myself having a hard time following along even though I read book two years ago. I did enjoy seeing the sites of Paris knowing I would see it for real very soon.

 

Not wanting to think too much about the Holy Grail once again, I ventured up to the Spinnaker's Lounge and danced with myself. I had a good time with me! I found out that my favorite music is played late late late night. Not hearing it on other nights (although I still liked the DJ's selections and I was only out late late the other nights), I was very pleased. My favorite music is trance/techno/club music and had I known, I would have taken longer naps during the day in order to stay up later. Even so, I am very proud of myself that I never once on this trip closed down the disco. I think I am growing up!

 

Coka

[Planer's Edge]

PE, I think you had something to do with it...the statement was "glad to meet you finally..." so I thank you very much!

 

 

As much as I would love to take credit for this... I can't. :mad:

 

Klaus told us, last year, that he has someone on his staff that monitors "cruise" message boards, including Cruise Critic. Alex Forbes also mentioned that he reads Cruise Critic as much as he possibly can. Believe it or not your name did come up.

 

So, young lady, the "Coka" mystique preceded you all by itself.:cool:

 

PE

[coka]

(So PE, Can I can expect the peacock curtain to be replaced the next time I sail the Jewel...??? haha)

 

(Seems my sky high buzz at the sky high bar frazzled some brain cells. I need to clarify two things written thus far. I needed the R and R and relief from something terrible that happened to others...not to me...I was just one of a few who was part of handling their sorrow/fears. My thanks to those who emailed me...I am Okay! Second, the super kid waterslide beach ball bingo was after we all returned from Great Stirrup Cay on Saturday. Still a nice idea to poop out the little ones so they get a good night's sleep prior to debarking the ship)!

 

We awoke to a beautiful sunny day off Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. The wind and the waves moved the stationary ship. I was thankful we could tender to shore because sometimes the island is missed due to weather/strong winds. The NYer was going to stay on board and I was going on island to seek out the lighthouse and secret beaches...the ones I read about on cruisecritic.

 

The Nyer ended up coming ashore and we left the ship at about 12:30pm. Most of the passengers were already on island. We took our time getting off although we could have have used our priority tender tickets to leave earlier. Upon arrival, I saw many people sunbathing and not too many in the water. On less windy days, the beautiful calm waters beckon swimmers, snorkelers, and water loungers. We saw the quieter beach to the right but it was closed off probably due to safety reasons. We watched the Caribbean band play as passengers danced. Many of them were the diehards in Spinnaker's late nights. Passengers rested in hammocks, played volleyball or ping-pong located near the very clean bathrooms. Kids built sand sculptures while others buried each other.

 

We did not eat the buffet lunch provided on the island by the ships crew, but saw many eating at the picnic tables set up. We did not go to the straw market because I already bought my straw hat there when I was on my April Spirit cruise.

 

We did find the lighthouse marked two miles away from the main area. Along the way we found a private rock beach (no sand...just rocks) and had a great laugh at the Great Stirrup Cay Airport. The NYer should have a wonderful photo of her there at the entrance. Where I live back home, we can go into our lighthouses. Since this lighthouse was a working one, it was closed up. I found out later from some that there is another private beach in front of lighthouse. We kept walking past the lighthouse and found a private area with beautiful calm waters. We sat in the sun on a rickety old dock and watched a few crew members and a few passengers enjoy the peaceful water. Some snorkelers arrived from around the bend and reported they saw pretty fish, lobster, a stingray, a shark and starfish. We stayed there for a few hours and ended up watching a couple of passengers catch fish. This getaway was ideal and I shall not forget the serenity I felt upon leaving.

 

Before boarding the last tender back to ship, we watched the operation of breaking down the island. The crew certainly works hard to bring everything ashore and then to bring it all back to ship again. All the umbrellas and loungers are stored on the island while all the food, drink, and passenger trash returns to the ship on a separate tender. Fortunately for the crew, the red-shirt bar staff versus the blue-shirt kitchen staff could play some volleyball prior to boarding the ship. I truly believe that NCL has the best for their employee's morale. I never hear any complaining as I do from other cruise line's crew. If some are unhappy, then they are very professional in not letting us know!

 

Back on board is where I mentioned what I thought I did Friday...the sandwiches and kid bingo. I chuckle because 11/24 was the last time I wrote notes in the journal NCL gave me in April. So the rest now is from memory. Good thing...I almost done!

 

We packed and re-packed. As I had to rearrange my liquid perfume, the NYer had to rearrange her duty-free liquor. The NYer knew that she needed to purchase a transfer to MIA from the ship for 12 dollars and I forgot I had no idea how I was getting to my Fort Lauderdale hotel. With help from Alex, the best way for me was to purchase the 15 dollar FLL transfer that was last to leave from the ship. From FLL, I would go downstairs to baggage claim and either share-a-ride or take a cab to Bahia Mar Resort and Yachting Center located on the ocean strip. I debarked the ship at 9:45 am and I was checked into FLL hotel laying on Fort Lauderdale beach by 11:05am.

 

Luggage packed and ready to set out by midnight, debarkation outfits set out, I donned the easiest outfit to carry off the ship. A simple black dress with tiny white pin-stripes and a pair of dress sandals. We were off to our truly last supper carrying our last bottle of complimentary cabernet sauvignon. We ran into cruisecritic TideOne and his wife. We ran into them throughout the week and we talked a lot about how we were enjoying the cruise. TideOne is a wonderful man as his looking glass is always full. Tideone, I enjoyed all of our conversations and I am very honored to have met you!

 

Our last supper was spent in the main dining resaurant Tsars. Tsars was beautiful. The paintings, the decor, the curtains, the staircase were all impressive. I had the warm goat cheese and potato gratin with mixed greens for the appetizer, the chilled black cherry soup and the English cut strip loin with yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and horseradish cream. The NYer had the braised pork roast. For dessert, she had the chocolate coffee brulee. We enjoyed our meal while watching heat lightening from afar. Our junior server, Alice, from Romania was wonderful. We found out the next night she was beginning her promotion as a main waiter. We could easily tell why she was promoted. She was a darling.

 

I enjoy being stuffed the last night of any cruise and our meal at Tsars did the trick. We poured the remaining wine into our glasses and set off to meet TheOnlyJoie and her travelmates in the StarBar. A quiet evening, we listened to piano melodies and shared how to stay in touch with each other. We concluded by shaking up a leg in Spinnaker's. Knowing how debarkation can be stressful, I was the first to say goodnight to all but I really headed out to say farewell to my balcony.

 

Coka

[kataiga]

Coka. Thank you!!!

We were on the transatlantic, and enjoyed the voyage as much as you,in the caribean. Our son (24) came along and wanted already to reserve for next year transatlantic!!

[Stillfloatin']

Oh nooooooooooooooooooooooo, it's not over is it?:eek:

[coka]

Below are the lunch menus. I am not sure how the numbers work and I am missing a day. I wonder if Lunch Day Seven is really the lunch served on embarkation day. Not sure. All Entree's included 1/4 lb. beef burger or chicago style hot dog (sauerkraut, french fries, cole slaw or macaroni salad).

 

This is the first time I ever looked at them and I surely regret never eating lunch in the resaurants! Well, looks like I need to book another cruise to try them out! haha

 

 

Lunch/2:

 

Appetizers: chicken and tuna salad combo, tropical fruit salpicon, oyster fritters

 

Soup and Salad: shrimp and crab gumbo, chilled pineapple and vanilla bean soup, assorted garden greens with crisp veggies

 

Entrees: Meat loaf, sweet and sour grouper, grilled minute steak, gnocchi di gorgonzola, moroccan couscous, white bean salad, burger, hot dog

 

Desserts: apple fritters, ginger pudding pudding, ice cream, seasonal fruit plate with yogurt

 

Lunch/3: sorry...do not have copy!

 

Lunch/4:

 

Appetizers: seafood terrine, jambal papaya, spinach and cream puffs

 

Soup/salad: roasted vegetable consomme, spicy gazpacho soup, the greens mentioned above

 

Entree's: braised lamb shank, tempura codfish, mexican fried eggs with crisp corn tortilla, goat cheese ravioli mole, aparagus risotto (tomato-basil bruschetta), blackened mushroom salad, burger and hotdog mentioned above

 

Desserts: warm brooks range bread pudding, lemon cream pie, icecream, fruit thing mentioned above

 

Lunch/5:

 

Appetizers: Mexican crab dip with jicama, tropical fruit medley, fried chicken strips

 

Soup/Salad: savory beet soup, chilled granny smith apple smith bisque, the greens mentioned above

 

Entree's: Rosemary rotisserie chicken, herb grilled salmon, BLT sandwich, Fusili pasta and BBQ pork, baked stuffed peppers, octopus/mussels/monkfish salad, burger and hotdog

 

Desserts: caramelized apple tart, macerated berries in grand marnier sauce, icecream and seasonal fruit plate with cottage cheese/mint

 

Lunch/6:

 

Appetizers: air cured swiss beef (with celery and pear salad, sundried cranberries), fruit filled pineapple (with macadamia nut bread and passion fruite sauce), crisp-fried buffalo chicken wings

 

Soup/Salads: broccoli and cheese soup, chilled watercress soup, the assorted greens already mentioned

 

Entree's: Grilled papaya marinated skirt steak, English fish and chips, grilled ham/cheese sandwich, somen noodles and sesame seed crusted scallops, greek moussaka, chicken souvlaki salad, burger and hotdog

 

Desserts: cranberry apple crisp, linzer torte, icecream, fruit plate

 

Lunch/7:

 

Appetizers: pate' assortment, apple/pear/peach compote, crisp fried calamari

 

Soup/Salads: chili-cheese chowder, chilled blueberry soup, assorted garden salad greens with crisp vegetable string/cherry tomato/cucumber/sweet corn

 

Entree's: Indian beef curry, grilled mahi-mahi skewers, pastrami sandwich on rye bread, nagasaki sar udon (noodles/prawns/pork/****ake mushrooms), Fried rice with Eggplant, Greek Salad, hamburger and hotdog mentioned above

 

Desserts: warm peach cobbler, apple cider pie, icecream and fruit mentioned above

 

Coka

[coka]

(Stillfloaten, if I want to stay married, then this better be over soon)!

 

I also never dined at the Chin Chin Asian restaurant, the Shabu Shabu Japanese bar or the Sushi Bar, all located in the same area as the Teppanyaki Room. Maybe some other cruisecritics who dined there can help out. The only menu copy I have related to the above is a sushi/sashimi/ginza style menu where the cover charge is 12.50. I am not sure which one it goes to but below are some items:

 

Nigri sushi and sashimi (2 pieces per order): ahi tuna, mbachi tuna, yellow tail, prawn, octopus, salmon, crabstick, eel, albacore, bonito

 

Hoso maki thin rolls (1 per order): cucumber, tuna, pickled radish, marinated squash

 

Ura maki medium rolls (1 per order): Ten choices of various rolls with their descriptions...including spicy tuna/cucumber, crabstick/cucumber/avocado, eel/cucumber/avocado, squash/daikon/spinach/mushrooms, spciy scallops/marinated maguro, yellowtail/salmon/green onion, tuna/yellowtail/mango/avocado/cashew/coconut, eel/yellowtail/avocado, and finally shrimp tempura/avocado/tobiko

 

Sushi and Sashimi Combos:

 

Diamond: ahi tuna, rainbow roll, ebi, california roll

Ruby: mebachi tuna, tako, unagi, rock and roll

Emerald For Two Persons: Sake, shrimp tempura roll, mebachi tuna, godzilla roll, dynamite roll, ebi (the roll names were not included in the above medium roll descriptions...remember, I am trying to save my marriage by finishing this)...

Sapphire For Two Persons: Katsuo, Caterpillar roll, ahi tuna, california roll, red hokkaido, sake

 

I hope that some of you can understand this. I do not. I am still trying to figure out the difference between sushi and sashimi....!!!

 

Coka

[coka]

One knows the vacation is great when ready to go home. I awoke with a new attitude about returning to work/friends/family. My love for them all returned as I ate breakfast for the last time on the balcony. I waved goodbye to my phantom bridge officer friends and headed out to see what these guys really looked like. They must have known I was coming because once I arrived to the public bridge viewing area on deck 11, their shades were drawn and I could not see in. Foiled at my attempt to spy on them, I read through the placques given to the Jewel at her first stop in each port of call. I watched a cool video on how the Jewel was built.

 

The Nyer and I were not in a hurry to debark. We went and checked out some of the vacant cabins. As mentioned, the owner's suite was beautiful. I would never leave the cabin if in one of those. Well, to go out late night dancing maybe! We stopped by 10012, the cabin we originally booked prior to the upsell. The balcony cabin was similar sized to the Spirit, but not as big as the Sun's. The showers were good. I found the inside cabins to be regular inside cabins as on other ships. I have stayed alone in an inside and I have stayed with four in an inside. Never a problem for me (but remember I am from big family...we used to have five to a bed...)!

 

We accepted the invitation to tour a Garden Villa. So that is why that guy never left his area overlooking the sapphire pool! Oh My Gosh, the Garden Villa was the bomb! Fifty-five hundred square feet, four bedrooms (the kids room was the replica of our penthouse suite space and bathroom), balconies galore, giant dining room, giant living room, giant entry area, and a humungous outdoor patio area, complete with hot tub, hammocks, 12 lounger chairs, bar area, massage table area. I am sure I am forgetting other stuff! Wowsa, wowsa, wowsa! Since there were 12 lounger chairs and my father deceased, I decided this is where I am going to spend my 50th birthday with all my brothers/sisters/mother. I figure by then, the concept of a garden villa will be old and something grander will have taken its place. Bottom line for me however, is that my future garden villa must be forward ship. Lucky are those who can stay in them, but nothing beats the ocean view straight ahead.

 

We debarked the ship after our tour instead of waiting for our color call. Since we knew our luggage was in the VIP area, it would be easy to find. Some seemed stressed to wait in the customs line, but not me. Totally relaxed I had another day in Fort Lauderdale ahead of me. I got to spend the entire afternoon on FLL beach as some early 20-somethings displayed their football passes and catches for me. How did I know it was for me? They told me so. I humored them with my applause but I was really watching to not end up with a pigskin mark on my head or stomach. I walked the beach and waded in the ocean by myself. I returned and napped in the sun as I slept on top of my little black pocketbook (I was afraid to fall asleep and get ripped off)!

 

I returned to the hotel pool bar to have a goodbye to vacation cocktail and to go to bed since my flight was at 6am Monday. A fun group was there and I ended up hanging out with them for four hours into evening. Come to find out, I was having a great time and a great conversation with cruisecritic's very own Fred20036. He was heading out on a Celebrity back to back cruise. Small world. Hi, Fred20036 if you are reading this! I hope your cruise was wonderful! A great guy from Long Island, also at the bar treated me to supper. In true Italian style, there was no way I could dutch so I gave up trying. He was very respectful, funny and we laughed a lot (Hi Long Island guy if you are reading this too as you said you would)! LOL, I still stand by who say's you cant meet nice people in a bar?

 

I was in bed by 10pm and up at 4am. Nobody in the airport and nobody in lines. I was home by 11am Monday morning. I have an epilogue and closing comments but I certainly can not put it down as a free-write.

 

Coka

[coka]

I read a lot of discussion about the prices of drinks. Compared to South Beach and to where I live, the drinks are totally reasonable in my opinion. When you pay fourteen dollars a pop in South Beach, the prices on board look great! Below are some examples from bar stubs and from the the freestyle daily):

 

Mount Gay Rum cocktail: $5.50 plus $.83 gratuity

Tangueray cocktail: $5.50 plus .83 gratuity

Absolut Citron: 5.50 plus

Budweiser Light: 3.95 plus

Bucket of Beers served in helmut full of ice: buy five get one free plus gratuity

Imported Draft in very large glass: $5.50 plus

12 Oz Evian: $2.50 plus

Pinot Grigio: $8.25 plus

Specialty Drinks of the Day: 8.00 plus gratuity and you keep the glass

Coffee Drinks: 5.75 plus

Non-Alcoholic drinks: 3.50 plus

Smoothies: 8.00 plus

 

The Jewel has a laundry area on the ship. The NYer used it to iron an outfit but she mentioned there was also washer/dryer machines.

 

She used the all-you-can-pack in one laundry bag for 25 dollars. Clothes came back clean and pressed. We even got an entire wardrobe from a couple who marked their cabin # 10000...well, it looked like 10000 to me. The clothes fit neither of us so we called our steward and he picked them up.

 

Be careful when you dial the phones. I received a message from a gentleman requesting a wheelchair to take him to dinner. Fortunately for him, I received the message within 8 minutes of him calling and notified the appropriate people. You can also leave a voicemail message/greeting in your cabin phone to avoid this.

 

I did not tour the kidscrew areas but the teen club underground, the video arcade and the splashdown kids club were marked for them to use. All were conveniently located near the garden buffet area.

 

Coka

[coka]

I usually ask about ten others on the trip what they enjoyed the best on their vacation and report back. In the spirit of this Thanksgiving week cruise, I am foregoing the above. Instead, I have the top ten things I am thankful for on this trip:

 

10) I am thankful my urge to win a latitudes party bottle of champagne has long dissipated.

9) I am thankful for all the happy faces I saw on a children and teenagers during the week. I am positive they will make wise decisions for us in our old age.

8) I am thankful to be growing older and wiser. I can't wait for fifty!

7) Red Buttons finally got his dinner and I am thankful that so did I!

6) I am thankful for the macaroni-and-cheese served at 3am in the Blue Lagoon Cafe. As I read an obituary this morning of a neighbor, that little bowl is looking pretty good right now!

5) I am thankful for not having to eat-and-run. I've grown to enjoy fine dining and red wine and I also learned the proper way to eat soup.

4) I am thankful for my tango-guys...The NYer and TheOnlyJoie who provided non-stop laughter to me.

3) I am thankful for the Antiguan priest who reminded me that it does not matter if you are the best at what you do. At the end of each day, what matter most is how good you are to others.

2) I am thankful for having a newfound affection for the word whatever.

1) I am thankful for the friendliness from other passengers and officer/staff/crew. Do not be afraid to talk to others and to meet new people...the world becomes more hopeful.

 

Lucky does not adequately describe my week on the Norwegian Jewel. From start to finish, this vacation was a godsend. NCL enraptured me in a blissful state of total repose. Fortuitous or not, I am very truly blessed and I am extremely thankful to everyone at NCL for treated me like a goddess. The best part? They were my surrogate family all along...

 

Thank you cruisecritics for enduring my review! I hope I covered almost everything you needed to know. If any of you have questions or want to email me, you may do so at quest4coka@aol This is not my regular email...only an address for cruisecritic stuff. I will check it for questions up until Sunday, December 10th. Please put your cruisecritic name in subject heading so I do not delete you!

 

Lastly, although written for cruisecritic purposes, this epic review is really written for my hero, my mentor, my role model, my best friend, my everything LTC Balkan Soul who is living overseas promoting peace throughout the world. I miss you and I love you very much,

 

Coka

[theonlyjoie]

 

"I also never dined at the Chin Chin Asian restaurant, the Shabu Shabu Japanese bar or the Sushi Bar, all located in the same area as the Teppanyaki Room. Maybe some other cruisecritics who dined there can help out. The only menu copy I have related to the above is a sushi/sashimi/ginza style menu where the cover charge is 12.50. I am not sure which one it goes to but below are some items:

 

Nigri sushi and sashimi (2 pieces per order): ahi tuna, mbachi tuna, yellow tail, prawn, octopus, salmon, crabstick, eel, albacore, bonito

 

Hoso maki thin rolls (1 per order): cucumber, tuna, pickled radish, marinated squash

 

Ura maki medium rolls (1 per order): Ten choices of various rolls with their descriptions...including spicy tuna/cucumber, crabstick/cucumber/avocado, eel/cucumber/avocado, squash/daikon/spinach/mushrooms, spciy scallops/marinated maguro, yellowtail/salmon/green onion, tuna/yellowtail/mango/avocado/cashew/coconut, eel/yellowtail/avocado, and finally shrimp tempura/avocado/tobiko

 

Sushi and Sashimi Combos:

 

Diamond: ahi tuna, rainbow roll, ebi, california roll

Ruby: mebachi tuna, tako, unagi, rock and roll

Emerald For Two Persons: Sake, shrimp tempura roll, mebachi tuna, godzilla roll, dynamite roll, ebi (the roll names were not included in the above medium roll descriptions...remember, I am trying to save my marriage by finishing this)...

Sapphire For Two Persons: Katsuo, Caterpillar roll, ahi tuna, california roll, red hokkaido, sake

 

I hope that some of you can understand this. I do not. I am still trying to figure out the difference between sushi and sashimi....!!!

 

Coka

 

I can totally recommend the sushi bar! They even had lunch (at least 2 days of the cruise), so I stuffed myself royally with tuna, unagi (smoked eel), Godzilla roll (shrimp, avocado, MANGO, wrapped in rice and seaweed, covered in a very delicious sauce - sounds funny, but REALLY good), and other goodies. Of course, don't forget the sake. Or, if you're so inclined, imported Japanese beer.

 

Shabu-shabu: You get to do the cooking. (Wait a minute! Shouldn't they be paying me??:rolleyes:) A selection of cut-up meat, fish (Yes, you can ask them for chicken.), and veggies (E.g., onions, mushrooms, daikon, cabbage, carrots, etc.) is brought to your table. A large pot with a flavored cooking broth is set on the table's electric "burner", then you spoon the ingredients into the broth, and let them cook to the desired done-ness. You then ladle out the cooked stuff with a slotted spoon onto your plate with rice or glass noodles. YUM:D

 

From: http://www.sushifaq.com/

 

SUSHI:Technically, the word `sushi' refers to the rice, but colloquially, the term is used to describe a finger-size piece of raw fish or shellfish on a bed of vinegared rice or simply the consumption of raw fish in the Japanese style...In its earliest form, dried fish was placed between two pieces of vinegared rice as a way of making it last. The nori (seaweed) was added later as a way to keep one's fingers from getting sticky.

 

SASHIMI: Raw fish served sliced, but as-is. That means no rice bed or roll, but it is often served alongside daikon and/or shiso.

 

Wow! I feel so edjimakated :p:D

[dolfandude]

Thanks Coka! We're on the Jewel in two weeks and you've helped to dispel my fears! You're a terrific writer........I cannot wait for the movie!!!:)

[dwrist]

Coka---thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us. You gave me some insight of what to glean from our upcoming cruise. I think all of us can and do deserve a break from the heartache of daily living in this world and we deserve the pampering that can happen on a cruise ship if we allow it to happen. Thanks again for the reminder of what a true vacation should be--regrouping, relaxing, and resting the mind, soul and body. Have a glorious holiday season and maybe in the future we will meet on a cruise ship.;)

[Zeno]

Amazing journal - much more than a review!

[packercruising]

Wow, was that sumthin or was that sumthin? :)

 

Truely great review! You put the chronic complainers back 10 years!

 

Pease, please tell me they have MGD (Miller Genuine Draft).

[eljhrcruise]

Thanks for having us live the week w/you...I feel like I already went and I am ready to go again. Life is what you make it and you certainly live it to the fullest. I really enjoyed reading your "review" and I only hope my week on the Jewel (12/31/06-1/7/07) is as good as yours.

[Stillfloatin']

Even though I've been in denial, I guess I need to accept this is the end of your review. All I can do is jump to my feet and loudly shout "BRAVO COKA!"

[Maryfrei]

Did you ever see the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? When the posse is chasing down Butch and Sundance, Butch can't believe that they can't lose the posse. He keeps shaking his head and saying, "Who are those guys?"

 

I keep doing that while reading your journal. Who is this woman? All I know is that it spoke to me in many ways, and I am a better person for having read it:)! Thanks, Coka!

[Cosmopolitan]

Coka,

 

Thank you for taking us on your cruise.

 

Please take us to Paris:)

I'm sure everyone would love to hear all about it!

[coka]

Thank you for the nice comments. I had fun re-living it while writing! Joie, thanks for adding the information on Chin Chin.

 

On the private island I saw Foster's and Miller in ice buckets...not sure if it was MGD but it was Miller.

 

Coka