Norwegian Jewel Review and Trip Report

Before launching into my daily trip report and review, here’s a complete deck-by-deck ship tour I filmed while onboard to get your acclimated to the ship:

NCL JEWEL DECK-BY-DECK SHIP TOUR

NORWEGIAN JEWEL DIARY/TRIP REPORT

It’s Cruise Day (so why am I at the gym?)!

It’s cruise day! So here I am doing a last second pre-cruise Body Pump class. Before you find yourself impressed, know that I’m putting forth like 30% max effort and plan on using this to justify 9 days of constant cruise binging.

Introduction: Hello from the Norwegian Jewel!

Hello from the Norwegian Jewel!  Here are some photos of my first few minutes onboard. 

With this cruise I will have officially bookended the 2024 Seattle cruise season, having sailed on the very first cruise in early April onboard the Bliss and this, the very last cruise of the season onboard the Jewel (with two additional cruises onboard the Encore and the Quantum of the Seas in between).  And in sticking with the book theme (as is my obligation as the child of two former librarians), I passed the time waiting for embarkation by replacing the word “book/s” and “reading” with “cruise/s” and “cruising” in the quotes below, to see if they held up. And it turns out they resonate even more powerfully:

“Have cruises ‘happened’ to you? Unless your answer to that question is ‘yes,’ I’m unsure how to talk to you.” – Haruki Murakami

“That’s what I love about cruising: one tiny thing will interest you in a cruise, and that tiny thing will lead you to another cruise, and another bit there will lead you onto a third cruise. It’s geometrically progressive–all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.” – Mary Ann Shaffer

“Many a cruise is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one’s own self.” – Franz Kafka

“Cruises can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life.'” – Helen Exley

“Cruises have a unique way of stopping time in a particular moment and saying: Let’s not forget this.” – Dave Eggers

“A cruise, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” – Madeleine L’Engle

Anyway, lunch is calling, yelling actually, with an almost aggressive sense of urgency: “YOU’VE BEEN ON THIS SHIP FOR 3 MINUTES AND YOU HAVEN’T EATEN ANYTHING YET?!?!”  So off I go.  The first of nine days of prolific food porn forthcoming…

Embarkation Lunch and the Origin of Hush Puppies

One of my embarkation day traditions on NCL is lunch in the dining room.  Another is dancing up the gangway in a style that would lead you to believe I was the love child of Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bell Air and Elaine from Sienfeld.  Then, immediately upon crossing the threshold, I drop to my knees and kiss the deck.  Now, back to lunch!  What? Of course I still have my appetite. Obviously I proceeded to washy washy my mouth out with hand sanitizer after that little makeout session with teak wood marinating in sneaker juice.  

Anyway, lunch.  Not only do I always eat in the dining room on embarkation day, but I always order the exact same thing and eat it in the exact same order.  First up, hush puppies.  Why?  Because I deprived myself of hush puppies for years, just assuming because they were southern they must be made of actual puppies.  Deepest apologies to my readers from the South, but my closest southern kin (my father-in-law who was raised in rural Mississippi) eats pigs feet like corn nuts, all casual like some sort of common gas station impulse buy.  No biggie.  

But then on one of my first NCL cruises I realized, upon closer inspection, that the symbol next to the hush puppies wasn’t a foot, but a leaf, the symbol for vegetarian.  I sought additional confirmation from Google who informed me that hush puppies are small deep-fried cornmeal balls.  I also learned the various possible origin stories and how they came to be called “hush puppies.”  Two of these stories involved leftover fried batter being tossed out to rowdy dogs to “hush” them.  Hence, “hush puppies.”  But as I learned today, they can also be used to hush professors.  I’d just stuffed all five of them in my mouth at once (what, I skipped breakfast) when my waiter came by like, “how is everything?”  And I was limited to a nod of the head and a squirrel-cheeked smile.  For the record, they were delicious!  As was everything else I ordered:

Photo 1: Sweet corn hush puppies
Photo 2: Roasted tomato soup
Photo 3: Risotto primavera with pesto
Photo 4: Five spice mango tapioca pudding
Photo 5: Orange chocolate mousse

***NOTE*** ALL MENUS FROM THE JEWEL ARE POSTED HERE:

Current Norwegian Jewel Menus

FYI

I’ve been informed that this is the machine that will be used to hoist me off the ship at the end of the cruise:

A Family Inside Cabin Minus the Family

I should feel guilty, right?  I mean, I’m sailing solo in a “family” cabin without my family.  Not only that, but my in-laws are scheduled to arrive in Seattle for a visit from their home in New York tonight only to discover me gone and a note attached to a giant pumpkin that reads: Sorry I missed you, but good news, you’re in charge of pumpkin carving!  P.S. Please save me some perfectly roasted and seasoned seeds.  

I love my in-laws, but pumpkin carving is so gross and dangerous, so now just seemed like the perfect time to book a cruise and let them enjoy some bonding time at the emergency room with their grandson.  Plus my geriatric rescue dog (aged 16) has given up all remaining f**ks and has decided to just pee whenever and wherever he wants, but with a special affinity for beds.  So I left a second note for my husband on a box of dog Depends reading: GOOD LUCK! 

So with that context in mind, you’ll understand why this humble little inside cabin which NCL chose for me (I booked the “sail away” rate) may as well be the Owner’s Suite for how much I adore it.  Here are some photos of its simple (but MINE, ALL MINE) features:

NORWEGIAN JEWEL FAMILY INSIDE CABIN SHIP TOUR:

Night 1 Dinner in the MDR

Table for one please! Of course I wasn’t lonely, I had an entire bread basket, cream-based soup, a giant burrito, and two desserts for company. While NCL cut back their MDR menus earlier this year (which disproportionately impacts vegetarians as many of the items cut were vegetarian-friendly apps and salads), I still managed to consume my goal of at least 10,000 calories per meal and thankfully all my night one favorites survived. Because it’s near Halloween, I couldn’t help picturing some executive at NCL charged with cutting costs taking an axe to the menus à la The Shining. Anyway, here are pics of everything I ordered (you can find the menu HERE):

Photo 1: Vegetable burrito
Photo 2: Cream of cauliflower soup
Photo 3: Bread basket
Photo 4: Honey crème brûlée
Photo 5: Warm chocolate lava cake

Day 2 Breakfast at O’Sheehan’s

O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill is a complimentary Irish style pub serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night fare.  It’s open 24/7 and while I can’t speak to how rowdy it gets after 9pm (because I’m already 10 minutes into a dream about the Captain inviting me to his private quarters to feed me chocolate-covered strawberries and “just see where things go from there”), I can attest to it being the perfect spot to grab an early (early) morning breakfast because it’s been like 7 hours since you’ve eaten and you’re downright ravenous after that trist with the Captain.

Here’s what I ordered (you can find the menu HERE):

Photo 1: Breakfast sandwich (hold the ham for vegetarians)
Photo 2: Seasonal fresh fruit
Photo 3: Buttermilk pancakes

Now I’m off to the buffet on a quest for breakfast rice and warm cinnamon rolls.  Come on NCL, don’t break my heart – I can weather a lot of cuts, but you take away my warm cinnamon rolls and try to pass off those dry, cold croissants as “pastries” and there will be consequences.  Sure, I’ll continue to frequently cruise with you because you park your pretty ships five minutes from my house, but I WILL publicly shame you on a blog read by at least THREE of my close relations! 

Buffet Cinnamon Rolls?

Bad news, the warm buffet cinnamon rolls have not been located on the Jewel. But good news, pecan sticky buns have been procured. This also suggests that the cinnamon rolls will be making an appearance in a day or two as part of NCL’s typical rotating buffet buns. For better or worse, those will likely be the only rotating buns on this cruise. It’s overcast and chilly and my buns are currently secured under maternity leggings to best support my growing food baby (accepting both congratulations and gifts). On the plus side, you can have your pick of pool loungers without having to fight a (chair) hog.

*NOTE: It turns out there were not rotating pastry buns on the Jewel either. It was pecan sticky buns for 9/9 days.

Wines Around The World

The first time my 11-year-old took a sip of wine his face looked like mine any time a crumb-sized stray olive piece comes within 6 miles of anything I might consume. And then he asked one of those awful questions parents of my generation are expected to actually answer instead of just hoping their kids will fumble around to an answer on their wedding night like, “the species has managed to survive for thousands of years without any discussion of this.” Anyway, he asked, “why do grownups like wine?” And I was like, “we don’t. I think we just feel smart holding the glass.” Honestly, that’s all I could come up with. I hate wine. It’s gross, stains your teeth, and gives you a headache. And it isn’t prepared with cream or chocolate like a proper adult beverage should be. Anyway, that didn’t stop me from attending “Wines Around the World” today on the Jewel. Because even free booze that tastes like dirty mop water is still free booze.

Wines Around the World is a complimentary wine tasting for Latitudes members (that’s NCL’s loyalty program) who are Platinum and above. There were four different stations set up in Le Bistro, representing five different countries: Italy, France, Chile, Argentina, and the United States. We tasted two wines, a red and white, from most countries, for a total of eight wines. For each wine we learned about where the grapes were grown and how the location affected the characteristics of the wine. Information about acidity, tannins, sweetness and alcohol content was also provided. We were able to rinse our wine glasses out after each pour and crunchy breadsticks were provided as a palate cleansers. Pours were fairly generous and the group was unusually large, so triple pours went unnoticed (not that I would ever do that ). So while l’m normally a cheap drunk, today I was a free drunk! While Wines Around the World is complimentary for those Platinum and above, it’s required that you register in advance. Stop by the CruiseNext desk on embarkation day to find out when and where it will take place and to sign up (today it was at 2pm).

Best Cake Containing Vegetables and No Raisins at Sea

Voted (by me) best cake containing vegetables and no raisins at sea! Carrot and walnut cake, complimentary and available at O’Sheehan’s on deck 8 midship on the Jewel.

Sea Day Activities (Day 2)

Question for the group.  How do you like to spend your sea days (share to the comments)?  Me?  I maintain a rigorous schedule of activities.  Eat, nap, eat, intend to binge Netflix but fall asleep halfway through the opening credits, eat, race a turtle (oh please, you call that slow?) out on the wraparound promenade deck while listening to an audiobook and mistaking a floating log for a humpback, eat, check the “Freestyle Daily” schedule of events but decide my presence wouldn’t be fair to any of the other participants at sports trivia (I hate sports – I just threw that in to see if my husband bothers to read my posts and would dare publicly expose my fictional boasting), eat, feel kind of full and sick so I better take a quick nap before lunch, eat, eat, eat, eat, show (maybe, unless I’m too tired), eat, down a bottle of Tums, bed. Anyway, here are a few photos from my day.

These food pics are from lunch in the MDR. I tried to order the tortilla bowl with no vegetables, but my waiter expressed genuine concern for my health when pointing out that the remaining ingredients would be a deep fried tortilla, fried mozzarella cheese, and shredded cheddar. Fine, throw some iceberg and a few tomatoes in there (the menu, “lunch menu 2,” can be found HERE).

Night 2 Dinner in the MDR

The only significant thing about tonight’s meal came when I panicked upon seeing the sole chocolate offering on the dessert menu was the “After Eight Mint Chocolate Mousse.”  My watch read 5:55pm, but I really wanted that mousse.  So as my waitress approached to take my order, I dropped to the ground to beg at which point the maître d’ rushed over to intervene, taking my arm to encourage my return to an upright position, and asking if I’d lost a contact lens or perhaps the very very very small diamond from my wedding ring (clearly so small that he didn’t even see it sitting securely in its microscopic platinum setting).  I explained that while my chronological age may not suggest it, I like to be in bed by 8, but that I really, really, really wanted that chocolate mousse.  Then he accidentally muttered “idiot American” under his breath while explaining that “After Eight” was a Nestle branded chocolate mint featured in the mousse recipe and that it could be ordered at any time during the dinner service.  Oh, thank God.  So I apologized for dirtying up his carpet with my knees and proceeded to order one (three) of them.  And for the record, I don’t mind my diamonds small as long as my cruises are long.  Here’s everything I ordered:

Photo 1: After Eight mint chocolate mousse
Photo 2: Creamy spinach and artichoke dip
Photo 3: Vegetable pad thai
Photo 4: Carrot cake (sugar free)

Pre-Dinner at O’Sheehan’s

It’s now day 3 at 4pm. I’ve returned from an epic hike at port followed by an equally epic buffet lunch. And now I’m snacking at O’Sheehan’s two hours before my steakhouse reservation. Why? Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m main lining carbs, cheese, and cheese…cake. I hiked a mountain today, people. A! Mountain!

Cagney’s Steakhouse (Night 3 Dinner)

You may find it odd that a vegetarian would dine solo at a steakhouse. And I’ll admit, it’s a bit of an unexpected choice until one understands that the primary reason was for the free bottle of wine (served all at once in the tallest wine glass I’ve ever seen) provided as a Platinum perk. I went with the 19 Crimes Chardonnay. My first crime was being a vegetarian at a steakhouse and with an entire bottle of wine in me, 18 more are bound to occur at karaoke (I’m not sure this ship even offers karaoke, but that won’t stop me). I also enjoyed a full loaf of garlic rosemary bread with butter and a slice of chocolate cake tall enough to make out with the wine glass wearing flats. While I was disappointed to see the one vegetarian appetizer was dropped from the menu during the recent round of cuts, I was able to modify the wedge salad to be veggie (I really don’t understand a wedge salad though – isn’t it just a big hunk of iceberg you have to cut yourself?). Then after no success at ordering a special vegetarian entree in advance (this was a bit of an ordeal), I went with a potpourri of sides. I’m still amazed at the number of restaurants on NCL without a single vegetarian item. It’s, by far, the least vegetarian-friendly line I sail. Still, I managed to eat approximately 40,000 times the number of calories I burned on my hike at port which was the goal.

Behind the Scenes Ship Tour

This morning before we arrived at port, I attended a ship tour (free as a loyalty benefit for those platinum and above). We saw the main galley where all my food is prepared. And a smaller galley dedicated to everyone else onboard. Then we saw the laundry area where I got so hungry just looking at how hard the laundry crew work, I headed back to my galley figuring I’d save my wait staff some steps. Order up! And directly into my mouth! It’s always so humbling seeing how hard crew work behind the scenes on these ships – I appreciate each and every one of them and hope life working at sea brings an easier life for them and their families back on land. Here are some pics from the tour:

Lunch in the MDR (menu #3)

It’s corn chowder day in the MDR. That’s it, that’s the post. Ha, just kidding. You could only wish for such brevity from me. But seriously, the corn chowder is so good it deserves its own post. Don’t miss it!

I also ordered the caprese salad, but skipped my usual Spanish frittata because just two hours ago I had four pecan buns (smothered in syrup – huge thanks to the person who posted that tip) and finally perfected my recipe for breakfast rice which included scrambled egg (plus scallions, fried onions, and roasted garlic). I never skip dessert though and went with the raspberry panna cotta because it featured one actual raspberry on top and I figured that would take care of my fruit requirement for nine days. I also took a chance on the peanut butter cup cheesecake, not because that combination of ingredients could be anything less than perfection, but because on my last 3 NCL cruises they’ve been out of it (even though it appeared on the menu). When the cheesecake appeared, my waiter asked after my overly enthusiastic cheers and when I explained the situation, he brought me three more slices to set the past right (and earn himself a hero card). Anyway, this was the third of three rotating lunch menus on NCL. And you know what that means? Hush puppies are up again next! Here are photos of everything else I ordered:

Chin Chin (Night 4)

Tonight I dined at Chin Chin, the complimentary (for now, but that’s changing in 2025) Chinese restaurant on the Jewel. This restaurant goes by different names on other ships, but the menu is always the same. For an extra charge you can also order from the adjacent sushi bar (which I did to burn through a bunch of onboard credit). I was seated next to a friendly couple from Ohio and the three of us chatting sounded like a bunch of c-list food critics. We (them having been born in Taiwan and me having spent a good deal of time in China as a college professor), concluded that the food, while miles away from authentic, was pretty darn good for cruise ship American Chinese food. And having also spent time in Japan, I can say with confidence that veggie “sushi” tastes exactly the same everywhere.

You can find the current Chin Chin menu HERE.

Night 5 Dinner in the MDR

It’s night 5 and I’m back to the MDR for dinner tonight even though I knew (KNEW) it was going to be awkward. Because despite 9.5 years of post high school education, I still struggle to pronounce certain words properly, even after being corrected repeatedly. On many prior NCL cruises (before the recent cuts to the specialty restaurant menus when they still served it at La Cucina), I’ve ordered gnocchi twice on the same sailing and pronounced it differently (both probably wrong) each time. So tonight when my waiter asked for my order, I first looked for my mom to order for me like a shy 5 year-old and when I couldn’t find her, I just pointed. Awkward! But tiny starch pockets swimming in cream-based sauce. Worth it! Totally worth it! But for the love, someone please remind me how to pronounce it. Nock-eee? G-noochee? What? Anyway, here’s everything I ordered:

Photo 1: That “g” thing
Photo 2: Mozzarella and plum tomatoes
Photo 3: Fig and apple cobbler
Photo 4: Carrot cake (sugar free)

Breakfast in the MDR on Port Days

One time I attended a birthday party with my kid at a trampoline park on a district-wide “teacher prep” day off from school. Not only were there like 8 other birthday parties happening, but parents across the city had popped in to sign the waiver (jotting down a fake number in case of an emergency), then headed in to work, counting on their kids being good and tired when they picked them up 8 hours later: “Let’s get you some dinner and then you hit the sack while mommy watches her true crime shows.”

Honestly, I wish I’d thought of that before I was spotted by the responsible parents of the birthday boy. Anyway, it was louder than a Taylor Swift stadium concert and smelled worse than a neglected outhouse. But mostly it was chaos – like don’t even try to keep eyes on your kid unless you want to dislocate them from their sockets.

So what does this have to do with breakfast in the MDR on a port day? Well the buffet on an early port day is a bit like the trampoline park, but with adults trying to cut the bacon line.

One of my best tips is to opt for a relaxed, chill, and quiet breakfast in the MDR on early port days. That’s what I did this morning (but I admit I did hit the zoo after for a few supplemental pecan buns).

Here’s what I ordered (and you can find the menu HERE):

Photo 1: Pretzel roll sandwich (no bacon)
Photo 2: Shakshuka with feta
Photo 3: Yogurt parfait

Dinner at La Cucina (Night 6)

Before reviewing my meal at La Cucina, the Italian specialty restaurant on the Jewel, I feel I should disclose my ongoing litigation with Olive Garden because they kicked me out after 14 hours of creamy mushroom and rigatoni refills (you said it was “never ending”).

But anyway, La Cucina. Sadly, the pasta there comes with no promise of free refills and with the recent menu cuts, there was no longer a single vegetarian pasta option to wish I had 25 more bowls of. But I’m generally an adaptable gal (just don’t promise something as unlimited and then tell me camping isn’t allowed per your occupancy permit) and made do with the mozzarella caprese and mushroom risotto, which both turned out to be delicious. Then my cannolis were delivered and I thought the cruise director was punking me or I was unwittingly staring in the next installment of “Honey I Shrunk the Traditional, Sweet Cheese Filled Italian Pastries.” They were so small. Like, take these back to the kitchen and zap them with your experimental laser gun until they’re three times my size and about to attack unless I attack first!

Souvenirs

I think I’ve secured all necessary souvenirs for my family at a cost of $0. A cruise duck…scratch that…cardinal found on the promenade deck (so adorable, big thanks to the Carden family). And some tiny buffet cereals. The macaroons and chocolates (available for $2 each at the coffee shop in the atrium on deck 7) are for me to soften my transition back to normal adult life where I’ll be expected to parent my kid and walk my dog and clean my bathroom.

Night 7 Dinner in the MDR

You might be surprised at my restraint in only ordering one dessert, but I actually ordered three of the same dessert. Nutella crème brûlée!?! You can’t honestly tell me you wouldn’t have done the same!

Pgoto 1: Nutella crème brûlée(s)
Photo 2: Roasted vegetable salad served with little balls of ground up teenaged boy gym socks covered in mold (goat cheese)
Photo 3: Oops I got so excited about the crème brûlée, I forgot to say “hold the gym socks”
Photo 4: Spinach and ricotta stuffed pepper

Bridge Viewing Room on the Jewel

It’s good I didn’t discover the Bridge Viewing Room until now, otherwise you’d have seen nothing of this cruise except the back of the Captain’s head as I stalked, I mean respectfully viewed him at work, and my frequent room service orders, “please send another double order of chocolate cake to the bridge viewing area.”

But seriously, the Jewel is one of the rare ships that still offer a public window into the bridge available to all passengers. This is due to security concerns and prioritizing revenue generating spaces. Most ship tours don’t even grant access to the bridge anymore.

I just hope I didn’t ruin it for everyone by pounding on the window while very rightfully pointing out that I would make the best, BEST, Captain’s wife.

Night 8 Dinner in the MDR

When you go for the seed roll knowing, KNOWING, you’re getting the scraper of shame.

Then the vegetable tempura rolls arrive and you’re like, do I shove the intact roll into my mouth all at once and just hope I don’t choke to death or get asked any critical questions for the 10 minutes it takes me to maneuver it around in my mouth into a position I can actually chew it properly or do I attempt to cut it in half hoping that maybe 10% of the now completely deconstructed roll will end up in my mouth and not down the front of my shirt like I’m a toddler trying finger food for the first time?

That roll was delicious once I decided to just pop a Xanax, pick it up with my fingers, dunk it in the sauce like a McDonald’s nugget, and just let what happens happen.

After I picked three olives out of my entree and ate two desserts, I headed up to the buffet to try to salvage my reputation as a civilized adult by very gracefully consuming some buttered noodles, mac ‘n cheese, and sheet cake which was approximately 99% icing.

See, I’m obviously a woman in my 40’s with very refined and sophisticated tastes.

Photo 1: Don’t. Do. It.
Photo 2: She did it

Photo 3: And it’s only going to get worse
Photo 4: There are 3 olives buried in this entree (grilled vegetables with Moroccan spices)

Photo 5: And she found them all
Photo 6: Milk chocolate mousse

Photo 7: Strawberry shortcake
Photo 8: Every American 5-year-old’s and one old-ass former college professor’s dream meal

Night 9 Dinner in the MDR

More on cornbread in a minute, but when it comes to hits and misses, the cornbread in my tomato salad appetizer course tonight was a hit and the unadvertised olives were a miss. My main course, the Idaho potato pot pie, was outstanding, but I’m not sure why they featured an ingredient from a landlocked state. It’s usually like, “Alaska salmon” or “Caribbean jerk chicken” or “Maine Lobster.” Idaho potatoes? Whatever, I’m not complaining. Starch and carbs and cream. I’m good. For dessert I ordered the lemon creme caramel which sounded gross, but was excellent and the coconut and mango cake which sounded excellent, but was gross (more like a Jello mold than cake).

Anyway, after dinner and I hit the buffet for another dinner and…

Skillet Cornbread Back From the Dead?

Prior to the low-budget Halloween-movie-worthy butchering NCL did to their dinner menus earlier this year, I referred to night 4 in the MDR as “CORNBREAD NIGHT!” And yes, I yelled it like Oprah announcing her celebrity crush as he tentatively emerged from backstage looking slightly terrified. The jalapeno cornbread was one of my favorite items on the NCL dinner menus. So much so that the time I missed it in order to celebrate my son’s birthday in Teppanyaki remains one of my greatest regrets. Anyway, it’s gone from the menu and my 4,541 letters to NCL corporate remain unanswered. But, GOOD NEWS! It was served in the buffet onboard the Jewel on night 9 (if that’s not reason to book a 9-night cruise, I don’t know what is):

It looks a little battle worn in that photo, but trust me, top it with some butter and honey (available at the coffee stations) and you’ll understand why I’ve drained 39 BIC pens pleading for its return. Speaking of things I loved on the Jewel, here are some non-food things I loved (if they’re even worth mentioning – food is obviously very important to my cruising experience):

Things I loved on the Norwegian Jewel

Size of the Norwegian Jewel

At this point in my review (and especially for those who regularly follow my blog) you’re probably thinking: “Wow, she’s a lot to handle.” But you love me anyway because I supply you with an endless supply of cruise food pics. That’s kind of how I feel about the giant NCL mega ships: I love them anyway because they supply me with an endless amount of cruise food, but they can be a lot to handle. 

I’m one of a dying breed of cruiser who actually prefers smaller ships, which is one thing I love about the Jewel! At 93,502 gross tons (not including roughly 2 tons of sugar, 3 tons of cheese, and 1 ton of Prof. Cruise after eating nothing but sugar and cheese for 9 days) and with a capacity of around 2,300 passengers and 1,000 crew members, I found her to be the perfect size.

Hull Art on the Norwegian Jewel

True confession: I once forgot my government issued photo I.D. at a port stop and required a security escort back on my Princess ship. Embarrassing. But even more embarrassing? I had them escort me back to the wrong ship: “Ma’am you’re on the other Princess ship.” Because a seawitch is a seawitch is a seawitch. But thankfully, the vibrant, distinct hull art on NCL will never lead you astray.  And while I actually find the hull art on the Jewel a bit gaudy and pretentious and the colors remind me of a comforter that adorned my parents’ marital bed in the 90’s, one thing you will NEVER hear when trying to reboard is: “Sorry ma’am, but yours is the other giant bejeweled vessel.”

Spinnaker Lounge on the Norwegian Jewel

While not nearly as impressive as on the larger NCL ships (I’ll admit there are some advantages to the large, newer ships), the Spinnaker Observation Lounge on the Jewel (located on deck 13 forward) is still a great spot to relax, sip a cocktail, read, listen to music, and gaze out at the ocean. Or fall asleep and get nudged awake by security after a complaint of “nuisance noise” and “excessive drool.”

Library on the Norwegian Jewel

As I’ve mentioned, my parents were both librarians, in fact they met and fell in love working at a library. So I suppose you could say libraries are in my blood. I supposed you could also blame them for my existence. *shrug*  In any case, I love ships that have a real bona fide library and the one on the Jewel, while not huge, is warm and lovely and has a good selection of books for loan.

Promenade Deck on the Norwegian Jewel

If you had to choose one must-have cruise ship design feature, what would it be (share to the comments)? For me it would be a wide, wraparound outdoor promenade deck. And the one on the Jewel is among the best I’ve experienced. It’s wide enough to allow for walking in both directions without doubling as an amusement park ride. While some actually seek out a ship with bumper cars, I’d rather avoid collisions on vacation. Dressing up for formal night is bad enough (optional on NCL, which is one thing I really like about the line) without having to coordinate your shoes with your neck brace.

Things I Didn’t Love on the Norwegian Jewel

While I loved almost everything about my cruise onboard the Jewel, there were a few things that missed the mark:

• Hot gym. So many areas of the ship were chilly, but for some reason the gym (the one place you want chilly) was HOT. The gym also opened at 6am, which may seem painfully early to many, but there were always people waiting to get in earlier. Adjusting the gym hours to 5am-10pm makes more sense than the current hours of 6am-11pm. Or just keep it open 24/7 like several other lines.
• Entertainment/activities. NCL continues to miss the mark when it comes to activities and entertainment on smaller ships (I love the broadway shows on the large ships). I’d say around 80% of activities were revenue-generating things like bingo, Deal or No Deal, or other events sponsored by the shops, spa, or casino that aren’t very interesting and are mostly designed to get you to buy stuff you don’t want or need. The evening production shows were okay, typical cruise ship production shows, but nothing outstanding and I’d seen them many times before.
• There was also no naturalist onboard or any interesting lectures by experts in a particular field.
• Lack of food labels and limited vegetarian options. At this point NCL is the least vegetarian-friendly line I sail. Several restaurants don’t have a single vegetarian entree and lack of food labels at the buffet and several restaurants makes eating vegetarian (or gluten, dairy, or sugar free) challenging.
• Overworked cabin stewards and no turndown service. My steward had so many cabins to clean, often mine wasn’t completed until well into the evening. He also never came around to introduce himself (no biggie, but the level of service just wasn’t comparable to other lines).

Would I Book the Jewel Again?

This was actually my second cruise on the Jewel, so I suppose that answers the question. While several years passed between my two sailings, the fond memories from my first time onboard prompted me to snag one of her rare itineraries from my home port of Seattle. And while she won’t be sailing from Seattle next year, I would welcome any chance to dance up her gangway at embarkation and be craned off at debarkation for a 3rd, 4th, 20th time! She’s a fabulous ship, one NCL is lucky to have in their fleet and one you’ll be lucky to cruise on if you’re booked. So with that…

Class Dismissed!

Don’t forget to check out all the Jewel menus here:

Current Norwegian Jewel Menus

Today’s Bonus Cruising Tip

I ALWAYS buy travel insurance to cover my cruises, but I NEVER purchase it through a cruise line. It costs more and usually covers less than policies you purchase on your own. I go through sites like travelinsurance.com to compare plans and prices and get the best deal for the coverage I want.  Simply enter your travel dates and total trip cost and answer a few basic questions and you can see all available plans. Compare the prices to what your cruise line is offering to see how much you’ll save. Spend less on insurance and spend more on excursions, special onboard cruise experiences and…future cruises!

Homework (10 points):  Are you booked on the Jewel? Ask any questions you may have to the comments.

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