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Overview Welcome aboard the multi-faceted Norwegian Jewel
 .With its newest ship, launched in August 2005, Norwegian Cruise Line continues to refine the "freestyle cruising" concept that's become its corporate motto. Over 2,300 passengers enjoy the freedom to dine where, when and with whom they wish. Casual is the operative word here, with formal night optional. This review is part of the seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary we experienced that included Roatan, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. The Jewel also sails a seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary with stops in Antigua and St. Thomas, 7- and 12-night Mediterranean cruises, and a 12-night cruise featuring the Greek Isles and Egypt. The Jewel is a floating test for land-based amenities and services like high-rent luxury villas, martini and champagne bars, interconnecting family friendly cabins, and an electronic restaurant reservations system. No doubt, Norwegian Jewel, at least in the big-ship marketplace, is the closest thing you'll ever get to a land-based resort vacation. Fully loaded with so many land-based bells and whistles, the Jewel is at its best at night with passengers dispersed among its numerous restaurants, lounges and entertainment venues. In an effort not to miss any of the eateries, lounges and countless activities, I found myself rushing about the ship and frequently checking my watch. It took a conscious effort for me to slow down, block out the hubbub, and simply enjoy the splendid Caribbean views from our cabin balcony. In the needs-improvement department, though, the ship can do even better handling the throngs. With 2,000-plus co-passengers, I fully expected waits. But I was not prepared to stand on the dock in Roatan for over half an hour alongside 75 other shore excursion guests waiting for one tardy couple. The tender process was long -- especially transferring from the dock in Roatan back to the Jewel. Adding another metal detector and a couple more local tenders would help. And not once during the cruise could I find an empty lounge chair poolside. Ultimately, there's much about the Jewel that sparkles, most notably the dining options, amiable crew, appealing staterooms and impressive fitness center. Though numerous restaurants, an electronic reservation system and streamlined disembarkation help with crowd control, there are times (muster drill, tenders and shore excursions), when you feel the presence of your fellow shipmates. Happily, there are quiet places to read a good book and enjoy the splendid views. Deck 7 offers outdoor seating when the pool deck is packed. The library is almost always empty, and Spinnaker Lounge is sunny and quiet by day. By dinner time, the spa empties out, and you can savor the sunset from a hot tub or chaise. The 92,000-ton Norwegian Jewel is the company's fourth purpose-built ship for Freestyle Cruising and features 10 restaurants, dynamic public rooms, two Garden Villas and a brand new style of accommodations - the addition of 10 courtyard villas with a private courtyard and sundeck on deck 14. Both courtyard and garden villa guests will have a concierge lounge available to them. Dedicated butlers will offer continental breakfast, refreshments all day and canapes and drinks before dinner.
"As the next generation ... Norwegian Jewel represents the new NCL and the next stage in NCL's rejuvenation," said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. "NCL will be sailing a fleet of seven new ships in 2005, out of a total fleet of 11 ships, with 70 percent of NCL's passengers sailing on new state-of-the-art mega ships." Launching in August 2005, Norwegian Jewel features all the great attributes of her sisters including their speed, number of restaurants and family-friendly accommodations. Experience the voyage of a lifetime on the sparkling new Norwegian Jewel, setting sail in August 2005. Revel in Freestyle Cruising - the freedom to enjoy your choice of unscheduled onboard amenities. Watch the world unfold by the Sapphire Pool. Later, revive with a cappuccino in Java Cafe. Eat as you please with Freestyle Dining at 10 unique restaurants, from Mama's Italian Kitchen to the elegant Le Bistro. Savor a taste of Asia in Chin Chin, featuring Thai, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine. Little shipmates are in for nonstop fun at Splashdown Kid's Club, while teens can dance and hang out in Club Underground. Find your fortune in Jewel Club Casino, then toast to your adventure at Magnum's
NCL's new Norwegian Jewel offers the biggest, most luxurious and most innovative suite complex at sea. She shines from bow to stern with an incredible array of outstanding amenities including 10 distinct restaurants, 13 bars and lounges, 3 swimming pools, spa and more. This is the crowning jewel to our incredible fleet of Freestyle Ships. Public rooms Interiors have a contemporary ambiance that is informally elegant through the use of quality fabrics in pastels and muted shades, fine woods, artwork and marble. Lots of glass walls afford views of the sea and ports. There is no multi-level atrium -the attractive lobby/reception area on Promenade Deck has a Nordic feel with blue and gray decor, marble and art deco accents. As a result of the stretching, the Four Seasons Restaurant was expanded to encompass the entire width of the ship, so guests in 86 cabins situated forward of the Four Seasons have to walk through the dining room to get to the Rendezvous Bar and other public spaces on their deck. Similarly, on Star Deck, passengers on forward cabins need to traverse the Stardust Lounge (which may be closed for shows or rehearsals) or use another deck to get across. The two-level Stardust Lounge features a proscenium stage for revues including the Sea Legs Circus at Sea, starring Olympians from around the world. Sightlines are good from most seats. Lucky's, a horseshoe-shaped piano bar with a dance floor is one of the most popular lounges on board for a drink after the show. The Observatory Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides is a great perch for watching the Alaska wilderness or Caribbean sunsets; for people watching, the Rendezvous Lounge is best. The 24-hour Internet Cafe is equipped with four computer terminals (cost is 75 cents per minute). This facility, however, took away the space that had been devoted to a library, which now consists of several bookshelves on the walls leading to the Internet Cafe. There is no self-service launderette; laundry and dry cleaning are available for a fee. Fitness and Reacreation This ship has extensive fitness facilities for its size. A small two-room gym is filled with up-to-date equipment and has a view. In the Mandara Spa there are massage rooms, a sauna and Balinese inspired treatments are available. A full-size basketball court on the Sun Deck, a golf driving range, jogging track and aerobics classes scheduled throughout the day complete the program. Midship a large pool with a terraced deck is recessed and protected against the wind. A smaller pool, aft, attracts those seeking more seclusion. The Norwegian Dream Entertainment Boredom is not an option onboard Norwegian Jewel. The challenge is choosing from among numerous daytime activities that include foreign language, cooking and dancing classes; trivia contests; lectures on handwriting and Jamaica; perfume seminars; bingo; art auctions; arts and crafts; volleyball, ping pong, tennis and human chess play; and checkers, bridge and Scrabble. Not to mention the martini clinic and margarita tasting for $15. The Stardust Theatre is the main entertainment venue for nightly Broadway and Vegas-style productions, comedy and magic acts, and a Cirque du Soleil-style aerial thriller, Cirque Bijou. The fearless troupe includes gymnasts, acrobats and bungee jumpers. They played to a packed house. The three “big-venue” entertainment rooms aboard Norwegian Jewel are the giant, three-deck Stardust Theater, Fyzz Lounge & Bar and the Spinnaker Lounge. All represent the familiar, formulaic cruise line staples – the main show lounge; the cabaret; and the scenic, top-of-the-ship lounge. The biggest entertainment venue is the Stardust Theater. It’s here where NCL’s big, nightly production numbers are presented. Seating is arranged in “theater-style” fashion rather than in a show lounge banquette arrangement found on some older cruise ships. This configuration allows for almost half the ship’s guests to be comfortably accommodated at one time. Plus, the venue’s three levels provide almost obstructed-free seating. Fyzz Lounge & Bar is the Jewel’s cabaret venue. The theme here is “spheres, orbs and outer space” making for an out-of-the-ordinary entertainment experience for anyone who even so much as peeks in on the action. High up on Deck 13 is the Spinnaker Lounge. By day, this relatively quiet venue offers some of the best views on the ship; by night, the action amps up as the room morphs into the disco destination! Bar Central is an innovative venue for NCL. Three separate bars are lined up in a row, making “clubbing” a easy event aboard Norwegian Jewel. Step from the 1920’s Paris scene at Magnum’s Champagne & Wine Bar into next door’s 60s “James Bond era” Shaker’s Martini & Cocktail Bar. Then wander down the hall to the easy-going atmosphere at Malting’s Beer & Whisky Bar. Each bar has its own look, its own feel, its own beverage menu and its own clientele! Adding to the “club district-feel” of this seagoing neighborhood is Corona’s Cigar Bar located across the “street” from Bar Central. This piano bar pulls in the passers-by like a magnet. And THIS downtown has a casino, the giant Jewel Club Casino. For nighttime views of the pool, head up to the beer garden at the Sky High Bar. If you’ve made reservations for Cagney’s Steakhouse, try to include a stop at the adjacent Star Bar – a cozy piano bar. By day, Topsider’s Bar has the edge, what with its convenient pool-side location. And the Java Café can warm your favorite espresso into something a little stronger! Activities Norwegian Jewel features the latest in relaxation and fitness at the contemporary South Pacific-themed Bora Bora Health Spa and Beauty Salon. Mandara Spa, the world's leading operator of landside resort spas, will operate the spa, pampering NCL guests with an exotic menu of spa and beauty treatments combining the best of East and West. Family Norwegian Jewel rolls out the welcome mat for families with amenities like interconnecting cabins, a kids-only pool and water slide, and an appealing Splashdown Kid's Club. In addition to a children's menu, young passengers can enjoy the Kid's Corner buffet with mini stools, low tables, and kid-pleasing fare like hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Families can gather in the Card Room for a game of Monopoly or Clue, sing together during family karaoke night, and compete in a "Family Feud" game show. Dress Casual dress is a very popular aspect of "freestyle cruising." Formal wear (black tie or dark suit for men and evening gown or cocktail dress for women) is optional during one formal evening. On our trip, about a quarter of passengers got dolled up in gowns and tuxedos. Even in the ship's most elegant restaurant, Le Bistro, diners donned resort casual attire, which translates into polo shirts and khakis for men, and sun dresses or skirts and blouses for women. After 5:30 p.m., jeans, T-shirts, shorts, tank tops and bare feet are not permitted in the restaurants. Casual, casual, casual -- although T-shirts, shorts and tank tops are not allowed in the dining rooms after 5 p.m., except for the Garden Café//Great Outdoors. There is one dress-up night when it's "formal optional." Very few people really dressed up that night. Gratuity $10 per adult per day and $5 per child is added to the folio automatically. If a guest has a problem along the way, the purser's desk will make adjustments if necessary. I found service to be so exceptional, pretty much across the board, that I cannot imagine anyone being so frugal as to reduce the $10. Extra tips would seem more in keeping with the quality of service offered. On bar bills, spa services, etc., 15 percent is automatically added. The line suggests concierges and butlers be given separate tips commensurate with the services they provide. Each passenger is automatically billed $10 a day, which supports an incentive program for the service staff (children ages 3 - 12 are charged $5 per day). Guests who prefer to tip individually can fill out a form at reception. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to spa services, fitness classes, and bar drinks. For passengers using concierge and butler service, NCL recommends a gratuity "commensurate with the services rendered." The bill can be paid in cash, or by credit card or traveler's checks. Ship hightlights
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has a mediocre fitness center divided into two small square rooms - one room contains aerobics exercise machines and the other has an assortment of weight machines and stationery weights. Both the size of the fitness center and the number of exercise machines are far less compared to fitness centers on similar-sized. There are only four treadmills, four Stairmasters and five stationery bikes. As a result, the room is often filled to capacity and passengers who want to work out have to wait in line to use the machines. Another disadvantage is the location of the fitness center directly beneath the basketball court, so when you're working out and a basketball game is in progress there is the constant loud banging of crashing feet right above your head. Other onboard recreational facilities include a golf driving net plus shuffleboard courts and ping pong tables. There are also two Jacuzzis plus sauna and massage and a daily schedule of aerobics classes.