Unique itinerary and fantastic experience

We booked this cruise for its unique itinerary that left from Quebec City, travelled down the St-Lawrence seaway with stops in Baie Comeau and Gaspe, St. Pierre-Miquelon and St. John's (Newfoundland). It then proceeded across the north Atlantic to Iceland, Belfast, two ports in Ireland, Portland, UK, Le Havre, France and ending in Southampton. This cruise started booking early and the prices kept going up, showing how popular and desirable this itinerary was. Whenever we travel, things happen that don't go as planned. We have learned to expect this with every trip we do. And when you are on a ship there are so many variables, especially with weather. The Jewel is one of our favourites, mainly because of the fantastic crew. Captain Stefan Nordberg and his bridge crew are outstanding. His expertise kept us safe, and his daily communications kept us informed. The big glitch on this trip was the tendering operation at Dun Laoghaire (Dublin) port. Unexpected and unforecast high winds whipped up the harbour into a choppy mess in the early afternoon and they had to halt tendering. One boat got into trouble on the high waves and those passengers had a horrible and frightening experience. Meanwhile, captain and crew pulled out all stops to get them to safety and make alternative arrangements for about 800 people still on shore. We were dropped off at about 3pm to a long line waiting on the pier. Crew were walking up and down the line to keep people informed. The wind was chilly. We learned that they were bringing in alternate boats that were bigger and could handle the waves, but the wait was long. The port provided an interior rest area with some seating, washrooms and wifi where people could stay warm. The ship sent box meals over to the guests, while working to make arrangements for hundreds of people to stay overnight if necessary. The experience waiting at the pier was long and cold and many were very uncomfortable. We ended up boarding a tender and getting onboard at around 7pm and we headed straight for the Aqua restaurant for warm food. This experience angered many people but really, what can you do about weather? The crew of the Jewel worked long into the night to ensure guests returned safely and were fed when they arrived by keeping the restaurants open late. It was about midnight when all passengers were back on board, and the delay was such that they would not be able to make the next port Cobh (Cork). Yes, it was disappointing, but they had no choice if they were to keep on schedule. For the rest of the trip, our time on board was fun and relaxing. We saw terrific sites we had never seen before. The stop in Reykjavik was quite short and would have been better if they'd done an overnight there. We arrived in the morning and we were scheduled to leave at 2pm so if you did not have a very expensive tour booked, you only could take the shuttle into the city and walk around on a cold, wet, windy morning when few shops were even open. Those that were greeted us warmly. We were so very fortunate to have a suite for this voyage - we got it with a bid upgrade and were very surprised and pleased. There's nothing like the suite experience on NCL! We saw many crew that we had met before who remembered us from past trips (the most recent a year before), including the amazing El Marie who serves in the martini bar, and Kem, the GM's secretary. Since we were in a suite, breakfasts were in Moderno, and we had lunch in either Cagney's or on a few occasions we went to the buffet. We had most dinners at Aqua, with some at Chin Chin, Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cuchina. On past trips we found dining room food to not be hot enough for our tastes but this time all food came piping hot and tasty. We especially enjoyed Chin Chin and La Cuchina for our specialty meals. We even had dinner in the buffet twice - a first for us. Dinner in the buffet is a very different experience than the buffet during the day, its much quieter with no crowds and a nice atmosphere, and the food was hot and good. Activities on board were the usual game shows and stupid contests by the pool. I wish NCL would not apply a cookie-cutter approach to its activities on board. They have fantastic itinerary cruises that attract people who want to learn about the ports. I'd much rather have educational talks or other ways of learning. Save the hairy chest contest for the Caribbean booze cruises. All in all, we had a fantastic experience and I hope NCL offers more trans-Atlantic cruises that leave from Canada.

Suite Sailing with NCL

My husband and I just sailed 7 days on Norwegian Jewel from Boston to Quebec City in Suite, category S4. The Butler, Concierge, and Housekeeping staff were all wonderful! We love sailing in the Suite and Haven categories with Norwegian and the service did not disappoint! This suite was designed to accommodate a family… It had a master bedroom and bath, as well as a small bedroom and extra bath. Although we did not need the extra bedroom, we did appreciate having two bathroom facilities in our room as well as the full double sink and dressing area in the master. The master shower was incredible! It was a huge walk-in with wall windows and three modes of water, dispersion… waterfall, handheld, and wall jets. This was our fifth sailing with Norwegian and we thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful staff and service provided by this cruise. The food was amazing! We enjoyed Cagney‘s, La Cucina, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki, as well as the Tzars Palace and O’Sheehan’s. All of the meals were beautifully presented and delicious! A perk for Suite and Haven guests is the daily opportunity to eat breakfast and lunch in the Cagneys or Moderno restaurants. This is such a nice thing because it is a relaxing, enjoyable meal without the hustle and bustle of the buffet. We did not eat in the buffet area, but when passing through, the food looked and smelled wonderful there as well! The ship was kept very clean and well managed. All staff were very friendly! A common issue among passengers was figuring out how to get from one end of the ship to the other… Because it is a smaller ship and they are trying to incorporate so many opportunities, you often have to go to different floors via specific elevators to transfer to the other end of the ship and then return to the floor you were on to get to the place you’re headed to. Additionally, we found some places were located within others… We were very confused looking for the Teppanyaki restaurant only to find out. It was actually inside the Chin Chin restaurant. The shows were very entertaining and there are special reserved areas for Suite and Haven guests so that is an extra perk as well! There was not a Haven restaurant on this ship, but they did have a Haven courtyard specific to the Haven guests. Another perk for suite and Haven guests is priority embarkation, and debarkation… this is really nice! We love sailing with Norwegian!

Cruising with long time friends

Traveled with my wife and two of friends since elementary school and their husbands. One couple are regular cruises and the other couple were newbies. We ate more often than I was expecting in the buffet. The washy-washy crew were very entertaining. Food was good for the most part. Omelets were a little slow in the mornings, but tasty! At lunch, the pizza was decent. A lot better than I had on the Pearl in 2022. We ate at Cagney's, LaCucina and Teppanyaki and we enjoyed the food immensely. The grill cook we had at Teppanyaki had a great singing voice. The entertainment went from not so good to amazing. Ignite the Night was disappointing. Rock music with a Broadway musical vibe. The Broadway Cabaret played to the talents of the singers voices, but I think they could have chosen more known songs. Rock you Tonight was amazing. The comedian Jim Colliton was incredible. On Bermuda we did the minigolf at the Dockyard and my wife & I enjoyed the Crystal Caves & Aquarium/Zoo excursion. We spent a bit of time at Shaker's and we would tell the waitress, what we want what we really really want. She always was friendly and always smiling! Once when we are having a drink at the bar, the bottom of my glass of diet coke literally broke off and fell to the floor and the soda spilled onto the bar. I've never had that happen to me before. We played some bingo and my wife and I were one number off from getting the last day's coverall! I spent a lot of time in the casino and managed to cash in my points for a CASNext voucher. I guess I need to plan another cruise.