| Norwegian Jewel, November 3rd, 2005 | |
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I should preface this
report by mentioning that this site inspection was not a true
picture of the ship when she is cruising, rather a snap shot in
time. As seems to be the case so often these days, the
inaugural introduction was just an overnight cruise to nowhere.
The 2,240-passenger Norwegian Jewel is a sister ship to the Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star which entered service in August 2005. (see our report on the ships). The 92,000-ton Norwegian Jewel is NCL's fourth purpose-built ship for Freestyle Cruising and features 10 restaurants as well as a collection of unique public rooms. Free Style dining
aboard the Norwegian Jewel features 10 restaurants, the
alternatives restaurants such as Cagney's Steak House, Blue Lagoon
and NCL's signature restaurant, Le Bistro carry a small surcharge
and can be reserved in advance. An interesting feature is the
addition of screen monitor around the ship which keep you appraised
of how the restaurants are filling up and the approximate wait times
for each. In addition, to the alternate restaurants the Norwegian
Jewel also features two main dining rooms the Tsar's Palace and the
Azura, a casual Italian eatery called Mamma's Italian Kitchen;
Tango's a Latin restaurant featuring tapas located above the open
area of the Atrium and offers spacious views of the ship and the
ocean. Chin Chin an Asian complex which featuring Thai, Japanese and
Chinese food as well as a sushi bar and a Teppanyaki room is located
on Deck Seven which is basically the entertainment deck The Jewel Club Casino is a vast area of slots and gaming tables catering to every type of gaming. There is also a VIP Card room. Another impressive area is the show lounge - the Stardust Theatre - which encompasses three decks 5,6 and 7, it is European opera-house styled and can accommodate 1,042. The Bora Bora Health Spa and Beauty Salon located on Deck 12 is South Pacific themed and operated by Mandara Spa. It offers full spa service with 20 treatment rooms, three of which specifically are for couples. There is also a unisex beauty salon and barber service.
Other highlights include a complete service digital photo lab, Internet Cafe, (the ship has Wi-Fi throughout) sports deck with basketball/ volleyball/ tennis court/ mini-golf. Body Waves, state of the art fitness center and extensive kid's and teens facilities.
The Sapphire pool is the main outdoor pool area. It features two swimming pools a water slide and four hot tubs. It is well set up with chaise-longe's for sunning, tables, chairs and beach umbrellas, Topsiders Pool Bar is also to be found here, an additional sunbathing area is found on Deck 14. The Norwegian Jewel has 1,188 cabins, 76 more than her sister ships. Ten penthouse suites share a private courtyard with swimming pool, Jacuzzi, small gym and private sundeck. All staterooms have a refrigerator and tea and coffee maker and many are interconnected to create larger quarters for families. The accommodation consists of pleasantly decorated and comfortable, well sized, mainly balcony staterooms as well as some insides and standard staterooms. However, as with her sisterships, she also has two Garden Villas plus a brand new style of accommodations in the form of 10 courtyard villas with private courtyards and sundeck on deck 14. The Owner's suite guests and both courtyard and garden villa guests will have a concierge lounge available to them. Dedicated butlers will offer continental breakfast, refreshments all day and canapés and drinks before dinner. For complete specification, room sizes etc. click here. (to be connected later)
Specification:
93,502 tons
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I
have therefore refrained from commenting on the service, food and
beverage items as under the circumstances with a full ship of like
minded people all wanting to look and try everything in a few short
hours, it is impossible to gauge the ship in her cruising mode. For
a better idea of NCL's standard in these areas check out our