Norwegian Jewel is one of the most recent class of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ships and one of the largest. Since she was the first one of this class, she does not have quite all of the features that are on the most recent ship, Norwegian Gem, but she is pretty much state-of-the-art Freestyle cruising.
Freestyle cruising is all about giving the guests options to design their own vacation. There are two large dining rooms, seven specialty restaurants, a buffet and several places for a light snack. There are bars, nightclubs, a large casino and a theater for production shows. Similarly, there are pools, a spa, a fitness center and various other sports facilities for daytime entertainment. The accommodations range from lavish luxury to comfortable but utilitarian. The idea is that you decide what is best for you.
Of course, with freedom comes responsibility. For example, the guest must make his or her own dinner arrangements. If they fail to do so, they may end up dining in a venue that they did not really want while the production show that they did want to see in the theater is taking place.
Jewel is somewhat similar in décor to the slightly smaller Norwegian Dawn. Both make use of bold colors but not overwhelmingly so. For the most part, the style is upscale contemporary. I was somewhat disappointed that Jewel does not have the amazing art collection that is on Dawn, but then one can’t really expect NCL to have Monets and Reniors on every ship. There are some very good Asian paintings, however, if one keeps an eye out.
Outside, Jewel is painted white with a festive mural on her bow and sides. It is not like a traditional ocean liner but then NCL is all about breaking with tradition. Jewel is a big happy-looking ship.
It should be noted that this ship is no slouch technologically. She is capable of 25 knots, making her one of the fastest passenger ships in service. Also, with her two azipods and three bow thrusters, she is highly maneuverable.
This ship is based out of Britain during the summer months, doing cruises to Northern Europe. Although the style is distinctly American, she has developed a substantial European following. Freedom of choice has an appeal that transcends national boundaries.
My profile of Norwegian Jewel with information, copies of menus and daily programs, is at http://beyondships.com/NCLJewel.html and the photographic tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/NCLJewel-Tour.html
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