| |
baltic brilliance |
| Reviewed By: davies, exeter on 10th Aug 2008 |
| Cruise Line: NCL Cruises |
Times cruised before: 0 |
| Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel |
Sailed:
July,
2008 |
| Destination: Baltic |
Age: 36-45 |
|
Our experience was of all round excellence.Firstly the food was wonderful in terms of quality ,quantity and variety.As a mixed party of young children ,fussy vegetarians and a traditionalist we were amazed to find that we were all catered for to equal quality. We found that the more formal restaurants had less choice for all,including the children, but this balanced out against other meals on the same or other days.Although some parties may have found the self service aspect of ther main cafe less appealing this must be measured against the choice of excellent,fresh food available. the effecient table staff and the complete flexibility this provided for eating before shows,to suit children and for sheer indulgence.The Chocolate evening with wonderful chocolate and ice sculptures was pure sin.
The service was exemplary. We found all staff to be polite, helpful and effecient.Although we have travelled widely we have never before encountered such levels of consisitent good service. The attention to detail could not be faulted-we have never before stayed in a hotel where room service occured twice or three times daily!
We did all excursions independently ,having obtained visas for Russia prior to to travelling.In each dock we found it easy to get into the city,either on local buses or the transport provided by the cruise line. Other passengers reported frustration at some of the St. Petersberg excursions because of long waits and limited opportunities to explore and visit shops.As visa holders we had complete freedom and would recommend this. Even with one of our party having limited mobility and two young children we encountered no problems. The shopping rep. was available each evening on board with local maps and directions to bus stops etc.She had good advice but we were repeatedly misinformed about which currency would be accepted where.Except for Russia we found that all ports took both euros and dollars,including Tallin (despite being told emphatically that they didn't).The taxi driver in Russia did take dollars but they wanted local currency on the buses(which were very cheap and easy to use and an excellent way to see St.Petersberg.)The view of the islands during the hours when the ship was cruising out from Sweden were inspiring too.Other passengers chose not to eat off ship-we did find it very expensive in Copenhagen and Stockholm.
On Russian days,on board there was an NCL stall of well selected Russian goods,the usual souvenirs ,chocolates ,dolls etc.This removed the need for shopping when out and about and was reasonable in terms of price.
One hint is to have a bag packed to take on board as hand luggage to make the most of the first day onboard.Most staterooms aren't available until early/mid evening. We were on board ship by 1pm and could have used the pool,freshened up,entertained the children, applied suntan lotion etc,if we'd had these things available.
The children enjoyed the selected activities they experienced in the kids club. The shows we saw were as described-the acrobatic show a thrill for all.The cities visited are easily explored in the allocated time- On the tv.s there is a rolling show of key landmarks in each city ( aimed to sell the NCL excurisons)but we found that they provided a good overview of each place to visit.
We found ourselves surprised by ease of the whole experience. There was none of the frustration of queues at airports-embarkation and disembarkation was very effecient. (don't expect much sleep on the last night the announcements begin at about 5 am!)We genuinely lost track of days and times...and had a fulfilling and memorable time.
|
| Quality of Food |  |
| | Entertainment | |
| most enjoyable-acrobatic show
crew show was a bit of an amateur affair(but didn't claim to be anything other and was still fun) | | Shore Excursions | n/a |
| | Staff | |
| all staff in restaurants were gave quality service | | Children's Facilities |  |
| swimming pools were good fun(and the novelty of jaquzzis) | | Onboard Activities |  |
| My husband felt that the library was too small for a ship of that capacity .We did a bit of everything and enjoyed most of it. | | Cabins | |
| the cabin was small but functioned well for our requirements.It was thoroughly cleaned and the temperature controls effecient. | | Overall Rating | |
|
|
|
