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Baltic on the Jewel
Reviewed By: Williams, Cambridge on 25th Aug 2008
Cruise Line: NCL Cruises	Times cruised before: 1-2
Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel	Sailed: July, 2008
Destination: Baltic	Age: 46-55

Our previous cruises have been with P&O but we were keen to try an alternative while still retaining the obvious benefits of travelling direct from the UK. Embarkation from Dover was easy. A large number of staff were on hand to provide directions and porters instantly available to take luggage from the car. We were on board within 20 minutes of arrival to be welcomed with a glass of champagne. First impressions of the Jewel and staff were very positive. Our balcony cabin was very good; it was well laid out with good use of space. There was more than adequate room for storage and the bathroom was very cleverly designed to ensure a full size shower cubicle was completely separate from the rest. We met our cabin stewards immediately and were impressed by their willingness to ensure we had everything we needed. Having read previous reviews of NCL we were slightly apprehensive about the concept of 'freestyle' dining as they call it. Our fears were unfounded though. We very rarely encountered queues of more than 6 people and that was only at peak times. The 2 main 'free' restaurants are Tsar's Palace and Azura. The former is large and grandly appointed. Nevertheless the staff take pride in the quality of service in their own stations. We ate there on 5 occasions - each time at a different table with different staff who always maintained a high standard. The food was good quality although if I were to compare I would say P&O was slightly better on the whole - probably due to the fact that NCL are catering for many many more nationalities and cultures than P&O. The Azura is smaller and more intimate but with similar standard. Other restaurants make a cover charge of between 10 and 25 dollars per person although this can be halved by dining before 7.30pm. Cagney's Steakhouse offers good steaks, Mama's Kitchen is an Italian Restaurant and Chin Chin is an Oriental eaterie. Personally these are nice for a change but maybe not worth the cover charge throughout the cruise. The shows in the main theatre are of a matter of personal taste. Being a US ship the entertainment is very glitzy and I do sometimes struggle with American humour. But everything was professionally presented and was a good way to spend an hour after dinner. One annoying aspect of the shows was the constant procession of passengers arriving late or leaving early from the theatre. Americans in particular seem to regard this as perfectly normal - you may agree but, to me, it does seem ill-mannered to the performers and seated guests. There are many themed lounges and bars throughout the ship. All are well staffed by drinks waiters who will ensure you have a table. Don't be too upset by the 15% auto-gratuity on the drinks bill. Just accept the final total as the cost. As with all cruise lines, the shore excusion is a prime profit centre. These are expensive and as with other lines, NCL push hard to sell these. On a Baltic cruise the main port of call is 2 days in St. Petersburg. Unless you have applied for a visa months in advance you have to take an organised trip to visit the city. NCL imply that your only choice is with them. This is not the case as private companies such as Denrus, Alla or Red Oktober provide very good and cheaper alternatives. These are bookable via the internet. We used Alla and were in a much smaller group than the large coaches used by NCL. The price was approx. two thirds of the cost of a standard NCL excursion. All other cities can be explored independently. Each port has open-top tour buses which can be boarded upon disembarkation. In Stockholm it is well worth taking the boat tour as you can visit the 4 main islands very easily this way. You will not receive your on-board account until the morning of departure. Therefore it is a good idea to keep all your receipts and total up expenditure as you go to avoid a nasty shock at the end. Much has been said in reviews about the automatic tip of 10 dollars per person per day. If you have bad service during your cruise make it known earlier rather than later. If you had consistantly high quality service take this charge as part of the cost of your holiday. I guess I would prefer that service charges are built into the headline cost of the holiday but it is transparent. Overall we had a very good cruise and would recommend the Norwegian Jewel.
Quality of Food
Tsar' Palace. Always a quality alternative on the menu.
Entertainment
Cirque Bijou was a highlight. Second City was least enjoyable.
Shore Excursions
Did not use NCL. Do your own! Best investment are open-top tour buses. Tallin very good but crowded. St. Petersburg well worth spending time over.
Staff
Generally all very attentive. Cabin stewards very efficient.
Children's Facilities	n/a

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Comment by woodmansee, Sharnbrook, Bedford (04 Sep 08 21:08) about this REVIEW.

Actually you can get an updated copy of your account at any time by calling at reception. We collected a copy on the day before disembarkation - checked it and then only had to check the few additional items recorded after the original account on the final morning.

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