Public Areas & Facilities

The ship has more than a dozen dining options, a variety of entertainment selections, enormous spas with indoor lap pools, and expansive facilities for children and teens.

Norwegian Jewel is the next step in the continuing evolution of Freestyle ship design: the interior location of some public rooms and restaurants has been tweaked and a new category of deluxe accommodations has been added. In addition, the new Bar Central concept features a martini bar, a wine and champagne bar, and a beer and whiskey pub.

Restaurants

The ship has 10 dining rooms and ethnic restaurants with open seating and flexible hours. Three main dining rooms are complimentary; specialty restaurants, including NCL's signature Le Bistro, carry a cover charge and require reservations. Casual choices are the Lido buffet, an ice-cream bar, and a food court.

What Works & What Doesn't

In what might be termed a super-size "thermal suite" on other ships, the spa areas feature indoor lap pools surrounded by lounge chairs, large whirlpools, saunas, and steam rooms and -- best of all -- there's no additional charge to use any of it. Freestyle dining doesn't mean you can get a table in the main dining rooms at precisely the moment you want. However, waiting time can be eliminated by timing your arrival at nonpeak periods.

Norwegian Jewel's concierge lounge is slated to become a standard amenity for suite passengers.

Accommodations

Layout: NCL ships are not noted for large staterooms, but all have a small sitting area with sofa, chair, and table. Most bathrooms are compartmentalized with a sink area, shower, and toilet separated by sliding glass doors. Every cabin has adequate closet and drawer-shelf storage, as well as limited bathroom storage. Suites have walk-in closets.

Amenities: Cherrywood cabinetry, tropical decor, mirrored accents, a small refrigerator, tea/coffeemaker, personal safe, broadband Internet connection, duvets on beds, a wall-mounted hair dryer over the dressing table, and bathrobes for use during the cruise are standard. Bathrooms have a shampoo and bath gel dispenser mounted on the shower wall as well as a magnifying mirror. Suites have whirlpool tubs, entertainment centers with CD/DVD players, and concierge and butler service.

Good to Know: Family-friendly staterooms interconnect in most categories, enabling families of nearly any size to find suitable accommodations. Nearly every stateroom has a third or fourth berth, and some can sleep as many as five and six. Twenty-four staterooms on the ship are wheelchair accessible.

Category	Size (square feet)
Garden Villa	5,750
Owners/Penthouse Suite	366
Romance/Minisuite	229
Ocean view/Inside	142

Favorites

Second to None: You can look forward to performances by Second City, Chicago's famous improv team. Shows are scheduled in the theater as well as in more intimate nightclub settings. Passengers can even get a behind-the-scenes look at the shows during an improv workshop.

Best Place to Escape the Crowd: Try the ship's library. On this ship, it's tucked away inside with no view, but the writing and reading room is a good place to gaze at the sea if your book doesn't hold your attention.

Best Splurge: Three-bedroom Garden Villas are among the largest suites at sea. Norwegian Jewel has Courtyard Villas, which are smaller but which don't lack creature comforts.

Our Favorite Spot for a Nightcap: The sophisticated Star Bar overlooking the pool reminds us of a favorite New York piano lounge with its moody lighting.