Booked on the Jewel for February 2011 and hoping to hear from anyone who's been on it. I've been on Gem, Spirit and Dawn and people on Dawn were saying Jewel was much like Gem, without Bliss. Thoughts?
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Cort
Booked on Carnival Freedom, Feb. 2012 (Cozumel, Costa Rica, Panama)
NCL Gem, Sept. 2011
NCL Jewel, Feb. 2011
NCL Dawn, Sept. 2010
NCL Spirit, Feb. 2010
NCL Gem, March 2009
RCCL Explorer of the Seas, Feb. 2008
Carnival Miracle, May 2007
Carnival Conquest, April 2006
Caribbean Princess, Feb. 2005
Yes, that's pretty much true about the Jewel/Gem comparison... plus, Jewel doesn't have a bowling alley.
In the name of full disclosure, I have toured N. Jewel, and have not been on N. Gem. That said, I felt that N. Jewel was stunning. NCL did a great job with this class of ship, IMO, based on my tour of N. Jewel and our cruise on sister ship N. Jade. I'll now let others who have been onboard Jewel for more than a few hours have their say...
I've been on both the Jewel and the Gem and they are very similar. I'm trying hard to recall the small differences. The only difference that immediately came to mind was that I loved the feel of being on the Jewel a little more strongly than the Gem, but that may have been its itinerary and the fact that we were on a 12 day cruise, while only a 7 day for the Gem. The captain of the Jewel was so obviously proud of the ship and invited some of us for a viewing of the bridge so that made it special too.
Sorry, I can't offer anything more concrete. They're both beautiful ships and I'd jump at the chance to be on either one.
Judy
I was on the Jewel when she was a month old...Wonderful ship...I've been on the Pearl since a few times and they are pretty much the same ship....I may be going on the Jewel for a 10 day out of New York in a month...haven't made up my mind yet.....The Jewel was a Jewel..
Happy Sailing...