Travel Review - Norwegian Cruise Line

A Trip of Firsts
December 3-10, 2006
By Alice Stoffel

I had the pleasure this past December 3-10, 2006, of attending a Seminar at Sea on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel.It was a 7-day voyage that embarked from Miami and visited ports on the islands of Puerto Rico (San Juan), Antigua (St. John’s) , St. Thomas (Charlotte Amalie) and The Bahamas (Nassau).  My travel companions were colleagues Kathe Wroblewski and Eric Scharenbroch.

We arrived in Milwaukee early for our flight on AirTran, a first for all of us. AirTran has shiny and clean new planes and XM radio. The connection through Atlanta was a breeze, and we arrived in Fort Lauderdale without incident. It amazed me how Eric could watch for our luggage, listen to music on his iPod and read a book all at the same time.

Our hotel for the night, the Yankee Clipper, was right on the beach and within walking distance of the Water Bus (a boat taxi that cruises the canals of Fort Lauderdale), and the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Located on Florida’s scenic A1A, the Clipper was a nice place to stay for one night. Please note when taking the Water Bus be sure to take the right boat. We got to see Scotty Pippen’s house because we took the wrong “bus”, so that was okay!

After disembarking the “Bus”, we met some of our Fort Lauderdale colleagues for dinner at a place called Bravo! The food was fabulous, prices reasonable, and the restaurant itself had much charm and class. As one can tell from the name, Bravo! Serves Italian cuisine. Too excited about the cruise leaving the next day, I called it a night after dinner. I was looking forward to a walk on the beach in the morning.

Embarkation at the cruise terminal was a breeze, with hardly any waiting. Once aboard, we found our cabins, grazed at the buffets, and enjoyed the sunshine up on deck. About a half hour before sailing we headed to our muster station, as required by International law. No one ever skips muster, even if they board late. There is another muster for latecomers.

It was hot! hot! hot! on this cruise. The first day, a day at sea was wonderful, and after our seminar in the morning we explored the ship. We learned about the new NCL and what it has to offer, and how it is so much different than the other cruise lines. One thing that sets it apart is the Freestyle Dining. The new NCL commercials were actually filmed on the Jewel, which made the trip on this amazingly large floating hotel even more special.

More about Freestyle dining. It is a concept originated by NCL. There is no set dining time, though one can eat in the same dining room if one wishes to do so. It is wise to get reservations made in advance, particularly for the variety of specialty restaurants as they do fill up fast. For people who don’t like a set dining time (too early or too late), or like a variety of choices, this is the hot ticket. And there is always the buffet and room service is available. My personal favorite things on NCL are the “omelet guys” preparing made-to-order omelet during the breakfast buffet and the self-serve soft-serve ice cream available throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Entertainment. Unlike other cruise companies, NCL keeps their entertainers under contract and onboard for a period of time. That is why the Second City performers knew the crew so well, and could imitate Captain Tommy’s Norwegian accent to a “t”. Also aboard was a comedian/juggler, and the best magician/dancer named Charles Bach that I have ever encountered. The entertainment was phenomenal, with the main act being amazing as well.

Cabins. The cabins on the NCL are nice and roomy, even the ones with a porthole at water level. Yes, we did get an upgrade from porthole to a balcony cabin, which was another “first” for me. I will always recommend an agent to up-sell to a balcony, for the simple fact that it is just wonderful to be able to enjoy the sights, warm weather, sunrises and sunsets from the privacy of the balcony room.

The islands and ports. Our first stop was San Juan, a beautiful city. We took a shore excursion to the Bacardi Factory, toured the city, visited the old forts and visited Old San Juan, a magical place with many quaint little shops. More about Old San Juan:

This is a 465-year-old neighborhood originally conceived as a military stronghold. Its 7-square-block area has evolved into a charming residential and commercial district. The streets here are paved with cobbles of adoquine, a blue stone cast from furnace slag; they were brought over a ballast on Spanish ships and time and moisture have lent them their characteristic color. The city includes more than 400 carefully restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings. The Old San Juan attracts many tourists, who also enjoy the gambling casinos, fine beaches, and tropical climate. More tourists visit San Juan each year than any other spot in the Caribbean. A leisurely foot tour is advisable for those who really want to experience this bit of the Old World, especially given the narrow, steep streets and frequently heavy traffic. To really do justice to these wonderful old sites, you'll need two mornings or a full day. (From the Welcome to Puerto Rico website).

Our next island, Antigua was equally hot humid, 99 degrees to be exact. I had been to Antigua on a previous cruise with my son, so I was somewhat familiar with the island. On this day, we shopped in the port city of St. John’s.

Antigua, the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands, is about 14 miles long and 11 miles wide, encompassing 108 square miles. Its highest point is Boggy Peak (1319 ft.), located in the southwestern corner of the island. Barbuda, a flat coral island with an area of only 68 square miles, lies approximately 30 miles due north. The nation also includes the tiny (0.6 square mile) uninhabited island of Redonda, now a nature preserve. The current population for the nation is approximately 68,000 and its capital is St. Johns. (From the Antigua-Barbuda.org website).

The NCL Jewel crew joked often about Antigua, saying that’s the day they catch up on their sleep. On the day we visited it was packed with tourists, and law enforcement was highly visible due to some escaped convicts being on the loose from the local prison. In light of this fact, we stuck together and remained in the shopping district close to our ship.

Our next stop, St. Thomas was truly exciting. St. Thomas is a fun filled island with much beauty and so much to do. St. Thomas is known for its shopping, and also for Magen’s Bay and beautiful residential districts. St. Thomas is truly an incredible place.

Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the United States Virgin Islands and the most popular cruise port in the Caribbean. Charlotte Amalie (named for a Danish Queen) is where the ships dock and the white and pastel houses are heavily sprinkled against a background of emerald hills. Colorful sloops dock along the waterfront, and a few steps back, down alleyways lined with old Danish warehouse buildings, is a world-famous shopping center.
When walking in St. Thomas, you will see the bustle of Main Street, and cool emerald hills. Look also for the view from Mountain Top. The spiral of winding streets from the base of Savan, and the quiet French countryside feeling on the far side of the island. There are hotels that offer accommodations to suit all tastes.
(From www.usvi.net/hotel/stt/).

Our next stop, NCL’s private island was a night of rough seas ahead. Captain Tommy had our best interest(s) at heart, however, and headed us to Nassau instead. The seas were too rough for the tender boats at the private island, where it was raining. We got a day in Nassau instead. Another first for me!

Kathe had already been to Nassau, and took charge. We headed directly to the Atlantis on Paradise Island, which is now my most favorite hotel ever! This property is truly amazing; it is too incredible to be described in one short paragraph. To find out more about this extraordinary place, check out the Atlantis website at http://www.atlantis.com/flash.aspx.

After the Atlantis, we took a taxi into town for shopping and some bargain hunting at the Straw Market.  Our stay in Nassau was short, but thanks to Captain Tommy, we were able to have a nice sunny day in port.

It was fun to see all the Christmas decorations in these warm-weather places, and to see all the creative ways Santa and his Reindeer are displayed. Christmas lights were wrapped around palm trees from trunk to top, and it wasn’t uncommon to see Santa (as Kathe calls him the Ho Ho Man) in flight on a roof.

Last day at sea. This was a lazy day for all of us. We met with our Rep Mary Sue for the last seminar and met the Captain and some more of the ship’s officers. It is interesting to learn about what life is like for those working on a cruise ship. Most people work long days/hours, and have contracts for about 8 months/year. Then they go on “vacation.” They may end up back on the same ship, or go on a different one. It is a hard life, but a good way to save money and have several months off at one time for vacation. And to meet interesting cruise passengers like us.

After I spotted lightning while on deck, we headed inside and searched for something to do. The Beaded Bandana Class was available so off we went. Kathe made one for her daughter in Minnesota Golden Gopher colors, and I made one with pink beads for my daughter in law. They were the ugliest things ever, but we gave them as gifts to our girls, which they wore for about two seconds. But they were made with love, and that’s all that counts.

The trip back to Wisconsin. We were not looking forward to the trip back to the cold. After squeezing all of the things we brought with us, and the new purchases we acquired on our trip back into our luggage, we headed off the boat and to the Fort Lauderdale airport. This was a very crowded place, with people and luggage everywhere. The AirTran counter personnel were less than friendly, and we found that this tiny airport simply cannot handle the departing cruise traffic from the Fort Lauderdale and Miami ports. It does not matter if you arrive to the airport more than 3 hours early, they will not let you check in. That is why the airport was full of cranky people with their luggage, just trying to find a place to sit down.

We finally arrived in Milwaukee. Kathe’s large piece of luggage was totally ruined, which she reported to the airline. Guess what Kathe got for Christmas? Yes, Santa brought her new luggage. Will Kathe travel on AirTran again? More than likely not, if she can help it. We called the Best Western shuttle, and got a ride to the parking lot where the vehicle was located. The Best Western offers a Park N Fly rate for Marathon Travel Customers of $40, which is competitive for the Milwaukee area. We found the parking lot to be safe and the staff at the hotel to be competent and courteous.

I would like to thank the management at Marathon Travel for sending me on this Seminar at Sea on the Norwegian Jewel. I learned more about what NCL has to offer, about the ports and about departure cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I also learned about how the Jewel was a very clean ship, with hand sanitizers throughout the boat. I used the services of Super Shuttle and the Water Bus, and have stayed at the Yankee Clipper once more since this trip. I would also like to Kathe and Eric, who were awesome travel companions. It was a great experience, and I hope this information is helpful to you.

Alice Stoffel