Considering booking a Norwegian Cruise from Vancouver, BC, to Seward, AK? You’re in luck because Jake and I recently wrapped up our incredible journey on the Norwegian Jewel, cruising from Vancouver to Alaska.
We’re excited to provide you with a candid review of our experience, offering insights and tips to make your decision and voyage even more enjoyable. So, settle in as we share the details of our Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise Review from Vancouver to Alaska.
But first, I want to mention that there are many different cruise lines and enticing port stops on an Alaskan Cruise. Our journey kicked off in the vibrant city of Vancouver, British Columbia, weaving through the picturesque landscapes of Alaska’s port towns, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. And wrapped up with two scenic sailing days in Glacier Bay National Park and a captivating encounter with Hubbard Glacier.
Whether your Alaskan Cruise mirrors these ports or you’re merely exploring to see if this cruise suits your preferences, our sincere review is here to be your compass. Let our insights steer you toward discovering the perfect Alaskan Cruise tailored just for you.
We paid for this vacation all ourselves, Norwegian Cruise Line DID NOT sponsor this post. All opinions are my own.
How To Get To The Vancouver Cruise Port & Check-In
The Vancouver Cruise Port is located right in downtown Vancouver and is easy to get to by foot or public transportation. Once you make it to the port, continue walking toward the end of the pier. Here you should see signs guiding you toward the check-in point.
We stayed at Hotel Le Soleil by Executive Hotels which was a short 10-minute walk to the ship dock. Plus its location was within walking distance to many great restaurants. If you are looking for a hotel to stay the night before the cruise, we highly suggest this hotel!
The check-in location for the Norwegian Cruise line is located downstairs in the Vancouver Cruise Ship Dock.
First, you can check any luggage you don’t want to drag around the ship before your rooms are ready. (Typically rooms aren’t ready until 3 pm). Norwegian Cruise Line staff will place a tag on your bag with the correct room number to deliver to later.
Then, proceed to the check-in station. Have your passport ready! Staff will direct you through the remaining steps, from the security checkpoint and collecting your room key, etc.
All-Inclusive (+ Details On The Drink Package)
The best part about cruising is the all-inclusive package that is included. This means you can eat your little heart out which usually equates to putting on a few pounds on your vacation.
Unlimited Open Bar Drink Package
If you enjoy some boozy drinks on your vacation, you might consider adding the drink package to your Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise.
With the current Cruise Deals offered with Norwegian’s Free At Sea, the unlimited drink package is already included.
Here is a list of what is included in the Unlimited Open Bar Package:
- Select, premium cocktails & spirits (under $15 USD)
- Variety of beer and wine by the glass (under $15 USD)
- 20% off all bottles of champagne and wine (above $15 USD)
- Unlimited soft drinks and juices
You are still responsible for a 20% gratuity (which is usually added to the bill automatically before checkout).
If you are not going through the Free At Sea promotion, then the unlimited drink package costs $109 per day + Gratuity.
Typical Drink Prices Aboard Norwegian Jewel Cruise Ship:
- Beer: $6-$9 ($6 for domestic cans – $9 for draft)
- Wine: Starting around $9
- Cocktails: Starting around $10
- Soda: $3.50
Is The Drink Package On The Norwegian Jewel Worth It?
Personally, I only think the drink package is worth it if it’s included with the Free At Sea Package. Otherwise, you probably won’t get your money’s worth.
So doing some light math, let’s say you start drinking in the early afternoon and have one drink per hour. Start with a few cocktails ($10 + $15 + $12 + $13). Then you go to dinner and switch to wine, let’s say you have 2 glasses ($9 + $15). Finally, you go to a show and have 2 more cocktails ($10 + $14).
That’s 8 drinks total throughout the evening and the total is only $98.
So you actually didn’t even break even and this wasn’t totaling in the cheaper drink options on the menu.
Plus if you are a beer drinker, then you would spend even less, because beer is typically $6-$9.
So no, the drink package is NOT worth it on a Norwegian Cruise, unless it comes included with the Free At Sea Package.
Learn more about our review of the drink package, aboard the Norwegian Cruise.
Hopefully, you can estimate the total # of drinks you plan to have on the cruise to see if it fits into your budget.
It’s important to note, you can’t pick and choose what days you want the unlimited open bar package. It’s ‘all-or-nothing’ for the duration of your cruise. (So for a 7-day cruise, that’s $109 x 7 days = $763 total)
Premium Plus Drink Package
There is also the option to upgrade to the Premium Plus Drink Package which includes many higher-end liquors and wines for an additional $29 per day.
This can be a great option if you like top-shelf liquors and wines rather than the medium-tier options they offer. (Personally, I thought the complementary liquor options offered were satisfactory: Skyy, 1800 Reposado, Jameson, etc).
You also get unlimited still & sparkling bottled water, plus all Starbucks® coffee & specialty drinks included in the premium drink package. Which could be beneficial if you plan to get specialty coffees and bottled water daily aboard.
Learn more about the Norwegian Cruise Line Beverage Packages.
Restaurants On The Norwegian Jewel
One benefit of a Norwegian cruise line is the wide variety of options for different restaurants and cuisines offered.
- O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill (Pub Fare) – Middle, Deck 8
- Azura (Fancy/Casual Dining Room) – Middle, Deck 6
- Chin Chin (Asian) – Middle, Deck 7
- Garden Café (Cafeteria – All Cuisines) – Back Right, Deck 12
- The Great Outdoors (Outdoor Buffet) – Back, Deck 12
- Topsiders Bar & Grill (Main Pool Bar & Grill) – Middle, Deck 12
- Tsar’s Palace (Fancy/Casual Dining Room) – Back, Deck 6
Specialty Dining
Specialty dining is an additional cost for cruise attendees. You can check add-on prices on the Norwegian Cruise Line website.
- Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian Steakhouse) – Middle, Deck 13
- Sushi (Japanese) – Middle, Deck 7
- La Cucina (Italian) – Back, Deck 12
- Cagney’s Steakhouse (Steakhouse) – Middle, Deck 13
- Le Bistro (French) – Middle, Deck 6
- Teppanyaki (Japanese) – Middle, Deck 7
Our Review Of The Complementary Food on the Norwegian Jewel
Personally, we weren’t really that impressed with the Norwegian Cruise Line food. While there definitely was a nice variety of options, it just seemed like everything was mass-produced and lacked flavor.
The main dining rooms (Azura & Tsar’s Palace) offered a nice casual-luxury feel. You could either dress nicer or keep it casual, which we appreciated. We had some of our favorite dinner meals here. They offered many different cuisines such as pasta, steak, sandwiches, etc.
The main cafeteria (Garden Café) was always SOOOO busy that it was very difficult to find an open table. And we were a party of 2, so I can only imagine if you needed a larger table how much more difficult it may be. The cafe does offer the widest variety of different cuisines, but the place kind of stressed me out.
The Outdoor Cafe was just an extension of the Garden Cafe but outdoors on the rear of the ship. And because we were on an Alaskan Cruise, it was often chilly outdoors and the buffet was much smaller than the indoor cafe.
Topsiders Bar & Grill pretty much just had pool grub, like burgers and hot dogs. On a warm summer day, this might hit the spot, but we weren’t really impressed with the quality of food offered here.
O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill was probably our favorite complementary restaurant overall. Their Reuben was really tasty, but their appetizers left much to be desired. We just enjoyed the vibe of this restaurant as it was casual and had nice booths with windows to enjoy the scenery. And there are also TVs which we enjoyed a few football games. This is the only restaurant open 24/7.
And lastly, we gave Chin Chin a couple of tries for dinner. While it was Asian style, it was generally just okay. We felt flavors were lacking, and it just felt like they had dry meat mixed in with some already pre-mixed sauces to help fast production of food. Overall, we thought the meals were good, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was 5 stars.
Our Review Of The Specialty Dining On The Norwegian Jewel
We only got to try out 1 of the specialty dining restaurants (Cagney’s Steakhouse). This was included in the Norwegian Jewel Cruise Ship Free At Sea promotion.
The menu was large, and we each got to choose an appetizer, soup/salad, main, and dessert. Jake got the filet mignon and I got the prime rib. We were impressed with Jake’s meal, but my prime rib was cold when it arrived and overall pretty chewy.
The service was VERY SLOW, but we were in no rush, so we were just patient.
I can’t really suggest paying the extra cost for specialty dining. I just think it is way overpriced, service was slow and too similar to the food already offered complimentary.
Currency On The Norwegian Jewel
Cruise attendees don’t pay cash for anything onboard. In the boarding process, you will receive your room key, which also doubles as your credit card. You will be asked to attach a credit card or debit card before boarding the ship.
When the cruise commences, the Norwegian Cruise Line will charge the final bill to the card or debit card you have on file.
There is the guest services desk in the main atrium (deck 7- middle of the ship) where you can discuss any billing issues on board.
Best Time To Go On An Alaskan Cruise With Norweign Jewel
Alaskan Cruises are typically only offered from May through September. If you want the best weather July and August will provide warmer temperatures and typically sunnier weather. But overall, the weather in Alaska can be rather wet and cloudy many days out of the year.
Fun Fact: Ketchikan, Alaska is one of the rainiest cities in America. They get about 140 – 160 inches per year and it rains about 300 days out of the year.
So while summer offers your best chance for better weather, you should still expect some rainfall and cloudy conditions.
Cruise Port Days (+ How To Get To Town)
On our Norwegian Jewel Cruise from Vancouver to Alaska, we stopped at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.
We were pleased to find lots of great restaurants and breweries (our personal favorite) in each town. We were hoping that local seafood would be really affordable, but were a little disappointed to find out it was still very expensive.
And there are plenty of shops with souvenirs and a nauseating amount of jewelry stores at each stop. But if shopping is your thing, you will find plenty of stores to check out.
Personally, we were much more interested in exploring the natural beauty of each location.
Below I will include some of the best excursions offered at each port town. Cruise lines do prefer if you book through them so they can make sure you can safely and punctually get to your excursion and back to the ship.
But it is not required to specifically book through them. (I will say, the prices do tend to be slightly higher if you book through the cruise line, than if you book through a third party).
But with third parties like Viator or Get Your Guide, they can likely find cruise-specific tours and often have all the necessary details for getting you to and from your cruise port dock.
Ketchikan Port Day
Best Excursions: Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer, Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles Excursion, Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour, Neets Bear Encounter By Land & Sea, Back Country Jeep® & Canoe Safari
Free Activities: Hike Deer Mountain Trail, explore Creek Street, Totem Heritage Center
Juneau Port Day
Best Excursions: Mendenhall Glacier Explorer (Cheapest Option), Mendenhall Glacier Canoe Paddle & Trek, Dog Sledding Summer Camp, Mendenhall Glacier By Helicopter & Guided Walk, Mendenhall Glacier & Juneau Tram
Free Activities: Walk around downtown or Bus from Downtown Transit Center to Mendenhall Loop Rd & Dredge Lake Rd ($2 one way) – walk 1.5 miles to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (cheapest way to see Mendenhall Glacier).
Skagway Port Day
Best Excursions: White Pass Scenic Railway
Free Activities: Explore downtown
How To Get From The Cruise Ship To Town or Booked Excursions
Free Shuttles
When we were aboard the Norwegian Jewel, we never docked right inside the town itself, rather we always needed to shuttle to and from town. It did feel like our Norwegian Cruise Ship had the least priority for docking locations (other cruise lines got to dock right in town).
While this was inconvenient, they did provide easy and efficient shuttles that brought us to and from the ship.
The biggest negative was it forced you to grab food in town. (I’ve been on cruise lines where we docked right in town, so it made it easy to jump back on the boat to grab lunch and then head back out into town).
Excursions
Or if you booked an excursion, they will have a separate shuttle to take you directly on your tour. There will usually be important information printed on your ticket about where to meet up.
(Tickets are delivered to your room upon boarding). If you did not receive your tickets and you booked through the cruise line, you can visit their excursion desk for more information.
Days At Sea (Glacier Bay National Park & Hubbard Glacier)
Some of my favorite days on the Norwegian Jewel Cruise Line were the scenic days at sea. We were able to explore Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier via the cruise ship.
For Glacier Bay National Park, the ship onboarded National Park Rangers to give narration about the area. They would point out any wildlife and information about how the area has changed over the years.
These were the days when you could tell everyone was onboard the ship because everywhere was busy. And because the temperatures were chilly, many people preferred to be indoors against the windows to take in the beautiful views (but there weren’t nearly enough seats for the number of people). So many people were forced outside in the cold. (If you’re properly dressed, then the time outside can be enjoyable too).
For the people outside taking in the scenic views, it got very crowded on the pool deck and deck above along the railings. This was one of the major flaws of the Norwegian Cruise Line design because there was not really enough space for everyone to enjoy the views along the railings “peacefully”.
Therefore, you needed to switch back and forth between guests so you could all get a nice view without being behind other people’s heads. Obviously, this was a tad annoying and a flaw of the boat design for an Alaskan Cruise, but everyone made it work!
For the days at sea on a Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise, it is a HUGE benefit to have a balcony room. This can provide you with some personal space away from other tourists. But sadly, you won’t be offered 360 views, so you could get FOMO for not being able to see the other side of the passage.
Pools & Hot Tubs On Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise
The Norwegian Jewel Cruise Ship has two different pools. One is family-friendly, and the other is 18+. Both pools are heated making them a comfortable temperature even in cold weather.
There are also 4 separate hot tubs on the main pool deck. Again 2 are family-friendly, and two are located in the adult-only area (ages 18+).
There are also 2 additional hot tubs in the Thermal Suites (which are an additional charge and separated by male/female exclusive rooms).
You will also see two other hot tubs 2 decks above from the main pool deck, but you must be part of the Haven Club.
For an Alaskan Cruise, the pools were barely touched, but the hot tubs are highly sought after. In the late evening, it was hard to snag a spot because they were often very full with other tourists. If you want to avoid the crowds, go at unique times, such as morning or lunch/early afternoon.
Staterooms On The Norwegian Jewel
There are 6 different stateroom options:
- Inside (cheapest, lowest tier room, small, no windows)
- Oceanview (small window out to sea inside a small room)
- Balcony (glass doors open to a small balcony)
- Club Balcony Suite (slightly larger rooms than just a balcony room, luxury bath and shower)
- Suite (spacious luxury rooms, with larger balcony)
- The Haven (top tier most luxurious of the stateroom options, located at the top of the ship, and features 24-hour butler service, concierge service, and private sundeck)
Our Inside Stateroom On The Norwegian Jewel
Jake and I opted for a budget room, so we got an inside stateroom. Honestly, the room was small, but it was clean and had enough space for the two of us. But, if we had to choose again, we probably would have paid the extra cost to get a balcony room.
On an Alaskan Cruise where the majority of the cruise is about sightseeing, it can be nice to have a space all to yourself. Many of the top decks were packed with people and not everyone got a railing, so you had to interchange places so everyone could get some unobstructed photos and videos.
Usually on a Caribbean Cruise, you will be sitting out on the sun loungers and barely in your room. So I think an inside room is honestly fine. But for an Alaskan Cruise, a balcony can be a worthy upgrade.
Entertainment On The Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise
There is never a dull moment on the Norwegian Cruise Line. If you are someone who has to stay busy all day long, there is always something going on. In the morning there is usually trivia or bingo, afternoon some fun family games, and in the evening some very talented shows.
Actually, it’s perhaps a weird complaint, but we sometimes felt like there were too many events going on. We struggled to find a quiet and comfortable place to sit and play cards while watching the scenery go by.
The evening entertainment of our Norwegian Cruise Ship was AMAZING and certainly a highlight of our trip! There were talented singers, gymnasts/acrobats, comedians, and more in the Stardust Theater.
Wifi/Cell Service On Board The Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise
Wifi is a JOKE on the Norwegian Jewel. In our Free At Sea cruise package, we were offered 100 minutes of complimentary wifi. You waste many minutes just trying to get connected.
You also need to be connected to log out to save your minutes. I ran into connection issues many times, especially when trying to log out of my wifi package. Therefore, many minutes were lost not even using the internet, just simply trying to log out.
My husband opted for the unlimited wifi package in hopes the wifi connection would somehow improve. But it really didn’t work any better and was just a throwaway of money. Even with the upgrade, they severely throttle internet bandwidth. I believe it was capped a 2mbps, and functionally it was sometimes barely enough to even load emails.
Also, the wifi didn’t work in our inside stateroom at all. It only worked when we were on the upper levels of the ship.
Internet Cafe On Norwegian Jewel
Another thought was the Internet Cafe would maybe have the strongest connection on board. WRONG! The Internet Cafe just provides community use of computers.
If you don’t have a cell phone or laptop to connect to the wifi, then this can be a great option to get connected.
Cell Service at Cruise Ports in Alaska
For U.S. Citizens on an Alaska Cruise, you may benefit from using your cellular data at port. Many of the cell towers will work for main cell phone carriers without any additional charges.
But when you are out at sea, the cell towers act differently, and you will be charged for using your phone. So make sure you only use your phone when docked at ports, otherwise you might have a hefty phone bill for roaming out at sea.
Norwegian Cruise App
The Norwegian Cruise App allows you to pre-book dining reservations, book shore excursions, see the schedule of entertainment on board, or to chat or call members on board. But with the wifi being poor, it was hard to use the app successfully aboard, so I found the app was basically useless.
Hopefully, they improve this feature to work better with the community wifi in the future!
They provide a daily publication in your room, that outlines the days activities, local information, weather, and more.
Sports On Board The Norwegian Jewel
There are actually a handful of different sports to try out on the Norwegian Jewel. There is a large court located on Deck 13 where guests can play basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc. Or on deck 12 there is a large shuffleboard game, large-size bowling, and a golf net.
Pulse Fitness Center
The fitness center is free of charge and actually has a nice variety of different machines and weights. Plus each piece of cardio equipment faces out to the beautiful views.
We found the fitness center to be quite busy, especially in the mornings. If you want to avoid the crowds, mid-afternoon seemed to be the best time.
You can also participate in daily aerobics/fitness classes. Classes typically cost $20 per class.
Additionally, there is also a jogging/walking track on Deck 13 that is open 24/7. However, it was often slippery because of rain, and part of shared space on the upper deck. So functionally it didn’t seem like an ideal place to run/jog in peace.
Mandara Spa
There is a luxury spa located on the Norwegian Jewel. The spa offers a wide variety of different treatments for an additional charge. If you enjoy pampering yourself on vacation, this could be exactly what you need.
Thermal Suite
You can also opt to pay for the thermal suite. Here you will find the Thalasso Therapy Pool and gendered thermal suite rooms. The thermal suites each have a sauna, steam room, and hot tub.
Our Honest Review Of Norwegian Jewel Alaska Cruise From Vancouver To Alaska
We were overall happy with our experience on the Norwegian Jewel Alaskan Cruise. And actually, a cruise ship is probably the best way to get to many of Alaska’s remote coastal destinations. Personally, we were most interested in seeing and experiencing Alaska’s natural beauty.
This cruise does however leave some things to be desired.
When you think of a cruise ship, you’re probably thinking of a tropical sunny destination. And well, this ship is certainly designed for a cruise of that nature.
The Norwegian Jewel also sails to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama Canal, Asia, Bahamas, and the Pacific Coastal.
There are deck chairs that surround the boat lined up for you to soak up the sun and less of an emphasis on unobstructed views. And views are typically the main reason people go on an Alaskan Cruise in my opinion.
Therefore, overall, the views certainly impressed us, but the boat is not exactly designed for sightseeing in chilly temperatures. It was rare for many people to be “sunbathing” on the pool deck. And with this area being largely unused meant that passengers were disproportionately concentrated in other areas.
The seats indoors with great views were always in extremely high demand. So we felt that the Norwegian Jewel didn’t quite provide for that enough.
Additionally, the main pool deck area has tall glass windows stretching nearly 10 feet tall, which isn’t ideal for snapping that legendary Alaska photo.
So many people sought after the railings with no windows which was not nearly large enough for the amount of people. Ultimately making it hard to truly take in the beauty because people were kind of jockeying for a ‘front row’ view of the scenery.
These were some of the flaws we noticed in the Norwegian Jewel. BUT…
Overall, I think an Alaskan Cruise is 100% worth it. If you enjoy beautiful nature, then there is an abundance of scenery that will simply make your jaw drop. And the onboard entertainment was the second biggest highlight of the trip.
I think a Norwegian Jewel Cruise was right for our budget. I think it struck a nice balance between budget, yet still seeming “comfort-luxury”.
We cruised with the Free At Sea Promotional Package, allowing us to get the cruise for 50% off, including the drink package, 1 specialty dining experience, 100 minutes of free wifi, and a $50 voucher for an excursion. So for the lower prices, the cruise was so worth it to us!
If budget was less of an issue, we maybe would have chosen a different cruise line that is known for better food, and maybe has more of an emphasis on decks for the ultimate viewing experience.
We hope this honest review for a Vancouver to Alaska Norwegian Jewel Cruise was helpful and makes your decision if this cruise is right for you!
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