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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Considering the Florida/Bahamas cruise out of NY ...Will have my 19month, 3yo and 7yo w/ me....
How strict are they with the "no swim diaper" thing? I know I have read that some people bring inflatable pools, but where do you put them ? Poolside on the deck?
Also, how is the playroom for the under 2's ?
Any tips would be appreciated...I cruised Carnival when my DS was 9 months and it was tough at that age!
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Posted 7/20/12 8:56 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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Sassyz75
Turning a new page
Member since 5/05 9731 total posts
Name:
Dina
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Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
We just went on a cruise with DD 5 1/2 and DS 2 1/2. It was REALLY REALLY hard. We cruised on Carnival out of NYC for 8 days. They weren't strict about swim diapers at all and there were tons of kids on the cruise and in the pool (we went during July 4th week so I think there were more kids than normal).
We didn't bring an inflatable pool as the ship had a wading pool and slide aft as well as a wading area around the edges of all the pools.
The camp would have been good, but both of my kids refused to go in (which was weird 'cause I thought our DD was going to be fine with it). We decided we wouldn't cruise again until the kids were both over 10 years old and more independent.
DH and I couldn't do ANYTHING together, we didn't eat in the dining room at all (we ate in buffet only) because it was too hard w/ the little guy.
Honestly, it was an $$$ trip and we probably would have had a lot more fun (and relaxation) going to Lake George, but that's just us (that, or we should have brought a family member along).
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| Posted 7/20/12 9:11 PM |
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jgl
Love my little boys!!!
Member since 8/07 7060 total posts
Name:
g
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
There is hardly anything for young kids to do besides the pool. Your 7 yr old will prob be ok bc they have a camp. We hated it, honestly I wouldn't even try another cruise after going on this one last summer! My DS was 1 and active they had one random room that had some cheesey toys in it and we had to go there as much as possible bc poor DS just wanted to play and have an area to move.
The pool he still went in, no one said anything but it was crowded!!!!! It was impossible o get lounge hairs. We went with family(24 of us) and my ousting would o to pool around 6 am and cold only get 3-4 lounge chairs.
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| Posted 7/20/12 9:54 PM |
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sasha96
lovin' my 2 little ladies!
Member since 5/05 7401 total posts
Name:
Julianne
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
if they are still offering it when you want to go, do the Disney Magic out of NY. We did last month and it was great! So much for the kids to do and all the adults enjoyed it too. The ship is a bit older but still very nice. I personally like the huge new ships so we will do the Fantasy next year out of FL. You may pay a bit extra for Disney but I left feeling like I had a vacation too.
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| Posted 7/21/12 7:02 AM |
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nferrandi
too excited for words
Member since 10/05 18538 total posts
Name:
Nicole
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
We cruised NCL Gem over Xmas. My boys were 5 and almost 2. Honestly, it wasn't very enjoyable. My little one wasn't old enough for camp and it was hard to keep him entertained. The toddler room was a small room with very few toys. They had a baby pool, which he did enjoy and swim diapers were not an issue, almost all of the kids had them on. My older one was able to go to camp a few hours here and there and he did have fun there.
I wouldn't cruise again unless both kids were ellegible for camp. And it's not like I'm looking to dump them, though that's an added bonus  , it's more so that there's not that much for them on board and at least camp offers games, activities and some space to move around.
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| Posted 7/21/12 9:38 AM |
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nycgirl
Angels!
Member since 3/09 7721 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
We just booked a similar cruise in Spring... maybe we will be on the same ship!
Last cruise we went on was when DS was 8 mo old out of NY on Carnival & it was SO GREAT we are doing it with a 2.5 and 15 month old in Spring with Norwegian.
My kid is ACTIVE and it was great to be able to walk around at all hours, nap, go to activities, go to the pool & be back in the room at any time. It was like a resort, but without flying. DS crawled around the ENTIRE ship and smiled at everyone.
I never pushed the pool thing when my DS was 8 months old. I HOPE to have him pretty much potty trained before the trip. DD is another story at 15 months. We will see.
I never used the kid's club. The kids I saw there were MUCH older. We may use baby sitting some night so that we can do a romantic dinner. We will see.
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| Posted 7/21/12 5:52 PM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Posted by nycgirl
We just booked a similar cruise in Spring... maybe we will be on the same ship!
Last cruise we went on was when DS was 8 mo old out of NY on Carnival & it was SO GREAT we are doing it with a 2.5 and 15 month old in Spring with Norwegian.
My kid is ACTIVE and it was great to be able to walk around at all hours, nap, go to activities, go to the pool & be back in the room at any time. It was like a resort, but without flying. DS crawled around the ENTIRE ship and smiled at everyone.
I never pushed the pool thing when my DS was 8 months old. I HOPE to have him pretty much potty trained before the trip. DD is another story at 15 months. We will see.
I never used the kid's club. The kids I saw there were MUCH older. We may use baby sitting some night so that we can do a romantic dinner. We will see.
We just booked for March 
The cruise coordiantor said there were some talks of changing the pool rules, so I am crossing my fingers for that! Someone on another board had said that you can sometimes use the swim vinyl things doubled up in lieu of the swim diapers...I may try that.
We are lucking out because the cruise we ended up booking, our ship leaves when DS isn't 2 yet and he is going to turn 2 while on board
So we are able to pay the "Under 2" rate and take advantage of the 2 and up kids club they said
Hoping all goes well !!
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| Posted 7/21/12 7:43 PM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Thanks guys!
As for the Disney Magic, it doesnt appear to go out during the months we were looking 
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| Posted 7/21/12 7:44 PM |
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My2Girlz11
LIF Adolescent
Member since 1/11 785 total posts
Name:
Corrie
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
We just got back from a cruise on the Gem. It was out of NY. They have a pool for the little ones with a little slide. Also, the older kids they have a big pool with a big slide. I did see a baby without a swim diaper. It was also a nickelodeon cruise. So they met Dora. Sponge Bob. The fairly odd parents Diego and some othe characters. They have a kids club that u can drop off the kids all day and I think that included a two year old program. We had a blast. Atlantis water park in Bahamas was incredible. I would look on the site and look at kids activities to see what two year olds can do. I remember reading mommy and me things and a crafts activity a day. There were so many kids on this cruise. 1000 out of 3000 were kids.
I just wanted to add that we spent the whole day with the kids and we brought a babysitter with us to watch the kids at night. My sister and cousin also had babysitters. So, the three of them shared a room. It was worth the money and the girls were great.
Message edited 7/21/2012 9:48:07 PM.
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| Posted 7/21/12 9:43 PM |
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MommyTeffi
Yummy!!!
Member since 2/06 1827 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
I went on the Jewel in February with my three boys (6,4 and 8 months). We had a blast! Feel free to FM if any of your questions haven't already been answered.
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| Posted 7/21/12 9:47 PM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Posted by My2Girlz11
We just got back from a cruise on the Gem. It was out of NY. They have a pool for the little ones with a little slide. Also, the older kids they have a big pool with a big slide. I did see a baby without a swim diaper. It was also a nickelodeon cruise. So they met Dora. Sponge Bob. The fairly odd parents Diego and some othe characters. They have a kids club that u can drop off the kids all day and I think that included a two year old program. We had a blast. Atlantis water park in Bahamas was incredible. I would look on the site and look at kids activities to see what two year olds can do. I remember reading mommy and me things and a crafts activity a day. There were so many kids on this cruise. 1000 out of 3000 were kids.
I just wanted to add that we spent the whole day with the kids and we brought a babysitter with us to watch the kids at night. My sister and cousin also had babysitters. So, the three of them shared a room. It was worth the money and the girls were great.
Thanks !!
Atlantis waterpark? I will have to look into that ! Do we get full use of their lagoon and such at the Atlantis ?
My kids are going to love the characters, wonder if the character meal is worth it....
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| Posted 7/21/12 9:55 PM |
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My2Girlz11
LIF Adolescent
Member since 1/11 785 total posts
Name:
Corrie
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
The character meal was cute. They got to dance before hand. If you do not want to spend the money, just go to the Meet and Greets. I believe there were two. They also have a lot of great arts and crafts. The last day the girls got to color a Sponge Bob t-shirt. I am pretty sure with Atlantis you got full access to the resort. HOwever, we didn't leave this one kid area. It was a jungle gym type thing for young kids. It had three slides and other water type activities. It also had slides for kids above 48 inches. The lazy river was the best lazy river I have ever been on. I believe the breakfast was $15 a person. The food was OK. It was of course geared toward the kids. The characters really didn't interact with the kids though. That is why I say if you want to save money just go to the meet and greets. They also had random slimmings. They also had a Family Party around 8:30 on the outside pool deck that had games for the kids to participate in. They gave out popcorn, ice cream, made balloon characters and face painted. In the kid's room they had themes. One day was pirate another day was a carnival day. They have a schedule where the kid's room has certain activities, so you know when to drop off the kids. If you are able to bring someone to watch the kids that would be a added bonus. The entertainment just for the adults was fun. They also had a lot of shows for adults and kids.
edited to Add: The Florida port we did not get off at. It was nice having the pool not being as crowded.
Message edited 7/21/2012 10:13:39 PM.
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| Posted 7/21/12 10:12 PM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Posted by My2Girlz11
The character meal was cute. They got to dance before hand. If you do not want to spend the money, just go to the Meet and Greets. I believe there were two. They also have a lot of great arts and crafts. The last day the girls got to color a Sponge Bob t-shirt. I am pretty sure with Atlantis you got full access to the resort. HOwever, we didn't leave this one kid area. It was a jungle gym type thing for young kids. It had three slides and other water type activities. It also had slides for kids above 48 inches. The lazy river was the best lazy river I have ever been on. I believe the breakfast was $15 a person. The food was OK. It was of course geared toward the kids. The characters really didn't interact with the kids though. That is why I say if you want to save money just go to the meet and greets. They also had random slimmings. They also had a Family Party around 8:30 on the outside pool deck that had games for the kids to participate in. They gave out popcorn, ice cream, made balloon characters and face painted. In the kid's room they had themes. One day was pirate another day was a carnival day. They have a schedule where the kid's room has certain activities, so you know when to drop off the kids. If you are able to bring someone to watch the kids that would be a added bonus. The entertainment just for the adults was fun. They also had a lot of shows for adults and kids.
edited to Add: The Florida port we did not get off at. It was nice having the pool not being as crowded.
Thnak you SO much for typing all of that out!! Great tips
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| Posted 7/21/12 11:40 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Just a warning if your DC will be 2 when you sail. There has been a lot of threads on cruisecritic that they are/have phased out the 2 yr program. They can't be dropped off anymore. But they do have activities for them just it is required that they have an adult present. There were several upset parents who expected to be able to put their 2 yr olds into the program and were not happy when they boarded or are finding out now after booking or making final payment.
Hope you have a great cruise. We are doing our 2nd cruise out of NJ this summer and really enjoyed the last one but ours was not with NCL. They were docked next to us. It sounded like they were having but I will say NCL seems to do constant announcements all day and evening.
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| Posted 7/22/12 6:44 AM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Posted by Lillykat
Just a warning if your DC will be 2 when you sail. There has been a lot of threads on cruisecritic that they are/have phased out the 2 yr program. They can't be dropped off anymore. But they do have activities for them just it is required that they have an adult present. There were several upset parents who expected to be able to put their 2 yr olds into the program and were not happy when they boarded or are finding out now after booking or making final payment.
Hope you have a great cruise. We are doing our 2nd cruise out of NJ this summer and really enjoyed the last one but ours was not with NCL. They were docked next to us. It sounded like they were having but I will say NCL seems to do constant announcements all day and evening.
Thanks!
I'm actually ok with us staying with him, I'm just glad that he will have a play area to roam a bit...
When we went when my older DS was 9 months it was tough because there was only like a 1 hour time frame during the day that babies were allowed in the kids area...That was hard
have fun on your cruise ! This is our first time with NCL, we always did Royal Carribean (and once Carnival)..Hoping NCL lives up to RC 
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| Posted 7/22/12 9:28 AM |
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finallyhere
LIF Infant
Member since 6/12 205 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Went this past year...3 1/2 year old and 2 - and I WON'T do it again anytime soon. It was pretty cheap, my son loved camp, my daughter went but cried each time we dropped her off. She was not allowed in the pool b/c she wasn't potty trained - but played in toddler pool.
You also had to take them out to feed them - which was a pain. Not that we wanted to dump them all the time but dinner time and during cruising days..
We usually go to all inclusive resorts with a kids camp...we will keep doing this until they are a bit older
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| Posted 7/22/12 9:14 PM |
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nycgirl
Angels!
Member since 3/09 7721 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Have a great time... We are booked for April.
Can't wait!!!!
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| Posted 7/22/12 10:28 PM |
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WNA01
my 2 boys
Member since 10/08 4240 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
we did that cruise when we only had ds that was 8 months old. (2 yrs ago)
they were strict with the no swim diaper rule - you can however go to the kiddie pool which is enclosed smells of chlorine and is right next to the smoking section yea wasn't gonna happen! LOL
so dh and i took turns holding ds - we didn't see anyone with inflatable pools but read about it after which seems like a pretty good idea.
the playroom for under 2 was pretty much a room with a few older toys in there- we tried going into it a couple of times - both times we went no one was in there.
tbh it was tough with ds being 8 months old at the time. i love cruising - can't wait to go back on royal (my fav) but will definitely hold off until the boys are older
Message edited 7/22/2012 10:46:03 PM.
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| Posted 7/22/12 10:42 PM |
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Bops
My 3 wishes
Member since 12/07 13625 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Thanks everyone !
We booked , so we are going to hope for the best...I always joke that it's called a trip until they are 18...THEN we can start to call it a vacation
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| Posted 7/22/12 11:02 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Anyone sail on the Norwegian Jewel with the kids ? (or any Norwegian cruise)
Posted by Bops
Thanks!
I'm actually ok with us staying with him, I'm just glad that he will have a play area to roam a bit...
When we went when my older DS was 9 months it was tough because there was only like a 1 hour time frame during the day that babies were allowed in the kids area...That was hard
have fun on your cruise ! This is our first time with NCL, we always did Royal Carribean (and once Carnival)..Hoping NCL lives up to RC
See that is how I felt. Last year DD#2 was only 2 so we couldn't leave her. We did bring her to 2 activities and stayed with her which was just fine for us. You would be surprised how many don't feel that way. They way people are on cruisecritic they seem very angry they can't leave their 2 yr olds and some said it would ruin their trips. I know the Captains club director on our last cruise said they had kids who do 1 hr all week and some whose parents do the VIP package and their kids are there from 9 am when rhe open until the end of the slumber party around 1 or 2 am. (Celebrity you can pay $6/hr for 2 hrs and they will give them lunch and they do it again for dinner and they have a slumber party from 10 to 1 or 2. We never used any of the paid times but the looked crowded when we picked D#1 up. She loved the kids program but only did 1-3 hrs depending on if it was a sea or port day.
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| Posted 7/23/12 6:15 AM |
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