Some cruises are about the ship. Others are about the destination. A Bermuda sailing tends to be a bit of both, but after spending nearly three days docked on the island, it quickly becomes clear that Bermuda itself is the star of the itinerary.
In July 2025, I sailed a 7-night cruise to Bermuda aboard the Norwegian Jewel with Norwegian Cruise Line. The sailing departed from Boston and offered the rare luxury of multiple days in port, something you simply do not get on most Caribbean cruises.
This trip ended up being a mix of relaxing sea days, surprisingly good entertainment, and plenty of time exploring one of the most unique cruise destinations in the Atlantic.
Why We Chose This Bermuda Cruise
This sailing started as a simple idea. My sister and I wanted to take a summer trip somewhere neither of us had visited before. Bermuda quickly rose to the top of the list.
The Norwegian Jewel sailing checked a few important boxes. The price was reasonable, the dates worked well, and the itinerary included nearly three full days docked in Bermuda.
Originally, the cruise was scheduled to stop in Bar Harbor, Maine after two days on the island. However, new restrictions on cruise ships visiting Bar Harbor forced Norwegian to remove the stop. Rather than replacing it with another port, the cruise line extended the time in Bermuda.
In the end, that change turned out to be a blessing. The extra day gave us more time to explore the island without feeling rushed.
First Impressions of Norwegian Jewel
The Norwegian Jewel entered service in 2005 as the first ship in Norwegian’s Jewel Class. About a month after our cruise, the ship entered dry dock for updates, so some of the issues noted here may have already been addressed.
Despite the ship’s age, the initial impression was positive. The ship was clean, the crew was welcoming, and the overall atmosphere felt relaxed.
Crowds were mostly limited to predictable areas such as:
- The Garden Café buffet
- The pool deck during sea days
- The Stardust Theater before shows
Outside of those spaces, the ship generally felt comfortable and not overcrowded.
Embarkation in Boston
We flew into Boston the evening before the cruise. Flying in the same day as embarkation can work, but it always carries some risk. Flight delays are stressful enough on their own, and nobody wants to start a vacation wondering if they will make the ship on time.
Embarkation the next morning was surprisingly smooth. Our Uber dropped us directly outside the terminal and the check in process moved quickly.
One thing I have always appreciated about sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line is that you receive your key card at check in instead of waiting for it outside the cabin door.
From arriving at the terminal to stepping onto the ship took less than an hour.
When we boarded the Norwegian Jewel, the first impression was positive. The ship may have been built in 2005, but it was clean, bright, and welcoming.
During the first afternoon we did what most cruisers do after boarding. We wandered around the ship, trying to get our bearings and figuring out where everything was located. The buffet, the pool deck, and the theater all saw their share of crowds, but the rest of the ship generally felt comfortable.
Inside Stateroom Review
To save some money on the cruise, we booked a guaranteed inside stateroom. A few weeks before the sailing we were assigned cabin 11649 near the aft of the ship.
Inside cabins are never going to be luxurious, but this one worked well for the two of us. There was enough storage for a week’s worth of clothes and the layout made good use of the available space.
The cabin sat just below the buffet area, which some reviews warned could be noisy. In reality, we never noticed any late night chair scraping or early morning activity above us.
The location also turned out to be surprisingly quiet since the hallway did not see much foot traffic.
Dining on Norwegian Jewel
For breakfast and lunch, we mostly visited the Garden Café buffet.
The food was typical cruise buffet fare with a decent variety each day. Crew members encouraged passengers to use the handwashing stations located at both entrances.
The main drawback of the buffet was the seating layout. Because the buffet is primarily located on the starboard side of the ship, table space can become limited during peak hours.
Dinner was usually in the ship’s two main dining rooms:
- Azura
- Tsar’s Palace
Both restaurants offered the classic Norwegian Cruise Line rotating dinner menus. Service was friendly but occasionally slow.
One trick we discovered was arriving for dinner immediately after trivia ended in the Bliss Ultra Lounge. That timing often meant shorter waits.
Specialty Dining: Teppanyaki
One evening we used our specialty dining credit at the ship’s Teppanyaki restaurant.
Anyone who has visited a teppanyaki restaurant on land will recognize the experience immediately. Guests sit around a large grill while the chef cooks the meal in front of them, mixing in jokes, tricks, and a little bit of showmanship.
The food was good and the atmosphere was lively. It turned out that many of the same chefs who prepared the teppanyaki dinners were also the omelet chefs in the buffet each morning.
While the experience was fun, it felt very similar to teppanyaki restaurants back home.
Entertainment on Norwegian Jewel
Most evenings on the ship revolved around two venues, the Stardust Theater and the Spinnaker Lounge.
The Spinnaker Lounge hosted many of the interactive events during the cruise, including Battle of the Sexes and the Newlywed Game. These types of shows always tend to draw big crowds and plenty of laughs.
The main theater show during our sailing was Rock You Tonight, a jukebox style production featuring classic songs. Compared to the Broadway productions Norwegian once offered across the fleet, the show felt somewhat underwhelming.
The standout performer of the cruise was comedian Jim Colliton. His adults only show packed the theater and ended up being one of the most memorable nights of the trip.
Casino Experience
The casino is located midship on Deck 6 and offers a variety of slot machines and table games.
Blackjack tables started at a $10 minimum during our cruise, which is reasonable for cruise ship casinos.
Smoking is allowed in the casino, but the ventilation kept it from becoming overly smoky.
The biggest issue with the casino was slow drink service. It often took twenty minutes or more for a server to take your drink order and another twenty minutes for drinks to arrive.
Bars and Nightlife
One of the best bars on the ship was Shaker’s Martini Bar. Even if you are not normally a martini drinker, the off menu pistachio martini became a favorite during the cruise.
Other popular bars included:
- Malting’s Beer and Whiskey Bar
- Topsiders Bar near the pool
- Pit Stop Bar on the upper deck
The Pit Stop Bar sits next to the outdoor smoking area, which means the smell of cigars and cigarettes can occasionally drift into the line.
At night the Spinnaker Lounge transformed into the ship’s nightclub with music and dancing. The main issue we had with the Spinnaker Lounge at night was that the bar regularly had long lines as it approached closing time when some of the bar staff would work on clearing the back bar rather than serve the guests.
Three Days in Bermuda
After two relaxing sea days the ship finally arrived in Bermuda, docking at the historic Royal Naval Dockyard.
The dockyard once served as a major base for the British Royal Navy before eventually becoming Bermuda’s primary cruise port. Today it is filled with shops, restaurants, and attractions for visitors arriving by ship.
Unlike most Caribbean ports where ships leave after a few hours, Bermuda cruises allow passengers to stay docked for multiple days. That makes it possible to explore much more of the island.
Day One: Catamaran and Snorkeling
Our first excursion was the Restless Native catamaran snorkeling trip.
After a short sail from the dockyard we arrived at a quiet cove where we spent about two hours swimming and snorkeling.
The excursion also included unlimited Rum Swizzles and chocolate chip cookies on the ride back to the ship.
The crew shared stories about Bermuda and local island life throughout the trip, which made the experience even better.
Day Two: Island Tour
For the second day we booked a five hour island tour through Bermudaful Tours.
The route took us across much of the island, with stops at several well known locations including Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse and the pink sands of John Smith’s Bay Beach.
We also spent time walking around the streets of Hamilton before finishing the tour in the historic town of St. George’s.
It was a great introduction to the island and gave us a much better sense of Bermuda beyond the cruise port.
Day Three: Exploring the Dockyard
Our final day was spent staying closer to the ship.
The dockyard area has plenty to explore, including museums, restaurants, and small shops. One unexpected highlight was playing eighteen holes at Bermuda Fun Golf, a mini golf course just a short walk from the pier.
It turned out to be a relaxing way to spend the final afternoon before the ship prepared to leave the island.
Disembarkation in Boston
The last afternoon of the cruise brought heavy fog as the ship made its way back toward Boston. By the following morning the fog had cleared and the ship was ready to disembark passengers.
We decided not to carry our luggage off the ship ourselves. Instead we placed the bags outside the cabin the night before and picked them up in the terminal after leaving the ship.
Boston’s cruise terminal uses facial recognition for passport holders, which helped speed up the customs process.
Passengers requesting Uber rides were shuttled to a nearby parking lot to meet their drivers, which kept the terminal area from becoming too congested.
OUFL: Overrated, Underrated, Favorite, Least Favorite
Overrated
Teppanyaki was fun but very similar to what you can find at restaurants back home. It is still enjoyable, just not particularly unique compared to other cruise experiences.
Underrated
Shaker’s Martini Bar. The pistachio martini alone made it worth visiting, and the bar offered several dessert style cocktails that quickly became favorites.
Favorite
The comedy show from Jim Colliton. His adults only performance was one of the funniest cruise comedy shows I have seen.
Least Favorite
The casino bar service. Drinks took a long time to arrive, which often caused players to leave the tables to order drinks themselves.
Final Thoughts: Is Norwegian Jewel Worth Sailing?
The Norwegian Jewel is clearly not the newest ship in the fleet, but the overall cruise was still a very enjoyable experience.
The crew was friendly, the ship offered plenty of entertainment, and the itinerary itself was excellent.
Bermuda remains one of the best cruise destinations in the Atlantic. Spending multiple days docked on the island allows travelers to explore its beaches, historic towns, and coastal scenery in a way that few other cruise itineraries allow.
I would absolutely sail this route again. Next time, I might try it aboard a newer ship like the Norwegian Aqua or Norwegian Breakaway, but the destination itself is what truly makes this cruise memorable.
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