A look inside the Norwegian Jewel, the first cruise ship to sail out of Philly in 15 years

In order to give you an honest account of my tour this week of the Norwegian Jewel, the first cruise ship to sail out of Philadelphia in 15 years, I must make a confession.

In January, I began watching The Love Boat, an episodic show about a cruise ship that ran from 1977-1987. It’s absolutely corny, packed with celebrity guest stars, and every storyline has a predictable, happy ending. I’ve already blasted through 25 episodes — and that’s just the first season! During these trying times, it’s been the salve I need.

So when I got the invitation to attend a media tour of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel before it set sail for Bermuda on its inaugural voyage out of Philadelphia Thursday, I was all aboard. Finally, the theme song that’s been running through my head for four months would have the proper setting (“Let it flow, it floats back to you...”).

But unlike an episode of The Love Boat, things did not go as planned.

Due to logistical complications, instead of the 75-minute tour we were supposed to get, we were taken on a 20-minute blink-and-you’ll-miss it run through the ship.

We were then ushered into the Spinnaker Lounge, where, on a dance floor under a disco ball from which lines of neon lights in the ceiling radiated, speakers like Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and Norwegian Cruise Line president Marc Kazlauskas gave a news conference for 45 minutes.

So, while I can’t tell you what the Norwegian Jewel’s Irish pub, arcade, or casino looks like, I can tell you officials are thrilled cruising is back in Philly.

“It is a proud day here in the city of Philadelphia as we celebrate this inaugural call of the Norwegian Jewel and with it a new chapter for the Port of Philadelphia as a cruise port,” Parker said.

I can also tell you that the Port of Philadelphia’s (PhilaPort) new Cruise Ship Terminal in Tinicum is nowhere near finished, in part because of tough winter weather, but also probably because construction only started in December.

Though he was hesitant to give a timeline, when pressed PhilaPort board of directors chairman Michael Pearson told me the terminal should be completed by end of fiscal year 2027.

Luckily, Norwegian Cruise Line’s seven-year agreement with PhilaPort runs through 2033, so they’re stuck with us (we’ll grow on you, I promise). Philly is now one of Norwegian’s 40 home ports and they’ve made an initial commitment of 41 voyages a year to places like the Caribbean, New England, and Canada.

If you’re thinking of taking a cruise out of Philadelphia, or are just curious, here are my biggest takeaways from my brief time aboard the Norwegian Jewel.

Given that the Norwegian Jewel is docking at a construction site near the Philadelphia International Airport that was known as the Hog Island Dock Terminal Facility, not only is getting there a logistical headache, boarding the ship is pretty unglamorous.

Passengers are required to check in and drop off their luggage at an airport hotel. From there, they’re shuttled to the terminal. Guests and civilians can’t access the terminal, except via the approved shuttles, and there is no option to check-in at the ship.

That means no confetti send-offs, no fancy covered gangway, and no tear-filled drop-offs of loved ones at the ship.

There was, however, a Mummers band at the dock Thursday serenading passengers.

From what I saw of the 965-foot Norwegian Jewel, which was built in 2005 and refurbished last year, it looked to be in great condition..

The ship has 14 decks, more than a dozen restaurants, 14 bars, and a Starbucks. Of course, we skipped almost all of the restaurants and bars on our tour, but somehow managed to see the Starbucks multiple times. The one bar we were shown that looked fun was the Bliss Lounge, which had an outer-space vibe and tiny recessed lights in the ceiling resembling stars.

There are multiple activities and entertainment options on the ship, of which we toured exactly one, if you don’t count seeing the spa reception room, which I don’t. The pool deck we were shown was lovely — it was much larger than that tiny one on The Love Boat — and it had several hot tubs, a bar, and a DJ gazebo.

Finally, we did get to check out two accommodations, including a balcony room and a penthouse suite, the latter of which was particularly impressive. It had two living rooms, two TVs, a kitchenette, his-and-her bathroom sinks, a marble bench in the shower, and a telephone in the toilet, for those calls you just can’t hold.

And that’s not even the best room money can buy. For those with the ability to splurge, the Jewel also has an exclusive enclave on the top deck known as “The Haven,” which is billed as a “ship-within-a-ship” experience. Haven guests have access to a private pool, restaurant, lounge, and butler, among other fancy pants amenities. Several of the rooms there come with their own hot tub, and one even has a piano in it (seriously), though we didn’t get to see them.

Of the 1,069 staffers on board, those we encountered were super friendly, making eye contact as we passed and always offering a pleasant greeting. Before the start of the news conference, some even offered me hot tea and tiny finger foods, most likely unaware that I was just a lowly member of the media and not a VIP guest (I wore my best Captain & Tennille-inspired outfit that day to fit in).

The ship holds up to 2,368 passengers, but none of the three public relations representatives escorting the media Thursday could tell me how many passengers were on board the inaugural trip out of Philadelphia. During her remarks, Parker said 2,200 passengers disembarked the ship in Philly from the previous voyage and that 1,900 people boarded here.

I didn’t see many guests in Eagles gear, so I’m assuming many of them weren’t from Philly, but the PR reps couldn’t tell me. I did see a lot of groups in matching cruise shirts though that said things like “La Lido Loca Bermuda Triangle Group Cruise 2026.”

But the Julie McCoy award for most enthusiastic goes to Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who wasn’t even traveling to Bermuda. The self-proclaimed “avid cruiser” was just attending the news conference on the ship, but her excitement was palpable.

Gilmore Richardson, who has been on 15 cruises, said the Norwegian Jewel is “clean and beautiful” and an “amazing opportunity” for the region.

“I am super excited! This is one of the best days in a long time,” she said. “I’m an avid cruiser so to be able to embark from the city of Philadelphia and not have to fly to another port, it just makes it more economical for us to enjoy cruising. But more than that, it’s an economic driver and opportunity for our residents.”

Like The Love Boat, city officials are hoping the Norwegian Jewel promises something for everyone.