Going freestyle with Norwegian Cruise Line

Cruising has come a long way since the early 1900s. During its nascent years, destinations were restricted to transatlantic routes, mostly for people crossing the Pond to and from New York and Southampton. Only the wealthy enjoyed privileges such as fine food, comfortable staterooms and other limited luxuries; those who stayed on the lower decks were given only salmon in tin cans; the third-class passengers stayed in what seemed more like torture chambers than leisure cabins.

Today, cruise liners have all the thrills and frills of modern sea travel — from Jacuzzis to theaters, from transnational cuisines to yoga classes. Now, you can even experience tours known as “Freestyle Cruising” by Norwegian Cruise Line.

With Freestyle Cruising the moment you step onboard, you are officially off the clock. Let’s start with the fact that there are no fixed dining times. If you want to have an early lunch, say, at 9 a.m., or dinner at 10 p.m., you can. Norwegian Cruise Line says just show up wherever and whenever you want, have Italian food one night and sizzling-hot Tex-Mex the next. Chill out by the pool with a burger or have room service anytime you like. You don’t even have to eat with strangers like they make you do in other cruise lines. The choice is all yours.

The same flexibility applies to other aspects of the cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line has flexible room accommodations so you can bring everyone from your in-laws to your friends’ friends. Don’t want to don formal attire? Their no-formal policy lets you dress up only when you want to. Plus you get to choose from a thousand fun things to do.

With seven new ships launched since 1999 and two more over the next two years, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel Class ships make up the flagship family, which includes the Pride of Hawaii, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem and the very classy Norwegian Jewel.

The Norwegian Jewel’s luxurious amenities ensure that passengers who journey through the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Greek isles and the Caribbean are treated like kings of the seven seas.

The ship has a rooftop Garden and Courtyard Villas called Romance Suites, the biggest and most luxurious suites to hit the high seas. The Garden Villas offer an exceptionally spacious room of pure private luxury, which includes three bedrooms each with exclusive bath, a private patio, a hot tub, a sundeck and private butler service. Plus you can ask for a limo service after your cruise.

The Courtyard Villas have more than 500 square feet of amazing space. Each has a living room, a dining room and two bedrooms with very nice baths. The 10 suites are situated on an exclusive deck and share a private-access courtyard with a pool, hot tub, an exercise room, a sundeck, cabanas, and more.

There are also the Penthouse Suite, Owner’s Suite and Mini-Suite for a family or group. Some of these connect to smaller staterooms while others have separate bedrooms and lavish baths

Apart from these the ship also offers balcony staterooms, ocean view staterooms and economical inside staterooms. The flexible connecting and adjacent staterooms give passengers the perfect ratio of togetherness and privacy.

Indeed, the Norwegian Jewel has everything on board except for nasty schedules. You can choose to swim in one of the ship’s many pools or go jogging 10 stories above sea as the ship is built with jogging and walking tracks, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts.

Keep trim and fit onboard through the Body Waves Fitness Center, which is open from dusk until dawn and furnished with televisions, treadmills and ellipticals, free weights, and also offer special classes. Another of the ship’s health and wellness highlights is the Bora Bora Health Spa where you can unwind with an exotic hot stone massage.

Dining-wise, you never run out of choices. Enjoy traditional pasta at Mama’s Italian Kitchen, feast on juicy lamb chops and premium ribs at Cagney’s Steakhouse, and at the Le Bistro Restaurant, go French.

Chin Chin Asian restaurant serves a variety of Asian foods, including Japanese, Thai and Chinese. Within this restaurant is the Teppanyaki Room, where you get to see your authentic Japanese dishes prepared in front of you by the chefs, or go raw at the Sushi and Sake Bar.

If a five-course, award-winning menu is what you are longing for, then the Tsar’s Palace is the place to go. Designed like the great palaces of St. Petersburg, the restaurant will remind you of the era of the great tsars of Russia.

There are also the Tango’s Tapas Latin for the best flavors of Latin America; the Azura Main Dining Room, whose daily menu includes a range of light, healthy choices; the 24-hour Blue Lagoon for burgers and fast-wok dishes; and the Garden Café, which serves omelets, pastas, soups, salads and other specialties, and its Kids’ Café section for children with pint-sized appetites.

The Norwegian Jewel also has a wide assortment of bars to choose from: the Great Outdoors Bar, Topsiders Bar, FYZZ Cabaret Lounge & Bar, and Spinnaker Lounge.

Other great bars include the art deco-style Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar and Magnum’s Champagne & Wine Bar, the 1930s-style Star Bar and the Java Café, which serves coffee, teas and pastries at their very best.

Otherwise, you can just catch a Broadway or a Las Vegas-style show in the art deco Stardust Theatre, read a good book inside the Library, play a game of cards, chess, or Scrabble in the Card Room, shop for surprise gifts for your loved ones at the Galleria Shops, or treat the young ones to Splashdown Kid’s Club, Sapphire Kid’s Pool or the Underground Teen’s Club.

Norwegian Cruise Line cruises to five continents and docks at over 110 of the world’s most incredible destinations. It will take you anywhere from Athens to Zithuatanejo and everywhere in between. Visit www.ncl.com or call Starcruises’ Philippines office at 521-5660 or 526-8401.