A post-cruise visit: NORWEGIAN JEWEL, Québec City

August 29, 2025

7:09 am

We docked in Québec City about a half hour ago and disembarkation is expected to begin around 7:30. We can stay on as late as 9:45.

8:59 am

Our disembarkation group was called at 8:20. By 8:45 we were off the ship, had collected our luggage (one bag was late), gone through the nearly empty taxi queue, and en route to our hotel, Québec City Marriott Downtown. We arrived a few minutes ago and will stow our bags with the concierge and head out.

A cobblestone street lined with historic stone and brick buildings, colorful shopfronts, and outdoor restaurant seating. International flags hang above the busy street, and a banner stretches between the buildings. A man in a gray pullover smiles in the foreground beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. — My husband (in profile on left) and son (facing camera) along in Québec City, August 29, 2025. (c) Lisa Plotnick and NauticalNotebook.com

9:09 pm

We’ve been enjoying Québec City. Our first stop was the Musée de la Civilisation, where we had pre-purchased tickets for Titanic: The Human Story. (The exhibit has moved on to other cities but you can still read my review.)

We walked around the museum for a bit more, including a cool exhibit on “the lexicon of belonging,” which featured a quote starting with each letter of the alphabet. Although it was entirely in French, seeing so much positivity was impactful.

After returning to the hotel by Uber (we had walked there), it was nap time!

Dinner was at Maison Livernois Distillerie & Pub, where my family shared marvelous crispy shrimp and a pretty good pizza. On our walk back to the hotel we stopped at a Pride festival and had a super time.

I recommend this hotel highly. It’s about a block away from the city wall in a neighborhood of shops and restaurants within reasonable (for us) walking distance.

A tall, historic building with red brick and pale stone façades rises against a deep blue evening sky. Vertical strips of red, green, blue, and purple lighting illuminate the central façade. Warm streetlights brighten the entrance as two pedestrians cross the street in the foreground. — Québec City Marriott Downtown, August 29, 2025. (c) Lisa Plotnick and NauticalNotebook.com

A massive stone gate with a broad central arch and a round tower topped by a green conical roof stands against a vivid blue evening sky. Through the arch, warmly illuminated historic buildings line a busy street where pedestrians stroll. Golden streetlights contrast with the cool twilight beyond the gate. — St. John Gate near our hotel, Québec City, August 29, 2025. (c) Lisa Plotnick and NauticalNotebook.com

We’d been to Québec City several times previously, and some of our past shore excursions included Montmorency Falls and Île d’Orléans. This time was just a one-night stay to ease the transition back into the real world. It was a nice visit and we are already making plans for another.