Norwegian Jade Reviews

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This was our return to the NCL Jade after an 18 month break since we last sailed with this company. Itinerary, weather, entertainment, service, good company and cuisine all have to be at the least very good to enjoy the all round experience when cruising on a large resort ship the likes of the Jade. I do appreciate that the food can vary from ship to ship within the same cruise fleet never mind from company to company but I have to say that we were very disappointed with both the quality and the repetitive menu in the main dining restaurants. The dress code with NCL is casual - very casual with "Free Style Dining" although you are welcome to dress formally if you wish.The initial cost to cruise on this ship was very reasonable but cover charges could soon have mounted up on the budget on board with 7 out of 10 eateries operating this way.This appears to be the favoured direction with this company with an increase from 5 restaurants with the extra charge. Am I being a bit cynical but could this be deliberate by dropping the selection of fare with the never varying menu`s in the cover free eateries to encourage passengers to dine in the special areas! We did try the Italian Papa`s Kitchen just for a change but again have to say he cuisine and the services were not any better and a waste of $20! Entertainment in the two tiered Stardust Theatre had the usual high energy, quick change razzle - dazzle singing/dancing productions along with the novelty and magic acts which were well worth the watch. Bands And solo musicians provided great music in several lounges throughout the ship to dance or just to listen to.There is a night club located atop the ship called "Spinnakers" which doubles up as a silly games venue if you enjoy the theme game malarkey! There is also an unusually large central focal gathering public place where the customer services desks are located. This area is normally very busy and can get very congested with lines of passengers especially when there is an "Inch of Gold Tat Alley" sale! Our balcony cabin on deck 8 was a bit narrow particularly in the toilet area but well appointed, very comfortable, well equipped with plenty of cupboard and drawer space. And hey! no shower curtain to fight with! This fantastic cruise itinerary was coupled with wonderful weather together with just a staggering rich mix of Greek, Turkish & Croatian ports of call. We opted to make our own way around the ports visited but I did read that there were a wide variety of tour excursions offered. To sum up, the ship is probably suited to young couples with children, good facilities, plenty of entertainment lounges in a well packaged cruise but my main niggle was the repetitive restaurant menu`s for a 14 day cruise.

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We booked the cruise via the NCL website, and the further assistance for the process from the European representative via the phone was also very helpful and polite (thanks, Galina.) After arriving Venice airport early in the morning we took a taxi to the port (recommended). We left the baggage there and returned only in the afternoon after sightseeing a bit in town. A tip: do not take a taxi to Piazzale Roma (from where you can start the stroll around the lagoons), it is much cheaper and handy to take the people mover. Embarkation was very swift and friendly stewards escorted us first to the concierge lounge to take some snacks and drinks, and then to our suite. The suite was fine, clean and with lots of storage place, plus 4 flat screen TVs, 2 DVD players, Lavazza coffee machine, minibar and a gorgeous bathroom... Though its location was right under the fitness centre, and sometimes we really "enjoyed" a heavier than usual runner practicing his/her last miles above our heads, all in all it was not so disturbing. For a more quiet suite the starboard aft side is more recommended (under the library and the card room). Carlos, our concierge, was amazing, he was on top of the job during the whole cruise! Our butler, Teresa and the cabin steward, Felix, were also very nice and friendly and arranged everything we asked for. I should not forget to mention the particular attention that all Jade staff paid towards hygiene and cleanliness - not only the cabins were cleaned properly and thoroughly, but also the public places and entry into the ship and the restaurants could only happen after passing the smiling washy-washy crew member ensuring that your hands are clean. Freestyle cruising was perfect for us, we always found a place to eat at any time of the cruise, we also tried some of the speciality restaurants, Cagneys, Teppanyaki were all fine as well, in terms of variety and quality of food. The chocolate evening was really special(and very tasty.) We were amazed by the friendliness, hospitality and effectiveness of the crew, including those working in the restaurants, the bar service, cabin staff and others. And there was a kind of a happiness athmosphere around the whole ship, with staff smiling and chatting with guests. We also liked that staff paid attention to details and also welcomed guests back from port visits with refreshing towels and drinks upon embarkation - we did not see this with any other ships docked together with us.... Indeed, the pool area became a bit crowded on sea days, but there were always some free beds available. We found the open BBQ next to the pool fantastic, along with the live music and the partying there. You could very easily find yourself dancing when waving goodbye to the port.... The evening shows were very enjoyable, and the one (Elements) on the last evening of the cruise was truly spectacular! Our teens did not really engage with the activities of the Kids programme, but rather opted enjoying themselves either at the pool or just strolling around the ship. A side remark is that the kids group from the ages of 6 to 12 is a bit too wide in terms of ages covered. We found the shore excursions very expensive, so we rather arranged them for ourselves: - in Corfu we rented a car (over the Internet a few days before) and drove around the island a bit to see the caves of Paleokastritsa (wonderful) and to see the Palace of Sissy at Achillion, then the so called Mouse Island before driving along the fortress of Corfu town on the way back; - in Santorini we just took the cable car to Fira, strolled around the small streets and enjoyed drinks and the view in a lounge; - in Mykonos we walked to the windmills, sat down for a (expensive) drink in little Venice, wandered along the small streets of the city amongst the hundreds of boutiques, and had a nice gyros in one of the port restaurants; - in Katakolon we again rented a car to Olympia (30 mins drive), visited the site and the museum ourselves before returning to the ship. All in all, this was a wonderful experience for the whole family on board of the beautiful Norwegian Jade, as the cruise director, Gio phrased. Hopefully we will return.

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No one can make people have a good time, but NCL certainly provided many of the elements that allowed us to create our own good time. Some of the comments about NCL and its free style services had left us concerned but I must say we were pleasantly surprised with the service and variety of on board services. Our ship was extremely clean, the buffet was offered creative treats (like the crepe station), and the overall value for money was excellent. All the staff was friendly and helpful. Embarkation was well organized. We were on the ship within 10 minutes of our arrival at the Venice pier. The ship itself was similar to many of Carnival's newer ships although it needs to be modernized to shed its dated Hawaiian motif . Our balcony stateroom was a bit small, but had all the standard elements including a great shower. We would recommend pre booking a few of the specialty restaurants (we booked the Steak house, Japanese restaurant and Asian fusion restaurant- the first two were the best) but the food in the two main dining rooms was more than adequate. We like to eat at about 6:30 and never had to wait for a table. Many of the passengers come from European countries were late dining is the norm, so European cruises don't usually seem to cause line-ups like you might see on Caribbean cruises. I had honestly expected NCL to nickle and dime the guest but they were actually not as aggressive in selling as other lines we had been on- clearly cruising is a business and they do find ways of getting you to part with your money, but no more so than the others. The staff in all the restaurant venues were polite and helpful. While freestyle cruising makes them less dependent on tips, we did not observe any deterioration in service as a result of an uncaring attitude. Some servers are simply better than others but for most part we were well tended to. We enjoyed our excursion to "The Best of Olympia" that included a visit to a local farm . The visit included a nicely presented lunch of Greek hors d'oeuvres and a great guide. Our excursion to Delos was less enjoyable but only because the ruins themselves were not as well developed. Overall a good trip. We will use NCL again and encourage others to do so.

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My husband and i have traveled many years on cruise ships and this vacation we took our two kids with us. Embarkation: We joined the ship in Barcelona and did not have to wait long before we were taken care of. The staff in the terminal were very friendly and professional and we got a great feeling from them even before we on on board. Cabin: We loved our cabin, very clean compared to some top cruise lines we have traveled. The cabin service from our cleaner was fantastic. He was very friendly, helpful and caring. Teens & Kids club: Our children really enjoyed going there. They had great fun and were kept entertained. Good work! Buffet/restaurant: The food on this ship is excellent. The buffet had a very wide selection. The restaurants were fantastic with great service. We went to three during the cruise Bistro, Churrascheria e Teppanaki our kids really loved the games and show they put on there. Shows: The shows on this ship are fantastic, very high level. We thought the Magic show Sander & Alison were excellent, one of the best magic act we have ever seen. We also liked bubble man very nice show, we just expected more from the Tenor show forever. We have seen better on other ships. All in all very good. Excursion: They had a wide range of thing to do and see. We were very impressed on how well informed and helpful the staff were. Ali was very good in choosing the best excursion for our family. Officers & staff: The thing we liked about the Jade was the cruise staff are not in every lounge so they give the parents peace and if you want to find them they have many activities. We were a little disappointed with the Cruise director we think he did not have enough experience. We did however like more his assistant who was much more friendly and more showman. We really had a fantastic cruise on the Norwegian Jade and would advice anyone to travel for there vacation. Top cruise!

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OK - step one - TOTALLY ignore all the bad reviews you've probably read. Some people just aren't right for cruises - and some people just have bad weeks, which they would have had they been at home anyway! I'm not suggesting everything's perfect, but....for example, NCL have a buffet option during the day; it's enormous, and if you can't find something good - from roasts to indian to chinese to light bites to salads to fish to fresh fruit to grills to pizzas to pasta to....you get the picture! And the quality is usually the better side of average. The main dining rooms are of a mid-range hotel type, and the "pay extra" eating options, such as teppenyaki, chinese, brazilian are worth every penny extra!!! The crew are amazing - genuine smiles from them all, all day. Cabin stewards were great (thanks Melsan) and from officers to waiting staff, no one could do enough for you. The Shows - which I didn't expect to like - were excellent (apart from the magician), the activities varied and welcoming - don't forget everyone on board is out to have a good time in their own way - and the drinks, although expensive, weren't stupid. (Beer was cheaper than a night out in Dublin!!) The ship was very clean, very comfortable, and very smooth - even rough seas were just like very mild turbulence in a plane, and didn't even affect our appetites. The best moment? Waking up before dawn and seeing Funchal all lit up, a few hundred yards away - no photo will ever compare with that. And the lights of Gibraltar as we passed in the early hours - some things are worth waking up for. I thoroughly recommend NCL - easy going as you want, formal if you wish. The only thing I didn't like - and there's no way round it - is the feeling of passing basically passing through Customs every time you re-board the ship. Comes with the territory, I guess! The cabin was good - a balcony for us - with adequate space, good storage, good if snug shower room/toilet, VERY comfy beds and if I say the worst point was the ancient CRT TV you'll get the message - don't expect the Ritz and you'll be quite happy. If you've got a question you haven't seen answered anywhere else, drop me a mail.

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