Mini family Jade Review

Finally over the jet lag of our 10 day European cruise. Since I haven't seen a lot about this ship/itinerary I thought I would post a little something.

Back ground: My kids and husband had their b-days during the trip,more importantly my kids turned three and were able to use the kids club. Though that didn't turned out as great as I hoped. (More on that later). We have done a lot of cruising, around 20, on several lines including NCL. For my kids this was cruise number five. My husband and I are in our early 30s and as I said my twins(in case you missed that they were the same age) are toddlers.

Elaboration and disembarkation

We had spent four days in Rome precruise using an apartment rental. To get to the ship we used public transit and walked to the Colosseum metro stop to get to Termini. I was confused by this, but FYI you have to buy the train ticket at Termini or another stop with the train (not metro) system. So we had to buy the 1.50 ticket and then the 5 Euro ticket at Termini. We barely missed the 11:45am and took the 12:15. I hear it is normal and we were assisted by men working for tips to help you find your train. While we didn't need the help we gave him a few euros to get rid of him. (They do not work for the station). At least he did help load the stroller. We could have used them at the end at the port where there are no elevators and about 20 stairs-up and own to get out of the station. While somewhat difficult another fAmily was also struggling so we helped each other and made it out. For the price this was a great option.

Disembarkation

I love how you can pick your own time and just walk off. We left at 8:30 , handed our luggage over at 8:45, then took the port bus and walked to the train,( the bus line was very long cost .80 and.5 per bag).We were on the 9:50 train. Keep in mind they have about one an hour. By 11:30 we were entering the Vatican museum for our timed tickets of noon. Easy peesy.

I had researched and found a company called Bon Voyage Bags. They pick up your luggage from the port and delivery it anywhere in Rome including the airport. It cost 20 Euro a bag for them to take it to FCO and us to pick it up. They operate 8am -8pm and while we were able to pick-up our luggage after 8pm we had to pay an additional 20 Euro for after hours pick up. There might have been cheaper options but it was very convenient. I would highly recommend them.

Ship

Not our favorite. We had sailed it when it was Pride of Hawaii and didn't like it then either. Obviously not enough to stop us from sailing again but I don't like the access. Dinner can only be accessed by using certain stairs and you can't walk through most floors all the way through. It was clean enough, and as they have the guppies play room for under three it had all we needed.

Kids club

As my kids turned three we were excited they could use it. While not completely potty trained they could use it if they called us ( they provided phones) for diaper changes. I'm not going into much detail but our experience was not a good one. My son didn't want to participate with the organized activities and I was asked to keep him during circus rehearsals since he didn't want to do the circus. Every time we picked them up I would get a briefing about his behavior but the person who was with him wasn't doing the briefing. This meant they couldn't give me any information and brushed me off for other parents waiting to pickup their kids. By the third and last day we were called and asked to pick him up. The mama bear in me was upset, but I know he wasn't perfectly behaved. What we thought would be a great experience just ended up being stressful and not worth it.

Now it wasn't all bad. My daughter was the best tiger in the circus and she loved it. She saw a video of her circus performance and told me she wanted to go back and play. I had a proud mom moment went she shook her tail, jumped through "fire" and roared complete with face paint.

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Katakolon

We had prereserved a car using Info found on the boards. I paid 40 Euro for the car and 5 Euro a piece for car seats. Then 10 Euro in gas. This was great for us because we could spend more time then the buses. They were right outside the port gate holding a sign with our name. While an older vehicle it worked just fine. We toured Olympia and the museum at our leisure, but I regretted not bringing the stroller as it was very stroller friendly. We had the whole of Olympia to ourselves the last hour we were there, as all the tours were gone. We were back with 30 minutes to spare so we did some quick shopping, then boarded for the kids to finish their nap. I had heard there wasn't much in this area and it is very rural so we didn't have high expectations. It ended up being one of our better days. Beautiful weather and a sea of flowers that my kids loved playing in made for a fun day. I have some amazing pictures of my kids among the ruins and flowers. It looks like the pictures you get when you buy the frame.

For drivers the parking lot is by the museum on the left as you drive in. You can walk through the city or go toward the museum and walk through the park. Right next to the parking lot were several restaurants. We choose the one on the corner as during the shopping the food looked good as we passed. We got a waffle topped with chocolate and berries plus coffee to fill our bellies. Yummy. More dessert then lunch, but the "more please" coming from the kids told me they didn't mind. A great first port.

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Thank you for taking the time to write about your experiences!

Thanks for posting. I am on Jade next month

You are amazing to travel with 3 year old twins! I have 8 year old twin grandsons so I know how tough it can be!

You are amazing to travel with 3 year old twins! I have 8 year old twin grandsons so I know how tough it can be!

Thank you! Usually I get told I am crazy. Where there is a will there is a way. We love to travel so while it is a little different now it is still fun.

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Second sea day Pireaus for Athens

We set out early and followed the water line toward the train station. While I did a ton of research I neglected to look at the buses that stopped by the train to take so we decided to walk. It was around a mile. 20-30 minutes. They were doing construction but you could still make out the station. We bought all day tickets and then took the train to the Acropolis. Their stations were clean and not too busy that early (8:30) so we were entering the Acropolis around 9am. We bought tickets at the office closest to the train but the storage locker for strollers was on the other side so we had to walk up the hill and around to drop it off. We wandered while listening to our audio guide by Rick Steve's. By 10 am the place was a zoo. I lost my husband in fact, and ended up meeting him at the bottom so make a plan for where to meet if you split up. We had seen enough and had enough by 11am. The kids had enjoyed the dirt more then anything.

We headed over to see Zeus' temple since it was included in the Acropolis ticket. After some flower picking by the kids and pictures we headed indoors for the museum which was back up by the Acropolis. That was a separate ticket. They don't allow pictures but they did allow strollers and had a very nice baby changing room. We didn't have any guides but read the signs. We only did an hour as it wasn't very big but interesting after the Acropoli. The view on the Acropoli side was fun because you could see where some of the items would have been.

Next we headed down the hill toward the Agora. We looked at the abundance of items for sale and made our way down the hill. About half way by the park, we decided the view was too good to pass up and my husband was starving so we had lunch. We averted the kids eyes to the play area I the park during lunch. We split a huge portion of spaghetti Bolognese with the kids and had some coffee before making our way to the Agora. (Keep heading down and a right by the train station ) We kept seeing people with these cold coffees that looked amazing and I saw one on a sign for take away. For 1.50 we had a frozen cappuccinos was yummy in the sunshine. Surprisingly she cool the sun was out and my kids started to burn. (They are light skinned). Now in their stroller the kids napped while we toured the Agora. They closed at 3pm so we only had an hour before they started blowing all the whistles.

We toyed with the idea of of taking the train to the other side of town to see the guards, but once we reAlized we were at the green train line Pireaus was looking good so we headed back. We waited about 20 minutes before a train came and it was so crowded that we had to try entering in another area. After three cars we gave up on that train and watched it leave without us. We headed toward the front car hoping it would be less busy. It came within ten minutes and was a lot less crowded. At the port I asked a kind local which bus to use and avoided the walk. My ankle had been bothering me some but not enough to seek medical and advice. I was glad I had packed some Bengay in my medicine bag.

Right before the port gates the last chance sellers were out. We saw two pictures we liked of a ship and the acropoli a man had painted so we bought them. Then we headed I side the gates and boarded the ship.

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Third port Kusadasi-Ephesus

Our only organised shore excursion. I arranged it by reviewing the boards and trip advisor. While I wanted a private tour I didn't have the funds this trip. From my research this group excursion was about $10 more then doing it ourselves in a taxi and it included lunch and the guide. I believe the company was Ephesus Shuttle. It ended up being us and two other couples. One couple only stayed through a half day. Our guide was Gizmo and I am embarrassed to say I never figured out how to say her actual name, but her Nick name was easy as it was my sister's cats name. I liked her and she was very informative about the sites and Turkey in general. We met right outside the port area with the shops and fifty other tour operators. As there was construction we had to walk a block down to get to the van. It was about 15 passenger capacity and had room for our stroller.

Gizmo gave us general background on the drive and then we started at Ephesus since the other two were not joining us for the other stops. We made the mistake of leaving the stroller in the van thinking it wouldn't be stroller friendly. The only areas not accessible were the toilets, terrace houses and theatre because of the stares. The kids had to be chased a few times but they mostly stayed with the group or close enough playing in the rocks and dirt. When you are two the dirt and rocks are more exciting then 2,000 year old libraries. By the time we arrived at the terrace houses the kids were tired and hungry but mom fail, I had left the snacks in the stroller in the van. Luckily one of the other couples had some cereal boxes from the ship they gave to the kids. Then they were happy and contented until the library. Moral of the story bring the stroller as they fell asleep between the walk from the library to the theatre. My husband wanted some theatre pictures so he set my son down on the ground with his blanket to take some and we have a priceless picture of our sleepy son in Ephesus. He didn't even stir for the paparazzi (other tourist )who thought he was so adorable they had to take pictures too. We availed ourselves of the free facilities then walked through the gauntlet of sellers to catch the van who met us at the roundabout.

Tired the kids slept until we landed at our next stop Artemis' temple, St. John's and the mosque, well what is left of them. I stayed with he kids while my husband got some pictures, but I had a pretty decent view from the van. Plus it kept the see sellers away hawking their wares. Then our best stop lunch.

The obligatory carpet stop but it was also our lunch stop. They had clean bathrooms which I visited several times with a potty training toddler. Our lunch was a salad, broccoli and bread to start with a hummus/ yogurt like topping. The main course was chicken, meat balls and rice. For dessert we had fruit, Apple's and oranges. Drinks were separate charges and all the same price so I had wine while my husband had a beer, my kids had water which we had bought before entering Ephesus. After lunch we were escorted to a tour of the carpet making facilities where my kids were fascinated with, is it the loom? I missed most of it taking the kids to the potty. We were treated to a drink while they presented their wares, but our budget didn't include a $1,000 carpet and neither did anyone else's. After haggling and not coming close to a price we could accept we headed out, all of us carpet free.

For our last stop we went to the house of the virgin Mary. It is very small but nice to say we went. It was busy but you could step to the side if you didn't want to just keep walking straight through for some private spiritual time. We drank some holy water then added a pray for our kids to the wall. We bought some holy items for family at the kiosk, figuring while more expensive it was more holy then buying it anywhere else. My kids helped select an item for Papa and then we were on out way back. My kids each had lit a candle for my grandpa and grandma who have passed, but in typical kid fashion they said "bye bye birthday" as we left. Obviously candles in our house are limited to bday parties.

We had relaxing ride back talking politics and jobs with our guide. We had about two hours left when she dropped us in front of the same area we departed. We settled our accounts and then were on our way. We wanted to do some shopping so we headed up toward the burger king stopping in a ceramic store where we bought most of our purchases. I got a silver tea set with matching cups and platter, plus a ceramic tea pot for my sister. They also discovered my twins bday was the next day so they gave them each a necklace. My daughter loves her and asks to wear it every day. It is a black stone with a purple flower, my son's necklace is a shark tooth.

Ready to relax we sat at the neighboring cafe for a cappuccino and free WiFi. The kids had a fruit loop snack which fascinated our waiter who we let try it. Then we headed back to the ship with a stop for some Turkish delights which were recommended by our guide. We were able to taste before we bought so we tried and bought a selection to our taste. Then it was time to go so we headed back through the gates. But wait. A Starbucks!? My husband collects mugs from the places we have been so we got him and my sister one before finally finishing our trek on board right at boarding time.

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Half a sea day and port Istanbul

We got a late start as we didn't port until 1pm. We barely made the cut off for breakfast around 10ish in the buffet. Then we took the kids to play to tire them out. As with everyone else we decided to get something for lunch but it was so packed we just took a plate of pizza for the kids and a sandwich for us. Then they were allowing disembaraktion right at one. We were a little behind the rush but it was great just walking out the door and being at the disembarkation point.

We were in town on Monday which meant the Haggia Sophia was closed and the Topika palace only open today. We took the tram which has an English option to buy tickets. There were long lines at the kiosk once we arrived and several friendly people trying to help us find our way, to their carpet shop. Next time use the main ticket counter or check it as we waited 30 minutes since only two were working. Someone tried to cut in front of me with the stroller and i let them have it. Go get a guide if you want to cut the line but don't cut me. That is my biggest pet peeve.

Once inside we went straight to the harem since it closes earlier then anything else. There were places that were extremely busy but if you waited the lines will back down. It was sprinkling while in the harem but it turned into a downpour shortly thereafter. All the indoor places like treasury rooms got crowded. We didn't see as much as we would have liked and dealing with the stroller in certain areas made it harder. They refused to nap long with so much excitement so we let them so around which took more time. By 4 they were closing the interesting rooms liken the kitchens. We were about done so we went to meet out picture people, but we couldn't find them and after 15 minutes of sitting in the rain we headed toward the blue mosque.

I had brought my own scarf for myself and my daughter but she didn't need one. I used it anyone since she wanted to be like mommy. We made a cute picture matching the dress code carrying our shoes. We reminded them to be quiet and sat on the floor. They thought it was a play area as three practicing children in the prayer area were running and messing around. I told them they were going to get in trouble so my daughter told everyone she met the kids were going to time out and to be quiet. We only lasted a short time since the urge to run and play for my kids was too high. Once outside they ran out some energy before I putting them back in the stroller for the walk to the Grand Bazaar.

We passed a McDonald's which sent my son into hysterics. It was past dinner so when we passed another a short time later we decided we better feed the kids. We got kids meals and were surprised to see a charge to eat in the restaurant. Save a few lira and take it to go. After eating we entered the bazaar but as it was near quitting time most people were gone and most businesses closed. We got a taste for it and vowed to come back tomorrow for more shopping.

While my husband swears he knew where he was as we exited we realized we had no clue. We followed the crowd and walked until we hit the train station to get our bearings. Then we just asked for directions because we couldn't figure out which train station it was. We ended up being almost to the bridge so when we appeared we just decided to walk it. It was freezing by the water and on the bridge so I very much regretted that decision. Even more so when I realized we had to get the stroller up a flight of stairs. The kids walked while my husband carried it up, plus the kindness of strangers helped. I was tired, hungry and frozen by the time we got to the ship. We were too late for the 7:30 show and dinner ran too long so we missed out and just decided to call it an early night.

Stayed tuned for Istanbul day two, and our twins bday.

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Istanbul full day

We were heading out around 8:30. No point in getting up too early because the sites weren't open. We started at Hagia Sophia which already had a decent line by the time the tram arrived around 9. As we entered the line we got the usual hit up for a guide. As we had our full of chasing kids with a guide we entered on our own but the kid saw the kids and spoke to someone then ushered us to the front of the line for guide tickets. It probably saved us 30 minutes so we were very grateful.

We took our time looking around and after a while headed up stairs. It had a flat ledge but wasn't recommend cartwheel chairs so we decided to leave the stroller at the bottom though a guard said we could take it up. It was very crowded so by 11 we headed out. My daughter and I had to use the restroom so despite another 30 minute line some nice people ushered us up front again. Finally we didn't have to utilize the pull up! We gave the kids a snack we had brought and then headed for the Cistern.

A short line awaited us and no easy stroller access. We had to carry the stroller, but again some nice people helped. It was a quick visit as it wasn't very big. Worth a stop as it was unique. The media's heads were very crowded so it wasn't fun to see, but we did manage a look before heading out by 12. We headed back towards the Grand Bazaar and stopped for a p pick me up at Starbucks. We had to get an Istanbul mug! But next door was a McDonald's so being the kids bday we tried e water them to their favorite food fries! Three steps us so I took it to go but my poor son almost had a mental breakdown when he excited the restaurant without his prized fries to wait outside where the stroller didn't block the door. We walked into the bazaar and while the kids ate and then immediately napped we shopped. Almost two hours later we had kids done with their nap and a lot of stuff. What was one hard bargain but we were happy.

More to come another day. Mama duty calls.

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Bearette, did you buy the unlimited internet package for the entire cruise?

Bearette, did you buy the unlimited internet package for the entire cruise?

No we didn't. We just utilized free WiFi in port. Most restaurants provided free WiFi so if we stopped for coffee or food that is what we used. We have AT&T so before we left we got a plan for data and text messages to contact home. It was 75¢ a minute or you could by plans. By the first day if you are going to because they have extra minutes free if you bought the first day.

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in the last few year Ncl has started an on board program called Perspectives which offers photo shoots for portraits. They have a studio on board but the biggest draw for us was an on location shoot. Since this was the kids bday we wanted photos done. The rain the day before hindered our plans but we rescheduled for today. We met them near the tram stop for the Blue Mosque right after shopping and a stop for lunch. Now fed and napped the kids wanted to play. It is almost impossible to get posed pictures of two toddlers so we planned on following them around for our 30 minute slot. We drew a lot of attention as we had the entire time in Istanbul to the point where we had to ask people to please get out of our pictures as they tried to pose with my kids. As I have discovered twins are a novelty and mine being very blonde and with blue eyes garner a lot of notice. Turkey was one of the worst for attention and while the intent was harmless as a parent it was very nerve wracking. I'm used to it now so I can handle it, but it was a culture shock to see ladies in burkas take out their cell phones and take my kids picture. They actually got more attention from the men too. I have several pictures of security guards holding my kids from the different sites.

But I digress. Long story short as they had cancellations our 30 minute session spread to 1hr and 30 minutes as we made our way to the park next to the Topkapi Palace taking pictures with the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and streets as our background. The former gardens of the palace was made into a park and we had some great shots from there with the trees, benches, and water features as our background even if my son dipped his feet into the fountain... if you have kids stop at the park and make your way to then play area where we ended our shoot with some shoots of them on the slide. My son was afraid of the height so we even have some cute pictures with my husband and I on the slide with them. My kids even talked the two photographers into joining them on the slide.

Now tired and exhausted we made our way back to the ship just behind the photographers who needed to be back 30 minutes before us. We caught the tram on the opposite side of the park and were back with time to spare. Overall we were very happy with our Istanbul stop and I would happily return here. Maybe a cruise that leaves from this port so we could spend more time. Even with all the attention I never felt unsafe and everyone we met was pleasant.

While this is the next day I thought I would let you know that our pictures were so wonderful and cost us almost as much as our inside room. A flash drive with all the photos was $1000 and they had several canvas options that brought the price of the flash drive down, but our luck allowed us to have close to 300 pictures instead of the usual 30-50. Smaller packages were available for $399 but budget accordingly if you are interested. They play the pictures to music in a private viewing room so we took two hours to view them and select our canvas options. Also be warned they informed us it has been very successful and the prices are on the rise. A special occasion may warrant it but I wouldn't do it on just any trip due to the cost. While there is no obligation or sitting fee the photos were expensive. Our experience with Kay was wonderful and if we had the funds I would do this on every trip.

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Two sea days

My kids were now of age for the kids club so we were looking forward to checking it out. While they are not fully potty trained (despite my best efforts) they were still able to stay if we came when they called on a phone they provided us. I won't bore you with all the details but while my daughter loved it my son refused to do the organised activities. He just wanted to play with with legos or whatever else interested him. As they were preparing for a circus show they asked us to keep him until after the performance since his attention span was about 5 minutes. I think part of his problem was not being completely rested so we used that time to give him a long nap. After the circus performance he did better because they did a dance activity and he loved to dance. We had one dinner without the kids but on the second sea day we were asked to pick him up after an hour in the evening. They said he was pushing kids. As I teacher I understand behavior issues but I was not happy because no one could give me a straight answer about what actually happened. Did he push a kid and take his toy or did someone take his toy and he push the kid? The person at check in didn't know and when I asked to speak with someone who did I had to wait with an upset toddler who didn't understand why he couldn't play. What we thought was going to be a fun experience for the kids turned into a nervous nightmare. As this was our first experience with any organised activity I won't assume all will be like this, but I wanted to warn other parents that their ideal picture of dropping of their kids may not go as planned. It ended up being stressful for us so I won't plan on utilizing it as much in the future.

We didn't see too many shows because of the late time in ports and they were very strict about the show start time. We showed up five minutes late once because dinner took forever, by the time we arrived they had the doors closed and a sign asking you not to enter late. We saw Elements, the 4 Forever tenor group and the clown from cirque de soleil. He first two were our favorites. My kids loved the Elements show too. As we had a set on the aisle they were very excited to see the performers so close. Arrive early because the theatre was packed for Elements.

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Last day Naples

We awoke early but due to the set up in Naples we had to go up to deck seven. There was an exit for shore excursions on deck four, but the taxi, walkers and train access was upstairs. We headed right past the bus stop which was very convenient to Pompeii had it not left over an hour after we were leaving. We skipped the tram while we looked for an ATM but we had to go a ways before we found it. We also were getting low on diapers and past a grocery store that had them. We had tried several places along the trip but I could only find wipes. With diapers and money in hand we finished the walk which was about 30 minutes with our stop. Follow the waterfront and tram route with a slight left to reach the train station. We made the 9am train and were in Pompeii by the time the 9:45 bus would have left.

We headed straight for the ticket counter and missed most of the line. The bathroom line got really long for women as well, so hit those first to avoid long lines. Then we meandered our way through Pompeii but the kids got tired and by 11 am were napping in the stroller. It meant we could leisurely look but we had to man-handle the stroller through the streets. Cobble stones are much more chariot friendly. Some of the highlight places got pretty busy, but if you waited a few minutes you could have a phone or room all to yourself. The kids woke just as we were leaving so they got to enjoy the chew-chew ride to Sorrento. We timed it right, by sheer luck, and had a five minute wait for the train.

Once in Sorrento the visitor center had a posting of the train and ferry times. Unlike on line we saw the last cruise ship worthy time was 3:05 instead of closer to four. That meant we had a quick walk through Sorrento before we found a place for a late lunch. We passed a grocery store and thought that would be a good place to pick up limonicello. My husband makes his own so this was a mandatory stop for us as it was why we made the trip out instead of heading back to Naples' museum. We also got a lemon chocolate bar which was excellent. We walked around by the elevator which had excellent views, the view you think of when you picture Sorrento. After meandering we saw the menu for Refoods. It wasn't very busy so we thought it was a good place to take the kids.

I'm so glad we stopped here. We got a bottle of house red wine which was excellent and just a thank you for stopping in they gave us a glass of champagne. My husband got a calzone and I got the chefs special pizza, which included a stuffed crust pizza with ricotta cheese and salami. I am still dreaming about that pizza. It was so big we shared them with the kids. We polished off our meal with a shot of Limoncello which we discovered after talking to our waiter was made by his grandmother. Vowing to return to this area for a longer stay, tipsy and satisfied we hurried toward the train station with about five minutes to spare. The kids napped some more on the train and mommy vowed not to drink so much before a long train ride. We walked back to the port from the train once in Naples and stopped at a coffee bar that smelled too good to pass up. After a yummy cafe ouzo ( wish they had these at home) and macchiato we finished the walk back to the port. We we 're hoping for a gelato stop but I didn't see any that were table side seating along the waterfront. We hit up the shops inside the port for a last minute look and then boarded for our last stop.

That ends our cruise experience but for those interested I will continue with my pre and post cruise experience in Rome. I didn't want to make everyone wait for the cruise portion.

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Rome arrival

To save money and maximize space I rented an apartment for our tour days via Homeaway. I found a place with a lot of great reviews near the Colosseum. We arrived around 8pm and lucky us our flight arrived 15 minutes early. The owner of the apartment arranged transport for us and we waited, after passing the gauntlet of drivers waiting for someone or trying to get someone, for 15 minutes for him to show. For parents there is an awesome play area with a slide in baggage claim, so before we met him the kids got to play while my husband found our bags. Perfect. A+ on the airport, especially when they ushered us to the front of the customs line.

By the time everything was explained and we got to our apartment we were tired. We had started almost 24 hours earlier in LAX so we just went to bed. In the morning we had the slows but we're excited so we headed out with a stop at the local bakery for coffee to go ( take away) and breakfast. Munching on our wareswe headed toward the Colosseum metro ,but we had to get our Roma pass first. The colosseum line was already long at 9am so we didn't get it there but headed to the travel info just past it. Their machine was down but she pointed to a tobacco shop around the corner where we got it. Across the street was the Capital hill which had a short line. We took the train to the Borghesse area for our 11am time. Unfortunately it was raining and we got lost and went the wrong way several times. By the time we arrived it was 11am and too late. The lady took pity on us so she gave us tickets for the 1pm time slot. We were thrilled since I thought we were going to have wait until Tuesday when they had space again.

We headed back outside and walked around the park now that the rain had stopped. We found a wooden park not too far next to a church that the kids could play in that wasn't too destroyed by the rain. A wedding was

finishing up near the church so it was fun for us as well. We headed back and then entered the gallery for our time. Certain areas were crowded but because of the reservations you could leave and come back and have the same room all to yourself rapidly in the last 30 minutes of our time. My son wanted to sprint through the rooms so I ended up to looking him for a good portion, but when he started to get wild I carried him. he was doing the wild before the nap so he fell asleep in my arms for the second half of our time.

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Rome day 1 continued

My arms were tired and so was my daughter so after using the facilities we headed out with both kids asleep in the stroller. The rain was stopped now so we toured the garden really quickly and then walked toward the Spanish steps. With some guidance and sheer luck we ended up right at the Spanish steps. It was very crowded and full of people. The church was also being renovated so we took our picture at the bottom and headed out. We were talking about food and headed toward the under construction Trevi Fountain when we saw a restraint that looked appetizing. As we looked someone arrived and welcomes us to come in so we took that as a sign to eat. The kids were so tired they slept through the entire thing.

I have no idea what the place was called or where exactly it was. It was decorated with bird cages and had white tablecloths. I had a pesto special with a bruschuetta appetizer with a house glass of white wine. Yummy. My husband claims his fettuccini Alfredo was the best he has ever eaten and had we been able to find it again we would have eaten here just for that. If anyone recognizes the restaurant let me know.

We stopped briefly at the Trevi Fountain without water. They did have a bridge so you could still throw in a coin, but it lost its luster for me so only my husband went, since the stroller wouldn't fit and the kids were asleep. The bridge allowed you to get a unique view so for those of us who haven't seen it is was worth a stop.

We arrived with about 45 minutes to see the Parthenon. I had an audio guide by Rick Steve's so my husband listened to it while I pushed the kids around since he wasn't prepared and enjoys that stuff. I could see why it inspired buildings around the world and since it was sprinkling we could see a little of the water falling through the center ( which as blocked off.) At closing they pushed you out and pushing the stroller my son and I were literally the last people out the door for the day. Being there at the end we have a few pictures with no one in them which would have been impossible any other time of day. There was a disappointed crowd waiting outside when we left.

Out front my son and daughter finally woke up. After talking with the police, my son is obsessed with cars and stopped for a visit with an exuberant "car!" We headed out to find them dinner and Palazza Navona. We did a quick peek in the church there and took pictures of the fountain before walking a little bit away to find a place to feed the kids. We stopped in another church on the way there but I do not recall the name. We ended up at a fast food style place and got the kids a pizza with fries special. We still didn't have gelato but

I got a hot chocolate there, coffee for the hubby and a cake with berries for everyone to split. Even the fast food treat was delicious. We walked the rest of the way back to our apartment,just enjoying an evening stroll in Rome.

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Thanks for the review, but I need to point out a major error so hopefully others don't make the same mistake (emphasis mine).

We were on the 11-nighter after you and had to use a wheelchair for one person in our group so I became familiar with the accessibility on the ship quickly - this was our fourth cruise on Jade, but these things you don't usually "see" until you encounter them yourself.

Ship

Not our favorite. We had sailed it when it was Pride of Hawaii and didn't like it then either. Obviously not enough to stop us from sailing again but I don't like the access. Dinner can only be accessed by using certain stairs and you can't walk through most floors all the way through.

That part about dining rooms not being accessible is absolutely not true on any NCL ship - all dining options are accessible without any stairs.

On all Dawn class and Jewel class ships there is one aft elevator that goes to deck 6 providing very easy access for wheelchairs, strollers, etc to get to the aft MDR.

On some ships the elevator might require special keycard access (easy to ask from Guest Services) but on Jade the readers are still there, but are not used and anybody can use the elevator simply by pressing the elevator bank's down call button on deck 7, right on top of the stairs leading to the aft MDR.

Also there is only one public deck where you can't walk all the way through from public area to another because the MDRs and the galley between them are on deck 6 midship to aft and that is why the access is limited there. On all decks above that there are no limitations and on the two lower decks (4, 5) there are no passenger areas in aft where one would need to walk to.

Demonyte, I believe bearette meant you couldn't walk straight into dining room from opposite side of ship. I don't believe she was talking about accessibility ramps for wheel chairs. She had two little kids and on most ships you can walk from one end of the ship to the other without having to go up or down a deck. She said on Jade you couldn't walk straight through. At least that is what I got from her quote.

Demonyte, I believe bearette meant you couldn't walk straight into dining room from opposite side of ship. I don't believe she was talking about accessibility ramps for wheel chairs. She had two little kids and on most ships you can walk from one end of the ship to the other without having to go up or down a deck. She said on Jade you couldn't walk straight through. At least that is what I got from her quote.

Stairs to MDR and being able to walk from one end to another were two clearly separated points in the text I quoted. Also they specifically stated that the latter applies to "most floors" which is not true.

Well she made it thru the cruise ok. I guess she didn't like the layout and flow of the ship. she still liked her cruise.

Well she made it thru the cruise ok. I guess she didn't like the layout and flow of the ship. she still liked her cruise.

Sure, always nice to read balanced reviews with pros and cons listed.

I just wanted to make sure that incorrect information is corrected because there doesn't seem to be as many Jade reviews as from other ships, so the ones people can find here are usually read a lot and generate further discussion after months or even years.

Well she made it thru the cruise ok. I guess she didn't like the layout and flow of the ship. she still liked her cruise.

That sums it up. I'm not talking about wheel chair access, I'm talking about generally getting around. Its semantics.

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Bearette...you are one amazing Mom. We took our kids all over Europe when they were young. They don't remember the trips but we have wonderful memories. I think children are the " ice breakers" in most parts of the world!.

We sought shelter in a McDonalds in Paris when soldiers, tanks and tear gas filled the streets. There had been a bombing at the airport...this was the beginning of the modern day terror attacks...kids were just thrilled they could eat at a real McDonalds!

Day two Rome

When it rains it pours. Literally all day. Being a Monday this was the worse day as most museums weren't opened. Our plan was the Colosseum, capital and Palentine Hill. Since the other things we wanted to do weren't open we didn't have much choice in changing our plans. We needed some grocery items so after I failed to find the grocery store my husband set out to get some breakfast staples and snacks. We didn't leave until around 9:30 because of this.

So off to the Colosseum in the rain we went. The line was short with the Roma pass so we just found the right line and walked in. Even in the rain it looked like over an hour long for walk ups. Inside there wasn't much room under the cover with a view so we braved some wet to take a look. I think the rain and dealing with toddlers effected us, but I was more impressed with the outside then inside. We spent over an hour walking around still and the elevator allowed easy access with the stroller. We were sick of crowds and wet so we decided to head out to a few churches to escape the still pouring rain.

We took the metro to avoid getting wet and this will be important later because I put my Roma pass in my jacket pocket. We saw the church built into the baths and attempted to see the Ecstasy of St. Theresa but of coursework timing was off and the church as closed. We decided lunch was in order and headed back toward the Colosseum to find a place one the way, but we picked the wrong street. It ended up being where most of the embassy and other military or government buildings were located. We ended up across the street from the entrance to the Capital area before we finally stopped to eat.

It was very touristy, but we were starving so we overpayed and enjoyed ourselves. We even splurged and got gelato sundaes. The food was good and it had started to sprinkle again as we arrived so we were happy to be out of the rain. Fullness headed toward the Capital entrance where I discovered my Roma pass was gone. A full search and trip back to the restaurant revealed nothing. Defeated, I realised it must have fallen out of my pocket when we took the train. I asked at the office for my options and discovered that the folder the pass came in had a number I could use for him to manually look up my pass. I had to walk back the 15 min to get it at the apartment, but I was in! While I went back much husband took the kids inside and they had fun stepping in puddles until I got there. My son also took a spill and had a small bruise from trying to run on the cobblestones. I couldn't complain too much after I had lost my pass.

We headed up the hill to listen to our Rick Steve's audio guide but as my son was happily cuddling his blanket in the stroller I stayed with him while my daughter who wanted to walk looked around with my husband. So after finding him again after 15 minutes I lost him. I didn't have a map or realise the audio guide had one if I would have looked at my phone. So while he went down the hill I went up and ended up at the museum thinking he would have went there to get out of the ran. Cursing my husband for abandoning me with the stroller on the not so easy cobblestones I made my way up the hill Since there wasn't much time left as we entered the museum I made best of it with my now awake son when he was no where in site.

I made my way backing realizing he headed down the hill. The closing announcements were being made so I made sure to go to the same gate we had come in so that we could find each other. I went to wait under an overhang but when I walked through he started to close the gates. I panicked and tried in the few words I new in Italian to ask about my husband and daughter. I heard about the "rosa" boots and realized he had seen my daughter and her pink boots. He told me they had left. Looking around and angry I realized my husband didn't do the obvious, wait at the entrance. Instead he waited in the nearby church so while I fummed outside he fummed inside and we both ended up walking separately back to the apartment. Hindsight is 20/20 but we made a pact to keep in sight the rest of the trip.

We are soaked and tired so we started laundry and changed. The kids ran out some energy in the apartment and then we decided around 7:30 to head out for dinner. We went away from the Colosseum and down a more local street where we walked a few blocks to check it out. During the walk we settled on a bar like restaurant where happy hour was going on. For 10 Euro I could eat from the buffet and have any drink I wanted. My hubby wanted lasagna so he got that and a glass of wine. Since our kids are young they let my son share off my buffet which was great because you'd be surprised what a two year old boy can eat when he is obsessed with pasta. My daughter had finally succumbed to a nap since she didn't have the stroller option during her tour of the Capital hill. She awoke for about ten minutes at the end, ate some and then climbed back in my lap and went to sleep. We had a relaxing evening and enjoyed our bargain dinner while we discussed how even wet and miserable we were still having a great time. I will say this was the worst day of the entire trip so when we made it back to the room, we all crashed immediately. But a wet day in Rome is still better then a day at home.

It was veray crowded especially under the

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