penders

Had you posted that everything was wonderful you would not have had such responses. Some people just don't like to hear that not everyone thinks their favourite cruise line has no faults (it's the same on all of the boards). Take it all with a pinch of salt' date=' if we all liked the same things life would be so boring :)[/quote']

 

Thanks I will sign off now as it seems everybody has had their say one way or the other it has been an interesting few weeks in the end every one I am sure will have their own view on what ever cruise they take:)

Actually, the better solution would be to post your review in the review section instead of here on a discussion board.

 

Reviews in the review section don't generally all of the subsequent commentary.

Thanks for that I will do that in the future as I am new to this I had no idea that posting on both would cause such a UPROAR one learns something new every day

Completely changing the subject, hows the traffic and noise round your way this week? I lived in Fleet, Farnborough and Aldershot until I was 32 and I miss this week.

No noise this week but last week very noises with planes over head I think they must have been arriving as for the traffic I have not driven round the area of Aldershot Farnham has been Ok

Have you ever heard the phrase "in my opinion" because that is what you are giving. I will be honest, I haven't been on Celebrity for several years and the last time I was it was a 5 day cruise. The shorter cruises are normally not as nice as7 day or longer, but our experience with Celebrity (that time) was anything but positive. Our last cruise on Princess, about 2 years ago had the worst food we have ever had and I have cruised about 30 times, on all mass marketed lines, all more than once.

 

You are right, for those who do not want to take part in the formal nights on Princess there are other options, but I can assure you, we felt like low life, not dressing formally, even eating at the buffet. The second formal night we grabbed something early, then had room service.

 

So, as you can see: the term "in my opinion" is just that, an opinion. I would never suggest NCL is better than say, Princess, I would say, for us NCL is a better fit. I do know, when someone posts a very negative review, most do not take it too seriously.

 

Obviously NCL isn't for you. Every cruise line has a market and what works for one will not always work for someone else. This does not make any brand inferior.

Next time I write a review I will try and remember to start it with " In my opinion" as this was my first time writing a review on a cruise line I just wrote my feelings down what else can I say

Blue Lagoon I presume.

Yes sorry I should have named it in my post it severed coffee 24 hours a day and was always open for food when we were in need

You ate most meals at the Coffee Cafe?

Sorry it was called The Blue Lagoon café and served fresh coffee 24 hours a day. I have stated in other posts that we had most of our meals there

Oh...I see. Now I understand. You're right. NCL is different than either Celebrity or Princess. Obviously, they have "Dress up, or not" nights. Just came off the Breakaway, and I don't recall seeing one person wearing a tie, or a jacket, on any night. That's becoming more the norm rather than the exception on my other cruises, too.

 

Most of the other cruise lines, you either dine in the MDR or you of to their buffet, if you don't want specialty dining.

 

Again, not a criticism, I think if you would have asked one of the ship's staff or looked at the dailies, you would have found a wealth of alternative dining venues on your cruise outside of the MDRs. Not sure what the venues were on your particular cruise, but there were 3 MDRs on my latest NCL cruises....Manhattan Room, Taste and Savor. Nothing formal required in any of them.

 

Then there was the Buffet. Or, you could have gone to O'Sheehans (open 24/7), or the Uptown Grill. And, then there were the specialty dining venues available, too.

 

Not sure if you'll ever cruise NCL again, but here's a guide that would be helpful if you do....

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Dining-Guide-06202014.pdf

 

Can't speak about the furnishings on your ship, but I think it's one of NCL's older ships. Staff? I've always found exemplary on NCL.

 

Coming from a person who smashed his leg in a motorcycle accident years ago (all better now, though) and having spent a year with limited mobility, I do agree if you absolutely, positively, have to use a scooter, a walker, strollers, etc. NCL probably isn't the cruise line I'd choose first.

 

Can't speak to using scooters at the port. Each port I've been on has had varying degrees of "limited mobility" friendliness and accommodations.

 

Best of luck wherever you end up on your next cruise.

Thanks for the info there were 2 MDR, Buffet, 24 hour Coffee Café( were we ate most days as the breakfast menu and rest of the day menu suited us once we found that the MDR were not for us) then 7 restaurants with a cover charge from $15 to $30 we ate at the Italian on the last night at $15 but not at the stake house at $30 !!!!

I must say that the title of your thread worried me as we are sailing the Jade later this year.

 

However, it appears that the main problems you had were with the food and the furnishings. If this is the case, then I am less concerned. I have cruised many times before and know that the Jade is not one of the glitzy new ships. Did you have any other concerns?

 

I am also not sure what you mean by the formal evenings as NCL does not have any?? Or did you mean that NCL does not have many places to dine besides the MDR?

 

TIA!

I have answered the question about formal nights on page 3 The Ship looked very tired and the staff though friendly some could do with more training as the captain said in a question and answer talk when asked was the training done on board his answer was NO ITS A PITY THE TRAINING IS DONE AT HEAD OFFICE , The gang ways on and off the ship were very steep. There were other places to dine if you wanted to pay extra we did on the last night.

As I have said before that we enjoyed the places we went to and the shore excursions were good The Cabin on deck 11(11066) was fine and near a lift which was good for my walking as I did not want to take mobility scooter around all the time

All in all you are right our main problems were with the food and furnishings as well as some of the staff who made life more difficult about taking my scooter on excursions which I wrote about on the review page

Say this up front...I'm not criticizing the OP. I am having some issues following him/her.

 

There are no formal nights with Freestyle. So, I'm trying to understand if the OP was wanting formal nights? Or, disappointed without having formal nights (after all, there are no cruises on mainstream lines with formal nights any more)?

 

There were no issues with the "other food" venues, but disappointed with the MDR? Is that because there are no formal nights with Freestyle?

 

Menus didn't change? This is the first time I've heard this.

 

Reason I'm curious, the wife and I are thinking of trying one of the smaller NCL ships and we want to make sure we know what to expect.

I was just saying that other cruises I have been on had formal nights if you wanted to go you could if you did not there was lots of other places to eat and drink We did know what Freestyle meant and we were not expecting any formal nights We have been on 4 cruises in the last 5 years and attended one formal night last year on the Ocean Princess the other years we did our own thing. We have been with Celebrity and Princess and they both have had formal nights when we sailed with them. I have said my feelings on the MDR food I am sure everyone will have their own view

There's nothing like reading a review about how poor a ship was . . . . . when you're just about to go on it for two weeks yourself :eek:

 

Regardless of all that's been said, i'm sure i'll have a great time on the Jade - been on her before and know she's not prefect (like all of them). I think with cruising you can either spend all your time thinking about all the things you don't like, or just get on with it and enjoy the things you do like.

 

I've tried most of the cruise lines. I went on the Celebrity Constellation in 2004 and it was awarded the ship of the year I believe.It was amazing. I went on there in 2012 and to be honest it wasn't anywhere near as good as i'd rememebered. It was older, ships have advanced etc etc, but I still enjoyed every minute of it :D

Do have a good time all the ports we went to were great we had our problems but we still enjoyed the holiday and will cruise again but may be not with N C L for a few years !!!!!!

I have a question.

 

I note this from your review:

 

"The menus did not change, from one day to the next."

 

Is that actually the case? I ask because this isn't the first time I have read this written about the Jade. On every NCL cruise I have been on, about half of the menu changes every day. Is there really just one ship that serves exactly the same food every day? I'm interested because I'm sailing on the Jade in a few weeks.

In the MDR the menus on left did not change the menu on the right you would get one Special of the Port( main course only) which was something that had no meaning to the area we were in at the time in my view

We had Breakfast in The Blue Lagoon Café could not fault a good English. Lunch sandwich drink and soft ice cream on our balcony and dinner in the MDR or back to the Blue Lagoon for Fish and Chips which again I could not fault. As I said in my review the Blue Lagoon had a separate kitchen from the MDR and all the food we had there we could not fault as it was cooked to order .This the last I am going to write about the food !!!

I'm confused by this statement.... there is no formal night on NCL and there are lots and lots of places to eat besides the MDR...:confused:

I was meaning Formal Nights on other cruise liners in case people felt that you needed to dress up on those nights you could do other things with out feeling out of place.

We have been on 2 with Princess and 1 with celebrity and found the price for 14 nights were much the same as N C L staying in a mini suite. I note most of the reply's are from the U S A may be its the exchange rate that has been in our favour in the past !!!!!

Just to say I have posted a review on the review page and to put in context that we have cruised before with PRINCESS and CELEBRITY which we found in all areas to be of a much higher standard with anytime dinning and if you did not want to go to the Formal Night there were plenty of places to eat and drink on the same evening.

I really think that N.C.L need to look at all aspects of there catering with somewhat more choice in there main dinning rooms. It would also be nice some of the furnishings could be updated they had made a start with new carpets in some areas !!!

We did enjoy our cruise as all the ports we went were fabulous and the weather was great just pity about the ship

Again thanks for all the information we fly in from the UK and then we get transferred to the ship by NCL

Thanks we have booked mostly excursions that drive round the islands does anyone know which docks in Venice NCL uses

Any information on the Greece and Turkey Cruise I am booked on The Jade leaving on June 7th and was wondering what the weather was like and just a insight to the whole holiday

I have walking problems and am taking a taking a collapsible mobility scooter with me and hope to be able to take on the NCL excursions, Does anyone know if It is possible to take it on a tender with help from my partner

Any information will be most grateful:)

Thanks

Can one order a cooked breakfast from room service?

Thanks for the information I am hoping that my scooter will fit where the luggage would normally go it is collapsible and when we went on Princess and Celebrity Cruises and did tours from the ship we had no problems, they also reserved the front seats when possible

I am wondering the best way to see Venice on a mobility scooter does anyone know if the waterbuses will leave from anywhere near the docks and if they take scooters?

I would also like to ask if anyone can help me with choosing the best trips on shore with N.C.L with taking my scooter its is my walking for long distances that's the problem. I can get on and off coaches and get up and down steps as long as not too many We are calling in at Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Katskolon , Venice, Dubrovnik, Athens, Izmir, Split.

Any information of the best way to see these places with N.C.L or on our own will be most grateful. Many Thanks

We are sailing on June 7 on the Jade and was wondering if we could borrow a wheelchair from the ship on the days we go on shore by tender. I have a mobility collapsible scooter which I hope to use on board and on land but I have a feeling that I cant take it on a tender. I am also hoping that the scooter will fit into our Stateroom which is a mini suite on deck 11

The length is 39 ins width 19 ins weight with battery 100 lbs.