dmwnc1959

I’m hoping that with the ships smaller size, lack of kid-friendly activities (compared to the much larger ships), and long repositioning cruise length that the number of kids on board will be at a minimum, even if it is over spring break and Easter. I got the mojito menu a couple of days ago on another thread, and it’s also a must-do on my list! The restaurant looks fairly intimate, and I think that may be why I’ve shied away from some specialty dining and opted for the buffet for dinner in years past. Sushi is always an option. I’m wondering though if it’s so good that it’s worth expending one of the 9-nights of specialty dining I’ll have on the reservation. And I’ve definitely considered the B2B Tampa-Panama City-Miami to the point I’ve held a cabin (two different times) but let them slide in favor of the much longer cruise.

This made me very happy and smile. 😁

I am bringing a couple pair of docker slacks so that should be good enough. I’m trying not to pack 2 suitcases and a carry-on, but due to the extremes in weather it may be unavoidable. Might pack a light sports jacket just in case. 😉 This is all very exciting!

This sounds like a plan. I’ll have to see what happens. 😁

THANK YOU! This may have very well changed my mind! And I’m on the Norwegian Jade, so no Los Lobos. 🥲 My cruise is 25-nights so I’m strategically spreading out my evening meals on 9-nights of specialty dining, as well O’Sheehan’s, Jasmine Garden, the MDR, and the other complimentary venues.

So, I gotta ask, if I have the specialty coffee package and the FAS, is it doable? I ran across a list of drinks that I want to try and the Espresso Martini was one of them.

I’ve looked at the menu for Le Bistro and it looks fantastic, I just hear it’s more dressy in the evening for dinner? I’m not taking a suit or tux. Trying to restrict some of my clothing options due to the length of the cruise. I’ve also eaten at a Brazilian-Style steakhouse on Allure of the Seas and it wasn’t a good experience. Dining as a solo it’s kind of awkward. If it’s better on NCL it might be worth a revisit.

Wow. 😳 Despite their huge popularity there are a couple of specialty restaurants on Norwegian Jade I’m personally not that interested in: the Brazilian Steakhouse, Le Bistro, and Teppanyaki, even though I may change my mind later. Cagney’s and La Cucina will get the bulk of my reservations.

That would be perfect! I’m booking a 7-night specialty dining package, and along with the 2 freebies have already picked out which restaurants I want to eat in. I’m hoping 9 nights will be enough!

Is that on the Norwegian Encore? To me that’s quite surprising on a ship that size with so many dining options. Wow. I’ve got my it set now on my iPhone calendar as a reminder. Just want to make sure I can grab some of those 5:30pm time slots. 😉

Would it be safe to assume that this is going to be about the same for longer 25-night repositioning cruises? 🤔

I’ve read on different posts in the past month two different ‘dates prior to your cruise’ when specialty dining opens for reservations. Can anyone confirm that it’s 90 days or 120 days? Is this also when shore excursions open for booking up as well? Thank you! 👍

You might want to try and post your question over on this thread…😁

I have checked out that option, too. Also looked at doing a B2B on Norwegian Jade doing the Tampa / Panama City / Panama City / Miami for 22-days. Did a pricing spreadsheet on that, checked tours on both sides of the canal through NCL and Viator. Hemmed and hawed, put a cabin on hold (did this two separate times), and then let the Courtesy Hold expire. I’m not sure if there could be a thing as Panama Canal Overdose but I think that would do it. 🤣

Yes, my first ever cruise with NCL, and it’s a doozy! I’m in for the long haul on this cruise. 🌎

Here’s a screenshot of my booking reservation which shows all the promo codes used. The MAP10OFF is my military/veteran discount. Not sure what the other ones are.

If you look at one of the newer class ships from the Quantum-class they have Solo Balcony cabins which seem to be very popular. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum-class_cruise_ship “With single staterooms, there is no single supplement fee. When Royal Caribbean added these rooms, they designed them to be respective of the ship's business model and this means solo cruisers do not have to pay double the cost of what the cruise should be” Some of the other Royal Caribbean ships actually have different types of cabins specially for solo cruisers. Hear a screenshot that might help.

But wow do I 🥰 LOVE 🥰 sea days. They could have a cruise sail out of New York City, driving in giant circles off the coast for a week then come back and I’d be pretty happy. 😁

I did the same this morning, a status-match with MSC against my Princess Cruises loyalty level (which is just Platinum) and also got their Gold Level. Mostly I want to cruise non-holidays and off-season Dec/Jan, and out of NYC or Baltimore. I’ve been researching Odyssey of the Seas and Norwegian Breakaway for Dec. 2025/Jan. 2026. The Odyssey of the Seas has a really nice 12-night from Bayonne on Jan. 26, 2026 and that one is catching my eye, but the multitude of dining options on NCL has me hooked. Decisions, decisions. 😁

Some people actually cruise just for the ship, and not the destinations. I’ve traveled several times out of New York and Baltimore in December simply because I wanted to be on that ship in off-season. Once a long time ago on Celebrity Mercury out of Baltimore we didn’t hit warm weather until Key West. 😁

Don’t know if there are any experts out there. I’m checking out the NCL website for the stockholder benefits and the FAQ really sort of left me with a question: ”Singles paying 200% are entitled to full onboard credit value.” If I’m in a Solo Inside paying that solo cruise fare (which really isn’t 200% since it’s sort of a ‘special rate’) do I still get the full OBC amount?

What an exceptional post! Thank you for sharing. I think that the one thing I’m accomplishing with these threads and these comparison posts is that I find myself adjusting my expectations long before I even get on the ship. And I find it amusing how offended and up in arms some people here get when their favorite cruise line comes into question by an outsider. There are a LOT of things I’m looking forward to on Norwegian Jade, and having breakfast at The Great Outdoors, a mojito at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, some tasty brewskies at O’Sheehan’s with lunch, and multiple dinners at La Cucina are definitely among them! 😁

Thank you for the tip. This cruise is just a single repositioning cruise that’s 25-nights. I’ve done B2B on other cruise lines, primarily Princess Cruises and Celebrity cruises. But this is the longest single non-stop cruise I’ve booked. I’ll check out the NCLH Shareholder benefits option on the NCL website to see how much I have purchase for the OBC. This may definitely be an option. 👍

I’m glad you know me that well. 🤣 There’s something to be said about detailed research, investigating all the options, making comparisons, and ensuring there’s no stone left unturned. Especially when I’m looking at a 25-night repositioning cruise, my longest cruise to date. I do things with enthusiasm and gusto, and planning everything out is half the fun to me…I totally ENJOY this immensely. And just for your information, I have been very satisfied with what I’m seeing on Norwegian Jade with the help of a lot of really great, insightful, and wonderful input from members of this forum. I’ve also come to adjust some expectations i.e. the drink package 😉 and the lack of chairs on the Promenade Deck. When embarkation day arrives, when that day happens, all I will have to do it sit back and savor every moment of the cruise, relish in every moment of my very first Panama Canal transit, take great pleasure in revisiting Los Angeles and San Francisco, and for a sixth time delight in the wonders and awe that is Alaska. I don’t want to get to the very end of a 25-night cruise and go ‘Oh, crap! I forgot to’ do this or do that, or forget to enjoy this beverage, or that beverage, or not remember to try this menu item that I’ve never had before. I only get to do this once. Once. There’s no going back, no do-overs, and there’s no second chance. For me at least. 😎

And that is my absolute right. Don’t like it, don’t read the threads. Period. It is just that simple. I picked Norwegian Jade - I don’t care that it’s the smallest and the oldest, just like I didn’t care that Coral Princess is the smaller and oldest - because she can transit the old locks of the Panama Canal. I didn’t want to cruise on HAL or Carnival again to accomplish the same thing, other cruise lines didn’t fit my desired time-slot, and I’m really not into the upscale niche premium lines, although I did look at Ponant. And if my standards were that high I’d be booking Silversea, Viking, or Oceania and not even bothering with NCL. But NCL has my money. Norwegian Jade also has a lot of dining options. Which I really like. It doesn’t matter if it has a Starbucks or not. Plenty of cruise lines don’t have Starbucks but still offer specialty coffees which can be obtained at multiple venues. I don’t drink ice coffee (to me they are an abomination lol) but being able to grab a specialty coffee in the buffet at breakfast would be nice. I don’t want to have to eat breakfast in the MDR just to make sure I can have a specialty coffee with my eggs and bacon. And I too have cruised for decades on a bunch of cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland-America, Celebrity, Cunard, and Princess) so humble-bragging your elevated loyalty status, or The Haven and suites, or butlers don’t impress or me.