Manbo

We actually bid on a Mini Suite on the Jade and got it. The only noted difference was the bathtub and as mentioned by Turtles and April, it is high and ours was slippery!

The location was not as good as our previously chosen balcony room. I will not be bidding on any future upgrades.

We also love the Pearl! Thanks for posting!

As for La Cucina, I have found it hit or miss, on some ships it was great and others, pretty sad. With that said, I only visit specailty restaurants when they are a part of a perk.

Per bag. You must be careful when packing the bags as they will tear easily. I roll/fold and fill as much as possible.

Platinum status gets a free bag...otherwise I think it is about $20 or so per bag.

I saw on a different site that a bunch of folks got those messages. Just delete them.

Thanks for a great post!

Several years ago, we were on the Gem and they had a very nice party in the Atrium. This February we were on the Jade and they had a small party in the Spinnaker Lounge. But the audio was terrible, so we left and went to the Atrium. It was kind of hard to see (glass railing to look through) but the audio was fine.

Remember...you don't get to see the commercials!

Great review! We cruised the Getaway in January 2017 and found the disembarkation was a cluster then as well!

So, NCL does not seem too interested in improving that aspect of this ship.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

You must fill the bag they provide and Cheers for Beers is correct they tear very easily.

I always roll things to fill the bag to get more in. Don't just toss them in.

Thanks for taking the time to write the "report card". Glad you had a good time on the Jade and looking forward to the Transatlanctic in April.

 

Q. Did you have a chance to visit O'Sheehans... it was a favourite hangout on the Star so wondering if you enjoyed too?

 

Thanks for all the great info.

Cheers,

Connie[/quote

 

It is funny you ask that. On our last night of the cruise, while watching the Super Bowl in the Atrium, my wife and i looked up and mentioned how we never made it to O'Sheehans!

Here is my thoughts on our past 10 days on the Jade.

The ship “A”

The Jade was recently refurbished and we liked the improvements.The Garden Café design was very accommodating and facilitated the flow ofpeople.

The crew “A”

The crew was hard working yet very friendly. Our cabinsteward was Noel and we never had such a clean cabin. Marko the barista/server in the Atrium wasgreat! Maria at Jasmine Garden was incredible!

There were more than a few times we felt that the crew wasoverloaded with work. We noted that on acomment card and I hope NCL pays heed. But all and all, the crew was wonderful.

The food “B+”

This was our tenth NCL cruise and we felt this was the bestfood out of any past NCL cruises. We loved Cagney’s (ate there twice), LeBistro, Moderno, Grand Pacific, Jasmine Gardens (sushi twice). We were underwhelmedwith La Cucina and even tried it twice!

Make sure you book your specialty restaurants as soon aspossible as we tried to change a reservation a few days into the cruise andthere was no availability at the other restaurants (that is why we ate at LaCucina the second time).

We did miss the pool side barbecues that we loved on pastcruises.

The entertainment “B+”

Randon was the best entertainer of the bunch! His vocals andsong selection gained him growing crowds every night! It was impossible to finda seat whenever he performed! Everyone sang along and one of the guests playedsome background harmonica!

The Show Band and the various variations were fun and very good!

Guitarist Don Diego was an incredible guitar player! Hevaried his sets from a Beatles tribute to classical guitar music. While notevery set was our style of music, the guy was awesome!

The big shows (Blazing Boots, Elements, the aerialists DuoAura, etc,) were all great!

We felt P&K Duo needed some coaching. Every set was the samesongs (Volaire and some bad Elvis) and same banter with the audience (Who hasbeen to Rome?).

We would have loved more music pool side. The C-Note Trionever played at the pool before 1:30.

The ports of call “B”.

As a result of Hurricane Irma, our itinerary was changed andwe enjoyed the new ports. We only booked 1 excursion through the ship (Curacao)which was a tour of the island and beach day. We were very pleased!

We did the other ports on our own, except we stayed on theship in Jamaica.

Bonaire was nice but not much to do.

As Platinum customers we get a 10% discount on excursions,but when we got our final statement the discount was not applied. Luckily, I caughtit in time to get it corrected. So, double check your charges before the last night!

Final Notes:

Chair Hogs were out in full force! For the first time I sawpeople drape towels over the chairs at the dinning tables in the pool areas! In theearly morning the crew would go around and place stickers with the time noted onthe loungers that were being hogged, but that was as far as they would go. Isaw lounge chairs with stickers go unattended for over 2 hours.

Television channels could be improved. A simple channel likeHeadline News would have been great. Fox News and MSNBC are non-stop politics.Or maybe CNN??

Embarkation was a breeze! We got to the pier at 11:30 andwere having a drink at the Great Outdoors by noon!

Disembarkation was just as smooth. We waited until 9:00 toleave and were waiting for our Lyft to the airport by 9:30.

Final Grade “A”!

We had a blast!!!

Never hurts to ask!!

Great review...I understand your comment about the ship feeling overcrowded. I think both "Away" ships feel narrow and as a result, too congested.

I am curious about the dis-embarkation? did it go smoothly?

We boarded at Miami last January and if I recall, just beyond the standard check in entrances, there was a Platinum section. But like others said, I asked as soon as I arrived and they directed me to the right section.

We did the POA a few years back and yes, the soda package was offered.Boarding is not an issue, so there isn't a worry about when to board. Keep in mind, POA is a smaller ship and it doesn't leave the US.

I also would pick the Gem...I am not a fan of the "away" ships. they feel too crowded and getting off is always a nightmare!

We sailed the Gem twice and loved it both times!

We were on this cruise last January and enjoyed it, except the Did-embarking process was a cluster! Did they improve the process this year???

Having cruised on both ships, I would recommend the Dawn. We felt the Getaway was very crowded at the pool area and buffet, which would make it difficult with kids and elderly if they have any mobility issues.

But, I am sure many will disagree.

We too are Platinum and agree with you. The service is declining as is quality.

I noticed on our last cruises that with most of the ship having the beverage package, just getting a drink is often difficult.

We are looking at land based vacations as well as other cruise lines. While we still love NCL...they need to work a little harder to keep my business.

Interesting comments all....but did you ever cruise BEFORE Specialty Dining existed???

It was great!

As I contend, it is all hype, not better quality!

Just my opinion.

We have cruised a decent amount over the years and have tried specialty dinning on many NCL ships. Overall, I must admit to being underwhelmed. There have been a few really nice experiences, but not really worth the extra price.

To make it worse, it seems like NCL is pushing more and more in that direction. For example the Margaritaville experience on the Getaway and Breakaway.

So, I suggest we stop getting caught up in the hype of Specialty dining and demand that the cruise lines provide their best dining options at all dining rooms to all guests. No more paying extra for dining!

Crazy idea???

We always book directly through NCL and usually wait for a sale, like Black Friday and ask what the special is for that day.

We got a couple hundred OBC each time and once a slightly better cabin.

Since you get double points for NCL purchases (or at least that was the deal when I had the card), you could rack up some nice points making your final payment. If it is too late for that, then probably no benefit for applying before the cruise.

We used the card for about a year and got a nice reward. Then we canceled!

"Will not be booking way in advance again in the Caribbean."

 

Totally depends on time of the year, choosing to sail during hurricane season NO. It's always risky!

Beerman,

Your comment is not fair...We have had our itinerary changed just like the OP for our cruise in February. So, your comment about hurricane season is not applicable.

I can totally relate. We have purchased many future cruise certificates, but also we also dealt with NCL staff that misled on details especially when there were specials involved.

Unless things changed, you can sell or transfer the extra certificates.

Moby is correct. You can book your own hotel and save a bundle as well. There is not much to be gained except they will handle your luggage.