First cruise with NCL Jade help needed

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Hello all

 

We have cruised a fair bit with RCL Princess and HAL this will be our first with NCL. We are looking at the cruise from Barcelona in Nov 21.

 

We have had mixed reviews from friends on NCL we would love to know what you like and dislike about NCL as a whole.

 

I do have two question 1 is there a laundromat on board and do they also sell the pop card.

 

Any help would be great

[SuiteTraveler]

There is no laundry mat on board the Jade.

 

You can buy a pop card - or something for soda pop - I didn't buy one, but I know they have it. They also have a discounted wine package.

 

I have cruised many lines: Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, RCCL, HAL and I have been on the Jade - last May and am going again this May. This is just my opinion, but I would not cruise on NCL in anything lower than a Penthouse. This is due to all the special perks for Suite guests. Our first trip on the Jade was a 2 week Med. cruise in a Courtyard Villa - which was outstanding. I have seen all the other cabin categories (we had a cabin crawl) and while they are nice, the perks for Penthouse and above are really what made our trip special and unique. This upcoming cruise, we have an Owner's Suite.

 

The food in the Grand Pacific dining room and Alizar was average to very good. I especially liked (in fact, preferred) the Cooking Light entrees that were available every night. They were low calorie and delicious! The Garden Cafe was a madhouse in the morning. Since we were in a Courtyard Villa, we only ate there one time due to a super early excurion (before Cagney's opened for breakfast) and said "Never again." Penthouse and above can eat breakfast in Cagneys and that's where we ate. If I had a lower than Penthouse cabin on this ship, I would just get room service or go to the main dining room for breakfast.

 

I did not like the overall appearance of the Garden Cafe - it looks dated with 6 inch pastel tiles - I have no idea why they chose this decor because the Jade is from 2006 - so it should be more up to date, but it's not - it looks like something out of the 1980's! IMO it needs to be substantially redecorated. The Teppenyaki room was fully booked every night of our 2 week cruise - we could have eaten there, but we really are not wild about Benihana type eateries. We did eat at Le Bistro several times - it was great! And we ate at Cagneys for dinner one night, which was everything a steakhouse is supposed to be. We didn't really do any of the Asian restaurants because we were in Europe and that food just seemed a bit out of place. We tried the Italian - but did not like it.

 

Our daily tours - we were off the ship all day long almost every single day. We would come back, have dinner, wonder if we should go to a show and wind up watching a movie on our in suite DVD player. My husband did go to the comedy show one night and he said it was good. The Courtyard was outstanding and we made use of the hottub and the villa sundeck was always empty and has some super comfortable furniture. It was a great place to photograph the ports from.

 

The Casino is very attractive with Chinese decor. The slots were tight during our cruise so I only played a bit. My husband played in a Texas Hold 'em Poker tournament and had fun.

 

Since the last cruise was in early May, we didn't use the pools - it was too cool, but there were a few brave souls who did use them.

 

Never went to the spa. Spent our sea day enjoying our Courtyard Villa and relaxing - we were very tired from the ports.

 

I cannot say enough good things about the suites on NCL. I highly recommend them.

[Atlanta07]

We did the same cruise out of Barcelona last year and we loved the ship and ports. Egypt is a little interesting - but worth the trip - at least once. Previous poster was correct. No self-service Laundry and yes you can buy a soda card.

 

We did the cruise on the Jade in the courtyard as well. Had a great time! The casino was fun, but a little tight. We didn't do the main dining rooms, but the specialty restaurants were great.

 

NCL's freestyle cruising brings a whole new "air" if you will to cruising. When you get on the ship you are greated with champaign ... and then not asked for your cruise card to pay for it. They truly treat you well throughout the ship whether you are in a suite or not.

 

Any other questions, just ask - You will absolutely love it!

[Twaincruisers]

We are not big NCL fans but had a very comfortable cruise on the Jade out of Barcelona to Morocco, etc, in Feb/Mar. We much prefer fixed seating and the better service that usually comes with it. Food was usually quite good in DR and we had no complaints with the buffet either.

[SteveH2508]

<snip>

 

NCL's freestyle cruising brings a whole new "air" if you will to cruising. When you get on the ship you are greated with champaign ... and then not asked for your cruise card to pay for it. <snip>

 

OP, to avoid disappointment, be aware that the complimentary bubbly on embarkation has been discontinued.

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Thank you for all your help everyone. Being new to NCL we have heard some horro stories and some good ones, we really like the cruise agenda just want make sure NCL was a good cruise line.

 

Is there anything we should be turned off on with NCL. I see lots of reviews about bad food in the dining room.

[rosie#1]

We went on the Jade last Nov. First NCL cruise after many on RCCL. I agree with SuiteTraveler about the Garden Cafe. It was not a pleasant experience for breakfast or for lunch on sea days. Cagney's is a great benefit if you are in a suite. We didn't notice much of a difference between the two lines. We love freestyle dining at NCL,but we preferred RCCL's layout and decor.

[Turtles06]

OP: what my partner and I love best about NCL is freestyle dining. We totally love the flexibility of being able to eat when we want, where, and with whom. Particularly on port days, when you never know exactly when you'll be getting back to the ship, or how tired you might be, or what you'll feel like doing in the evening, this flexibility is, to us at least, enormously wonderful and important.

 

We were on the Jade in January, and we liked the ship a lot. Except on one night, we found the food in both MDRs to be pretty good. (We thought the food in the Blue Lagoon was really disappointing, even for what it was supposed to be. We used it as a place of last resort late at night if we really needed to eat something.)

 

Don't miss the bridge viewing room, which is on Deck 11, all the way forward of course. (Daytime only.)(Some pax seem not to know it's there.)

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

Below: the Jade in Malta

 

[FB Cruiser]

We have been on the Jade twice. In March, we took the Jade from Barcelona to Morocco, and the Canary Islands.

On the last cruise, we did find the quality and choices in the main dining rooms to have gone down. Nothing bad, but certainly some downgrading frfom our past cruises. More night were spent in the speciality resturants, which were all ver golod.

 

We have taken 10 NCL cruises, and love free style. I personally can't imagine going any other way. The other thing we did see some slip in is the entertainment. It used to be that the production shows were done by a Jean Ann Ryan company troupe. Now, it appears NCL is using in house production. Not quite as good.

[Budget Queen]

I have sailed the Jade 4 times (once when it was the Pride of Hawaii), and greatly enjoy the cruiseline, and I sail in the cheapest inside cabin I can get. :)

 

They have good itineraries, and good prices. You can NOT expect 5 star and being realistic can go a long way. :)

 

In Europe, for me, the features are outside the ship. So consider making some great port touring plans and overall- enjoy the trip. :)

[AuntieBarb]

We have had mixed reviews from friends on NCL we would love to know what you like and dislike about NCL as a whole.

 

We cruised aboard the Jade for this itinerary in March. A link to my review is below in my signature. It was a great cruise!

 

We appreciate being able to dine when and where we want; asking for a table for 2 and typically being seated right away. Sure there can be times that a lot of passengers choose the same dining times, but we've rarely waited a terribly long time and when it was necessary we had a buzzer to carry while having a before dinner cocktail. Believe me, after all the busy days in port, it's nice to be able to dine at your leisure...as well as convenience!

 

We've been pleased with their food in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. There's always been adequate selection no matter what our preferences.

 

We like the daily service charges for contributing to the tipping pool. That way we concentrate on giving extra to those we feel go above and beyond the norm or are greatly responsible for our overall experience (such as our cabin steward). In comparison, we despise such things as being handed an envelope for tipping the matre'd on traditional cruises when we feel he didn't have any notable hand in our dining experience.

 

Our stateroom experiences have ranged from interiors to suites. Being spoiled rotten is quite addicting, but we've landed somewhere in the middle usually booking balconies.

 

We have always felt "at home" on NCL's ships, giving props to the staff & crew for great hospitality. We've never been bored, always having sufficient entertainment options for whatever our mood.

 

NCL is simply our cruise line of choice. Have we tried out all the cruise lines? No, but if it ain't broke why fix it? LOL NCL fits our pocketbook, provides itineraries of interest and takes good care of us.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Well we have decided to go with the Jade. We are pricing out this great cruise as we speak. Any suggestions on some good suppliers for pricing besides our Travel agent.

[SuiteTraveler]

If in doubt, regarding what to order for dinner in the Main dining room or Alizar, order the Cooking Light selection. These recipes come straight from the Cooking Light magazine and they are delicious! I was never disappointed in any Cooking Light meal I selected!

 

We are not allowed to post links to travel agencies here. Sorry. Just Google "NCL Jade buy cruise" and start researching.

[Viking75]

I sailed on the NCL Jade last year out of Barcelona and enjoyed the ship and the ports. I took a number of photos of the ship and the ports that might help you visualize both.

 

Bon voyage,

 

Ship:

 

Ports:

[hbe]

Well we have decided to go with the Jade. We are pricing out this great cruise as we speak. Any suggestions on some good suppliers for pricing besides our Travel agent.

 

google cruise shopping they have some group rates

[tequilalynn]

Just returned from a cruise in the western Med aboard the Jade. It was our first time in Europe, and our first balcony cabin. Sailed on the Sky in an ocean view in 2004 and aboard the Star in an inside. Love the freestyle concept, have never known any other way, and we do not feel a need to check out any other line.

 

We had only positive interactions with the crew. They went out of their way for us. I really cannot say enough about them.

 

As has been mentioned before, the Hawaii decor is a little disconcerting, but in the end it does not really matter...what matters is the itinerary, crew, food etc. We found the MDR food to be quite good, especially Alizar. We also ate at the Teppenyaki, which was excellent, and Le Bistro for our anniversary, where the service was indeed wonderful and the food was perfect; the staff brought us a cake and sang to us at the end of the meal.

 

We met excellent bartenders at the Martini Bar, they "made our day" every evening as we discussed excursions etc.

 

Overall, the Jade was a very fine cruise experience for us, a beautiful ship with a great itinerary, just the best cruise we have taken! I can only hope we get to cruise NCL again.

 

Hope my comments make sense, I am still a bit jet lagged!

 

Have a great time on your cruise.

[spiedieone]

We took this cruise in march, we have been on most cruise lines and always loved ncl for the freestyle, however, we did not like the jade at all, the decor is awful, the service on this ship had allot to be desired, couldn't even get a drink at casino, the buffet is set up all wrong, very confusing, there were other times sitting in a bar with friends and couln't get anyone to wait on us for a drink order. We felt the specialty rest. were way over priced for what you got, almost felt nickeld and dimed to death. The Itt. is wonderful, but because of this experiance we will take rccl next winter out of nj.

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

How is the food in the main dining room from other posts it seems to be up and down. How is the selection of food and also do the have there core menu with steak and chicken every night amoung other things.

[Budget Queen]

How is the food in the main dining room from other posts it seems to be up and down. How is the selection of food and also do the have there core menu with steak and chicken every night amoung other things.

 

I've been on several cruiselines in the past couple years, and ALL have cut back. You will find "something", I'm sure that will be good, may need a little searching. :)

Just do not expect 5 star. :)

[Sauer-kraut]

How is the food in the main dining room from other posts it seems to be up and down. How is the selection of food and also do the have there core menu with steak and chicken every night amoung other things.

 

3 people in a dining room get the EXACT same meal. One will rave about it, one will say its okay, and the 3rd will say "eh... not so much". Food is highly subjective.

 

I have read that if you don't see a steak on the menu... ask the server if you can have one instead of the offerings for the evening. I think steak is always available, even if not listed for the meal.

 

I have also read people lamenting the fact that the plates aren't really finished with vegetables. I have in the past asked for a side of steamed veg of the day and there was no problem at all. Kinda keeps ya regular :D

 

Enjoy your cruise and come back and tell us what you liked and disliked. Happy sailing!!

[beachcruise]

We are going on the Jade at the end of May and was wondering if the spa pass is worth it. This is our 5 ncl cruise and we relax alot at the spa. This time we will be spending alot of time at the ports exploring. Is it worth it?

[petesweet]

We'll be on that cruise. Have you been to our rollcall?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=970637

 

Kathy

[lacegang]

We've been on the Jade twice and loved it each time. We think the food is excellent. Yes the buffet is a bit of a bun fight, but if you are polite and wait your turn, it's really not a problem, I love the choice of all the different types of food on offer in the buffet. I'm sure that chicken breast and steak are on offer each evening in the main dining room. Have a fab holiday :D

[beamer101]

I have sailed the Jade 4 times (once when it was the Pride of Hawaii), and greatly enjoy the cruiseline, and I sail in the cheapest inside cabin I can get. :)

 

They have good itineraries, and good prices. You can NOT expect 5 star and being realistic can go a long way. :)

 

In Europe, for me, the features are outside the ship. So consider making some great port touring plans and overall- enjoy the trip. :)

Bravo! This is the most accurate review one could ever come up with for the Jade in 100 words or less! We were on the Jade in March and had an absolutely wonderful time, but we went in with very realistic expectations about the food and thus were not disappointed.

BTW, if you are flying out of Vancouver, check out KLM. We flew with them to Barcelona via Amsterdam and they were lights out fantastic.

Enjoy Europe (now that should be easy!)

[mellygo]

DH and I were pretty loyal to Celebrity and RCI until this year. RCI did something creepy to us, and we probably won't go back to them! But the good news is that we were on the Jewel in March, and we LOVED it!! Didn't expect to after reading horror stories here - but our experience was really magical!! We were in a balcony - not a suite, and we had a great cruise. We ate mostly in the MDR, although we thoroughly enjoyed Le Bistro. MDR was good to very good every day - liked it better for breakfast than the buffet - but when in a hurry, Blue Lagoon or the Buffet will suffice. You won't go hungry!! If you happen to get something you don't like - ask for something else!!

 

We are booked again with NCL next year - I am sure you will have a great cruise!!