Oct 2013 - Jade - Rough seas? Smoking? Actual time in port? Lines for meals?

[luvtocruise52]

We are considering a 14-day Oct 12 - 26 cruise on the Norwegian Jade, leaving Venice for ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean, and Ionian Seas, and wonder if the seas are likely to be rough that time of year. We have only cruised in the Caribbean when the seas were usually like glass.

 

Also, I read on someone's post that many people on this ship ignored the smoking policy and smoked in non-smoking public areas. Have others found this to be the case? I am highly allergic to cigarette smoke, and would have difficulty enjoying my cruise experience if it is difficult to avoid smokers.

 

The NCL site states that disembarkation usually occurs 2 hours after arrival, and that passengers must be on board 2 hours before departure. Does this apply only on the initial day of departure, or at each port? For example, arrival and departure in Dubrovnik are 8 am and 5 pm. Does this mean that actual time on shore would, at best, be 10 am - 3 pm (assuming that we were among the first to leave the ship and the last to get back on)? Or can passengers leave as soon as the ship is docked and do not have to reboard until just before departure? (No, I am not one of the ones who waits until the last minute to return to the ship!)

 

Finally, are the lines for a table at the "non-specialty" restaurants (the ones that don't require additional cost) very long as I have read on some posts? Which times are best to eat to avoid the lines? We have only assigned dinner times and table before.

 

We haven't cruised for awhile but look forward to doing so again and would appreciate any feedback from others. Thanks in advance!

[Sauer-kraut]

Except for embarkation day, which you need to be aboard no later than 2 hours before departure, usually you need to be back on board 1/2 prior to all aboard. So you should have more time in the ports. You may leave the ship as soon as it is cleared, in some instances you might have to wait a bit longer in ports that are doing a check. A half an hour is about normal to disembark on a port day.

 

As for the restaurants, you'll have to see, usually the wait isn't overbearingly long. Europeans tend to eat later around 7:30-8:00 so you might try to see how it is just a bit after 6 pm. There are more than one free dining venue so you can always adjust your dining area.

 

As to the seas, I can't answer that. In general it is still very warm in the Med in October. You might experience winds but I wouldn't really worry too much about rough seas, you are really almost travelling while sleeping and shouldn't notice much.

 

Hope you have a great time. You are in for an exhausting itinerary, so plan some down days where you don't have to feel the need to run run run and see everything. :)

[cabincop]

I have sailed 10x's inlate sept early oct never had rough seas. I love cruising that time of year for med. you can disembark right after ship docks in ports and be back onboard at least a half hour before departing for next port. Enjoy your cruise

[rsato]

I have been on the Eastern Med cruise twice with the Jade (December & January) - and found the seas very calm (they have aerobatic shows, jugglers, guys balancing on ladders, etc...). I never noticed smokers except on the promenade deck and casino. Our December cruise was pretty full so at peak times (7:00 pm) they would hand out beepers to people like restaurants. On our cruise last January the ship was much more empty and they never handed out a beeper - everyone got a table whether they wanted to sit by themselves or a bigger group.