Review of the Jade (Western Med) 11/16-11/27

[gbntmom]

We continued our drive all the way to Positano. We wondered how this big bus was going to turn around on such a narrow road. Obviously, this had already been thought out, as there is a big, flat turn-around point in the town!

 

 

Our views at Positano

 

 

 

There was a little stand near the photo stop that was selling lemons, peppers, flavored nuts

 

 

On the drive back toward Sorrento, we passed many olive groves. The way that olives are harvested is that nets are laid under the trees, the trees are then shaken and the nets collect the olives. Once an area is harvested, the nets are rolled back up and tied up.

 

I thought that it was quite interesting when Gus had us figure out the price of gas. Remember, the price is posted in euros per liter. It is 6,60 euros per gallon so with the conversion rate in US dollars gas would be about $9/gallon.

 

 

[castlewench]

After an enjoyable meal, we headed off to the 930pm show - the Welcome Aboard Variety Show. It was a great way to end the day and gave us a taste of the entertainment we could expect for the next 10 days. After this, I decided it was time to take a quick shower & head to bed as a 630am wake up call was going to come pretty early!

 

Keep it coming... this is SO informative! I'll be going March 1st :)

[ibcnusoon]

Positano, how pretty! I loved the beauty of it from the movies "Only You" and "Under The Tuscan Sun".

 

Dreaming of a Med cruise now ....

[$hip$hape]

 

 

 

We met up with the group and left Cassis around 315pm headed back to Toulon.

We said our goodbyes to Marjolaine and headed back on board.

I headed up to Deck 12 & 13 to take some pictures of the port area, while Dad headed back to the cabin.

 

Janet,

I'm curious about your photo of the port area.

Did the NCL Jade port right in Toulon, or across the bay at La Seyne-sur-Mer ?

[gbntmom]

Janet,

I'm curious about your photo of the port area.

Did the NCL Jade port right in Toulon, or across the bay at La Seyne-sur-Mer ?

 

Great question! I had meant to post that the Jade actually docked in La Seyne-sur-Mer. Our tour guide had no trouble finding us. She said that they don't know which port they are docking in until the day of.

 

Janet

Edited January 11, 2014 by gbntmom

[gbntmom]

Once we got to Sorrento, there were several options. For those interested, CBM tours had arranged for lunch at a local restaurant. It was 14 euros per person with a choice of pizza or pasta, drink & dessert. We were told to meet back at the bus at a certain time (I can't remember now for the life of me & I didn't write it down). I know that we had plenty of time to eat and then walk around and explore.

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered down all kinds of side roads, lined with shops. We even stopped in to sample lemoncello!

 

 

[gbntmom]

Pompeii was the next, and final stop of the day. CBM tours advertises a guided tour. Our guide, Ciro (Cyrus) was phenomenal! He is not just a tour guide, but an archeologist who had been working in Pompeii. Time with him flew by! We were able to see so much as there were no crowds - due to it being November as well as being later in the day.

 

 

Here Ciro was showing us how the acoustics of the amphitheater were created so that you didn't need a microphone to be heard. It is amazing to hear yourself if you can find the correct spot to stand in, and then speak.

 

 

 

This is an example of ancient graffiti!

 

 

We learned how the raised stones were for crossing the street when it was raining. These stones were placed far enough apart that a chariot's wheels could fit between - you can still see the rut from the wheel!

 

 

We headed over to the home of a wealthy family. This was determined by the size of the home and the fact that there was a bench outside the door. This was for people to sit and wait to enter.

 

[gbntmom]

 

We then headed over to the bath house. This one is for men only

 

 

 

 

These were the "lockers" where the men would store their belongings.

 

 

We did make our way to the brothel which was quite interesting. While not advertised, there were ways to give directions to the location. Also, the "menus" posted were for those "foreigners" who did not speak the language.

 

[gbntmom]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ciro is on the left & Gus is on the right. Two fabulous guides for a great day in Naples! Pompeii at sunset is beautiful and the fact that there were no people around made it a special treat!

We returned to port right at 5pm, as promised. Again, another fabulous tour from a very professional company.

[LadyStone50]

I am late finding your trip report - lovely read :) We are doing a cruise in 2015 aboard this ship so I am very interested in all of it.

 

We flew into Rome last September. Sure wish we would have known about the Teravision Bus then.

[gbntmom]

We headed off for an early dinner. We actually finished sooner than expected, so headed to the cabin to start the unpleasant task of packing :( Made some headway before heading to the final show at 730pm. We had a chance to say our goodbyes to friends we made over the course of the cruise.

 

 

After the show, I wanted to finish packing so that I had time to go to the Chocolate Buffet at 945pm. I must admit, I did find this to be odd, having the Chocolate Buffet the last night of the cruise. That didn't mean that it wasn't good :)

 

Finished our goodbyes and headed for bed, as 6am will come sooner than I'd like!

 

We had made arrangements with the same 3 couples that we drove from Rome to port with to make the return trip to the airport. All of our flights were leaving between 1030-12 noon, so that worked out well. It was arranged for the driver to meet us at 7am. We had a chance to stop at the buffet for a quick bite and met our friends to disembark for the last time together at 645am. There were no lines, no delays and we were outside before 7am. It was an easy (and relatively quiet) drive to the airport. We got there around 8am and all headed to our respective gates.

 

I found it interesting that at the Rome FCO airport you first go through a passport check where they ask you questions about your luggage (who packed it, has it been left unattended). They hand you a clear plastic bag & ask that you place all of your electronics in it. Next, you head to the check in kiosk and baggage drop off. After, you proceed through security and then we had to take a shuttle to our terminal.

We got to our gate in plenty of time (1.5+ hours ahead of time). Its odd that there are very few seats around the gates, especially when this is an international terminal. Once called to board, you had to show your boarding pass & passport, heading down an escalator, through a walkway to the gate door. There you had to show the same documentation again. We laughed that we had to show our passports at least 5 or 6 times even after we passed through security! The flights home were fine and even while we delayed in Philadelphia due to weather, we still made it home the night before Thanksgiving!

[gbntmom]

Some final thoughts......

 

This was certainly a trip of a lifetime for my Dad & I. It was great to travel with him and have that one-on-one time with him.

I can't thank those friends from my Roll Call enough for all of the help and support they gave me along the way. This was my first time in "taking charge" as well as my first time participating in a Roll Call and I learned a lot along the way. I love being organized, so arranging tours and setting up spreadsheets was right up my alley. Reviews and comments that I found on CC were very helpful in assisting in choosing tour operators and places to see. We did have a very active Roll Call and the fact that so many came to both the "Unofficial" and "Official" Meet & Greets says a lot. We met so many great people who we can now call our friends. The fact that we met on the first day on board made it so nice for the entire rest of the cruise that as you walked along, you recognized someone you already met!

 

The Jade is a lovely ship with a great crew! Everyone really did want to make sure that you were enjoying your cruise. The entertainment was phenomenal! With such a port-intensive itinerary, it did make for early evenings (back in the cabin between 10-11pm), because of the early starts the next day. I know that the most talked about issue on ships is the food. While I am not a gourmet by any means, I felt that the food was good, presented well and tasty. I do love my sweets and while I think that the dessert menus could stand some improvement, that never once stopped me from finding something that I enjoyed. Our cabin was always clean and straightened and our cabin steward worked hard to make sure we were happy. All I had to do was ask, and it was taken care of. From separating the beds (it was originally set up as a queen), to asking for 2 copies of the Freestyle daily (so we each could have one), to replacing glasses and towels - everything was done quickly and discretely. In fact, we still don't know when he had the time to "sneak" in the things he did.

 

Some things that I was glad that I had done:

Brought some collapsible boxes (like ones at the Dollar Store) to help keep the shelves organized.

Brought an accordion file folder to store all of our maps, dailies, receipts.

Brought an electric candle (tea light size) to use as a night light.

The ever important umbrella!

Multiple camera cards - I did not bring a computer with me to download pictures daily, so I just switched out cards daily instead.

Bank information - Before leaving, I found out from my bank what the least expensive way to convert dollars into euros - it was using my no foreign transaction fee credit card and if I used it at an affiliated bank, I would not incur a fee.

 

Things that I wish I had brought/done:

Bring a pair of lounge pants/flip flops. After spending the day touring, it would have been more comfortable to change into something more relaxing before heading out to dinner

More cash - I learned that many places (including shops) did not (or preferred not to) accept credit cards.

An extra camera battery - with the cooler temperatures, it drained more quickly than I anticipated.

 

 

Things that I brought, but didn't really need:

Laundry things (stain stick, wrinkle release spray)

Reusable water bottles - due to the cooler temperatures, we didn't seem to use them as much as I thought we would.

Paperback books - I had just received a Kindle and wasn't sure how I would like it, due to the fact that I am a "hands on" person who likes to feel the pages of a book. The Kindle was great for the trip, and I had even downloaded my confirmations and emails of importance to it.

 

I had found a quote as I was planning this trip that really helped me enjoy it!

"Be ready for the unexpected and relax! We're on vacation!" Since I tend to be a planner and a person who enjoys structure & being in control, this quote became my mantra. It helped me to sit back, relax and take pleasure in what was going on, even if it wasn't exactly as I had planned it.

 

Will I be doing this again? You bet! Actually, I will be taking my DD (18 years old) on the Spirit this June as her High School graduation present. This trip has given me the confidence that I can plan private excursions or go off exploring on my own in foreign countries and have a great time!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions that I could answer for you. If not, thanks for reading along and enjoy your travels, wherever they may take you!

[herdingdogmom]

Thanks so much for taking the time to put together such a great review. We will be on the Jade again in March for the Eastern Med itinerary. Your Pompeii/Sorrento tour looks terrific. I can't wait!

[kimkencruzers]

Thanks for the great review!

 

In your opinion.. is a 10:30 a.m. flight from Rome direct to the USA (international terminal) do-able with a private transfer and self debark and carry on bags?

 

Thanks!

[AussiesJ&W]

We headed off for an early dinner. We actually finished sooner than expected, so headed to the cabin to start the unpleasant task of packing :( Made some headway before heading to the final show at 730pm. We had a chance to say our goodbyes to friends we made over the course of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

After the show, I wanted to finish packing so that I had time to go to the Chocolate Buffet at 945pm. I must admit, I did find this to be odd, having the Chocolate Buffet the last night of the cruise. That didn't mean that it wasn't good :)

 

Finished our goodbyes and headed for bed, as 6am will come sooner than I'd like!

 

We had made arrangements with the same 3 couples that we drove from Rome to port with to make the return trip to the airport. All of our flights were leaving between 1030-12 noon, so that worked out well. It was arranged for the driver to meet us at 7am. We had a chance to stop at the buffet for a quick bite and met our friends to disembark for the last time together at 645am. There were no lines, no delays and we were outside before 7am. It was an easy (and relatively quiet) drive to the airport. We got there around 8am and all headed to our respective gates.

 

I found it interesting that at the Rome FCO airport you first go through a passport check where they ask you questions about your luggage (who packed it, has it been left unattended). They hand you a clear plastic bag & ask that you place all of your electronics in it. Next, you head to the check in kiosk and baggage drop off. After, you proceed through security and then we had to take a shuttle to our terminal.

We got to our gate in plenty of time (1.5+ hours ahead of time). Its odd that there are very few seats around the gates, especially when this is an international terminal. Once called to board, you had to show your boarding pass & passport, heading down an escalator, through a walkway to the gate door. There you had to show the same documentation again. We laughed that we had to show our passports at least 5 or 6 times even after we passed through security! The flights home were fine and even while we delayed in Philadelphia due to weather, we still made it home the night before Thanksgiving!

 

Hello Janet, thank you so much for your reveiws, we are getting excited as we join the Jade April. Can you tell me the name of the Company you used for your transport back to the Rome Airport, we have an early flight and want to leave at 7am, and buy the sound of the security checks you nee to have a little extra time. Have you started planning you next Cruise yet. Cheers Wendy

[cocoabeachcruiser]

Thank you for a great review. I have a whole year till I go.

 

I get the impression the evening activities are earlier than on a Carribbean cruise?

[gbntmom]

Thanks for the great review!

 

In your opinion.. is a 10:30 a.m. flight from Rome direct to the USA (international terminal) do-able with a private transfer and self debark and carry on bags?

 

Thanks!

 

Glad you enjoyed it! We had an 1150am flight. Got to the airport at 8am and moved rather quickly through all of the check points. Had at least 1.5 hours (probably closer to 2 hours) before boarding. That being said, we were flying on a Wednesday and the airport wasn't very crowded (at least when we first arrived). It seemed that the checkpoints were just starting to open up around 8am, so I'm not sure how quickly it moved before that. With self debark, self carry bags - you get out very quickly. Not sure how early you plan to book private transfer. It could be done, but might be pushing it. Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip.

 

Janet

[gbntmom]

Hello Janet, thank you so much for your reveiws, we are getting excited as we join the Jade April. Can you tell me the name of the Company you used for your transport back to the Rome Airport, we have an early flight and want to leave at 7am, and buy the sound of the security checks you nee to have a little extra time. Have you started planning you next Cruise yet. Cheers Wendy

 

Wendy,

We used http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com . The total was 165 euros for 8 people. I have started planning the next cruise - on the Spirit this June with my daughter as her graduation from high school present.

Enjoy your trip!

Janet

[gbntmom]

Thank you for a great review. I have a whole year till I go.

 

I get the impression the evening activities are earlier than on a Carribbean cruise?

 

You will certainly have fun over this next year planning and hanging out on CC, I'm sure! The evening shows were generally held at 730pm & then at 930pm. There seemed to always be something going on in the Spinnaker lounge, Magnums, and the casino. It just seemed that for me, after a full day of sightseeing, a full belly and a show, I wasn't up for much more than a shower & bed - especially knowing that tomorrow was going to be the same! I'm not sure how that compares to a Caribbean cruise, as I have never been on one. Hope that helps!

 

Janet

[AussiesJ&W]

Wendy,

We used http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com . The total was 165 euros for 8 people. I have started planning the next cruise - on the Spirit this June with my daughter as her graduation from high school present.

Enjoy your trip!

Janet

Thanks Janet for the info, enjoy your trip with your Daughter.

wendy

[kimkencruzers]

Glad you enjoyed it! We had an 1150am flight. Got to the airport at 8am and moved rather quickly through all of the check points. Had at least 1.5 hours (probably closer to 2 hours) before boarding. That being said, we were flying on a Wednesday and the airport wasn't very crowded (at least when we first arrived). It seemed that the checkpoints were just starting to open up around 8am, so I'm not sure how quickly it moved before that. With self debark, self carry bags - you get out very quickly. Not sure how early you plan to book private transfer. It could be done, but might be pushing it. Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip.

 

Janet

 

 

Thanks Janet, it helps alot! When did they start letting self debark people off? I would like to book my transfer as early as possible, so do you think 6:15 is too early for us to get off self debark? Also, we are not checking any bags, do we get to skip the baggage check place at terminal 5? Thanks for all your help!

[museumlover]

Janet:

I have so much enjoyed your detailed review. You did a great job and such a blessing to your father!!! Thank you for sharing with all of us!

My husband and I will be on the April 12 sailing of the Jade. If you have the time, please respond to the following questions:

1. How dependable is the WI-FI on the Jade. We have a WI-FI only iPad. Is it slow like a lot of hotels' WI-FI? Do you know the mbps?

2. Is it possible to use WI-FI on the Jade to upload pictures?

3. How costly is the Jade's WI-FI?

4. If you didn't use the Jade's WI-FI, what did you use?

5. Besides trying to find a local McDonald's near the port, what other WI-FI options are there?

6. I'm trying to determine what app to use to download my Tom's Port Guides and my schedules/info sheets. I need an app that is usable OFF-Line. I'm thinking about using EVERNOTE. Is there an app you would recommend over EVERNOTE?

7. Thanks again for your reviews and for taking the time to answer these questions.

Happy Travels!

Lisa:

[CruisemanBC]

I thoroughly enjoyed your review of this cruise. Like many others, I will be on the April 12 sailing of this cruise and your review got me even more excited about it. I also enjoyed all of the photos you included. This will be my first time in Europe so your pictures provided a glimpse of what I have to look forward to. I'm buying a new camera specifically because of this cruise so I hope I get as many great pictures as you did. Thanks again for the review and enjoy the next one with your daughter!!!

[gbntmom]

Thanks Janet, it helps alot! When did they start letting self debark people off? I would like to book my transfer as early as possible, so do you think 6:15 is too early for us to get off self debark? Also, we are not checking any bags, do we get to skip the baggage check place at terminal 5? Thanks for all your help!

 

 

I believe that we were set to dock at 5 am. I'm not quite sure when people started leaving (they were not making overhead announcements until after 7am). But, there were a bunch of people already off the ship when we got outside. I just checked my last day information pack from NCL & easy walk off started at 615am.

You would get to skip baggage check (but would still need to get your boarding passes - unless you printed them onboard the night before). That would save one step!

Good luck!

 

Janet

Edited January 13, 2014 by gbntmom

[gbntmom]

Janet:

I have so much enjoyed your detailed review. You did a great job and such a blessing to your father!!! Thank you for sharing with all of us!

My husband and I will be on the April 12 sailing of the Jade. If you have the time, please respond to the following questions:

1. How dependable is the WI-FI on the Jade. We have a WI-FI only iPad. Is it slow like a lot of hotels' WI-FI? Do you know the mbps?

2. Is it possible to use WI-FI on the Jade to upload pictures?

3. How costly is the Jade's WI-FI?

4. If you didn't use the Jade's WI-FI, what did you use?

5. Besides trying to find a local McDonald's near the port, what other WI-FI options are there?

6. I'm trying to determine what app to use to download my Tom's Port Guides and my schedules/info sheets. I need an app that is usable OFF-Line. I'm thinking about using EVERNOTE. Is there an app you would recommend over EVERNOTE?

7. Thanks again for your reviews and for taking the time to answer these questions.

Happy Travels!

Lisa:

 

Lisa -

How exciting - your trip is coming up soon! You must be thrilled!

 

I did not use wi-fi on board. I have emailed a friend who did use wif-fi on board, to try to get some info. I did find that on Day 1 & 2 they offered up to 20 free minutes when you purchased a plan. From what I heard people talking about, service was very slow.

 

I brought along 8 different memory cards for my camera (ranging from 2 to 32gb). I just switched them out after a day (or 2 or 3) and then downloaded them once I got home.

 

A lot of places in port offer free wi-fi (not just McDonald's). In fact, on both of the HOHO buses, wifi was available!

 

I downloaded my Tom's Port Guides, as well as email confirmations, onto my Kindle. That seemed to work well for me.

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful, but if I find anything else out, I will come back & post!

 

Janet