Questions for someone who has sailed the same ship in Europe and the Caribbean

[anonmom]

I'm booked on my first cruise on the Jade out of Houston in January, but all the recent Jade reviews are from European tours. How seriously should I take descriptions of food/crew/amenities, etc? How much changes when a ship moves from one market to another?

 

Thanks!

[Demonyte]

Virtually no changes. The brand of some food stuff (milk products etc) does change and the entertainment on European cruises differs, but that is about it. Cruising with NCL is cruising with NCL wherever you do it.

 

Also because the crew rotates constantly, you can't really say how things (food/crew) on some future cruise will be because there is no way of telling who is cooking the food in any given galley atany given time. Food on NCL is generally very consistent across the fleet.

[anonmom]

Thanks for the quick reply! That makes me feel better, since I am new to cruising and I do want to get a feel for what it will be like onboard. Just didn't want to read a bunch of reviews now and then find out everything changes when the ship is in a different part of the world!

 

ETA: Just read your signature and I see you've cruised on Jade several times. I'm assuming that means you like the ship. :) Have you ever gotten the spa pass? If so, was it worth it? Is the t pool nice?

Edited August 4, 2015 by anonmom

[SteveH2508]

I am intrigued by this question, having only cruised NCL in Europe. I have read some reviews of US sailings and cannot square some of them with my NCL experiences in Europe.

 

I have a pet theory, (with no evidence to back it up:o), that there is a difference between the passenger make up between European sailings and US sailings, which changes the on-board ambience and the expectations.

 

Assuming that Demonyte's post is accurate (and their posts usually are), the only variables are the area sailed and the passenger clientele.

 

I await other answers with interest.

Edited August 4, 2015 by SteveH2508

[meltingmoments]

I am intrigued by this question, having only cruised NCL in Europe. I have read some reviews of US sailings and cannot square some of them with my NCL experiences in Europe.

 

I have a pet theory, (with no evidence to back it up:o), that there is a difference between the passenger make up between European sailings and US sailings, which changes the on-board ambience and the expectations.

 

Assuming that Demonyte's post is accurate (and their posts usually are), the only variables are the area sailed and the passenger clientele.

 

I await other answers with interest.

 

Whilst we haven't sailed the same SHIP in both Europe and the Caribbean, we have done Epic in Europe and Getaway in the Caribbean, and I made the same observation as you Steve.

The clientele was very different on the Getaway. Nothing horrid, just different. My example was that on the Getaway ( mainly American)everyone was so friendly........people would happily chat away having never met you before, whereas on the Epic (mainly European) not so much, people were more reserved. The Getaway also seemed to us more noisy, full of laughter and people REALLY having a great time...in a GOOD way, I mean!

Of course this is only our observations and other peoples experiences could be very different.

[SteveH2508]

Whilst we haven't sailed the same SHIP in both Europe and the Caribbean, we have done Epic in Europe and Getaway in the Caribbean, and I made the same observation as you Steve.

The clientele was very different on the Getaway. Nothing horrid, just different. My example was that on the Getaway ( mainly American)everyone was so friendly........people would happily chat away having never met you before, whereas on the Epic (mainly European) not so much, people were more reserved. The Getaway also seemed to us more noisy, full of laughter and people REALLY having a great time...in a GOOD way, I mean!

Of course this is only our observations and other peoples experiences could be very different.

 

We have always managed to get to know some people on European cruises (trivia, cigar bar, smoking areas are all good meeting points). DW has a great knack of getting into conversations with strangers (she is US born whereas I'm an uptight Englishman:rolleyes:).

 

I was curious as to some of the complaints I have read in reviews about dress code violations and 'loud complainers' as a difference across the pond.

[anonmom]

Oh, I'm sure that there is a big difference between the clientele! I have the misfortune ;) to live in the States, though, so unless people are literally wearing dirty/smelly clothing or screaming profanities angrily, I don't imagine I'll be shocked by any 'Ugly American' behavior.

 

And, being American, I tend to do the 'talking to random strangers' thing, so that is just normal to me. I'm definitely not the type to become actual friends with people I just happen to meet, but I like being friendly and chatting casually with people.

 

I was mostly wondering if things that people said in reviews about the types of food available (like seafood buffet night or roast chicken by the stir-fry station) and room amenities (complimentary shampoo, but not conditioner) etc. would still be accurate.

[arjay9]

A couple of years ago I sailed on the EPIC in the Caribbean in the Winter, then later the same year in Europe plus the TA that fall. I didn't notice many differences. The food was mostly the same, we did have a few different satellite TV channels while in Europe, that went away mid-way through the TA.

[txagfan]

Glad I'm not the only one who's a little anxious about the lack of recent U.S. Cruises for the Jade to see reviews and such. We're going for Thanksgiving and can't wait. I'm sure it will be great, just nice to see people reviewing your boat on your itinerary!

[jeffregpuck]

I haven't done the exact same ship in two different markets, but I have done NCL twice in the Med, twice in the Caribbean, and Alaska/New England 3 times. All of these itineraries are very different when it comes to clientele, and the activities onboard the ship. But as far as the friendliness, attentiveness and service from the crew, it has been fairly consistent fleetwide. The food has been fairly consistent as well, but you will see a few more "regional" selections on the European sailings than on the others.

 

The Alaskan and New England clientele is mostly an older crowd with not a lot of "parties" on board. There are still SOME, but they are mostly more themed nights like 50's/60's, 70's/80's, Disco Night, etc.

 

The European/Med clientele is much more generic in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience. These are usually the worst (in my opinion) cruises entertainment wise, although they are sometimes more universal (acrobats, magicians, etc.)

 

The Caribbean crowd is typically younger and expects to dance, party, have loud music, more lively shows, comedy, etc.

[JohnIreland]

When you are at sea the only way to tell you are in Europe is in the extra languages on the announcements.

[Demonyte]

When you are at sea the only way to tell you are in Europe is in the extra languages on the announcements.

 

Beep! Wrong answer. ;) :)

 

The number of languages used in announcements depends only on the passengers onboard - if there are enough of people speaking certain language, they will make multiple announcements anywhere in the world and on the other hand, they will not make extra announcements just for few people so the languages used in Europe can also vary cruise by cruise.

 

Of course the probability of multiple announcements is higher in Europe because of local passengers, but the location is not decisive factor there, so languages used does not tell where the ship is.

 

I've been on Caribbean cruises where all announcements were made also in French because of large number of French speaking Canadians (having entered French as their language in online checkin) onboard and on one where there was a large Chinese group that also got important announcements (regarding embarkation/disembarkation in ports etc) in Chinese.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Demonyte

[nolatravelgirl]

NCL markets mainly to American clientele and the Euro cruises will have more "once in a lifetime" Americans on board so they will be off the ship the majority of the day with lots of sightseeing and touring and will skip a lot of the on board activities. Where as the US departure cruises to the Caribbean may seem fuller, even on port days, as more of the American clientele have a "been there, done that" attitude so they board those ships and just think of it as a floating resort.

 

I will be on the Jade over New Year's and am using this as a relaxation week where I plan to take a lot of naps, sip drinks by the pool and head to the shows/clubs at night. The appeal of the itinerary was warm weather, not the actual port stops. This is in stark contrast to my upcoming Spirit cruise of the Mediterranean. I have tours planned in almost every port and will probably be only barely able to keep my eyes open after 8pm!