Live Report - Jade From Athens 17th April

[KeithJenner]

38 minutes ago, Trimone said:

Following you it does seemed to have gone incredibly fast, any good tips for July cruise…

Drinks upgrade yeh or nay

Suite the same?

I’ll write more about them at the end, but drinks upgrade definitely yeh.

 

Suite is more complicated (at least for us)

[Guzzi12]

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

 I would prefer to tender, as they drop you off right in the centre. We are about 1.5 miles out.

 

We walked in. It isn’t a good walk as there are lots of bits with no pavement, so you have to walk in the road. We came back on the water taxi (€2 each).

 

 

 

 

I've been on this cruise two weeks ago and we had a complimentary shuttle bus to the centre. Was the bus not there this time?

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, Guzzi12 said:

 

I've been on this cruise two weeks ago and we had a complimentary shuttle bus to the centre. Was the bus not there this time?

Yes it was, I forgot to mention it. I thought the water bus was nicer though.

[Muckyduckway]

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

Just got back from Mykonos.

 

This is the third time we have been here and have always docked. I would prefer to tender, as they drop you off right in the centre. We are about 1.5 miles out.

Tender is often seen as a disadvantage but in my experience the drop-off location tends to more than compensate for any inconvenience, especially if the weather is nice and the tender isn't overcrowded and totally closed in.

 

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

Currently having a drink at The Great Outdoors before heading back to Moderno for dinner. I have been told I’m not allowed any of the cheesy bread balls tonight as they are my sons favourite and he probably won’t be back to Moderno for a few years.

 

I'd fight him for them (or if feeling civilized ask for extras 🙂 ) - Brazilian cheese bread is the bee's knees.

 

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

 

It’s getting a bit to near the end of the cruise for my liking. Time to book some more.

 

Strange how time on holiday always slows down for the first few days and then just flies by thereafter.

 

[KeithJenner]

On 4/14/2022 at 1:17 AM, Muckyduckway said:

Great start, will definitely  be following.

 

What happened in 2012 that caused you to start cursing! I know 7 year olds can be a handful but.... 😉

I only just noticed the typo. 🙂

 

It was a very accurate original post though. Maybe the cursing started before that.

[_Mr.G_]

6 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I only just noticed the typo. 🙂

It was a very accurate original post though. Maybe the cursing started before that.

Thanks for your reports Keith!

 

We will be on the Jade for the Israel cruise in 2 weeks. ☺️ What is the situation in the Garden buffet? Is it completely served (as Covid measure) or back to self service now?

[Crazy planning mom]

3 minutes ago, _Mr.G_ said:

Thanks for your reports Keith!

 

We will be on the Jade for the Israel cruise in 2 weeks. ☺️ What is the situation in the Garden buffet? Is it completely served (as Covid measure) or back to self service now?

Hope you post and let us know Israel works out.

[KeithJenner]

5 hours ago, _Mr.G_ said:

Thanks for your reports Keith!

 

We will be on the Jade for the Israel cruise in 2 weeks. ☺️ What is the situation in the Garden buffet? Is it completely served (as Covid measure) or back to self service now?

It’s completely self service.

 

Other than the masks, quiet ship and lack of a some events it is a normal cruise.

[KeithJenner]

14 hours ago, Muckyduckway said:

I'd fight him for them (or if feeling civilized ask for extras 🙂 ) - Brazilian cheese bread is the bee's knees.

 

My wife actually has the recipe, so we do sometimes have them at home. We still fight over them onboard though.

[casofilia]

If there is anyone on this cruise who is going B2B on the next Jade cruise please let us all know what was the difference between the two boardings wrt Covid.

 

Thanks

Edited April 22, 2022 by casofilia

[purplecow15]

Looks like new protocols. This an update from April 21, 2022 for Athens. I assume we don't need to test before leaving home. We will do home tests just to be safe. No mention of previous test results. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by purplecow15

[casofilia]

@purplecow15

 

Go further down the document you quote to Greece Cruise Protocols and compare/check with the Athens Protocol you quote!!

 

To me they seem at odds with each other.

[purplecow15]

5 minutes ago, casofilia said:

@purplecow15

 

Go further down the document you quote to Greece Cruise Protocols and compare/check with the Athens Protocol you quote!!

 

To me they seem at odds with each other.

It is at odds. As usual, their communication is so vague. No sense calling either because they won't know. Hopefully the next cruise going out this weekend will have someone to tell us how it was handled. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by purplecow15

[jennjess]

6 minutes ago, casofilia said:

@purplecow15

 

Go further down the document you quote to Greece Cruise Protocols and compare/check with the Athens Protocol you quote!!

 

To me they seem at odds with each other.

They most certainly are!

 

[casofilia]

@purplecow15 @jennjess

 

You realise that NCL is only really interested in providing "accurate" information for Americans cruising to or from the USA!!

Edited April 22, 2022 by casofilia

[_Mr.G_]

42 minutes ago, ChC said:

Please make sure you read about Israel entry requirement as well if your cruise goes to Israel. I received several emails from NCL in last 72 hours to tell me that I have to follow the Israel entry requirement. One of the requirement is PCR test 72 hours before EMBARK the ship (not before entering Israel!).

 

[Edit]

 

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/travel-requirements-by-country#israel

Edited April 22, 2022 by _Mr.G_

[_Mr.G_]

Just now, ChC said:

 

And here is the email from NCL emphasis PCR test 72 hours pre embrakation

 

OK! I missunderstood - the key word here is "An additional .. test".  So obiously two PCR tests are needed. Hope someone on the next cruises can share their experiences with this ..

[casofilia]

There are two situations with regard to the Jade leaving Piraeus; one for the visits to Israel and the other for those that don't go to Israel.

 

My reading is that because Israel demands a test before leaving Piraeus NCL will pay for it as it will for the test on board.   (My guess is that Patmos will be removed from those cruises to allow testing to be done on board after Kusadasi so that the results will be available on arrival in Israel and to allow a full day of sightseeing.)

 

For the cruises NOT going to Israel no country is demanding a test so NCL's own rules apply and so they will NOT pay for a test.

 

I suggest everyone on a cruise to Israel makes themselves familiar with the following:-

https://corona.health.gov.il/en/abroad/arriving-foreign-nationals/

[ziggyuk]

10 minutes ago, casofilia said:

My guess is that Patmos will be removed from those cruises to allow testing to be done on board after Kusadasi so that the results will be available on arrival in Israel and to allow a full day of sightseeing.

 

Unfortunately it's not NCL that carries out these tests it's the Israeli government, Israeli testers board and conduct the tests, the samples have to be handed over on arrival at the port for Israeli government processing.

On our cruise we arrived early (3AM) and were not released from hotel (ship) quarantine until about 1PM, 6 people tested positive and spent the rest of the cruise in isolation.

Edited April 22, 2022 by ziggyuk

[casofilia]

@ziggyuk

 

It looks as if you were unlucky being the first sailing.   If you look at the website you will see that the 24th April cruise has has Patmos removed from the cruise and that arrival in Ashdod is midnight.

 

People on that cruise should be off earlier than you were.

 

Mike

[casofilia]

I suggest that anyone doing a Jade cruise that involves Israel prints and carries with them the portion from the top of the "Required Travel Documentation and Information for Cruise Holidays" document above the "Athens Cruise Protocols including the Update date and also the specific "Israel Cruise Protocols" to ensure you get the required tests at NO COST!!

 

The requirements and the "freeness" are quite clear.

1. Home > Travel Requirements By Country

[KeithJenner]

Rhodes is my favourite Greek port. The old town is great to just walk around, and you dock very close so it is easy to walk on and off.

 

We went out in the morning and afternoon and really enjoyed just wandering around. Then we found a bar.

 

We were offered medium or large beer. I went for large and my wife medium. This meant that she only got a litre, compared to my two litres. 🙂

 

It all went downhill from there really. Dinner in La Cucina was excellent and then we went to the champagne bar to watch the piano player. I have vague memories of going back to our room at the end of the night.

 

I’m currently sitting in The Great Outdoors drinking coffee to try to prepare myself for the Santorini tender.

 

Quite a few pictures from Rhodes:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccp9uxLIP5y/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccp-GNkocc2/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccp-Ywsr-Vg/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Muckyduckway]

Looks like the weather played ball with you again. I find the more aggressive attitude of the cafe staff in Rhodes Town to be a bit off-putting, but otherwise it is very convenient and lovely to tour or just wander.

 

How in earth did you get so many people-free photos, it looks positively idyllic.

[KeithJenner]

Currently waiting for the coach back to Thira from Oia, so I’m taking the opportunity to post some pictures from here.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccr9CEqIrm_/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Edited April 23, 2022 by KeithJenner

[Crazy planning mom]

Keith, this has been a wonderful thread.  Thank u for sharing with us.