vinnytman

We did the crystal cave tubing last month in Belize. We thought it was ok. We did zip lining the same day and that was more fun. We did it through NCL, but like the poster said above, book through a private vendor and it's half the cost.

Oh, bring lots of bug spray. We got eaten alive.

I have enjoyed my time in the Haven on the Epic & Breakaway. We currently have reservations for the Escape in 2017, but I'm not sure that we will be sailing with NCL for a 3rd time.

 

 

 

My question is - are there any other cruise ships that can provide the same service and amenities as the Haven - and entertain my 10 and 12 year old daughters?

 

 

 

I've started looking at Celebrity - are the pools as crowded as NCL??

 

 

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

We were in the Garden Villa on the Star last December; we just got off the Jade a couple weeks ago and stayed in a Garden Villa.

The Jewel class GVs layouts are different from the Dawn class GVs. The Jade is part of the Jewel class and the Star is part of the Dawn class ships.

These are awesome suites. Nothing compares to them at sea. We sailed with the same group of people both times. Although we did like the Star's GV and the ship, we preferred the Jade's GV more.

You should really try a Jewel class Garden Villa. You won't be sorry.

Thank you everyone- all this info is so helpful! I think we just might make our excursions, if all is still well in a couple of weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

 

 

I just talked to a friend who happened to be on last week's sailing of the Jade as well, and she said that tendering wasn't a problem for them either. She did mention, however, that on one excursion (it was an NCL one, but not sure if in Belize or Roatan) they had buses break down, and it caused them to miss out on half of the tour they were taking. She went on to say that no one was apologetic or helpful when they brought this up once back on the ship, which was disconcerting. She added, as others have, that the crew in general was not very helpful throughout the trip, and she felt as though they viewed the passengers as a nuisance more than anything. :(

 

 

 

One other thing she talked about was that they had no water for an entire day, without any explanation or apology at all. Sounds like there are still a few kinks to work out, but I'm sure we will still have a fabulous time! ;)

When we were on the Jade a couple weeks ago, we thought the crew was fantastic-- except for one of the restaurant hostess'. We had a run in with her 3 nights straight. When we complained it was apparent we weren't the only pax having issues with her. They made it up to us with a few free bottles of wine and champagne. But we didn't let her ruin our trip.

As far as the bus breaking down, these things will happen from time to time. Don't let it discourage you. And also, always bring bottle water with you. It was around 80 degrees and 90% humidity when we went, so you never want to be without water. We always bring bottle water on shore excursions. Some tour operators have water, others don't. Better just to have some.

Have a great vacation!

Hi everyone!

 

 

 

We will be on the Jade the first week of January, and after a lot of the reviews on the nightmarish tender/port docking process, I am getting a little nervous! Even though this is our first cruise with NCL, we went out on a limb and scheduled excursions in Belize and Roatan with independent companies. Now I'm worried we will not get off the ship in either place in time to make them.

 

 

 

The excursion in Belize departs from the dock at 9am going to Sharkray Alley, so if we happen to be late (like some have posted about recently), we will totally miss out on that.

 

 

 

The one in Roatan going zip lining is a little less strict on the departure time (it just says 1 hr after ship arrival), but it says it lasts a total of 4 1/2 hours, which, if we don't get off the tender boats until noon-ish, would not work.

 

 

 

What do we do?? Should we just cancel now and avoid the stress, or take the chance that by two weeks from now, NCL has worked out all the kinks in the port arrival process in both Belize and Roatan? I really want to go on these excursions, but not at the expense of my sanity- this is, after all, a vacation. :)

 

 

 

Any advice is welcome, especially from those who have recently been on this itinerary. Thank you all for any advice you can give me!

 

 

 

 

 

Kristi

I was in the 12/5 sailing. No issues tendering in Belize or Roatan. They seemed to have whatever kinks worked out.

Don't stress. It's super easy. You should make all your excursions with no issues. You'll have a blast!!!

We will be on the Jade in March, and I also have a question about the tendering process in Roatan. Are they still docking the ship for a short time early in the morning and then anchoring for the tender?

Pretty much. There were 4 ships total on Wednesday. An RCI ship was docked at the pier; the Dawn anchored about the same time the Jade started tendering; a ways back on the other side of the island a Carnival ship was anchored or docked -- I couldn't tell which.

I was also on the 12/5 Jade. I have to agree with the restaurant reservations-- kind of a joke.

When we tried making reservations ourselves, the person on the phone would say they were all booked.

We were in a Garden Villa, so when we called Bruno (the concierge) he got us in at whatever time we wanted. We ended up having most dinners and a few breakfasts in our cabin.

Our least favorite restaurant was La Cucina. We did have the whole main lobster in Cagneys and in LeBistro. Both were good.

We went to the New Orleans brunch in LeBistro one morning (there was a $20 cover pp) and it was a joke. There was a jazz band there but all the food you could get in the Garden Cafe or Cagneys for breakfast if you're a suite guest. Bruno refunded our covers since there was no New Orleans food whatsoever. I told him that they should rename the brunch or have New Orleans type of food there if they're going to charge a cover.

The only complaint we had was the hostess at Alizar. She was very rude and we got into a couple arguments with her. She wouldn't let us talk to the manager so we had to call Bruno in. Their communication is horrible and they seem to make up rules as they go along. It didn't ruin our cruise but the hostess could've been more polite.

The rest of the Jade was great! Service was awesome! Crew were awesome! And the ship was in great shape! We'd definitely sail in her again.

One other thing: 2 of us had the UDP and our 3 guests had the SDP. A few nights while eating in our cabin, everyone ordered multiple entrees so we could share and try different things, they never charged us extra. Our guests ordered Steak & the whole main lobster from Cagneys and never an up charge for ordering both or for ordering multiple entrees fro Cagneys or LeBistro. Seemed like they treated the SDP just like the UDP.

How long did it take to go through customs. We have a noon flight next month and thought we had best do a walk off and catch a cab asap. Any information would help. What cabs are at the docks?

We got off the Jade yesterday as well. Customs was quick and painless.

We had an 11:45am flight out of IAH, and got there with more than 2 hours to spare.

Sorry OP for high jacking this thread, but I have a few questions of my own (I'll be sailing Jade in Feb.) and didn't think it made sense to start another thread.

 

1. I understand that alcoholic drinks will be limited on embarkation day when we sail out of Houston and that we will pay tax on what is available until we hit open water. But what does "limited" mean? What is available? Can I have wine with my dinner? ...or maybe lunch. ;) Is it limited the entire first day or just until we hit open water?

 

2. Cagney's premium entrees: Assuming the current Cagney's menu is still in play in Feb, where a whole lobster is a $9.99 upcharge, does the SDP cover that? The T&C states in part that all menu items are included (including the upcharge items at Le Bistro) and a charge applied to additional entrees, meaning ordering more than one.

 

Thank you!

 

To the OP:

Spa: $129 per person for he week if you pre pay, otherwise add $20 per person. I don't know how much a day pass is. The Jade spa has one therapeutic pool not for swimming, heated lounge chairs, a hot tub and sauna (and/or steam room, I can't remember) which is in the locker rooms.

We just got off the Jade this morning.

The limited alcohol is still a lot to choose from. You can still get wine too. I don't have a list (they never told us) but it seemed you could get almost any type of drink you wanted, but the premium stuff wasn't part of the list.

We had the UDP and our friends had the SDP. We had the whole main lobster in Cagneys and didn't get up charged. It was good and you should try it, but I didn't think it was anything special.

Nope! We don't have the UBP so getting drinks will be a non issue. We plan to eat most meals in the villa, so long lines should not be an issue. We expect the butler to be amazing and I'm sure he will be. If not, we will chat with him about our needs and get it fixed. If that doesn't work we will talk with the cocierege. In other words, we will be the squeaky wheel. We are not super demanding but we will definitely speak up if we need to.

 

 

 

I'm sorry the guests of last week's sailings had to deal with such poor service! Their complaints are valid and I'd be upset too.

 

 

 

OP thanks for posting the good too along with all of the details. That helps a lot!

I hope you have Clint as your butler... If you do, he won't let you lift a finger. We got reprimanded by him for trying to clean up dishes after we were done having dinner in the garden villa. I'm sure they will take real good care if you!

 

I hope the maitre d's are monitoring this situation because its just sheer gluttony.

 

What situation should they be monitoring? Are they there to tell Pax how they can and can't eat? Should the Maitre d's be the food police now?

The UDP has been around for years! Pax could dine in as many specialty restaurants as they want in one evening.

With a he SDP it should cut down on Pax dining in multiple SD restaurants in one night, but I'm sure there are some that still will. To each their own.

I asked the concierge desk the same thing. They said that the SDP is essentially a punch card. If you purchase a 7 day SDP and eat at two SD restaurants in one night, then that counts as two out of your seven.

If you're lucky enough to have the UDP you can eat at as many SD restaurants as you want in a night -- for every night of your cruise.

That's the big difference between UDP and SDP.

After the 2015-16 Caribbean season, both NCL and Princess will cease operations out of the Bayport (Houston) terminal. Frankly, I'm not surprised. It took a bunch of money and incentives just to get them here ... as in no docking charges and $80,000 paid to the cruise lines for each sailing ... and they still couldn't make it work. Granted, the fare is only part of the overall revenue, but how many $299 cruises can the bottom line endure?

 

It's all about following the money, and it's not here. Right now, the hot markets are in Asia and Australia ... very similar to Europe a few years back. Five ships sailing virtually the identical itineraries from a region as small as this makes no sense.

 

Given the obstacles ... long, winding trips through the Ship Channel (no casino, no bar, no shops), the location (in the midst of one of the most active freight terminals in the country, with absolutely nothing for visitors to do), a capacity of one (count' em, one!) ship, the expense of getting to and from the airports, and the proximity to Galveston (a pretty decent tourist area, with two cruise lines sailing year-round) ... it was simply a matter of time. We sailed from there once ... that was enough for us.

 

The terminal was built as part of a political boondoggle in the first place, and was doomed from the beginning.

 

Al

We're on the Jade out of Houston in Dec. I've heard about the long Ship Channel, but how long does it take to get through it before they open the bars, casino and shops?

I guess I've never understood why people book directly with NCL...

We've booked both of our Garden Villas through a big box TA. We received all the promos NCL offers, plus a discounted price and OBC.

Last year we received about $4k off NCLs price and $500 OBC... This year not as much off, but almost $800 OBC. All booking through a TA.

I guess it helps to shop around, but I've always found a better deal and more OBC through the right TA.

I just wish the email had been a lot clearer -- it didn't indicate, to me at any rate, that the fee wasn't covering all the staff I would tip. I think had I really stopped and thought about the amount charged related to the number of staff receiving a cut, it would have occurred to me that it was a pretty scimpy tip. But I was just happy to have it taken care of ahead of time, I thought.

 

 

 

I'm still excited about our upcoming suite experience -- and happy that I will be properly prepared when the time comes to utilize and tip the special staff that comes with the suite.

NCL's wording can be confusing. I received an email about the DSC going up for Haven guests. The wording was weird about if the the Butler & Concierge were part of the new DSC.

I call up NCL and 3 people tell me that the Butler & Concierge are now covered with the DSC. Sounded too good to be true. I email The Concierge Desk and they said they weren't included.

Just wish the staff at NCL could get some better copywriters AND have their customer service people well informed about these things.

It has changed. Guests must now pay 18% service charge on the package price. Whether you use it or not. Also it is charged in specialty restaurants on top of cover. I assume it will apply to a la carte dining as well when it starts.

It depends when you booked and with WHO. We booked through a TA and received free UDP & UBP for our upcoming Dec cruise and the line items read:

Ultimate Dining Package (gratuities included)

Ultimate Beverage Package (gratuities included)

All depends when and who you book with whether the gratuities are included or not with the "freebies".

So glad I made that comment and you made yours, because I had no idea that I wasn't prepaying the gratuity and rather a daily service charge. How irritating. And thank heavens I'm not finding out while on the cruise!!!

 

So the Butler and Concierge are in addition to the daily service charge. Ouch! So does the DSC cover the valet at the Haven Courtyard? Or just the waiters in the dining room and various free dining options?

Good Question about the Haven Courtyard valet -- I'm sure someone here can chime in and answer.

We were on our first NCL cruise last Dec in a Garden Villa-- there was no Haven courtyard. This year we're on the Jade in a GV so it will be a different experience with the Haven courtyard.

Definitely search the CC NCL board about tipping butlers and concierge-- your head will spin at all the threads. But you'll find some good nuggets of info.

I honestly wish NCL would just raise the Haven DSC (again, I know) to include the services of the butlers & concierge. Just my 2 cents.

The a la carte dining in the specialty restaurants isn't a bad idea. Stuart had a very valid point.

BUT (and there's always a but), the implementation of this is key. For instance, if you can get a an app, salad, ribeye, and desert at Cagney's for around $35-$40, it equals out to what the cover is now.

But if NCL jacks up the prices on everything so you can't get out of Cagney's for under $60+ I don't think too many people will be dining there. We ate at Cagney's 3 times on our last cruise and it's good, but not great like a Morton's.

Only time will tell with how they price items in the individual specialty restaurants.

I look at it like a shell game... We paid 30% LESS last year for a GV with no perks then we're paying this year.

But we got all the freebie packages plus a ton of OBC from our TA so at the end of the day it's a wash... It's about the same we paid last year.

Wow. :eek:

 

If I had to be your steward/butler/dancing monkey for even a day I'd quit. I am certain the lazy butler likely counted being reassigned as a blessing.

Don't think the OP was being unreasonable at all. Suite pax pay the extra amount of $$$ for these services -- and butler service 24/7.

So the OP could've said nothing and stiffed the butler for a tip at the end for the lousy service or did what they did -- which was report it to the HD. The cruise lines want you to say something if there's bad service while on the ship so the appropriate staff can correct the problem right then and there.

Definitely relaxing in our GV on the Jade in December[emoji1]

Is it still confirmed that you can get unlimited extra entrees at Cagney's and Le Bistro PLUS the add-ons such as lobster tail for free with the UDP?

 

 

 

Because that's what made it worth it for me last time at $119, and it would still be worth it to me this time at $140.

 

 

 

Otherwise I may not be saving enough money to justify committing myself to a specialty every night (in case someone gets sick or too tired for a sit down meal).

 

 

 

I never eat in the MDR though.

Last year when in a GV and dined in our cabin, we ordered steak from Cagney's and lobster tail from LeBistro for dinner on the same night. We all had the UDP and no extra charges.

Granted, that isn't ordering a second entree at the same restaurant, but it was two entrees for each person at the same time.

The only reason we did that was because our butler recommended the lobster tail at LeBistro over the one at Cagney's.

Never understood the additional cost for a second entree if you could go to multiple restaurants the same night with the UDP. If NCL limited the package to one restaurant pp/per night then I can see why they'd have an additional charge.

Does anyone know why suites pay more?

When I called NCL about the suites being charged more today they said butler, concierge, and haven staff are now included in DSC.

Now, here, it does not state complimentary restaurant servers....so it 'looks' like it the DCS goes to ALL servers...and if that's the case why the 18% gratuity in the specialty restaurants?

 

The other sentence makes it seem as if the Concierge and butler ARE included in the DSC.

 

Harriet

That's what I stated above -- the last line was a little confusing.

From above:

So I called NCL, since we're on a December Jade sailing in a GV... and three people at NCL said that if you're sailing in the Haven, the butler, concierge, and Haven staff are ALL covered under the DSC now, and that's why the DSC is higher in the Haven categories.

I received the same email. The end was a little confusing to me when it said, "Guests who are sailing in Suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff."

So I called NCL, since we're on a December Jade sailing in a GV... and three people at NCL said that if you're sailing in the Haven, the butler, concierge, and Haven staff are ALL covered under the DSC now, and that's why the DSC is higher in the Haven categories.

Interesting...

What does a courtesy hold actually do?

We booked a GV on the Jade recently through our TA. She said both GVs for that cruise were on courtesy holds.

While she was talking to an NCL rep, they said if we're putting a deposit on a GV now, we could have our choice of which GV we wanted. So we booked one of them.