CAKEisgood

Yes and Yes. Excellent choices

And thank you for posting this question. I would like to say I’m a wine aficionado, but I’m just someone that enjoys wine. I drink what I like no matter what others may say we are on The Escape in a few weeks. The Escape has the Mondavi wine bar. It is lovely, if you haven’t been. Go to the wine tastings, and soak up all the knowledge from the Simms on board. They are incredible. Many of them are testing to be Master Simms, which even to test is an achievement. Go to the wine bar (deck 8 ) on your embarkation day and there is a table that lists the wine tastings and a sign up sheet. We always go to at least one tasting on a cruise. Enjoy your cruise and cheers 🥂

Completely agree! we came home and bought 6 bottles from wine.com The wine is actually created by Michael Mondavi, Robert’s son. Michael Mondavi also has partnered with NCL to create the East West wines, and some of those, not all, are in the unlimited beverage package (last time I checked on our cruise mid-January 2024) Try the East West wines on your next cruise. They are enjoyable reds and Prosecco. https://www.michaelmondavifamilyestate.com/The-Wines/Emblem Cheers 🍷

We have been on the larger ships and we found The Jade a delight for a smaller ship. We have cruised other cruise lines (some big, some smaller) and The Jade, so far, is our fav smallish ship. Nice to chat with a local Floridian. Keep in mind parking at Port Canaveral. If you don’t know, there is construction to build a new parking garage next to the existing parking garage. The Port opens the gates around 10 am to start self parking. We arrive around 9:45, wait in line until they open the gates. You pay in advance with a credit card before you pass through the gate. Have a terrific cruise!

Love me some Barry Manilow and Abba

So true. On our cruise a few weeks ago, one of the crew members, who described himself as a vocalist, loves the music of Joan Jett and Johnny Cash. Both are incredible artist, in my book, and worth replaying every day.

Hello. It depends on how much you will drink and the quality of the spirits and wines you prefer. We have had the premium plus and the unlimited open bar packages on different cruises. My preference is the premium plus because there are more quality wine choices. However, my husband prefers the unlimited open bar becaise the whiskey he prefers is part of that beverage package. We compromise and get the unlimited open bar, and I order the wine I prefer, and pay the difference if it’s more than $15/glass. He orders the whiskey he prefers and there is no charge. enjoy your cruise!

We’ve had a similar experience on last two cruises..in December and January. A som told us on our cruise in December the wineries that used to be offered by the glass opted to bottles only because they (the winery) couldn't supply NCL with enough wine to be offered by the glass. I wonder if the grape harvest in last years (meaning futures for drinking) was smaller and that is impacting the number and quality of wines offered by NCL.

Just came off The Jade and there was a game show (I think) every evening Price is Right Newlywed Battle of the sexes Deal or no deal (fees applied) Shows were Elements, Blazing Boots and Acrobats. As I look back, it does seem there was more of an emphasis towards the game shows.

Hello. I see how you might have asked that question 🤣 Oh, geez, that really didn't come out right. So, I do not have 2 husbands. Just the one.

my response is related to the author saying they are traveling with 2 other adults. Including a comparison to children is not relevant to this post for the author. That's not for me. Everyone has a preference and they aren't all the same. You do you and I'll do me 🙃

Hello, again. Here is a link to The Haven forum that you might find interesting. the purpose of the live review was to give others a real life feel of my experience. If you have more questions about The Haven please defer to The Haven forum.

Hello. I’m catching up after having spent a 5 night cruise on The Jade. It was refurbished in 2021 and is a beautiful ship. About your question regarding lounging on the promenade deck. There are none. Promenade deck is deck 7. Lifeboats hang above this deck. It appears it would not be practical for loungers on this deck for safety reasons. However,on the pool deck there are a lot of loungers, and many tables with chairs in the sun or not

all I can say is No Freakin’ Way. I’d rather sleep on a lounger than in a room with 2 other people, no matter my relationship to them , except my husband.

Hello and thank you for this conversation. We just spent fabulous days in The Haven on the Jade. The breakfast for Haven guest was served in Moderna and lunch in Cagney’s. The pictures and menu from the Encore Haven restaurant are very similar , if not the same, what we were offered on The Jade, but, as I said, these were in Moderna and Cagney’s, because Jade doesn’t have a Haven restaurant and bar. We loved our menu options for breakfast and lunch. Food tasted fabulous. interesting that the breakfast and lunch menu might be the same for all Haven guest, even if there isn’t a designated Haven restaurant on the ship.

The Haven doesn’t give upscale food experience on the Jade; instead it is upscale in service. We were given upscale food experience with Moderna for breakfast and Cagney’s for lunch - no extra cost. Our package came with Specialty Dining and so that’s where we chose to dine. Other larger ships with a Haven dining area and bar might provide that upscale food experience you are seeking without having to go to the specialty dining restaurant. Look at The Haven post that is pinned to the main NCL forums site for more details. Enjoy your next cruise

High quality cooking and chefs serve guests In the specialty dining restaurants. See my previous posts of dinner options we had in specialty dining. Fabulous service and food was amazing

Hello. And Yes! MDR is mediocre and not exciting. It’s not bad,but if you want Wow, then go to Specialty dining options. From my cruising experience, this is not unusual compared to other cruise lines. Indeed, I’ve read other cruise lines have awful MDR to push passengers to specialty dining. As Haven guests we were treated to Moderna for breakfast and Cagney’s for lunch. I hope you tried those options, because the food and service was awesome I hope you will embark on NCL again and try the Specialty dining.

Agree! We have no complaints. Enjoyed every day, the food, and the crew. It was spectacular. I suggest if you are in need of extra service or better meal option, just ask! Have a wonderful cruise 🚢

Hello. There are no loungers on the Promenade deck. This is the deck just below the lifeboats and it is used by the crew to move food, entertainment pieces, etc and it would seem loungers aren’t practical or safe. there are plenty of loungers on the pool deck that allow you to sun bathe or not

Hello. I didn’t look for ginger beer. However, I noticed on the cocktail menus options for non-alcoholic drinks.

This is the last of the anniversary cake I have enjoyed sharing our journey on The Jade. She is an awesome ship and the crew is incredible. Thank you for following along. Have a beautiful rest of your day, wherever that may be, and Happy New Year 🎊 2024 🤩🥳

We had dinner at Le Bistro and both of us had the same dish we had the other night, AND it was better. I couldn’t believe they topped the previous night, but they did. Seas are rough, for the Gulf of Mexico, and the ship is rocking a little bit side to side, so some might experience a little motion sickness. I saw a few passengers with a patch behind their ear. I might consider doing that for a longer cruise…I have to look outside and see the horizon otherwise I get motion sickness, hence a balcony cabin is an absolute must! At night I will go out to the balcony to look outside and calm my stomach. My husband thinks I do that just to go outside 😆

Hello and thanks for this comparison. I was just saying to my husband I have no complaints about this cruise. The food has been excellent and the crew very attentive ( in all areas, not just The Haven) The layout of the Jade, at first, was a bit confusing, but I got up early one morning and walked end to end several times to get my bearings. The decor is sophisticated. It is clean! We really like The Jade and look forward to more sailings on her

I thought we’d wait until after dinner to have cake, but my husband could not wait. Half of the cake is gone and it’s 4 pm. 😉 It is really good. It’s a white cake with a strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting. The cake is light and airy. I’m a baker and I can say with confidence this is a superbly crafted cake. I imagine the rest of cake will be gone before we disembark tomorrow morning 😁