wvfrogg

I tried Ocean Blue on the Getaway, and it was the only disappointment I had on the cruise. The Oysters were tasteless and the Dover Sole had such a strong sauce that I couldn't taste the fish.  The lemon tart was also pretty tasteless, and the tart shell was so tough I couldn't cut it with a fork (or chew it).

I am a Platinum traveling solo, paying double for my balcony. Can I use my "free" twice for myself, going two different times?

I'm on the Jade in March and getting a little nervous. The reviews have been consistently terrible.

Don't be nervous -- the reviews are NOT consistently terrible. I loved my 12/5 Jade cruise and several others also indicated how much they enjoyed the cruise.

I tendered in Belize, which was no big deal, but chose not to leave this ship in Roatan. We also got in early, due to the fog. I was glad for that as one time coming into Tampa Bay the ship was 7 hours late due to the Coast Guard closing the channel leading to the port. Many, many missed their planes that time. This is not a NCL problem.

We thought the food was very good, were not charged extra for anything except for drinks we ordered by the pool. Crew was excellent as was the Service Desk. I had a $75 OBC and my daughter put $100 on it as a birthday gift. I had a credit at the end of the cruise, and we ate at speciality restaurants 3 times.

Enjoy your cruise, and I hope you get Derick as your stateroom steward. He was fantastic.

Do you remember how early the pools opened in the morning?

Are children allowed in both pools or is one reserved for adults?

Am not sure how early the open -- but it is early. One pool is reserved for adults and 2 of the 4 hot tubs are reserved for adults.

Fran,

 

Thank you so much for the awesome review. Yes, I have read some horrible reviews, so it was so nice to read a good one.

Thanks again and I am glad you had fun.

 

Kathleen

Thanks Kathleen -- it was a great cruise! Even had perfect weather.

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Join Date: Oct 2011

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Smile The Jade

After reading all the poor reviews lately of the Jade, I was very concerned about my cruise 12/5 on the Jade. But I should have had no fear at all -- it was a wonderful cruise and an awesome ship. The ship was spotless and in great condition.. The crew was outstanding: friendly, happy and very helpful. Our cabin steward Derick was one of the best I have ever had. And I felt that the food was definitely two or three notches up from my last few NCL cruises.

I normally ate breakfast at the Garden Cafe and there was a huge variety and I had no trouble finding a place to sit. Usually (on purpose) I ended up in the Great Outdoors enjoying the sea and sun. The omelet stations were very good, made to order. The pastries were also very good although I tried to stay away from them (failing from time to time on that one). All the bacon you could ever want was available, both in the crispy and limpy varieties. Huge selections available. I even thought the coffee was better than last year. Again, at lunch, I ate at the Garden Cafe. Dinner, though, was reserved for dining!

We ate 3 times at Grand Pacific and thought it was very good to excellent. I had poached salmon that was prepared perfectly, a "striploin" steak prepared rare that I though was as good as the steak at Cagneys, and prime rib, again rare and excellent. The French Onion Soup could have been left off the menu, it was a disappointment, but the rest of the appetizers we tried were good -- carpaccio, fried brie. Desserts also were very pretty but not very tasty- not worth the calories. We usually skipped dessert there and headed to the crepe station in the Garden Cafe for made to order crepes. Probably one of the best desserts on the ship.

Specialty restaurants: LaCucina -- fantastic. The carpaccio was perfect and the osso bucco was unbelievable. I missed having the 3 flavored oils with the warm bread, but they did give you good olive oil with a drop of balsamic to dip your bread. The osso bucco was one of the best I have ever had - on sea or on land. My friend ordered a pizza as an appetizer and was disappointed with that. But my meal was wonderful. Le Bistro -- again excellent. Escargot for an appetizer and the rack of lamb for entree. Both perfect. Creme Brulee for dessert, and this was one appetizer that was worth every bite. Cagney's -- okay! My least favorite of the 3. I ordered the lump crab meat salad for an appetizer, and there was no "lump" to it -- tasted like tiny bits of crab in mayo. Not impressed. The steak (ribeye) was very good and huge -- could only eat about half of it. Excellent were the fries in truffle oil and parmesan cheese. OMG. They were that good. I didn't care for the raspberry creme brulee at all -- thought it had a funny texture.

Okay - service at meals: I thought it was perfect - about 1 - 1 1/2 hours for most meals. They didn't try to rush you and I thought made the meal an occasion. I know there are those who think that is too long for a dinner, but for us it was just right. Often we sat with our coffee for even longer.

Negatives: Getting reservations for the specialty restaurants was a joke. I went down on Sunday morning to get 4 different reservations, and my choices (when I had one at all) were 5:45 or 9:30. There has to be a better way of doing that. We ate at 5:45 each night, and even by 7 when we were finishing, there were still lots of empty tables. It felt as though I had to fight for my "free" platinum dinner! Soda Package: my friend got the soda package, and most of the time when she went to the bar to get soda, in her words "when they saw my 'free' glass they just passed right over me." Maybe they should have a soda bar instead of having to jostle with the "tipping" tipplers for a drink.

Embarking and Disembarking: I thought they went well. We got to the port around 11, and were onboard at 12:05. We put our carryons in our cabins and then wandered until around 2 when our rooms were ready. Disembarking felt like it took forever, but when I checked my watch when we were done it only took 40 minutes, which really isn't bad. We had a later time - 9:30 and we were at IAH airport before 11:30.

Pool - always found seats, although on sea days it was crowded. But still found 2 together just about anywhere. There were a few chair hogs, but as there were plenty of lounges it didn't bother me. Negative - they did let the kids run around all over the pool and they would often "bump" into people. Thought the staff could have watched that a little better.

Cabins - my friend and I had adjoining balcony cabins on the 10th deck, mid ship. Obviously, we had plenty of storage as we weren't sharing with anyone! They were spotlessly clean, towels were newer and fluffy and plentiful. Derick made wonderful towel animals every night.

All-in-all this was one of my favorite cruises of all times. I'm not a huge fan of sailing from Houston (cost of taxi from hotels to port), but I love the Jewel class ships and this was my choice this time. And it turned out to be an excellent choice. So if you are concerned by the negative Jade comments, rest assured -- it was a fantastic cruise.

__________________

WVFrogg -- Fran

Coming Up:

12/5/15 - NCL Jade

Previous:

11/14 - NCL Jewel

12/13 - NCL Pearl

02/13 - NCL Dawn

12/12 - NCL Epic

11/11 - NCL Pearl

06/11 - Celebrity Infinity

02/10 - NCL Pearl

12/09 - NCL Sun

11/02 - NCL Sky

12/89 - Carnival Celebration

After reading all the poor reviews lately of the Jade, I was very concerned about my cruise 12/5 on the Jade. But I should have had no fear at all -- it was a wonderful cruise and an awesome ship. The ship was spotless and in great condition.. The crew was outstanding: friendly, happy and very helpful. Our cabin steward Derick was one of the best I have ever had. And I felt that the food was definitely two or three notches up from my last few NCL cruises.

I normally ate breakfast at the Garden Cafe and there was a huge variety and I had no trouble finding a place to sit. Usually (on purpose) I ended up in the Great Outdoors enjoying the sea and sun. The omelet stations were very good, made to order. The pastries were also very good although I tried to stay away from them (failing from time to time on that one). All the bacon you could ever want was available, both in the crispy and limpy varieties. Huge selections available. I even thought the coffee was better than last year. Again, at lunch, I ate at the Garden Cafe. Dinner, though, was reserved for dining!

We ate 3 times at Grand Pacific and thought it was very good to excellent. I had poached salmon that was prepared perfectly, a "striploin" steak prepared rare that I though was as good as the steak at Cagneys, and prime rib, again rare and excellent. The French Onion Soup could have been left off the menu, it was a disappointment, but the rest of the appetizers we tried were good -- carpaccio, fried brie. Desserts also were very pretty but not very tasty- not worth the calories. We usually skipped dessert there and headed to the crepe station in the Garden Cafe for made to order crepes. Probably one of the best desserts on the ship.

Specialty restaurants: LaCucina -- fantastic. The carpaccio was perfect and the osso bucco was unbelievable. I missed having the 3 flavored oils with the warm bread, but they did give you good olive oil with a drop of balsamic to dip your bread. The osso bucco was one of the best I have ever had - on sea or on land. My friend ordered a pizza as an appetizer and was disappointed with that. But my meal was wonderful. Le Bistro -- again excellent. Escargot for an appetizer and the rack of lamb for entree. Both perfect. Creme Brulee for dessert, and this was one appetizer that was worth every bite. Cagney's -- okay! My least favorite of the 3. I ordered the lump crab meat salad for an appetizer, and there was no "lump" to it -- tasted like tiny bits of crab in mayo. Not impressed. The steak (ribeye) was very good and huge -- could only eat about half of it. Excellent were the fries in truffle oil and parmesan cheese. OMG. They were that good. I didn't care for the raspberry creme brulee at all -- thought it had a funny texture.

Okay - service at meals: I thought it was perfect - about 1 - 1 1/2 hours for most meals. They didn't try to rush you and I thought made the meal an occasion. I know there are those who think that is too long for a dinner, but for us it was just right. Often we sat with our coffee for even longer.

Negatives: Getting reservations for the specialty restaurants was a joke. I went down on Sunday morning to get 4 different reservations, and my choices (when I had one at all) were 5:45 or 9:30. There has to be a better way of doing that. We ate at 5:45 each night, and even by 7 when we were finishing, there were still lots of empty tables. It felt as though I had to fight for my "free" platinum dinner! Soda Package: my friend got the soda package, and most of the time when she went to the bar to get soda, in her words "when they saw my 'free' glass they just passed right over me." Maybe they should have a soda bar instead of having to jostle with the "tipping" tipplers for a drink.

Embarking and Disembarking: I thought they went well. We got to the port around 11, and were onboard at 12:05. We put our carryons in our cabins and then wandered until around 2 when our rooms were ready. Disembarking felt like it took forever, but when I checked my watch when we were done it only took 40 minutes, which really isn't bad. We had a later time - 9:30 and we were at IAH airport before 11:30.

Pool - always found seats, although on sea days it was crowded. But still found 2 together just about anywhere. There were a few chair hogs, but as there were plenty of lounges it didn't bother me. Negative - they did let the kids run around all over the pool and they would often "bump" into people. Thought the staff could have watched that a little better.

Cabins - my friend and I had adjoining balcony cabins on the 10th deck, mid ship. Obviously, we had plenty of storage as we weren't sharing with anyone! They were spotlessly clean, towels were newer and fluffy and plentiful. Derick made wonderful towel animals every night.

All-in-all this was one of my favorite cruises of all times. I'm not a huge fan of sailing from Houston (cost of taxi from hotels to port), but I love the Jewel class ships and this was my choice this time. And it turned out to be an excellent choice. So if you are concerned by the negative Jade comments, rest assured -- it was a fantastic cruise.

What keeps me with NCL: Jewel class ships and their crew. I may be in a minority, but have no interest in mega ships with any line

I agree with this post -- I love the Jewel class ships -- my absolute favorite. Wish they were going out of different ports, but I'll keep trying to find them!

I strongly disagree - for example La Cucina's Osso Bucco is to die for IMO and according to most other mentions I've seen here.

I agree with the Osso Bucco - excellent, as was the seared salmon on white beans. I also enjoy the bread with three dipping oils - outstanding!!

Most people are looking for at least two seats together and groups tend to leave a chair between them and the next person.

Being a solo cruiser I usually get that chair between groups of two. No problem!

Sorry to throw another wrench in your plan. The Jade is going to Tampa. This is copy from the NCL press release regarding the redeployment.

 

 

I can handle Tampa -- although the one time I sailed from Tampa we were 6 hours late in leaving due to the fog. Still like Miami the best!

I sailed out of Texas last year, and am doing so again this December. It is probably my least favorite location from which to sail. The hotels around Houston Hobby have no restaurants nearby, and the Port itself was out in the middle of nowhere. But ... I love the Jewel class ships and this was the only one that did a Caribbean cruise when I wanted to go. I am not a fan of the "mega-ships" (only been on one - the Epic - and did not care for it). I would much rather go out of Miami but only the mega ships are going out of there.

So now, I have to make up my mind whether to stay with the Jewel class or try something new. I guess the Jade is going out of NOLA next year, so that may be my best bet.

My lowest amount ever was $18. I went to La Cucina for $15 and left a $3 tip. That was it! If I hadn't done that it would have been $0. But I love their salmon with white beans.

hat worries me most is if I am going to have to listen to all this kind of complaining on board the ship? Or, will they just suck it up and act like reasonable people. I have found that fellow passengers can make or break a cruise

If the people on the ship were as negative as they are here on the boards, I might give up cruising altogether. BUT ... I have found that 90-95% of the people on board are friendly and considerate. The only cruise where I noticed a lot of complaining was on my one time on the Epic. But it was windy and the ship was very tipsy! I think people on the boards just want something to complain about and to let the rest of us know how important they are. I don't care if they all cancel NCL reservations -- I might even get the "upgrade fairy" to call me more frequently.:D

I stayed there for two nights before my cruise and it is a wonderful location. Very clean room and bath, but they are small. But ... the hotel is right across from Bayside Market with all sorts of shops, restaurants, bars. Also can get the Hop On Hop Off bus tours smack dab across the street. Can also take a boat ride of the Biscayne Bay. I think it was a $10 cab ride to the port, which you can see from your window. There was a shuttle, but lots of people were waiting on it and I probably had blown $10 before getting my eyes open that day, so took the taxi. The hotel breakfast was a little on the high side, but there are other breakfast options just around a block or two away.

On my first cruise, we had the little envelopes to deliver to people. I was amazed at lunch and dinner the last day to realize that half of the dining room was empty. Hard to believe all of those absent ran around to find their waiter to make sure they got the tip. I just find the DSC to be a huge convenience, and actually probably spend less on it than I would if I were tipping each and every one.

Go to http://WWW.ReviewCruises.net. In the "search" part of the first page, put NCL food/menu. It will give you loads of pictures and menus to check out.

From my understanding, the cruise lines don't make their money on the cabins, but on what is spent onboard. So there will only be one of you "spending" extra money. Yes, there will only be one of you eating, but the crew still spends as much time with your cabin as they do with a cabin that has two people in it.

I have been on 7 "solo" cruises and have paid the 200% fare everytime except for one, where the supplement was 78%. And each time I received Latitude points for just 1, not for the two I paid for. But I was told that was because I was just "spending" for one onboard.

Who knows why it works as it does. I still love solo cruising!

Go to ReviewCruises.net and you can see NCL Food/Menu pictures for 2015.

I've eaten in La Cucina on every NCL cruise I've been on -- and sometimes twice. The osso bucco is very good and I love the salmon w/white beans. I've never had the pasta, as I prefer the other things. As mentioned the bread with the 4 oils is excellent. For the price, I don't think it can be beat.

:)

If anyone has an idea before our Nov cruise on the Breakaway please share it! $7.95/delivery makes for a very expensive pitcher of iced tea!

I take a large (really big) plastic cup with a lid. Fill it with ice and then fill it with the free ice tea that is onboard. Take it back to my cabin and put it in the fridge. I pack two of the cups w/lids -- usually leave one in the cabin, take the other one to the pool. Just make sure you fill your cup by using a clean, provided glass for the pouring. Takes a few minutes, but that is what the cruise line recommends.

No service charge -- no cost to the tea -- what?! A Freebie??

I was talking with a former employee (kind of high up) of RCCL. He said that they changed the policy and now the room stewards are responsible for the dishes, which were to remain in the cabins. The dirty dishes were then removed at either the morning cabin cleaning or the evening "turn-down" of sheets, etc. If you took food back after your cabin was prepared for bed, then the dishes would remain in your cabin until morning.

The only cruise I was on which seemed to have a problem with dishes in the hall was the Epic. Perhaps because the hallways were so narrow that it made walking around the dirty dishes a problem. Also on my Epic cruise, the staff seemed overwhelmed with everything; a broken balcony chair remained in the hall for the rest of the cruise!

For all those who are so worried about the $7.95 RS charge: one can order the same foods for free that they have always had for free (perhaps yogurt is the exception). It is only the expanded menu items that incur the charge. I don't see what the big deal is for that one.

I like the DSC, I don't have to have envelopes and cash lying around for the tips. I had one complaint once, mentioned it to the head housekeeper and the problem was taken care of that afternoon. That said, I usually tip my room steward $40 on the first day, and then have a super week with a spotless room, done in a timely fashion. I often left an additional tip at the speciality restaurants if we had a good waiter/waitress. I usually didn't order room service, but do bring a few snack items down from the buffet for later. Will probably take a box of quart or pint size sealable plastic bags which then can be thrown away and not leaving dirty plates in the hall. Nothing that is happening is going to interfere with my normal, wonderful, NCL cruise. Wake up early, grab a chair or two at the pool, get a breakfast plate and eat it at my chair by the pool. (Then take the plate to the service station so the table is ready for the next cruiser,) I just hope they get all the bugs out of the new systems before my Dec 5 cruise!

I wouldn't worry too much about the water slide being gone from a June Alaskan cruise. We went in June and it was really too cool to use the pool at all. But at other times, people have said the pool was open on their Alaskan Cruise.

Pearl is my favorite ship -- in fact I like all of the Jewel class ships. The size is great, the crew is terrific and I have always enjoyed the food. Been in The Haven and OV, with everything in between -- liked them all.

I was on the Jewel 11/15-22 and did not find the service slow at all. I ate in Tsars 5 times, and the average was probably 45 - 60 minutes. I found the wait staff to be very professional and pleasant. I think if you have a large group or order more than one appetizer/entree, etc. that it probably will take longer than it took me.

I know food and service are very subjective, but I liked the new menus a lot and thought the food was very good. So enjoy!:)