Tell me what you love about Jade

DH, DS and I are sailing in March on the 10-day Southern Carib trip. We sailed Gem awhile back and have also been on RCCL and Carnival.

What do you love about the Jade? Any tips or tricks we should know about? We're booked in a balcony room on Deck 9.

Thanks!

We got off in March and get on again at Christmas...

I love the recent refit, much classier IMHO. The Great Outdoors for breakfast, the Whiskey Bar for ummm, Whiskey (after dinner) and the forward sun deck (quiet zone) for quiet! Mojito bar in Moderno is kinda nice for a pre-dinner too. We tend to utilize the specialty restaurants (they really are worth it) and Le Bistro and Cagney's stand out IMHO. Moderno a close 2nd, or is that 3rd.

Above all we love the Jewels as a whole package - plenty of opportunity to walk outdoors with a view, and easy on/off given the passenger load.

Tips - very little shade to be had but the (former) topless sundeck on 15 (I think) does afford some. Generally deserted too. If you can manage it, bid on a full suite (aft for example)... rather nice and very good value.

Entertainment is mildly entertaining if you have nothing better to drink. Spa pass worth it if you want to escape the craziness.

Oh... and use the stairs it's just lower stress and awards you an additional dessert per day.

Jade just trucks along being happy.

:cool:

Hi fellow cruises. My husband & I are also on the Jade in March for 10 day So Carib. We did a Panama Canal cruise on the Pearl March 2017 and totally loved her, and what a great trip. Really enjoyed the jewel class size and layout, thus why we chose the Jade for this next cruise. The Pearl underwent referbs a couple of months prior to the Jade and just prior to our trip on the Pearl. The upgrades were really nice. NCL does a great job. Looking forward to enjoying the Jade. Thanks

I was on the Jade in January and will be sailing on her again next January, both times in a balcony on 9. My cabin had plenty of plugs/USB ports in handy locations. There was also far more storage than I expected (January's trip was my first-ever cruise). My balcony was rather small, but I enjoyed just sitting out there from time to time when I needed some quiet. Since I was traveling alone, the space was more than enough for me.

I really liked the ship. The updates were lovely. The public spaces, with the exception listed below, were easily accessible. I did not use the pools or hot tubs, though they looked nice. Even on the sea days, there were loungers available.

The thing I liked the least was that Grand Pacific (the aft main restaurant) is cut off from the rest of deck 6. I'm mobility impaired, and having to specifically take the aft elevators was painful, especially if I was going from the showroom (6 forward), because I'd have to take a forward or midship elevator to 7, make my way to the aft elevators, and then go back down to 6. If I could do the stairs easily, it wouldn't have been such an issue. Normally, I would go to Alizar, which is midship, but Grand Pacific was my muster station, and there were a couple of events scheduled for that room. The other sort-of clunker for me was the wait staff in Grand Pacific were fairly snobby to me during the single meal I ate there. I don't know if it was because I was alone, or if it was because I was there right as they opened, or if they were having a bad day. The food service employees in the other venues were normally very nice and helpful.

I also loved the Great Outdoors. I know food is extremely subjective, but I liked the food on the Jade. I'm not into fancy things, so I found many choices to my liking at each meal. I ate at O'Sheehan's one night for dinner, and it was quite good. The buffet attendants were pleasant, and quick to offer assistance. I ordered the complementary continental breakfast from room service several days. I lead a simple life, but that small luxury was fun for me. I could enjoy tea, juice, and croissants while I got ready for the day. The deliveries were always prompt.

My stateroom attendant, Lawrence, was a gem. He was so nice and very helpful. I ran into him right after they made the "rooms are available" announcement on day one. Every time he saw me coming to or from my room, he'd run up the hall, calling, "Miss Virginia, let me help", opening or closing my door, and just being friendly. I try to keep my room tidy, so it's not like he had heavy duty cleaning to do, but every time he saw me, he'd ask if everything was okay and if I needed anything.

Most of the other crew members were polite and unobtrusive. If I paused somewhere, someone would ask if I needed anything, but they weren't pushy. I dealt with Guest Services a few times, and they were helpful and efficient. I was never pressured by any sort of upsell or push to spend money. I did not do the spa at all, but a friend who did said that the upsell offer was pretty low-key.

VirginiaForCruisers:

Thanks for posting your thoughts, as I will be on the Jade solo next April on the trans atlantic. Price was good so I booked a balcony.