The Suite Life Western Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Jade

Day 5 Costa Maya

Our dinner last night was really good. I had mussels and pork with apples. Hubby had Coq au Vin. He said it was good. I had sorbet and he had a chocolate Napoleon. We also both got a bonus dessert- strawberry parfaits. Good thing we are doing all of this walking!

We were up bright and early this morning so we could pick up our ride to Maya Chan. I had booked it after reading rave reviews here on CC. We are not really beach people, but we wanted to at least experience one beach.

We had breakfast in our suite. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and a blueberry muffin. I had asked about dairy free spread which is apparently not something that is offered. I was told I could have margarine. I did not care for it. It had no flavor at all. Breakfast was good. But I was a little worried that I was given “ non-dairy creamer ( has dairy) and honey jam, two of the things I cannot eat. Luckily I am careful or I might have gotten sick. It turns out the honey was for my hubby’s waffles. But the creamer was a no-no. I made a mention of it. I think where the confusion comes in is most people are just lactose intolerant. Dairy free creamer contains casein, a milk derivative. In my case, the culprit is whey protein, so I just avoid dairy altogether. I did alert Jocelyn, who wasn’t aware. Problem solved.

I had booked Maya Chan way in advance. We had read that there was a shuttle that takes you to the end of the pier. They were not running so we had a very long walk to and through the port. You have to meet the rep from Maya Chan outside of the port. It is almost impossible to get out of this port. You have to walk all of the way through to the end. The map we were given shows several exits but they all say emergency exit and you can’t go through them. Once out of the port, we had to go through the security gate to the street, towards the fake Mayan pyramid. We walked right by the representative. Once we found him, we only had to wait a few minutes for a cab. It is an extremely bumpy ride. This is not an exaggeration. Be prepared.

Once we arrived we were greeted by the owner. She pointed out the bathrooms, showers, etc. Then we were taken to our lounge chairs and beach umbrella. I have to say that they are really uncomfortable. But we had shade and lots of tropical drinks. The staff was very attentive. They served us tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole to start. They did push the drinks. I guess since it's all-inclusive, they want you to get your money's worth. I drank non-alcholic strawberry smoothies, while my hubby drank quite a few pina coladas!

Lunch started being served at 11:30. We waited a bit for the crowd to thin, and then got lunch. I had alerted the staff of my gluten and dairy issues. I was told not to get the pina colada because it had milk in it. Uhh, coconut cream isn’t milk( I checked the drinks menu and the ingredients were cream of coconut and pineapple). I was a bit worried then when they told me everything was gluten free and just to avoid the cheese, etc. Well, the fish is cooked in butter but they didn’t tell me to avoid that. You have to really know your stuff and be careful, even if someone is supposedly watching out for you.

I had a corn tortilla, beef, chicken and rice. It was all good, and I didn’t get sick. We enjoyed our day at Maya Chan. The water is a bit brown, and there was a lot of seagrass. But it didn’t bother us. The water also had a rotten egg smell that was a little off-putting. But it didn’t ruin our day.

Be really careful walking on the main path. I tripped over the same chair several times and turned my ankle as we were going to leave. The chairs do stick out. Also, the sand is very uneven. My husband also said that the floor of the men’s room in the main building was covered in pee. Make sure you wear shoes. He didn’t, and had to wash his feet off in the shower. I told him he should have said something. I'm sure that the staff would want to know about it. They only have four bathrooms-a men's and a ladies in the main building, and two unisex in a small bar building in the back of the beach. I think they need more facilites.

I have mixed feelings about Maya Chan. They do tell you it’s not like a five-star resort. It was not really quiet-several guests requested that chairs be set up along the water's edge right in front of us. We were right in front of the volleyball net and a very rowdy game ensued. The staff was great, and the food good. But I just wasn’t sold on the atmosphere. It was okay. That’s all I can say about it. Although all of the beaches in Costa Maya are rustic; some a lot more than others. Maya Chan is certainly more built up than some that we passed. It gets rave reviews here on CC, but I just didn't see the charm.

The walk back to the ship was challenging without the shuttle. We did some shopping on the way back through the port. I bought a couple of t-shirts.

We got back onboard to find our afternoon snack waiting for us. I got a plate of canapés on gluten-free bread. They were delish. Hubby got a cheese plate.

Tonight we are having dinner in Alizar.

We will be staying onboard tomorrow so we can take a break from walking. We will be at Harvest Cay. We will also gain an hour as the clock goes back tonight. Ah, sleeping in!

Tomorrow: Belize and The Haven

Thank you, we went on the Jade in Nov and fell in love with her. Omar was an awesome concierge and was made sure we didn't need anything at all. We went to all the specialty restaurants and the Bistro was our favorite. Just reliving our cruise until we can get back on her. Your suite looks grand!

Your pictures are great! What were they taken with?

Thank you, we went on the Jade in Nov and fell in love with her. Omar was an awesome concierge and was made sure we didn't need anything at all. We went to all the specialty restaurants and the Bistro was our favorite. Just reliving our cruise until we can get back on her. Your suite looks grand!

You're welcome! Our suite was amazing. So were Omar and the rest of the staff. We are hoping to take another cruise on her. I'm glad I am able to help you remember your cruise.

Your pictures are great! What were they taken with?

They were all taken with an iPhone 6.

Day 6 Belize

My apologies for not posting for the last couple of days. Life just intrudes. Ah, to be back upon the sea!

Dinner was really awesome last night in Alizar. I plowed through it after all that walking yesterday.

I had Cornish game hen. My hubby had beef stroganoff. He had to keep from licking the plate!

Our waiter seemed confused and flustered. I told him I had pre-ordered. He proceeded to ask what my allergies were. I told him that was all taken care of. He said he wanted to know “ for his own information". He also took my keycard for drinks and never gave it back. I didn’t realize it until this morning and had to get a new one at guest services. This could have been a serious problem had I gone ashore without it. I actually did this on our cruise to Bermuda and it wasn't a pleasant experience. I think he might have been new.

Our dinners finally came and with them Jocelyn. I really need to take her home with me! She said she put in a standing order for dessert for me. I do love her! We got strawberry jello with fruit. It was delish.

We decided to catch the show Blazing Boots. Big mistake. The dancing was ok. The singing was terrible. Just not our cup of tea. Unfortunately, this was the only show we were able to catch as Elements was canceled. More on that later.

We found a really great entertainer named Charlie in Magnums Champagne Bar. He plays guitar and sings. We really enjoyed him, and highly recommend you give him a listen.

After that, we retired for the night. We just hit a wall with all of the walking and sun.

We will be doing a tour with Daniel Johnson’s monkeys and sloths tomorrow so it’s early to rise again we will be doing dinner in Moderno tonight. We are skipping lunch to save room. We are having a nice relaxing day. We checked out the Haven pool this morning. It was ok- nothing to write home about. I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s really small and was a bit cold. I also do not like just having a ladder to get in and out of the pool. It is really hard with mobility issues, and I think they should have put steps in. There are changing rooms, showers, and bathrooms in the back room. There was no attendant there.

To my further amazement, the Haven doors were open for the whole voyage. So much for keeping non-Haven cruisers out. Yes, you have to use your keycard to access the Haven in the elevator, but there were a lot of curious fellow cruisers who could have just got off the elevator with us and walked right in. We were never questioned either by the stewards. There were no children there at all. In fact, we had it to ourselves. We found the sundeck much too hot.

After taking a dip in the pool, we went back to our wonderful suite to relax until dinner time. We absolutely loved our side balcony. We also took another nap, which is becoming a daily ritual on this cruise.

We watched the people coming back from Harvest Cay and then set sail. Alas, no pier runners!

Tomorrow: Sloths and Monkeys!

Great review.

Great review.

Thank you!

Day 7 Roatan

Moderno was really good last night. The chef came out to talk to me as to what I should avoid. They made special sides for me-baked potato and sautéed mushrooms because I cannot eat the sides provided. The only meats I had to avoid were the sausage and ribs. All of the meats I tried were delicious. I had a special dessert of mixed fruit compote.

We were up early again as we had to meet the rep from Daniel Johnson’s at 9 am. We had breakfast in our cabin ( best perk ever!) and we were on our way. Luckily Roatan is a really small port so we didn’t have to do too much walking. We had to take a tender over. The sea was very rough and we were bouncing up and down quite a bit. Good thing I took Bonine.

I chose Daniel Johnson’s after doing a lot of research on animal reserves on Roatan. I did not want to go somewhere that the animals were exploited. And I wanted to make sure they are healthy and taken care of. You can tell the staff really loves the animals here and they take good care of them. I had messaged Daniel several questions and he was very helpful in answering my concerns.

We met our driver, Janice, and we were off on our island tour with another couple. We made one stop at a supermarket. We were amazed at how much it was like our own at home.

We drove up to the sloth and monkey park. We waited a short while and were taken to where the sloths and monkeys were housed. We had a group of eight and three groups of two. I really think they should take smaller groups through. It takes a really long time for everyone to hold the sloth and take pictures. The sloth was adorable. They just kind of hang out and chill. We were told that they were not kept in cages but lived in the trees when they are not being held. While we were holding the sloth, there was a monkey running around in the trees above our heads. Our guide was very patient and very knowledgeable, and made sure everyone got a good experience.

We moved onto the capuchin monkeys. They definitely gravitate towards certain people. I was beginning to think I would never get climbed on, but then a few people left the cage and one climbed on my head and used it for a springboard. They were very curious. They had us remove hats, glasses, purses, etc as they will try to steal them.

Next were the green and yellow parrots. We had sunflower seeds in our hands and the parrots came down to eat them. One was sitting in my hand, then all of a sudden, they all began to squawk and fight with each other. That was the end of that. We went into the macaw cage and the birds took turns sitting on our heads. They were absolutely gorgeous.

We had a great time and it was worth every cent of we paid. This was the highlight of our trip.

We took an early tender back. It was getting brutally hot by that time (93). Janice told us that in April, it climbs to 110. We stopped at Cagney’s for lunch. I hadn’t preordered because the island tour that was part of our package was very short, and I didn’t think we would be back for lunch. I had a burger and fries. Hubby had a burger also. We took a nap as has been our daily habit during this cruise. Not a bad one!

We had dinner in Alizar. I had veal Oscar and hubby had lasagna. Once again, my dinner was outstanding. I somehow managed to have shrimp cocktail three times today. Good thing I love shrimp!

We were disappointed that the show Elements was not going to go on. One of the cast members was hurt, so it was cancelled. Our favorite entertainer, Charlie ( awesome guitarist and singer), had the night off so we had to scramble to find some music to listen to. We caught Dana, who plays piano and is very good. Then we went to the Bliss Lounge to listen to the trio. We didn’t care for it, so we went to listen to some Dixieland Jazz, then we called it a night.

I would definitely recommend Daniel Johnson’s. The animals are healthy and well cared for. We got some great pictures and some great memories.

Tomorrow is back to reality. We must pack up and get ready to go home. Sigh...

Day 8 Our last sea day

The ship has been really rocking since last night. My hubby is a bit under the weather this morning. I think the cruise has caught up with him.

I stopped at guest services to add tips to my onboard account. It is really easy to do this. They put a slip of paper in an envelope to give to whoever you want to tip. Much easier than cash. I had a credit card for the balance so no settling up was needed.

I went to breakfast alone. I had delicious blueberry pancakes. I am amazed at what can be done to accommodate dietary issues. With a little advance notice, and a little ingenuity you can have almost any food you wish. I am sure that being I an owners suite doesn’t hurt. I will at some point be sailing in an inside or balcony cabin. It will be interesting to see if the treatment differs as far as food allergies go.

We will have to pack up today. We are taking the ship shuttle back to the Miami airport. We have a 2:15 flight back to Nashville. It has been a wonderful week and it has flown by.

We spent the afternoon gazing at the ocean on our wonderful side balcony for the last time. We had lunch, then packed up our large suitcase as we were catching the ship shuttle and had to have the bag out by 11pm.

We caught our friend Charlie for the last time. Since we were losing another hour, we turned in by 10 pm (it was really 11pm). I had one more rebellious fish for the road (I would regret that later).

Day 9 Home again

We had our last dinner in Alizar last night. It was great, except for the wine. The wine steward tried to argue with me that my wine hadn’t gone bad. We know our wines, and we know when wine is “corked”. I gave up finally and did without. I had beef short ribs over pasta, and my hubby had beef lasagna.

Jocelyn came through with my chocolate cake. It was a valiant effort. I do really appreciate that the pastry chef tried. Baking gluten and dairy free is a challenge. The cake was a bit dry. I'm sure that this could be incorporated into available desserts for people with food allergies, given some practice.

We were up at 7 am as we had to be off the ship by 8:45 to catch the shuttle to the airport. I booked it in advance through Norwegian. One last breakfast in our cabin (we are so spoiled) of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. The blueberry muffins were really good too!

We packed our carry-ons and met with Omar in Jasmine at 8:30 am. He walked us down around the line leaving the ship and hugged us goodbye. We were really sad to leave.

We just caught the shuttle to the airport. We were the last to board. We were dropped off at American Airlines and checked in with the skycap. We had a long wait as our flight wasn’t until 2:15 pm.

We boarded the plane at about 1:45. We were on the runway, waiting to take off when the captain announced we would be delayed due to storms. A little word of explanation here: My hubby used to work for the National Weather Service at Philadelphia airport. Those are the guys who tell the pilots when it is, and isn’t safe to fly. They are more worried about turbulence than thunder and lightning. Think of the recent flight during that N’oreaster when everyone got sick upon landing. That’s why they ground you if they can when there is a storm. It is for your own safety.

We were delayed an hour, then took off. We were home by 6:30. We were bone weary but had many great memories. Our cats were glad to see us.

I want to mention a few people here who made our week a memorable one:

All of the chefs onboard who made my gluten and allergen-free food-I can’t thank you enough for performing magic.

Jocelyn Mahan who made sure I was given wonderful food and goodies without getting sick. I will be writing a letter of recommendation for her. She deserves to be promoted.

Our room steward, Jeive: He kept our cabin clean and neat, and was very pleasant.

Our butler, Ahmad: He took very good care of us. He called Jocelyn every morning to find out where we would be dining. He fulfilled my and my hubby ’s wish list for afternoon snacks and served us breakfast with a smile.

Our concierge, Omar: He checked in on us every day and asked us what we needed. He was pleasant and funny. He is sadly leaving the Jade for the Epic. Those who sail on the Epic will be very lucky to get him as a concierge.

We will miss all of the wonderful staff on the Jade and hope to sail on her again. I am not sure if I would sail in Haven again, but the Owner’s Suite was heaven. This was not our favorite itinerary, except for Roatan. I would have much preferred to go Eastern Caribbean.

I have some tips that you might find helpful if you are thinking of sailing the Jade, or have dietary issues:

*Make sure you bring enough cash, and bring small bills. We didn’t, and had to use the ATM in the casino. Guest services could only break 2 20’s for us. The bill breaker machine stopped working so we couldn't use that. We had to buy a lot of useless stuff in order to get change.

*Cozumel and Costa Maya were our least favorite ports. Too much hassling of merchants and too much walking. If we went again, I would pick a shore excursion for Cozumel and a different one for Costa Maya. We just weren't impressed with Maya Chan.

*Alert the ship in advance of any dietary restrictions. I heard numerous people ask the waiter if certain ingredients could be left out. This puts the kitchen in a bind. It also uses up resources already earmarked for those that have written in advance as they may run out of special ingredients. And please, don’t go “gluten-free” just for the heck of it. It makes it hard for those of us who are to be taken seriously. This is a big pet peeve.

*Plan to do a lot of walking and don’t depend on pier transportation. If you have mobility issues, make other arrangements to get through the ports.

*I would suggest you don’t eat off the ship if you have dietary issues. I ate at Maya Chan but knew what to avoid. I also alerted the staff.

Know what is in the mixed drinks if you have dietary issues. I have to avoid rum and tequila and any dairy or coffee or nut liqueurs. There is an extensive list here on CC. It’s a great resource.

*Not all bars make all drinks. The bar in the atrium does not make frozen drinks.

*Make sure the waiter returns your keycard.

*Bar staff has an automatic 20% gratuity added to each sale. Tip more at your own discretion.

*The casino is a rip-off, IMHO. We lost $40 in about 2 minutes but to each his own

*The food is loaded with salt. My ankles have swelled up considerably. Next time we will go sodium free, and add a bit of salt if needed.

*Prepare to gain weight. You will be fed large meals and high-calorie drinks-but you are on vacation! Walking around the ship and the ports will help somewhat.

*Try not to sweat the small stuff. Watch the ocean. Breathe.

In conclusion, I am going to grade my experience with the Jade:

Ship A

The ship was clean and had some really nice decor. The layout is a bit weird-some elevators only go midship, some fore and some aft. Some only go to the 13th deck.

Cabin A

Our cabin was lovely. I could have done without the front deck and the heavy door. We hardly used it as it was way too windy, and not private at all. Our coffee machine didn't work properly (we should have told the butler, but we never got around to it. We just fiddled with it). The chairs were not the most comfortable in the living room. We did like the layout. I would highly recommend a suite if you can afford it. It's a nice sanctuary.

Staff A

The staff was wonderful. Our cabin steward, concierge and my new best friend, Jocelyn, made the cruise relaxing and wonderful. I cannot stress enough how great it is for someone with food allergies not to have to worry about getting sick. Everything was taken care of.

Food A

The food was fabulous. I was constantly amazed at the chefs' ability to make almost any food I wanted gluten, dairy and nut free. My hubby loved it also.

Entertainment D

Unfortunately, the entertainment fell sadly short on this cruise. We were sadly dismayed by the lack of singing talent. Think American Idol when people are auditioning. It was often painful to listen to. The one gem was the guitarist, Charlie. He saved a few evenings for us.

Overall Score A

I am willing to overlook the lack of entertainment when I can gain five pounds plus while being gluten, dairy, and nut free. The ship was lovely and well kept. We would gladly sail again on the Jade.

I would be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you so much for your revie. I hung on every word. 21 days and I will be on her!

:Dreview

Janice, thanks so much for all the wonderful information, great pics, advice, kudos to staff. So glad you had a nice cruise.

I agree about not letting the "little things" bother you, so much more to enjoy.

Very much looking forward to the TA on the Jade next month.

Cheers,

Connie

Thank you so much for your revie. I hung on every word. 21 days and I will be on her!

You’re welcome! Have a wonderful cruise!

Janice, thanks so much for all the wonderful information, great pics, advice, kudos to staff. So glad you had a nice cruise.

 

I agree about not letting the "little things" bother you, so much more to enjoy.

 

Very much looking forward to the TA on the Jade next month.

 

Cheers,

Connie

You will love the Jade. Glad you enjoyed my review. Have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you for the review!! We will be on the Jade Mar 2019 sailing in an Aft Penthouse. Can't wait!!

On 8/19/2018 at 4:50 PM, quillwercruisers said:

Thank you for the review!! We will be on the Jade Mar 2019 sailing in an Aft Penthouse. Can't wait!!

Have you sailed yet?  

9 minutes ago, janice2348 said:

Have you sailed yet?  

No, I had to have a surgical procedure done so we had to cancel.  =(

15 minutes ago, quillwercruisers said:

No, I had to have a surgical procedure done so we had to cancel.  =(

I’m so sorry!  I hope you are feeling better.  Hopefully you can go another time. 

1.  Next time take a $10 taxi or uber to the Marriot Courtyard, rather than wait a long time at night for a free shuttle.

2.  Next time take a taxi or uber from the Marriot Courtyard to the pier, rather than a $12 pp shuttle.  It will run the same amount for 2 people and is much more convenient.

3.  Yes, shuttle drivers expect to be tipped.

I have not sailed on the Jade.  However, I have sailed in the Haven on the Jewel and the Pearl.  As all 3 are Jewel Class ships, I assume--but can't be certain--that the pools are the same on all three.  On the Jewel and the Pearl, the Haven pools are swim-against-the-current endless lap exercise pools and they are an outstanding amenity.  They are the only places in the NCL fleet where it is possible to get in a real swim.  Access to them during a cruise is worth a lot.