Great time on the NCL Jade

[buc78]

Day 5- 18 May- Mykonos

At 7.50 I the alarm clock woke me up. The ship already arrived at Mykonos at 07.00. That is a nice thing of a cruise. You go to sleep at some place and wake up in another nice place. I turned on the TV and saw the first images of the island true the live cam. My wife wanted to sleep a bit more so I went to the fitness room to do some exercise at the treadmill and when I was bored of that (seriously, not when I was tired… :) ) I went to my big friend: Spa. After that I went back to take my wife and we had a big breakfast outside again.

After that it was time to leave the ship and see how Mykonos looks. From the harbor free shuttle buss went to town. The city is really beautiful. Small streets, white houses, terraces etc. The only minus was that in the small street there was too much traffic (work traffic like delivery of goods) but it made that you couldn’t walk around just dreaming away as always a car was blocking your way or was coming in your back. However, we had a great time there.

We bought there a phone card and called the family. Forgot to tell but in Santorini we went to an internet café. Please, please, don’t use the internet on the ship. It is exaggerated expensive and very very slow! Just go on shore and you will find much cheaper internet; even if you were not specific looking for it.

Then we took a terrace and drunk beer and my wife an ouzo and had a look at the aquarium filled with lobsters. If I am correct in the USA lobsters are quiet common to eat and cheap but in Europe they are very expensive (although it seems the European lobster tastes much better then the America variant and the European is more rare). Well, that explains all. I almost couldn’t resist to order one, but I let it go…

When finished the drink we walked more and more and finally sat down at a great restaurant where we tasted the Greek sea food. We had a dish with octopus, calamari, mussels, shrimps and vegetables and potatoes. Great! I really don’t understand people who go on holiday and never taste the local dishes and only eat hamburgers etc. eh well… We had a nice talk with the waiter and the service was great.

On the way back to the ship; i.e. the point where the shuttle buss left us we came across a small beach and took a dive in the ice cold water. Funny to see that you could recognize who was on the Jade because of the striped towels. While swimming a talked with a very nice Vietnamese man who lived in Canada and who was also on the Jade.

It was time to go to the buss and to the ship. My wife went for a nap and I to the bar for an ale. After that it was time to dress up. We really loved that and felt so nice. We went to the theater to see an acrobatic duo. I myself was not very impressed as there were a lot of mistakes. But I realize that it can be because the motion of the ship. Anyway, I also enjoyed this show. After that we went to the GP were we had a funny experience.

A table away a couple sat already there and on their faces it seemed they didn’t have a good time. That already took my attention. And when the first dish came their faces went worse. The man had a soup with in it I think a kind of ravioli (I remember that it was written on the menu that the soup had indeed something like this in it). The man looked grumpy at his soup, tasted and then found the ‘ravioli’. He fishes it out of the soup with his spoon and calls a waiter to complain ‘what the… is this?’ Waiter explains patiently but the eater moved the soup aside. Also his wife just tasted a bit of her dish. Now the main dish… I didn’t have much hope and indeed… both of the couple had a face as if rotten egg was put on the plate before them. The man tasted a bit and putted angry his fork down. Again (sigh) he calls the waiter and points at the pieces of paprika at his plate (I good see all) and asked: ‘what is this?’ ‘This is cut paprika’ the nice waiter explained. Both didn’t eat (I couldn’t see what the woman had). The waiter asked them if they wanted something else but grumpy and grumpy refused.

Ok, they ordered desert. I thought: here it can go wrong as… who bad can that be for them. Well, to be honest, in the back of my head I knew the outcome. And yes…. also the sweets they didn’t like. I know the man had sugar free lemon cake. He took a bit, dropped down his fork and set back in his chair looking angry. His wife let also her chocolate thingy for what it was. Angry they left the MDR. I noticed they only drunk water with the meals which completed the scene. (Not that that is bad and if other people would only drink water with diner I wouldn’t have thoughts but with this couple it gave a kind of completing this whole image). Anyway, we had a great time looking at this slapstick and, sorry if I offend someone, it seems that they normally only went to the Blue Lagoon for fish and chips.

We at least had a very good diner in the GP. And my wife ordered as desert the lemon cake which was absolute gorgeous. This day there was the white party and when we arrived they guided us to a table on the edge of the dancing floor. A great locations to be and we had a great time. Also dancing on ‘strange’ American songs that didn’t reach Europe and think will never do :). Maybe it is just the DJ but it looks like songs were dance passes are song are very popular in the States (texts like: now a step right, two to the left etc.). Anyway we enjoyed it. Although it seems they always have the same songs every day which is a minus (a bit at least:) ).

We had a great time this day and went late to sleep. I was a bit hungry and was curious of the room service (never took room service in my live) so ordered a pizza and salad. Tomorrow Katakolon. We know what to expect. A small town with one big street. So, we decide to have tomorrow a beach day and let the Olympus for what it is.

Good night

below: the table were it all happened. The ppl in the back dont have anything to do with it by the way:)

[buc78]

Day 6 – Katakolon

The day started with our usual breakfast in the Great Outdoors. Always a beautiful place to eat. After that we went for Katakolon. We walked a bit through the very busy street of the city (as infact there is only one long street) and made our way along the many souvenir stands. That was all what there was to see. We mentioned do a small, almost children, train that went from one part to the other to entertain tourists that didn’t go to Olympus. Besides that, there was a train going to the famous mountain that seems to stand there for ever.

Anyway, we didn’t bother as we knew what we could expect and on forehand decided just to lay lazy on the best. 100 meters or so from the ship there was the sign: ‘beach’ so we went there. It wasn’t much of a beach and it seems that a bit further away a nicer beach is there but what the hack. We took two chairs and settled down. I went to the kiosk there to buy two cold beers and they told us we had to pay 5 euro or so per chair (I forgot the amount and didn’t write it down but I think that was the price:) ). Anyway, we were on holiday so didn’t bother.

I took a swim in the freezing water. Noticed the water was so clear I could see the fish swimming around me. Tried to catch one but off course failed. It is a beach not for the faint hearted (hope I wrote this expression correct) as there were rocks everywhere. But I had a great time swimming and my (now) wife enjoyed laying in the sun. After the swim I followed her idea and drinking the very nice Greek beer (forget the name). I got some sunburns which would punish me later on, but that is for later. :).

When we had enough of it we went to catch a terrace and enjoyed again the Greek sea food and ouzo with a cold glass of white wine. After that we went out looking some souvenirs. Next to the ship there was a big duty free ship so we thought: ‘let’s go there and buy a nice bottle of ouzo.’ And there happened one of the strange things of our cruise. When we were walking around and chose out a bottle of ouzo when of the employees came to us and asked if we were on the Jade. We answered ‘yes’. The guy said to us that we couldn’t buy here an alcoholic drink as that was agreed with NCL. In fact this was the idea from NCL and they forced it!!!!!

The man apologized and said that he always would like it would be different, what I believed as why not wanting to earn money. Well, we walked out, walked 50 meters to another duty free shop (which was outside the port gates if I remember well) and bought there a bottle of ouzo. By change it was a better choice as we found the local ouzo from the village itself. Never know why NCL would enforce something like that and I didn’t ask but it was really weird.

We entered the ship, bumped my head to the vertical part of the security entrance and the employee of NCL said: ‘Sir, please watch your head’. I told him that it was a bit too late to tell me that so went back and entered again. The employee now warned me to watch my head beforehand and I got duck in time. :) :) :) I loved the way, on the whole cruise, the employees behaved and were never afraid for some fun or a joke.

After changing my wife went to the sun at the pool (we went back to the ship around 15.00h) and I went for a walk and a drink at my favorite ‘whiskey and martini bar’. Then I went to the spa were I paid for my sunbathing action as my skin burned and boiled when entering the Jacuzzi and also the sauna was more pleasant before. J.

Next it was time to change and going to the theater were we saw an absolute fabulous show of the 4Elements’. We went to eat in the GP. After diner we went to the chocolate buffet were we ate some chocolates (duh) and enjoyed the sculptures. We drunk a beer and cognac in a bar and were so tired we went to sleep around midnight; skipping the club this time.

Tomorrow it will be a sea day and unfortunately the last day of the cruise. A sad and not happy prospect but we will enjoy it!

 

 

diner with the Jade in the back

 

 

[new salt]

Great review, very entertaining, Thank you. We loved the Jade in March, Barcelona to Istanbul and back, and we would sail her again tomorrow. I thought the live music absolutely superb.

[buc78]

Thank you very much! Always nice to see it is appreciated.

[hairyvince]

Fantastic Review, really in the mood for 1/10/11

[Duff Man]

buc, if you are still following this thread . . .

 

What time did the ship arrive back in Venice, and what time did they let people start disembarking?

 

thanks,

DM

[buc78]

Hi Duff,

 

If I remember correctly it arrived around 7.00. Disembarking started around 8.00. You can pick up a colour tag next to the reception which gives you the time you want to leave. So you can chose by your self.

 

We left at 9.45h and disembarking went very quick and smooth.

[Duff Man]

Hi Duff,

 

If I remember correctly it arrived around 7.00. Disembarking started around 8.00. You can pick up a colour tag next to the reception which gives you the time you want to leave. So you can chose by your self.

 

We left at 9.45h and disembarking went very quick and smooth.

 

Thank you, that is helpful. We have this itinerary but it is scheduled to arrive in Venice at 8:00 a.m. Was that your scheduled arrival time? We are catching a 12:20 flight to Paris, so I wanted an idea as to how early we can leave the ship. We should have plenty of time. :)

[teachinla]

Hi Duff man,

Just got back from the Jade and had a 12:00 noon flight from Venice to Berlin. Got there in plenty of time. We actually had to wait about an hour before we could check in at 10:00. Enjoy your trip.

[Duff Man]

Hi Duff man,

Just got back from the Jade and had a 12:00 noon flight from Venice to Berlin. Got there in plenty of time. We actually had to wait about an hour before we could check in at 10:00. Enjoy your trip.

 

How did you get to the airport? Is it necessary to pre-arrange a water taxi?

 

Thanks!!

[waverley7]

Thanks for the review, always interesting to read these! Sounds like you had a awesome time. I have a question about the MDR, do the waiters have time to chat and joke around? I always found they do on NCL but just checking anyway.

 

We sailed Holland America this year and those poor waiters were soooooo busy, they didn't have any time to spend with the customers.

 

We quite enjoy the commadre with the staff and are hoping they aren't too busy for that.

[GARNERSINMH]

Heu buc,

You're falling behind, you still owe us one more day! Hahahahaha! We are really looking forward to our October Jade cruise! Information on the Jade and first hand reviews are hard to come by. Thank you for taking the time to post your detailed, thoughtful review.

[teachinla]

How did you get to the airport? Is it necessary to pre-arrange a water taxi?

 

Thanks!!

 

We used the NCL transfer which left the ship at 8:20. It was cheaper than a water taxi but probably more expensive than a land taxi. I was a bit nervous about making the early flight so I thought it was best to use the NCL service and after lugging our suitcases through Venice prior to the cruise (we stayed for 2 nights and arrived by train from Munich) it was a pleasure to let NCL handle the transfer.

[mskenokid]

Great trip review, it is making me look forward to our cruise next year.

By reading your trip review I see that you were in an inside cabin on your cruise. I am booking this same Greek Isle cruise this week for June 2012. I want a cabin that faces some of or all of the ports, should we get a cabin on the port side of the boat or the starboard side of the boat?

[buc78]

oops, noticed I never finished this journal:eek: Also missed the below questions or comments. Sorry for that. I have to find my written journal to finish it as it such a long time ago... although just two days to write;). I remember the disembarkation was really quick. The sea gave some laughs at dinner but have to find my journal first:(.

 

@mskenokid; sorry for being so late (very late). When we left Venice port side was the place to be... nugh said? ;)

 

@GARNERSINMH you are right haha. I am going to search the house now for the lost mystery files:)

[buc78]

Day 7 – 20 May- Sea Day

 

As usual we started the day with a great breakfast in the Great Outdoors. You know that your breakfast tastes even better when you are at a beautiful location? In the whole cruise by the way, we never searched more then 2 minutes for a table; sometimes we shared a table. Hope people didn’t think we were boring, arrogant, or else as I am not a big talker. My wife is, but she doesn’t speak that much English so I was lucky. : )We always asked if we could sit there and it never has given problems. Anyway, it is a buffet, tables are big and because it can be a bit crowded it is not more then normal that all chairs should be used.

We always first looked for a table and then went to the buffet;

 

After dinner we made a walk around the ship and then I went to the spa while my wife settled herself down somewhere in the sun; a daily returning ‘task’. My legs were still a bit burned (and I don’t get sunburns quick) so it was not the best spa experience of the cruise. ;) After the spa I found my wife relaxed slaying on a sun chair near the pool (no hogging involved : ) ). I sat on one of the tables on the edges of the ship near the pool. That was in fact my favorite place. However, after a while a chair was empty and my wife forced me to come next to her. As we were just married I obeyed her. ;)

 

So, what else to do then laying in the sun, getting burned, drinking some beers and wine, get burned… Around 16.00h we were tired of this luxurious live and went to our cabin. I think (as this is not mentioned in the original handwritten journal :) ) that my wife went to sleep and I followed my not very clever mind to the shop hehe. Neh, I thought lets buy a present for her and since it goes all from the onboard account it feels like you never paid a penny. So I bought a pair of butterfly blue pair of earrings and there was $50 less weight in my pocket. The surprise though for my wife did forget all my sorrow. Ok, this wasn’t the end. After that we decided to go to the photo part to look at the photos made of us; earlier in the cruise we swore never to buy them. Somehow we didn’t care and ended up with 6 photos for the amazing amount of $110. What a cruise can do to people. Ok, we got a free album with it and now it stays very nice in a prominent view in our house.

 

We were tired and decided to eat early, no dress up, just in jeans and shirt to eat in the MDR. Great thing of NCL. My wife ordered the escargots which were not tasty and not bad either. Most taste came from the garlic (butter). Though a great time I had with the two ladies behind us. I heard them talking about what to eat and their eye felt on the escargots. They were speaking Dutch, as I do, although they didn’t know it as me and my wife speak another language;). In their voices I could already hear that they didn’t know what they were looking at. So one said to the other: ok if you take the escargots [sic!] I will take them too.

 

For me the fun already started and I couldn’t wait till the dishes arrived on their plates. When it then arrived they looked at it with eyes as: hmm don’t know. One tasted first, the other a bit later and both didn’t like it very much. That was the moment I was waiting for (apologizes to the reader and ladies for the sadistic behavior at that moment) as I turned around, looked very nice at them, spoke to their surprise in their native language and asked if they now what they were eating. ‘eh no’ was the expected answer. When I told them that it was snails their faces turned into an horrified grin and their spitted out the black little animals in the napkins.

 

 

It was just funny, nothing harm meant from my side or arrogance; I just enjoyed itJ.

Well, after that there was the theater fun. Crew performance (as I read, that is usual on a cruise on he last day). And we really liked it. The guy who song the famous: ‘country road’ had a really good voice and the American public melted away. J Off course ( I know now) there were the water fountains. Absolutely hilarious if you see it for the first time. We had a big laugh and even so memories as in this performance we could film and take photo’s. Simple humor can be great humor. After that a part of the crew and officers walked on the stage while the audience stood up and gave a big ovation. And there he was: washy washy! The guy that always brought a smile on our face when we went for breakfast in the morning. ‘Washy washy, happy happy’. He has a dance talent and gave a short small show.

 

The evening comes almost to an end but of course my wife still has to pack as she had o postpone this obligated task. It is 21.45h. Finally she finished and we went out for a last drink. Had a cognac and a beer and my wife a cocktail. The bars already closed around midnight and some guests didn’t seem to know that begging for a last drink. For us it was enough and went to sleep. A cruise can make you feel very tired. It was a great cruise; also our first and we are looking forward to have another one. It will take a while but I am sure (if we have the ability so make savings) we once will take another one. NCL will probably be our first choice because of the relax way to stay there. In May we didn’t have chair hogs, almost nobody in the spa, bit crowded at breakfast but always were able to find a chair, tender went great and quick, embarkation was so easy, food good till very good, small drop downs. Breakfast great with lot of choices (we don’t need caviar at breakfast). Great time!!

 

 

Day 8 – disembarkation- 21 May

 

Sad day as we had to leave. I didn’t write a journal of this day.

The day before we could choose when we wanted to leave by picking up a color tag near the reception. As our flight went at 13.30h we took the 9.40 disembarkation. First we took the last ‘sniff’ breakfast at the Outdoors and with pain we walked to the atrium. It didn’t take long before they announced our color and went outside greeted by the captain and other personnel who made our stay such a wonderful. It took 10 minutes to find our suitcases and we went out. There were busses and a lot of people. As we didn’t know if there were shuttle busses we asked one of the ground personnel of the NCL who stood there with a carbon board Marco Polo written on it. These were the guys who directed the cruise guests that ordered through NCL lines an airport transport for lot off money off course. J But the guy, I am sure already 100 people asked him the same question, told me he didn’t know but…. And he pointed at a directions were already a long queue had formed. I think he wasn’t even allowed to tell people were to go taking the free (as I could see / feel) but he did, a bit hidden but still. ;)

 

So we stand in the queue for the bus and a nice older man in front of us asked where we were from as he heard us speak a ‘strange’ language and told him the correct answer. He liked it and told his grandfather came from the same country. We talked a little bit and then waited for the bus. After 10 minutes we were bored of waiting and decided to walk to the people mover. Great thing we tried it on our first prior cruising day so we had no surprise and were a help for some people who didn’t know to use it. It was quiet busy so we decided to avoid the overcrowded first ‘mover’ and went for the 2nd. By the way, if you feel good, your luggage is not more then 20kg pp and has those little wheels, the walk to the people mover is absolute bearable and a bit sport doesn’t harm he. :) At the bus station it was a bit difficult to find the correct bus to the correct airport. But I found the locket were they sold the tickets and the nice lady who sold the tickets directed me to the right station. There, there was some confusion at which buss went to Treviso or Marco Polo but we settled in 10 minutes in the comfortable seats.

 

The rest is history I am afraid. Took the airplane home, put the memories, ouzo and more in the room and dreaming further of this great holiday. To freely quote Arnie: ‘We will come back baby….. once’.

[buc78]

and below some more pics. First those of the last day and hopefully once more of all:)

[buc78]

Washy washy

 

[buc78]

...........................................

[buc78]

:) since a long time I decided to read (and thought about) it all back. It seems like it was just a short time ago and somehow (contradictus) seems such a long time ago. Looking forward to another cruise but for sure it won't be in 2013 but how knows... :)