MITSUGIRLY'S birthday cruise on the JADE review/pictorial

[Samstress]

And just when I thought it was going to be a boring Sunday....I open up cruise critic & there it is! The beginning of another wonderful review by our Mitsugirly. And Happy Belated Birthday:D

[keeponcruising]

Happy Birthday Kim! I am looking forward to another great review by you.

[mitsugirly]

Ok, so back to the review...

 

Well it's my birthday and I'm super excited for this day to arrive. I had set my alarm for 7:30am and I was wide awake at 6:50am. Whoops. Well...I guess I'll head outside and see what type of clothing we should have on for the day and check the weather forecast. So out I went.

 

It was a beautiful and sunny day out and it felt pretty warm with a cooler breeze. I'm VERY cold natured and easily get chilled so I was a little unsure at this point...pants or shorts?? Hmmm. That would end up being the biggest decision that I would have to make that day. I checked the weather forecast and it said it was going to be in the upper 70's by the time we boarded. Well, that's good enough for me and it would end up being a shorts day and I would hope for the best.

 

I headed back in to the lobby and over to the food section to take in the aroma and see what they had. Drury always provides a HOT buffet type meal that is free with your stay. This is one thing I like about staying here...it cuts down on cost and having to go somewhere else during such a busy and exciting morning.

 

I headed up to get the family up at 8am and back down to breakfast we went.

 

They had the normal hot and cold items: eggs, sausage, biscuits & gravy, potatoes, fruits, bagels & toast, donuts, waffles and cereal. Everything was good, except we really didn't care for the gravy. But there's always something I can find that I liked and I have to say, this was the first time I have ever liked the sausage at any hotel. It was actually pretty good and I helped my self to another before I was done.

 

 

After breakfast, we knew we needed to go somewhere and get some 12 packs of pop/soda/Coke-but-really-Pepsi. Not having transportation when staying somewhere provides to be a challenge when booking a place because we have to be within walking distance to a gas station/grocery store/pharmacy and it has to be walkable with a child and not a super busy road to cross. With this being a last minute thing, I didn't have a lot of time to research. We debated if we wanted to head out or just wait and pay the cab driver extra to stop by a gas station, but knew we had awhile before it was time for the cab to come.

 

We headed down the street, which is not too busy and it's sort of like a side street with just traffic going to the hotels back there and there's a few small businesses (car parts/shops) along the way. There's not a sidewalk, but you can walk the parking lots to these places with no problem and be way off the street. There was a main intersection that we crossed and there was no problem there.

 

We headed to a Shell gas station on the corner only to notice that there was actually a Valero gas station that was on the same side of the street as the hotel and wouldn't have even had to cross the busy road. However, there was a building blocking us seeing it and that's why we hadn't noticed.

 

Pop was $5.99 for a 12 pack and we grabbed 3 of them. The store clerk rang us up and said "$27.--" Um what?!?! I told him $5.99 x3 did not add up to over $27 even if taxes are 20%! He said "Oops, I must charge you wrong money" Yea, yea you did. Retry those calculation skills. The next time he rang it up, that was more like it. He offered Sakari a free sucker for the trouble, which was nice and off we went with our pop in our dedicated rolling backpack luggage we use each time.

 

From standing across the busy street by the gas station, looking in the direction we were going to the hotel, this is how far it is...

 

 

Not a far walk at all for anyone that needs to do this.

 

Once back at the hotel, we gathered our luggage and went to the front desk to have them call for a cab. They told us they had called the "Yellow Cab" and they would be here soon. We headed outside to wait.

 

 

 

About 15 minutes later, the lady at the front desk came out and said the cab company had just called saying they were on their way and since she didn't see us inside, she wanted to make sure we hadn't left. She informed us that the lady on the phone said one of her associates might show up before she did and we could go with her if so.

 

We waited for about a total of 30 minutes or so. A lady pulled up in a maroon mini-van that said something on the side that had nothing to do with "Yellow Cab" nor was it yellow. We just sat there and watched her walk in and then come back out asking if we were the ones needing a cab to the cruise port. Oops, well we didn't realize this cab was for us.

 

We got in and off we went. The lady was SUPER nice and very informative. We talked all the way there. She also told us to make sure when we come back that we tell the cab driver to take Red Bluff to 45(?) back to the airport because some of the cab drivers like to get on the freeway and go the long way around to get more $$. She said the ride should only be around $45-50 going the quick way versus around $100 that some of the other cabs going the long way will charge. I told her if she had a card, we would happily call her for pick up and we were not going to be in a hurry to get off the ship, due to a late flight out, and that would give her plenty of time to take other passengers back and forth from the cruise port if she wanted. She was excited and handed us her card and told us exactly where to stand once we got off the ship that morning.

 

Our first site of the Jade. (Picture shot through the tinted window gave off a neat tint, but no, it was not gloomy outside at all)

 

 

 

I was super excited and so was Sakari. She always has to know the name of the ships and squealed with excitement when she herd the name of another ship she hadn't been on.

 

 

 

Ta-da.. "Mommy, take a picture of me like I'm holding the ship" LOL

 

 

 

 

[Kfamilycruise]

So excited about your review Kim! Thanks so much for all of the time you put into this considering school, work and your upcoming cruise! I can't believe how big Sakari is now! Since I've read all of your reviews, you can really see the difference! I'm glad your cruise started off well!

[mitsugirly]

One more picture of the munchkin holding "her ship" and then we'd head inside to check in.

 

 

 

We had arrived at 11:15am and was able to walk right in. We headed toward the Platinum line, which was open and didn't have anyone waiting in line. Wow, how nice. There were people in the other lines, but they weren't long either.

 

We checked in and up the escalator we went to get on board. Well this was nice. They really had their process together I guess. I had read so many horror stories about cruising out of Texas and this was nothing like that (however, I believe most of those horror stories are the people cruising out of Galveston, like where Carnival docks).

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did not have a line until we got to the part that you stepped onto the walkway leading up to the ship. It wasn't a long line and took maybe 5 minutes of constant moving.

 

 

 

Goodbye port, hello Jade.

 

 

Now I did notice that we were constantly being told to move over and "excuse us" while they rolled people up in wheelchairs. I also noticed that A LOT of people would jump behind these wheelchairs acting like they were with the family and walk on by us. Really? What some people will do. I can't wait to get on the ship, but I would never do this. If it's that important, go right ahead. I will still make it on the ship about 5 minutes after you. Just saying.

 

 

[sunbird21]

Hi Kim!

 

I was finishing up my Christmas cruise review and someone told me that you took an unexpected cruise and were posting a review. So, please let it be known that I am delaying my charting so that I can catch up!!

 

I was looking forward to your upcoming Breeze review to hold me over until my April cruise, so I'm so glad to have this to hold me over until then!! (Because, you know, it's all about people reading your reviews, not about your family getting to actually cruise ;) )

 

Happy belated birthday, it sounds like your hubby knew exactly what type of getaway that you would want:)

 

Hope the BSN program is treating you better this semester!

 

PS- Hope that return to Roatan meant a return to LFK?!?!

 

Stacey

Edited March 6, 2016 by sunbird21

[lisakoivu]

Some of us (okay, me) will forget to go to the Carnival board for your Breeze review, so please post a link here! Looking forward to the rest of this review also!

[mitsugirly]

We stepped foot on the ship and they had the red carpet rolled out for...Sakari, I'm sure.

 

 

One last look at the port and I was ready to kiss it goodbye.

 

 

 

We walked into the Atrium and it was decorated with balloons.

 

 

 

Sakari marked her territory to let everyone know she had arrived.

 

 

We decided it was time to explore this fascinating "Hawaii" ship.

 

 

NEXT UP....A SHIP TOUR....

 

[mitsugirly]

SHIP REVIEW:

 

We'll start from the bottom and work our way up because isn't this how life is anyhow?

 

DECK 6:

 

ALIZAR-one of the main dining rooms that is free of charge to eat in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

CASINO:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The room where the big dogs roll...

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

I just loved the lights in here

 

 

They had TONS of the bright throw-you-into-a-seizure slots.

 

 

 

 

One thing I noticed about the casino (after a few days) is that in the restroom, they had large windows. I remember another ship being like this (I think it might have been the Star??). I kept meaning to go in there and get a picture during the day time, but forgot.

 

[cruisexlife]

So excited to read your review, thanks in advance for writing it! :D

[mitsugirly]

The Grand Pacific-another main dining room that you could eat for free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are wondering about the tables being covered it is because they were set during the life boat drill and this was a room that was used during the drill with people sitting there. I did see a lot of people and kids messing with the plates and silverware under the table coverings. I made a decision at that point that we would NOT be eating in there tonight with everyones grimy hands on stuff. I would wait until after they had a chance to wash them.

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

This is the area you will enter and exit if you have mobility problems or in a wheelchair, instead of using the grand stairway entrance.

 

 

 

There seems to be a piano in all of these MDR's on the older ships set up exactly like this. I have to say I have never heard anyone play them when eating.

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

I had not even had a drink yet, but it appears my perception of things were a little distorted. (Actually there were several windows like this. I'm not sure what was going on with them).

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Le Bistro (pay restaurant):

 

 

 

I loved this wall. When you walked in, it was very dark in the entrance. The bottles lined up and down this wall looked very dark. You could not tell they were colored bottles and one would simply just walk by it and never know. However, when you use a flash on a camera, it illuminated the bottles and you could see all the pretty colors. Pretty cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

I had to take one last picture of the bottles as we headed out.

 

[mitsugirly]

Magnums Champagne & Wine Bar

 

 

 

This is a 2 story open foyer in the middle of the ship. all of this class of ships have this section and they pretty much all look alike with some type of lit up ceiling design.

 

 

 

 

 

The bubbles were flowing in the glasses behind this glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Stardust Theater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

DECK 7. We are going to start with the beautiful atrium and flowers. I'm not sure if these are a part of the Chihuly collection or not. I know there was another ship that had some Chihuly collections on it (maybe the Pearl??) and just wondered if anyone knew for a fact if the flowers on this ship are Chihuly? I tried to search and seen plenty of people also asking this question, but never a definite answer.

 

So I believe I posted a picture, like the one below, when I announced that I was on a surprise cruise, to the people here on the forum. This was my hint and many knew which ship it was right away. If they didn't know, they would guess some type of Hawaiian ship, which is partially correct as well I guess. But this is a dead giveaway.

 

 

 

 

This wonderful display is in the main atrium, that is 2 stories tall, and each flowers stigma will light up and glow different colors. I did notice once, while eating at Blue Lagoon, that some of them did not work.

 

 

One set of main elevators also had a large display of these flowers above it.

 

 

We also located the flowers in various other areas around different elevators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]