The [Almost] Complete Ship Guide and Review to the NCL Jade 11-13-2016

[Angelo_R]

As the title states, this will be a full review and an almost complete guide to the NCL Jade as of November 24, 2016. It is a work in progress and I will post when I update sections. This document is also located on my Google Drive link listed below.

 

We Embarked on Sunday, November 13, 2016. Debarkation was on Sunday, November 20, 2016. The NCL Jade currently sails out of Port of Tampa, FL for a 7 Night Western Caribbean sailing. The NCL Jade itinerary is:

 

Day 1 - Port of Tampa, Depart 4:00pm

Day 2 - Sea Day

Day 3 - Cozumel, Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 5 - Roatan, Honduras, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize, 7:00am – 1:00pm

Day 7 - Sea Day

Day 8 - Port of Tampa, 8:00am

 

2016/2017 Dates for above Itinerary:

2016 - 11/20, 11/27, 12/04, 12/11

2017 – 1/08, 4/9**, 4/16**

** Both of these sailings will be after Dry Dock in March.

 

There are also 2 sailings on 12/18/2016 and 12/26/16 that are 8-Day Western Caribbean which rotate the stops above, and add the Santo Tomas de Castilla (Guatemala) port.

 

All the information included in this guide and review should be good for the 7 Night Western Caribbean sailings listed above. The Jade will be in Dry Dock March 10-30, 2017 and will change some venues, restaurants, and probably many other things. We will be on the 4/16/2017 sailing and will make an updated review for the refurbished ship. I cannot say whether menus, freestyle events, and other information will be pertinent to other Caribbean sailings.

 

Here is a link to my Google Drive shared ‘2016-11-13 NCL Jade’ Folder.

 

 

The link above contains:

- All Freestyle Daily and Inserts

- Menus for most of the restaurants (I recreated many in Publisher and saved as PDF files)

- Other Documents given or found throughout the Cruise

- A pictures folder with shots of the ship

- A special Harvest Caye Video Slideshow and information.

 

About Us

My wife (46) and I (42) live in central Florida just south of Orlando. We have been on 7 cruises together since 2011, 5 Norwegian (Dawn, Pearl, Getaway, Star, and now the Jade), 1 RCL, and 1 Carnival. We are about 2 hours from Port of Tampa and Port Canaveral, and 2.5-3 hours from Port of Ft. Lauderdale and Port of Miami so we have a good selection of cruises to the W/E/S Caribbean and Bahamas.

 

On this sailing, we had the Ultimate Beverage Package (UBP) included for free. We had the UBP on the Star, but we aren’t big drinkers. To pay just the 18% gratuity which was $80/pp, we knew we could do 1-2 drinks a day and come out ahead!

 

We did this same itinerary in November 2012 for our honeymoon on the NCL Dawn, which is a wonderful ship and was a fabulous trip. We also did this on the NCL Star in February 2016. We like to go with the flow and not schedule excursions at every port. We feel the vacation should be relaxing and we should not need a vacation after our vacation like you do after a trip to Disney! We like to get off the ship at our convenience, do a little shopping, and maybe take in the nearby sights. We meet so many nice people on NCL and sometimes they hang with us or we hang out with them. It’s always nice to have someone that can take a picture of US instead of just one of us being in the pictures or having that selfie couple shot!

 

Arrival at Port of Tampa

Parking – We reserved with ‘Park 4 Cruise’ which is just next to the port. We could see our car from the ship. It is a dirt lot, but it is gated. You don’t leave your keys with them so they aren’t sandwiching cars together like sardines. It’s setup like a normal parking lot and they have a shuttle which takes about 3-5 minutes if there is port traffic. It may be easier to walk to the ship if you don’t have too many bags! We pulled in around 11:30am, gave them our name, they showed us where to park, helped unload the 3 bags into the shuttle, and whisked us off to the unloading zone. When we returned, the shuttle was right where he said it would be and we were at our car and headed home in 15 minutes. Total price for Sun-Sun was $69.

 

Going through Security – We unloaded at the curb and gave our 2 big bags to the port loaders. I had 1 carry-on roller with cruise documents, electronics, and misc stuff. My wife had a backpack with her stuff along with important items like pills and eyeglasses. We got in line about 12:15pm with about 30-40 people in front of us to go through the metal detector and baggage scanner. It went pretty quickly and we were in the terminal. They first made us fill out the “Are you sick” heath questionnaire, then take that to the line to check in – there was no one in front of us and we walked up to the counter. After showing documents and swiping the billable cc, she took our pictures and gave us our cards and welcome aboard flyer with deck plans and information about the ship (see Other Documents on my Google Drive). We walked through the Bon Voyage sign and headed onto the ship.

 

Norwegian iConcierge Program – while waiting to board (or before you get to the port), I would suggest downloading the Norwegian iConcierge program on your smartphone. Then, before boarding connect to the ‘NCL_Jade_Internet’ Wifi to check out the program. I will do more in-depth on the program later.

 

Boarding the Ship

The escalators were not working, so we walked up the stairs (elevators were working but are slow), out on the gangway and across to the ship where we entered on deck 7 mid by the elevators, but not before we got the Washy Washy hand spray – get used to it as you will (and should) do it often. I’m not sure why they don’t bring you in the Atrium first, but maybe people would crowd up by stopping and taking pictures. The Grand Atrium is a large are with the customer service desk, excursion desk and information kiosks, CruiseNext planners, a bar and lounge area for music, and stairs up to deck 8. When you look up, you see the overlooks of deck 8 with The Blue Lagoon (24 hour restaurant) and The Moderno. I had most of the ship memorized, but it still takes some time to get your bearings.

 

Quick directional tip for NCL – the fishes on the carpets on most cabin decks, and on the doors in the common areas point to the forward of the ship – “Fishies Front”. The left side of the ship is the Port – LEFT and PORT both have 4 letters. The right side of the ship is Starboard – if you remember LEFT, you will know what right is!

 

We headed to the elevators at mid and went up to deck 12 to the Market Café buffet which was open, and found TopSiders and each grabbed a drink.

 

Stateroom - 9005

We booked an Inside cabin in February 2016 and selected deck 9 fwd. Room 9005 was a corner room so we only had 1 neighbor and an un-busy hallway to the 4 fwd suites. We have had balconies, and with the extra cost we feel we have to use it… but how often are you in your stateroom other than to change and sleep. Also, we are working on 2 cruises a year so the savings on an inside cabin allow us to do this. We are loyal to NCL because we love what they have to offer on all the ships, although we did the Getaway (review here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=269948) and are not too fond of the mega ships right now.

 

The stateroom was very accommodating for our needs. It had all we needed – bed, bathroom, LCD TV, refrigerator, desk, plugs for our electronics, a safe, ample closet space, and 3 drawers. We put our suitcases under the bed after unpacking and had plenty of room to move around. We are a good normal weight and size – me 5’10” 185 lbs, her 5’4” 120 lbs.

 

Thermal Spa Package

The Mandara Spa located on Deck 12 Fwd on the Jade offers the Thermal Spa package. It is usually the best way to "get away" on a sea day or after an excursion. It's a serene location to relax for an hour, or all day! It's great for bad weather days on deck to still enjoy a pool/spa. For those that don't like kids running around screaming (they're having fun, but they are loud to say the least), there are no children allowed. We loved the Mandara Spa on the other ships, however we did not do it on the Jade. You can pre-pay online to save $30/pp ($129 vs. $159 on the ship). After getting some food at the Market Cafe, we went to the spa and looked around and they have a hot tub, steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, heated stone chairs, and a large hot tub where you lay back and are surrounded by bubbles. The problem was most of these amenities were in the men’s and women’s areas – only the stone chairs and the lay back hot tub are shared. My wife and I like to enjoy the thermal spa time together, and this would not really allow us to do that. Also, they did not have a heated pool like the Star, Dawn, or some other ships have.

 

 

Food/Dining - Complimentary

Grand Pacific Main Dining Room – Deck 6 Aft (B/L/D)

The Grand Pacific is an elegant place to have a sit down breakfast, lunch, or dinner. No swimwear, tank tops, or cover-ups are allowed to be worn here. Minimum attire is a dress or jeans/slacks and a blouse or polo. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. Most of the items of each meal are found at the buffet as well, just served to you and presented nicely. The menus usually change on a daily rotation with an always interesting selection. Fancy words adorn the menu like compote and beurre blanc. Start off with water and rolls, and pick a nice wine or cocktail. The appetizer, main course, and dessert will come at a steady pace. Enjoy the food, the ambiance, and converse with your family and friends.

 

The aft elevator only goes from Deck 6-12, so if you’re in the lower rooms, the easiest way to get to Versailles is to get to Deck 7 Mid and go through the Atrium and either the Art Galler on Port side, or Photo Gallery on Starboard side. Before you enter the gift shops, turn to the middle of the ship and go to the aft stairwell, then go down one flight to deck 6.

 

Alizar Dining Room – Deck 6 Mid (D)

The Alizar has a more contemporary style décor. If you’re not up for the buffet and not in the mood to dress to the nines, it’s a great place to have a lunch or dinner; however, straight bathing suits are not allowed—cover ups are ok. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. You are served by several different wait staff all ready to help you enjoy your meal.

 

Garden Café – The Buffet – Deck 12 Mid/Aft (B/L/D)

This is the buffet… breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, evening snack, 10:30 tummy fill. Every day from 6 AM till 11 PM, all different cuisines are placed before you to try, with some common staples mixed in. They do close an hour or two between meals to clean and prep for the next meal, so check the Freestyle Daily for hours. The nice thing about a buffet is trying something new at each meal—you only have to take a small portion and if you like it you can have more. Salad, soup, breads, main dishes, desserts, and snacks adorn the multiple serving kiosks. Walk around and scope the buffet to see what you’re in the mood for, then grab a plate and start selecting. At breakfast, there are 4 omelet stations, one at each of the open sections. Depending on the time, you should expect to wait a few minutes, but it’s an omelet to your request, or fresh sunny side up or over easy eggs. At lunch the omelet areas usually serve specialties. And at dinner they become carving stations for roast beef, pork, and other meats.

 

The food is generally good to great, but don’t expect greatness with everything you try and the same item can change flavor or consistency each day. The scrambled eggs are hit or miss—sometimes dry and cakey, other days just right or even a little wet. Remember that most cruise lines are run by European companies and the cuisine along with the style and preparation are sometimes different than what you might know from home.

 

Entrances are on deck 12 on either the Starboard side of the pool deck through the breezeway from the pool heading aft, or from the aft elevators/stairs. Seating is pretty spacious along the Starboard side all the way to the rear exit, then around the aft of the ship (outside by The Great Outdoors buffet area). During breakfast and lunch, you are allowed to bring your food from the buffet into La Cucina as well since they are only open for dinner. You can also take your food outside to the pool area.

 

Topsiders Bar & Grill – Deck 12 Mid (B/L)

Poolside burgers, hot dogs, fries, and other options – didn’t mom tell us to not eat and swim? Check the Freestyle for hours. It’s basically a mini buffet with the essentials for a short time at each meal. Opening for breakfast at 6:30 AM, hey have the basics, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and some other items. Topsiders is a common place to grab a burger after swimming, or a plate of comfort food like French fries. Weather permitting, these and other items are available until 5 PM, and usually open when a sail away or other even is happening on deck 12.

 

 

Blue Lagoon – Deck 8 Mid (24 hours) – Menu on Google Docs

This is the 24 hour (actually 21.5 hours, they close from 11-11:30AM, 4:30-5pm, and 4am-5:30am) food and bar location. The menu includes a lot of comfort foods like buffalo wings, hot dogs, burgers, and other staples you might want even at 2 in the morning! Hand the host/ess your key card and they will seat you. During the March 2017 dry dock, the Blue Lagoon will more than likely be upgraded to O’Sheehans to match the newer fleet.

 

Our Take: We only ate here once. I had a hot dog which was pretty good, wife had a salad which she liked, and mozzarella sticks which were cold. It is usually hit or miss with wings and mozzarella sticks.

 

Jasmine– Deck 7 Mid/Fwd (D) – Menu on Google Docs

The Jasmine is the Asian noodle bar which is mostly complimentary, and includes ordering from the Sushi and Sake bar which are a la carte. The waitresses are petite wearing orange and white dresses. It has a selection of traditional appetizers and soups, Asian main courses with noodles and rice, and customary desserts.

 

Our Take: We started with the steamed pork pot stickers which were good and the spring rolls that were crispy and delicious (careful, they are hot and will burn your tongue). We ordered sushi from the Sushi Bar. I had the Two-Timing Tuna Roll which is a spicy tuna roll and was delicious. She had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll which the roll is about twice the thickness of a normal roll. It was harder to pickup with chopsticks and fell apart as she bit into it, but she did like it very much. Pictures are up on Google Docs.

 

 

Food/Dining – Specialty ($) and A la carte

There are 5 specialty (additional cost) restaurants on board which include: Le Bistro, La Cucina, Cagney’s, Moderno, and Teppenyaki. These restaurants range in price from $25/pp and up or now have a la carte pricing, and you [should] make a reservation either from the iConcierge app, at the dining desk, or calling the dining desk from your stateroom. The Jade has not been updated as of yet to use touch screens around the ship. There are also several a la carte dining options such as the Sushi Bar, and coffee/desert stations like Atrium Café & Bar

 

Teppenyaki – Deck 7 Mid/Fwd

Teppenyaki is the Hibachi (think Bennihana) grill which is located inside the Jasmine Noodle Bar. There are two grills side by side wrapped on three sides by a table and 12 seats. Check the menu, place your order, and let the show begin. Your two chefs will start making jokes and noise as they do tricks with the utensils and food right before your eyes. The food is cooked fast, fresh, and entertaining. The aroma makes your mouth water while they slice and dice your meal. Follow up the meal with an all “green” tea dessert, or choose a fruit plate. Very few walk away unsatisfied or unentertained.

 

Our Take: We loved the show and walked out stuffed. I ordered the surf and turf, and wife ordered the filet mignon. The fresh garlic smell while he made the fried rice was to die for. Both the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. Overall, our second best experience next to Cagney’s and worth a 5/5 stars.

 

La Cucina – Deck 12 Aft (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

When you’re here… you’re… oh wait, that’s another Italian place. La Cucina is Italian cuisine on located on the ship. They have made La Cucina into an a la carte menu instead of a flat $25/pp. The prices are equivalent to a local restaurant, and you can still keep the bill to around $25 per person with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert unless you order the lobster or T-bone steak. They have a good selection of Italian favorites. FYI – The deck plans on NCL site show La Cucina on Deck 13, but it is on Deck 12.

 

Our Take: We did not eat here as we did not have a great experience on the NCL Star.

 

Cagney’s Steakhouse – Deck 13 Mid – Menu on Google Docs

It’s the talk of the ship—“You have to try Cagney’s.” A small restaurant nestled in a corner of deck 13, the smell of flame cooked steak fills the air.

 

Our Take: We ordered the 32oz Porterhouse steak and shared it along with a baked potato and some broccoli. The steak was good, but not like the ones we buy at home at Publix or Winn Dixie and grill with our own seasonings; plus it had a 10oz bone and about 6oz of fat so it was truly about a 16oz. The a la carte prices went up since February as well ($19.99 to $24.99). I would not recommend paying $2.00 for each side either - we received a 10 cent tiny potato and 15 cents worth of Broccoli and paid $4. The rolls were delicious.

 

Le Bistro – Deck 6 Mid (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

Near Gatsby’s (next to the piano) is the entrance to Le Bistro with French cuisine. We enjoyed the food here on the Star, but did not get to eat here on the Jade. The only time we were here was for the meet & greet. Cruise Critic Meet & Greets are usually held here on the first sea day (if one was setup for your cruise). One bad thing is the entrance to the casino is right next to the waiting area for Le Bistro and the smoke smell lingers from the casino.

 

Moderno – Deck 8 Mid - Menu on Google Docs

Across from Blue Lagoon is the Moderno Churrascaria. We did not make it to Moderno on this trip. We heard mixed reviews from other guests.

 

Sushi Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid – Menu on Google Docs

The sushi bar is located just as you walk inside Jasmine. It is a la carte and you order by the roll. They are only open from 5:30PM to 10:00pm every day.

 

Our Take: We were on the NCL Dawn in 2012 and enjoyed their pricing of $2.50 to $4.00 for a full roll. On the Star and Jade with their new menus, it is now $5.00 to $7.50 for a full roll. While still less expensive than a sushi place back home, we only went twice. I had a Two-Timing Tuna Roll and she had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll. All of it was delicious.

 

Bars/Drinks

If you’re on deck 6-8 or 12-13, you will find a bar somewhere. Times vary at each bar, but you should have no problem getting a drink on this ship! Port taxes may be incurred on top of the 18% gratuity fee. In Tampa, a 7% tax is added to any drink until away from port about 20-40 miles (not sure). If you have the UBP, you will still get charged this tax. Embarkation day, we had about $3.00 in port taxes on 5 drinks. Also, I suggest using the iConcierge app to monitor your stateroom account several times a day, especially if you have the UBP. You can get a receipt upon request, but now they don’t bring receipts to sign anymore. If they billed you for something they will usually tell you (over $15, water, soda, or anything not covered by UBP), but may not always. It’s easier to take care of a discrepancy early rather than the last night with 500 other guests.

 

Shakers/Magnum's/Cigar Lounge – Deck 6 Mid

Located outside Le Bistro and in view of the piano, grab a drink at Gatsby’s and sit in a handful of seats line the area for the singer/pianist shows that happen throughout the day. Many trivia games happen in this alcove as well. Service can be slow here at times and was probably the longest wait at a bar we had which was about 10 minutes.

 

Jade Casino Bar – Deck 6 Fwd

Hmmm, drinking and gambling… quite an unheard of mix, but let’s go with it  . If you can stand the smoke smell from the casino area, getting a drink here is not a long wait at all. The bartenders were always friendly here (maybe they get bigger tips from all those winners?).

 

Sake Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid

Located inside Jasmine and Sushi area up front, grab a glass of sake or wine, and a limited selection of mixed drinks. Open from 5:00pm – 11:00pm, there was never more than 1 person ahead of us there.

 

Aloha Café & Bar (Atrium) – Deck 7 Mid

Selling Lavazza coffee and cappuccinos along with muffins and other snacks, this is all a la carte and is only open at select times.

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 13 Fwd

You will learn where this place is quickly as all the main events, game shows, latitudes rewards get together, lecturers, arts & crafts, dance parties, white hot nights, and the only movie screen on board. Thankfully, there is a bar at the rear along with wait service at the tables (slow, but it is there). If you only see 1 bartender and a line, you can expect to wait for a drink. Once they add the second or third bartender, drinks flow quicker!

 

Moderno Bar – Deck 8 Mid

At the back of the 24 hour dining area sits a bar. Get any drink you want here… when they’re open.

 

Topsiders Bar – Deck 12 Mid

Outside and weather permitting, this bar is busy most of the day, but they always had at least 2 or 3 bartenders all the time. They not only serve walk-ups, but also the wait staff delivering drinks to those sunning around the pool area. Even at busy times, we didn’t wait more than 5-6 minutes for a drink.

 

Bali Hai – Deck 13 Mid/Fwd

Another outside, weather permitting bar, a very popular hangout on deck 13 above the pool deck, it overlooks the pool and also gives a nice ocean view on either side. However, people go there for the people and it was always crowded. I cannot comment on wait times because we only passed through just to check it out with drinks in hand from Topsiders Bar already.

 

Great Outdoors Bar – Deck 12 Aft

At the aft of deck 12 is The Great Outdoors with a bar to compliment the view. Enjoy drinks here all day from 10:00am to 11:00pm.

 

Entertainment

Jade Club Casino – Deck 6 Fwd

One word – SMOKY! If you don’t mind, then have fun. If you do mind, then stay away from deck 6 Fwd!

 

Stardust Theater – Deck 6/7 Fwd

A quick note for those with allergies to smoke… do not come out of the Stardust on the lower deck as you will walk into a cloud of smoke from the casino!

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 12 Fwd

The place for all other entertainment outside the Stardust.

 

The Library – Deck 12 Fwd

Forgot your book? A decent library to choose from to curl up on a lounger and read on your trip!

 

The Game/Card Room – Deck 12 Fwd

Card and board games to play with friends and family.

 

Golf Driving Net (2) – Deck 13 Aft

Tee time on the open seas… or at least a few practice swings in the driving nets.

 

Sports Court – Deck 13 Aft

A nice size basketball court.

 

Stateroom TV Channels

There is a small selection of channels on the TV in your stateroom. The first 8 are devoted to the ship – Safety, Shopping, Entertainment, Ship Info, Bow Cam. Then you have 2 or 3 news channels, a sports channel, a ‘TV Shows’ channel, and 2 movie channels.

 

Spa & Fitness

Walking Promenade – Deck 7

Jogging Track – Deck 13

Mandara Spa – Deck 12 Fwd

Spa Thermal Suite – Deck 12 Fwd

Barong Fitness Center – Deck 12 Fwd

Internet Café – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Port (Inside Art Gallery)

 

Shopping

Gift Shop – Deck 7 Atrium

Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shops – Deck 7 Aft

Photo Gallery – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Starboard

 

Daily Log

I kept a pretty good daily log in notepad on my iPhone of everything we did along with notes and extra information. I will post some of it below under each day. - See Freestyle Daily on Google Docs for each Day's full ship event list

 

Day 1 – Port of Tampa Embarkation, Set sail at 4:00pm

We did not set sail until about 7:00pm. The Jade had just come from a 14-day Trans-Atlantic voyage and they had the divers under the ship for most of the day, and bunkering the ship to fuel takes time as well. No big deal, everyone was having fun so it didn’t matter. We did sail away after dark so there was no sail-away party that we saw. However, a must see is the ship passing under the Skyway Bridge – takes about 1½ hours after sail away to get to the bridge and out to sea. Everyone is always amazed at the near miss of the topmost radar system and the bridge. I have a video of it which I will post to YouTube.

 

They had the muster station drill at 3: 00pm. We had to go to the Stardust, but your key card will tell you the station number to go. It took about 25 minutes and then they let us get back to partying. Our CC group had an informal meet and mingle just after the muster drill on Deck 6 at the Martini Bar. We met some nice people and chatted for about an hour.

 

We saw the Welcome Aboard Show at 7:30pm at the Stardust Theater which was a great preview to the upcoming week’s shows. The Jade Dancers are an excellent bunch of men and women.

 

First night was prime rib night at the Garden Café and MDRs.

 

Day 2 – Sea Day

The weather was overcast and rained on and off. We explored the ship, ate, and had a good time. At 11:00am in Le Bistro, we had our official CC Meet & Greet/Mingle. There was a spread of drinks and snacks and the top brass came to introduce themselves. We talked with a group of folks both new and old to cruising, and made plans with some to go with us on our adventures in Cozumel.

 

At 12:00pm is the Latitudes Rewards Cocktail Party. If you are a returning NCL Latitudes member, you should get your invitation on embarkation day in your room. We missed most of this since we were chatting with our new friends at the meet and greet.

 

We did not see the Blazing Boots show. This is the first show we have ever not watched. We caught the end of the 7:30 showing, and while the dancing looked good, we are not Country music folks… and this was truly Country twang! No worries… we had a lineup of music awaiting us this evening.

 

At 8:30pm, we caught the group Temperature in the Spinnaker doing a Stevie Wonder Tribute. This trip was full of tributes and Stevie was the first. It was an excellent show. The only thing we noticed was the singer seemed to keep looking at a sheet like he didn’t know the words… but he sang great and if he didn’t know the words, he hid it pretty well!

 

At 9:45pm, Fire and Ice did a Soul Music lineup. The singer is one pent-up ball of energy and has a voice that can cover Soul and Motown very well. An enjoyable show in the Medusa lounge.

 

Day 3 – Cozumel, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

We met our 4 new CC friends for breakfast and headed off the ship. Wife and I have been to Cozumel 4 times and we love it. We have a ritual of renting a jeep from the locals ($75 for 2 door, $85 for 4 door) and driving to Punta Sur lighthouse, then having lunch and snorkeling in the cove at Chen Rio Restaurant and Beach. We got to Punta Sur entrance and it is now $14/pp to get in the gate. This includes the lighthouse climb and the beach access. We used to only have to pay $4 to get to the lighthouse. We went and climbed the lighthouse and the view of the ocean and preserve is spectacular. There is also a museum, some ruins, and some shopping.

 

We get back in the jeep and drive 7km to the beach area which we had never been… but after seeing it we had to stay for 1½ hours and enjoy it! Sugar sand beach and oh so blue water. We brought some of the loungers down to the water and enjoyed it. We were 6 people on a beach with only 2 other people anywhere nearby! Dos XX in a can was $4, a little pricier than our normal spot.

 

We load up the jeep and head to Chen Rio, about 10km east of Punta Sur. We sat at a table right on the beach, ordered some chicken fajitas and more Dos XX in a bottle (now only $3), and enjoyed the sights, view of the ocean, and got to know more about our new friends. After lunch, some of us went in the water – note, bring water shoes as it is rocky, but also bring snorkel gear. Also get your camera ready as the ocean crashes through the rocks and creates fountains in the holes.

 

About 2:30 we packed up and headed back to the port. On the way back we stopped at the Tequila tasting and tour place called Mi Mexico Lindo. Leo was our guide, but told him we were running late so give us the quick tour. It was great and got to taste some fine tequila. Afterwards, we drove back to town and dropped off the jeep. We walked to the market and all went into Starbucks for some coffee and Wifi, then headed back to the ship. It was a great day with beautiful sunny weather, and our friends loved the itinerary. We split everything 6 ways and total per person for the jeep, Punta Sur entrance, and lunch was about $55.00.

 

At 7:30pm we went to the acrobatics show with Dmitry & Ksenia. They are a phenomenal duo with strength and agility we could only dream of having. The show was a little slow at times – the video screen came down 3 times to screen their relationship (they are married) and other things. Overall the show was excellent.

 

Day 4 – Costa Maya, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

In Costa Maya, we had a reservation at the Tropicante on the beach. We had been there in February on the Star after being introduced to it by other CC friends we met. After walking ¾ of a mile from the ship to the Taxi area (long pier, and longer shops they make you walk through), a 5 minute ride in a taxi costing $2/pp had us in town in front of the Tropicante. Our host met us at the taxi and we were on our reserved beach chairs with requested umbrella within 5 minutes. 2 minutes later we both had drinks in hand. Again, sugar sand beaches and crystal clear waters with an abundance of sun made for a memorable day. Steve, the owner, came by and spoke to us for a few minutes and went about his business.

 

I swam and snorkeled for a while near shore. Not much to see, but having the mask and snorkel on keeps the salt water out of my eyes and mouth/lips. There are locals walking by with lots of nice items, but just say “No gracias” and they move on. We did buy a shell wind chime for $10. I was asked about doing a snorkeling trip for $25. I said sure, so about 11:15 I headed to the boat and 3 others were on board and a driver and guide. We went out about 2-3 miles and dropped over the side following the guide. While not as rich and vibrant as some other reefs, this one was really extensive, albeit spotty with many small reef-lets with larger ones in between, and at the end was a very long reef which we swam at least for 10-15 minutes along it. We were out on the water for about 45-50 minutes. One lady was tired, and we kind of all followed suit up the ladder as even with the life jacket, the waves can beat the energy out of you. The whole trip was about 1½ hours and well worth the $25.

 

When I returned, we asked about lunch and were taken to a table. We picked at some chips and salsa and mini burritos for a bit along with another round of drinks. We decided to walk to beach strip a bit and look at the stores and other beach spots. There was a nice silver store where my wife bought a turtle pendant, 2 necklaces and a ring. We went back to our spot and relaxed for another hour or so, paid the tab ($38 for lunch and drinks), then packed up about 3:00pm and caught another taxi back to the port.

 

Back on the ship we saw our friends in the Jasmine and sat down enjoying some great company. We shared our day’s events and made plans for Roatan. We all went to the Stardust to see Showdown – a great performance by the Jade dancers.

 

NOTE: Time change 1 hour back was tonight.

 

Day 5 – Roatan, Honduras – 8:00am – 5:00pm (Time Change)

Today was our 4th Anniversary. We had breakfast at the buffet, then went down to get off the ship and meet the others at 8:30am. We had made a reservation for 2 for a local taxi tour after hearing about it through our friends from the Star. His name is Elmer Welcome and you can friend him on Facebook. We asked him to have a sign with our name on it so we would see him outside the port. We had to walk through molestation lane where they bombard you with taxis and tours, but thankfully can’t come out of their booths. After walking through the lot we came out the gate and there was Elmer with the sign. I told him we brought some friends so we are now 6. He said no problem and he would get a bigger vehicle.

 

Elmer took us to the east side. The first stop was an overlook with a great view of the ship, sea, and landscape. There are some local huts with lots of souvenirs – look around here and haggle with these people as you will probably get the best price on what you find at this stop – especially on the wooden carved bowls and conch shells. We then went to a more commercial shop where overpriced items are priced as is with no deals to be made. We asked Elmer to move along quickly to the next stop as we all were not in the mood to shop. Next he took us to the old Governor’s house and through back streets and landmarks, then drove back by the port and headed to the west side.

 

First stop here was the Zip Line and monkey park. It was $10 to get up close with the monkeys and other animals. Everyone had some fun with the monkeys going all over us. We then went to the bar and got a drink called the Monkey La La – sounds funny, but definitely try it for $5 as all of us loved it (some got 2). We skipped the zip lines, but I think it was $25 or $30 and there are 16 or 19 zip lines. You go up and stay up zipping from line to line, sometimes with monkeys along for the ride! I will definitely do this in April when we return. We then went to West Shore beach. This was $10/pp to use the loungers. We all grabbed a lounger and relaxed for a bit with more Monkey La La’s. 3 of us went with Elmer to get some snorkel gear and do more snorkeling. It was a walk to the end of the beach where the reefs were, but they were right off shore and along the rocky cliff wall. We didn’t stay for too long because they had some rain the last 2 days and the water was churned up a bit. We were on the beach for at least 2-2½ hours before packing up and heading back up the hill. We stopped at the lighthouse which had more vendors, and across the street was the Rum Cake Factory. A few of us bought the chocolate rum bottles and tasted samples of the cakes and rum. I enjoyed the Spiced Rum Cake.

 

After talking to the local vendors, we headed back to the port. The taxi driver cost is $25/pp for 2, or $15/pp for 4 or more. Elmer, the guide, works on tips. We paid the taxi driver $110 and Elmer $125. Another beautiful day – overcast which kept the direct heat away, but no rain!

 

We missed the CruiseNext Cocktail Party at 6pm (also part of Latitudes and return guests). We went dinner, then off to the Stardust for Comedian Rod Long. It was a good show – many cruising jokes in the mix. We then went to the Spinnaker for the 9:30 Tina Turner tribute by Fire and Ice. All we could say was WOW! If Tina Turner was 40 years old, I would think this was actually her. The look, the energy, voice, songs, and moves – all Tina Turner! Tina fan or not, this is one show you should see!

 

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize – 7:00am – 1:00pm

Harvest Caye (pronounced “Key”) is officially open and we were the second ship to step foot on the beaches (The Dawn had the privilege of being the first the day prior). We had a short itinerary being 7am to 1pm. We docked and were cleared at 6:45am, but didn’t head off until about 8:30am. See my 100+

, and a new Private Island Harvest Caye thread on CC here. These links are also in my signature.

 

Back on the ship, we saw the 7:30pm show Elements. It was a combination of the Jade Dancers, acrobats Dmitri and Ksenia, and an Illusionist. It is a theatrical rendition of dancing with the elements – earth, wind, fire, and water, with magic tricks mixed in. It seemed very tribal in nature, but it was a good show. Afterwards, the entire NCL crew filled the stage singing “we are family”.

 

Day 7 – Sea Day (Time Change)

I caught a stomach bug somewhere and couldn’t make it a great day. We did get out to have some dinner at 6:00pm at the Grand Pacific, and see the Stardust show with vocalist Stephani Parker doing a tribute to Whitney Houston. What a powerful voice and performance. She was wonderful!

 

Back to the room to finish packing and pass out.

 

Debarkation Day

We did the Walk-Off option and carried our luggage off early. We were back to the car about 9:30 and on the road home. Another trip we won’t soon forget!

 

Norwegian iConcierge App

The Norwegian iConcierge App is basically like having all the Freestyles in your hand at once. It also allows you to call/text others on the ship for $9.95/per device using the ship’s wifi.

 

Informational: This FREE part of the app I would give a 4 out of 5. It gives you the Freestyle for the entire week in your hand, ability to reserve venue times (paid or free on larger ships), see and reserve dining options (no hours of operation or specialties like Prime Rib night, but all restaurants and most of the general menus), buy CruiseNext Credits, and a host of other features. The best feature is being able to review your stateroom account at any time. Be sure to do this because if you're not signing for a drink on the UBP, you may get charged for something you didn't get like a bottle of water which isn’t included in the UBP (story on that above). I recommend loading the app before boarding, then put your phone in Airplane mode but turn on the Wifi and connect to the ship's wifi. You can only use the features while on board the ship and connected to the wifi. There are no internet charges to just connect to the ship's wifi and use this app.

 

Text/Calling: This is the part you pay for. It costs $9.95/per device (for the entire trip) to use to text or call others with the app on the ship including calling directly to staterooms. Also, you can call outside numbers (and others can call you) for $0.79/minute (whereas using your stateroom phone will cost you $4.99/minute). You get a unique phone number to call/text while on wifi that shows up in the app as ‘Your Number’ which you can give to others to add to their app (all occupants in your stateroom are quick listed in the phone portion of the app). However, we did not use the feature on this trip. We were on the Getaway January 2015 and had poor experience with trying to contact each other around the ship. Thankfully they refunded us the fees. When we thought about using it to text our new peeps on the Star (and make it easier to find/meet them), we didn't get the package.

 

Internet Packages

When we sail, it is the only time I truly disconnect from the world, so unless there is an emergency, I don’t take part with the internet fees. On occasion while in ports we have a drink at a bar/restaurant that has wifi.

 

You can access the internet from any of your devices or at the internet café (Garden Villas and I think Owner Suites come with a laptop on the desk for your convenience). I can’t say how fast the internet is on the Star, but listening to others it is slow but steady. You can choose from the following plans:

 

Time Plan 1 – 250 minutes for $125.00 ($0.50 per minute)

Time Plan 2 – 100 minutes for $75.00 ($0.75 per minute)

Unlimited Cruise Plan - $29.99 per day ($213.88 including activation fee) – must be purchased by 10pm on 2nd day of cruise and is for entire voyage – no single day packages available.

 

There is a $3.95 account activation fee for first time login with any plan. You can print documents for $0.50 per document. The Internet café on deck 7 Mid/Aft inside the Art Gallery is open 24 hours and until 10:00pm on the last night of the ship.

 

CruiseNext Deposit

Each NCL cruise, we buy a future cruise credit for $250 and get $100 in ship credit to use. Now it’s called CruiseNext and it is an even better deal if you buy more than 1 credit. We ended up buying 4 for $1,000 and received $500 ship credit (which we used to pay towards the $1,000). They are good for 4 years and can be used for 6 day or longer cruises as a deposit, but only 1 per stateroom booked. They can be transferred to friends or family as well so you can give them as gifts -- or charge them $125 and break even and they get a free $125 towards their stateroom. See the CruiseNext Form in Google Docs and also the 2015/16/17 NCL Itinerary Guide.

 

Service Charge (a.k.a. gratuities/tips)

A daily service charge for gratuities of $13.50/pp/pd (up from $12.00/pp) for anyone over the age of 3 in your stateroom. The charge in the Owner Suites and Garden Villa is $15.50/pp/pd. This is supposed to get distributed to staff on board. Where/who it goes to you will never see and there are controversies as to the distribution. No matter whom it goes to, you either pre-pay the fee online for the trip ($94.50/pp for 7 days), or let it rack up on your bill and pay it when the bill is settled on the last night. You cannot have it removed or waive the gratuities anymore. They will gladly give you a form to fill out and send it to dispute or refund them, but it will be after the fact and you may or may not get a refund.

 

However, if you’ve found a good bartender, or your steward has taken good care of you, or you’re just feeling generous, be sure to give them something extra for a tip. I know everyone feels like they are nickel and diming you to death on the ship, but reward good service!

 

Tips for Packing

We learn new tips and tricks with each cruise and add or remove items from our cruise list every year. I will post our packing list to Google Docs and list some things we do to make life easier on the cruise. While we can pack more and carry on more than those that have to fly, we like to keep it as simple as we can. We know for our Alaskan and Panama Canal cruises we will have to fly, so what we can learn to do with/without now will help later.

 

- Magnets – did you know most of the walls on the ship are metal and magnetic? Bring some magnets to hang your Freestyle on the wall to look at it, or hold other papers or items instead of getting lost on the desk.

 

- Duct tape – it’s good for repairing everything so bring a small roll with you.

 

- Back of the door shoe hanger – sure you can use it for shoes, but we use it to hold all our bathroom essentials and other small things in all the pockets. Easy to get to and your counter space and drawers won’t be cluttered.

 

- Styrofoam or other to-go containers from Dollar Tree – Want to go get your food from the buffet and bring it back to your stateroom for wife, husband, or kids? Get some cheap containers you can use and throw away on the cruise. It will be easier than balancing plates from the buffet all the way back to your room!

 

Other Notable Notes

- Print out your luggage tags with your cruse docs ahead of time. If you have a color printer, use it so the color shows for the baggage folks. Also, fold them using the extra paper on the sheet and use clear packing tape to make the tag stronger and waterproof. When you wrap it around the luggage handle, don’t staple it 50 times. Use the clear packing tape again to tape the ends and about 3-4 inches up from the end. Do it twice and it won’t be coming off anytime soon!

 

- Get a lanyard to hold your key card (for adults and kids). You can get one with a plastic pocket that can hold other cards/money, but you have to pull it out each time you use it. We just have a clip on the lanyard, and after boarding go to the guest services to have them punch a hole in the card. Having the lanyard around your neck makes it easier to get off and on the ship at ports, give it to the bartender or waiter for drinks/food, and easier to find in the room (hang it on the coat hook near the door).

 

 

If I missed anything, please feel free to ask. If we did it, I will give my review.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Angelo_R

[blueboo]

WOW this is marvellous...thanks so much for all your hard work

[LMaxwell]

Well, I know what I'm reading today. great work

[scanditaly]

Thank you for posting such a detailed account.

 

Scanditaly

[Angelo_R]

Thanks everyone. I have added the Le Bistro menus (both dinner and dessert) to Google Docs. I will work on the Moderno next.

[pathubia]

Great review!! Thank you!!

 

I am on the Jade in February, but its a charter cruise, the Outlaw Country Cruise!!

[cincicruisers]

Great review! Do you have any pictures of the pool cabanas?

[Angelo_R]

Great review! Do you have any pictures of the pool cabanas?

 

If you're referring to Harvest Caye, I did not see any special pool cabanas when walking around. However, I just looked back at a video of just the pool area from the top of the Landshark Bar & Grill I took and found them in the video back behind the waterfall. I took the best snapshot that I could and put it in the Harvest Caye folder on Google Docs for you.

 

If you're referring to the Jade, we were all over the pool and sun decks and did not see any cabanas on the Jade. I believe those are only on the newer/larger ships with the adults only sundeck/hot tub. All we saw were lounge chairs.

[need2sailaway]

Angelo...all I can say thanks for the great review....will be on the Jade in 9 days bringing 11 friends with me..my sister who has been on 29 Disney cruises and brother who has been on 9 RCCL and the rest never been on a cruise..This is a great read..Many Many thanks

 

 

Susan

[Angelo_R]

Angelo...all I can say thanks for the great review....will be on the Jade in 9 days bringing 11 friends with me..my sister who has been on 29 Disney cruises and brother who has been on 9 RCCL and the rest never been on a cruise..This is a great read..Many Many thanks

 

Susan

 

Wow! That's quite a group to travel with. If you're like me, I like to try and plan my vacations so I am more relaxed. Not knowing what is going on until the day of is just frustrating to me. How can I plan an early or late dinner when I don't know what shows are going on? Must be that OCD thing :o

 

Not sure what your group is into (beach, snorkeling, tours, etc), but if you're looking to save some money over NCL excursions, look into what we did above. It's all really fun and you're on your own instead of waiting for big bus loads of people to do their thing! In Cozumel, rent 2 jeeps and drive to Punta Sur about 20km south. $14 pp gets you in to a beautiful lighthouse and sugar sand beaches. Costa Maya - The Tropicante is 5 minutes from the port and $2/pp each way in the taxi. You'll be on the beach sipping pina coladas about 30 minutes after walking off the ship. If some of you want to do a Roatan Island Tour, lookup Elmer Welcome on Facebook and let him know you're coming and how many people. You'll see a good 1/3 of the island and do shopping, zip line, and beach and you set how long you want to be at each place. I promise you won't be disappointed with any of these things... but it is also all weather-dependent so I wish you sunny skies!

 

Have fun!

[broadwaycam]

As the title states, this will be a full review and an almost complete guide to the NCL Jade as of November 24, 2016. It is a work in progress and I will post when I update sections. This document is also located on my Google Drive link listed below.

 

We Embarked on Sunday, November 13, 2016. Debarkation was on Sunday, November 20, 2016. The NCL Jade currently sails out of Port of Tampa, FL for a 7 Night Western Caribbean sailing. The NCL Jade itinerary is:

 

Day 1 - Port of Tampa, Depart 4:00pm

Day 2 - Sea Day

Day 3 - Cozumel, Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 5 - Roatan, Honduras, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize, 7:00am – 1:00pm

Day 7 - Sea Day

Day 8 - Port of Tampa, 8:00am

 

2016/2017 Dates for above Itinerary:

2016 - 11/20, 11/27, 12/04, 12/11

2017 – 1/08, 4/9**, 4/16**

** Both of these sailings will be after Dry Dock in March.

 

There are also 2 sailings on 12/18/2016 and 12/26/16 that are 8-Day Western Caribbean which rotate the stops above, and add the Santo Tomas de Castilla (Guatemala) port.

 

All the information included in this guide and review should be good for the 7 Night Western Caribbean sailings listed above. The Jade will be in Dry Dock March 10-30, 2017 and will change some venues, restaurants, and probably many other things. We will be on the 4/16/2017 sailing and will make an updated review for the refurbished ship. I cannot say whether menus, freestyle events, and other information will be pertinent to other Caribbean sailings.

 

Here is a link to my Google Drive shared ‘2016-11-13 NCL Jade’ Folder.

 

 

The link above contains:

- All Freestyle Daily and Inserts

- Menus for most of the restaurants (I recreated many in Publisher and saved as PDF files)

- Other Documents given or found throughout the Cruise

- A pictures folder with shots of the ship

- A special Harvest Caye Video Slideshow and information.

 

About Us

My wife (46) and I (42) live in central Florida just south of Orlando. We have been on 7 cruises together since 2011, 5 Norwegian (Dawn, Pearl, Getaway, Star, and now the Jade), 1 RCL, and 1 Carnival. We are about 2 hours from Port of Tampa and Port Canaveral, and 2.5-3 hours from Port of Ft. Lauderdale and Port of Miami so we have a good selection of cruises to the W/E/S Caribbean and Bahamas.

 

On this sailing, we had the Ultimate Beverage Package (UBP) included for free. We had the UBP on the Star, but we aren’t big drinkers. To pay just the 18% gratuity which was $80/pp, we knew we could do 1-2 drinks a day and come out ahead!

 

We did this same itinerary in November 2012 for our honeymoon on the NCL Dawn, which is a wonderful ship and was a fabulous trip. We also did this on the NCL Star in February 2016. We like to go with the flow and not schedule excursions at every port. We feel the vacation should be relaxing and we should not need a vacation after our vacation like you do after a trip to Disney! We like to get off the ship at our convenience, do a little shopping, and maybe take in the nearby sights. We meet so many nice people on NCL and sometimes they hang with us or we hang out with them. It’s always nice to have someone that can take a picture of US instead of just one of us being in the pictures or having that selfie couple shot!

 

Arrival at Port of Tampa

Parking – We reserved with ‘Park 4 Cruise’ which is just next to the port. We could see our car from the ship. It is a dirt lot, but it is gated. You don’t leave your keys with them so they aren’t sandwiching cars together like sardines. It’s setup like a normal parking lot and they have a shuttle which takes about 3-5 minutes if there is port traffic. It may be easier to walk to the ship if you don’t have too many bags! We pulled in around 11:30am, gave them our name, they showed us where to park, helped unload the 3 bags into the shuttle, and whisked us off to the unloading zone. When we returned, the shuttle was right where he said it would be and we were at our car and headed home in 15 minutes. Total price for Sun-Sun was $69.

 

Going through Security – We unloaded at the curb and gave our 2 big bags to the port loaders. I had 1 carry-on roller with cruise documents, electronics, and misc stuff. My wife had a backpack with her stuff along with important items like pills and eyeglasses. We got in line about 12:15pm with about 30-40 people in front of us to go through the metal detector and baggage scanner. It went pretty quickly and we were in the terminal. They first made us fill out the “Are you sick” heath questionnaire, then take that to the line to check in – there was no one in front of us and we walked up to the counter. After showing documents and swiping the billable cc, she took our pictures and gave us our cards and welcome aboard flyer with deck plans and information about the ship (see Other Documents on my Google Drive). We walked through the Bon Voyage sign and headed onto the ship.

 

Norwegian iConcierge Program – while waiting to board (or before you get to the port), I would suggest downloading the Norwegian iConcierge program on your smartphone. Then, before boarding connect to the ‘NCL_Jade_Internet’ Wifi to check out the program. I will do more in-depth on the program later.

 

Boarding the Ship

The escalators were not working, so we walked up the stairs (elevators were working but are slow), out on the gangway and across to the ship where we entered on deck 7 mid by the elevators, but not before we got the Washy Washy hand spray – get used to it as you will (and should) do it often. I’m not sure why they don’t bring you in the Atrium first, but maybe people would crowd up by stopping and taking pictures. The Grand Atrium is a large are with the customer service desk, excursion desk and information kiosks, CruiseNext planners, a bar and lounge area for music, and stairs up to deck 8. When you look up, you see the overlooks of deck 8 with The Blue Lagoon (24 hour restaurant) and The Moderno. I had most of the ship memorized, but it still takes some time to get your bearings.

 

Quick directional tip for NCL – the fishes on the carpets on most cabin decks, and on the doors in the common areas point to the forward of the ship – “Fishies Front”. The left side of the ship is the Port – LEFT and PORT both have 4 letters. The right side of the ship is Starboard – if you remember LEFT, you will know what right is!

 

We headed to the elevators at mid and went up to deck 12 to the Market Café buffet which was open, and found TopSiders and each grabbed a drink.

 

Stateroom - 9005

We booked an Inside cabin in February 2016 and selected deck 9 fwd. Room 9005 was a corner room so we only had 1 neighbor and an un-busy hallway to the 4 fwd suites. We have had balconies, and with the extra cost we feel we have to use it… but how often are you in your stateroom other than to change and sleep. Also, we are working on 2 cruises a year so the savings on an inside cabin allow us to do this. We are loyal to NCL because we love what they have to offer on all the ships, although we did the Getaway (review here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=269948) and are not too fond of the mega ships right now.

 

The stateroom was very accommodating for our needs. It had all we needed – bed, bathroom, LCD TV, refrigerator, desk, plugs for our electronics, a safe, ample closet space, and 3 drawers. We put our suitcases under the bed after unpacking and had plenty of room to move around. We are a good normal weight and size – me 5’10” 185 lbs, her 5’4” 120 lbs.

 

Thermal Spa Package

The Mandara Spa located on Deck 12 Fwd on the Jade offers the Thermal Spa package. It is usually the best way to "get away" on a sea day or after an excursion. It's a serene location to relax for an hour, or all day! It's great for bad weather days on deck to still enjoy a pool/spa. For those that don't like kids running around screaming (they're having fun, but they are loud to say the least), there are no children allowed. We loved the Mandara Spa on the other ships, however we did not do it on the Jade. You can pre-pay online to save $30/pp ($129 vs. $159 on the ship). After getting some food at the Market Cafe, we went to the spa and looked around and they have a hot tub, steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, heated stone chairs, and a large hot tub where you lay back and are surrounded by bubbles. The problem was most of these amenities were in the men’s and women’s areas – only the stone chairs and the lay back hot tub are shared. My wife and I like to enjoy the thermal spa time together, and this would not really allow us to do that. Also, they did not have a heated pool like the Star, Dawn, or some other ships have.

 

 

Food/Dining - Complimentary

Grand Pacific Main Dining Room – Deck 6 Aft (B/L/D)

The Grand Pacific is an elegant place to have a sit down breakfast, lunch, or dinner. No swimwear, tank tops, or cover-ups are allowed to be worn here. Minimum attire is a dress or jeans/slacks and a blouse or polo. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. Most of the items of each meal are found at the buffet as well, just served to you and presented nicely. The menus usually change on a daily rotation with an always interesting selection. Fancy words adorn the menu like compote and beurre blanc. Start off with water and rolls, and pick a nice wine or cocktail. The appetizer, main course, and dessert will come at a steady pace. Enjoy the food, the ambiance, and converse with your family and friends.

 

The aft elevator only goes from Deck 6-12, so if you’re in the lower rooms, the easiest way to get to Versailles is to get to Deck 7 Mid and go through the Atrium and either the Art Galler on Port side, or Photo Gallery on Starboard side. Before you enter the gift shops, turn to the middle of the ship and go to the aft stairwell, then go down one flight to deck 6.

 

Alizar Dining Room – Deck 6 Mid (D)

The Alizar has a more contemporary style décor. If you’re not up for the buffet and not in the mood to dress to the nines, it’s a great place to have a lunch or dinner; however, straight bathing suits are not allowed—cover ups are ok. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. You are served by several different wait staff all ready to help you enjoy your meal.

 

Garden Café – The Buffet – Deck 12 Mid/Aft (B/L/D)

This is the buffet… breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, evening snack, 10:30 tummy fill. Every day from 6 AM till 11 PM, all different cuisines are placed before you to try, with some common staples mixed in. They do close an hour or two between meals to clean and prep for the next meal, so check the Freestyle Daily for hours. The nice thing about a buffet is trying something new at each meal—you only have to take a small portion and if you like it you can have more. Salad, soup, breads, main dishes, desserts, and snacks adorn the multiple serving kiosks. Walk around and scope the buffet to see what you’re in the mood for, then grab a plate and start selecting. At breakfast, there are 4 omelet stations, one at each of the open sections. Depending on the time, you should expect to wait a few minutes, but it’s an omelet to your request, or fresh sunny side up or over easy eggs. At lunch the omelet areas usually serve specialties. And at dinner they become carving stations for roast beef, pork, and other meats.

 

The food is generally good to great, but don’t expect greatness with everything you try and the same item can change flavor or consistency each day. The scrambled eggs are hit or miss—sometimes dry and cakey, other days just right or even a little wet. Remember that most cruise lines are run by European companies and the cuisine along with the style and preparation are sometimes different than what you might know from home.

 

Entrances are on deck 12 on either the Starboard side of the pool deck through the breezeway from the pool heading aft, or from the aft elevators/stairs. Seating is pretty spacious along the Starboard side all the way to the rear exit, then around the aft of the ship (outside by The Great Outdoors buffet area). During breakfast and lunch, you are allowed to bring your food from the buffet into La Cucina as well since they are only open for dinner. You can also take your food outside to the pool area.

 

Topsiders Bar & Grill – Deck 12 Mid (B/L)

Poolside burgers, hot dogs, fries, and other options – didn’t mom tell us to not eat and swim? Check the Freestyle for hours. It’s basically a mini buffet with the essentials for a short time at each meal. Opening for breakfast at 6:30 AM, hey have the basics, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and some other items. Topsiders is a common place to grab a burger after swimming, or a plate of comfort food like French fries. Weather permitting, these and other items are available until 5 PM, and usually open when a sail away or other even is happening on deck 12.

 

 

Blue Lagoon – Deck 8 Mid (24 hours) – Menu on Google Docs

This is the 24 hour (actually 21.5 hours, they close from 11-11:30AM, 4:30-5pm, and 4am-5:30am) food and bar location. The menu includes a lot of comfort foods like buffalo wings, hot dogs, burgers, and other staples you might want even at 2 in the morning! Hand the host/ess your key card and they will seat you. During the March 2017 dry dock, the Blue Lagoon will more than likely be upgraded to O’Sheehans to match the newer fleet.

 

Our Take: We only ate here once. I had a hot dog which was pretty good, wife had a salad which she liked, and mozzarella sticks which were cold. It is usually hit or miss with wings and mozzarella sticks.

 

Jasmine– Deck 7 Mid/Fwd (D) – Menu on Google Docs

The Jasmine is the Asian noodle bar which is mostly complimentary, and includes ordering from the Sushi and Sake bar which are a la carte. The waitresses are petite wearing orange and white dresses. It has a selection of traditional appetizers and soups, Asian main courses with noodles and rice, and customary desserts.

 

Our Take: We started with the steamed pork pot stickers which were good and the spring rolls that were crispy and delicious (careful, they are hot and will burn your tongue). We ordered sushi from the Sushi Bar. I had the Two-Timing Tuna Roll which is a spicy tuna roll and was delicious. She had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll which the roll is about twice the thickness of a normal roll. It was harder to pickup with chopsticks and fell apart as she bit into it, but she did like it very much. Pictures are up on Google Docs.

 

 

Food/Dining – Specialty ($) and A la carte

There are 5 specialty (additional cost) restaurants on board which include: Le Bistro, La Cucina, Cagney’s, Moderno, and Teppenyaki. These restaurants range in price from $25/pp and up or now have a la carte pricing, and you [should] make a reservation either from the iConcierge app, at the dining desk, or calling the dining desk from your stateroom. The Jade has not been updated as of yet to use touch screens around the ship. There are also several a la carte dining options such as the Sushi Bar, and coffee/desert stations like Atrium Café & Bar

 

Teppenyaki – Deck 7 Mid/Fwd

Teppenyaki is the Hibachi (think Bennihana) grill which is located inside the Jasmine Noodle Bar. There are two grills side by side wrapped on three sides by a table and 12 seats. Check the menu, place your order, and let the show begin. Your two chefs will start making jokes and noise as they do tricks with the utensils and food right before your eyes. The food is cooked fast, fresh, and entertaining. The aroma makes your mouth water while they slice and dice your meal. Follow up the meal with an all “green” tea dessert, or choose a fruit plate. Very few walk away unsatisfied or unentertained.

 

Our Take: We loved the show and walked out stuffed. I ordered the surf and turf, and wife ordered the filet mignon. The fresh garlic smell while he made the fried rice was to die for. Both the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. Overall, our second best experience next to Cagney’s and worth a 5/5 stars.

 

La Cucina – Deck 12 Aft (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

When you’re here… you’re… oh wait, that’s another Italian place. La Cucina is Italian cuisine on located on the ship. They have made La Cucina into an a la carte menu instead of a flat $25/pp. The prices are equivalent to a local restaurant, and you can still keep the bill to around $25 per person with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert unless you order the lobster or T-bone steak. They have a good selection of Italian favorites. FYI – The deck plans on NCL site show La Cucina on Deck 13, but it is on Deck 12.

 

Our Take: We did not eat here as we did not have a great experience on the NCL Star.

 

Cagney’s Steakhouse – Deck 13 Mid – Menu on Google Docs

It’s the talk of the ship—“You have to try Cagney’s.” A small restaurant nestled in a corner of deck 13, the smell of flame cooked steak fills the air.

 

Our Take: We ordered the 32oz Porterhouse steak and shared it along with a baked potato and some broccoli. The steak was good, but not like the ones we buy at home at Publix or Winn Dixie and grill with our own seasonings; plus it had a 10oz bone and about 6oz of fat so it was truly about a 16oz. The a la carte prices went up since February as well ($19.99 to $24.99). I would not recommend paying $2.00 for each side either - we received a 10 cent tiny potato and 15 cents worth of Broccoli and paid $4. The rolls were delicious.

 

Le Bistro – Deck 6 Mid (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

Near Gatsby’s (next to the piano) is the entrance to Le Bistro with French cuisine. We enjoyed the food here on the Star, but did not get to eat here on the Jade. The only time we were here was for the meet & greet. Cruise Critic Meet & Greets are usually held here on the first sea day (if one was setup for your cruise). One bad thing is the entrance to the casino is right next to the waiting area for Le Bistro and the smoke smell lingers from the casino.

 

Moderno – Deck 8 Mid - Menu on Google Docs

Across from Blue Lagoon is the Moderno Churrascaria. We did not make it to Moderno on this trip. We heard mixed reviews from other guests.

 

Sushi Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid – Menu on Google Docs

The sushi bar is located just as you walk inside Jasmine. It is a la carte and you order by the roll. They are only open from 5:30PM to 10:00pm every day.

 

Our Take: We were on the NCL Dawn in 2012 and enjoyed their pricing of $2.50 to $4.00 for a full roll. On the Star and Jade with their new menus, it is now $5.00 to $7.50 for a full roll. While still less expensive than a sushi place back home, we only went twice. I had a Two-Timing Tuna Roll and she had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll. All of it was delicious.

 

Bars/Drinks

If you’re on deck 6-8 or 12-13, you will find a bar somewhere. Times vary at each bar, but you should have no problem getting a drink on this ship! Port taxes may be incurred on top of the 18% gratuity fee. In Tampa, a 7% tax is added to any drink until away from port about 20-40 miles (not sure). If you have the UBP, you will still get charged this tax. Embarkation day, we had about $3.00 in port taxes on 5 drinks. Also, I suggest using the iConcierge app to monitor your stateroom account several times a day, especially if you have the UBP. You can get a receipt upon request, but now they don’t bring receipts to sign anymore. If they billed you for something they will usually tell you (over $15, water, soda, or anything not covered by UBP), but may not always. It’s easier to take care of a discrepancy early rather than the last night with 500 other guests.

 

Shakers/Magnum's/Cigar Lounge – Deck 6 Mid

Located outside Le Bistro and in view of the piano, grab a drink at Gatsby’s and sit in a handful of seats line the area for the singer/pianist shows that happen throughout the day. Many trivia games happen in this alcove as well. Service can be slow here at times and was probably the longest wait at a bar we had which was about 10 minutes.

 

Jade Casino Bar – Deck 6 Fwd

Hmmm, drinking and gambling… quite an unheard of mix, but let’s go with it  . If you can stand the smoke smell from the casino area, getting a drink here is not a long wait at all. The bartenders were always friendly here (maybe they get bigger tips from all those winners?).

 

Sake Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid

Located inside Jasmine and Sushi area up front, grab a glass of sake or wine, and a limited selection of mixed drinks. Open from 5:00pm – 11:00pm, there was never more than 1 person ahead of us there.

 

Aloha Café & Bar (Atrium) – Deck 7 Mid

Selling Lavazza coffee and cappuccinos along with muffins and other snacks, this is all a la carte and is only open at select times.

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 13 Fwd

You will learn where this place is quickly as all the main events, game shows, latitudes rewards get together, lecturers, arts & crafts, dance parties, white hot nights, and the only movie screen on board. Thankfully, there is a bar at the rear along with wait service at the tables (slow, but it is there). If you only see 1 bartender and a line, you can expect to wait for a drink. Once they add the second or third bartender, drinks flow quicker!

 

Moderno Bar – Deck 8 Mid

At the back of the 24 hour dining area sits a bar. Get any drink you want here… when they’re open.

 

Topsiders Bar – Deck 12 Mid

Outside and weather permitting, this bar is busy most of the day, but they always had at least 2 or 3 bartenders all the time. They not only serve walk-ups, but also the wait staff delivering drinks to those sunning around the pool area. Even at busy times, we didn’t wait more than 5-6 minutes for a drink.

 

Bali Hai – Deck 13 Mid/Fwd

Another outside, weather permitting bar, a very popular hangout on deck 13 above the pool deck, it overlooks the pool and also gives a nice ocean view on either side. However, people go there for the people and it was always crowded. I cannot comment on wait times because we only passed through just to check it out with drinks in hand from Topsiders Bar already.

 

Great Outdoors Bar – Deck 12 Aft

At the aft of deck 12 is The Great Outdoors with a bar to compliment the view. Enjoy drinks here all day from 10:00am to 11:00pm.

 

Entertainment

Jade Club Casino – Deck 6 Fwd

One word – SMOKY! If you don’t mind, then have fun. If you do mind, then stay away from deck 6 Fwd!

 

Stardust Theater – Deck 6/7 Fwd

A quick note for those with allergies to smoke… do not come out of the Stardust on the lower deck as you will walk into a cloud of smoke from the casino!

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 12 Fwd

The place for all other entertainment outside the Stardust.

 

The Library – Deck 12 Fwd

Forgot your book? A decent library to choose from to curl up on a lounger and read on your trip!

 

The Game/Card Room – Deck 12 Fwd

Card and board games to play with friends and family.

 

Golf Driving Net (2) – Deck 13 Aft

Tee time on the open seas… or at least a few practice swings in the driving nets.

 

Sports Court – Deck 13 Aft

A nice size basketball court.

 

Stateroom TV Channels

There is a small selection of channels on the TV in your stateroom. The first 8 are devoted to the ship – Safety, Shopping, Entertainment, Ship Info, Bow Cam. Then you have 2 or 3 news channels, a sports channel, a ‘TV Shows’ channel, and 2 movie channels.

 

Spa & Fitness

Walking Promenade – Deck 7

Jogging Track – Deck 13

Mandara Spa – Deck 12 Fwd

Spa Thermal Suite – Deck 12 Fwd

Barong Fitness Center – Deck 12 Fwd

Internet Café – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Port (Inside Art Gallery)

 

Shopping

Gift Shop – Deck 7 Atrium

Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shops – Deck 7 Aft

Photo Gallery – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Starboard

 

Daily Log

I kept a pretty good daily log in notepad on my iPhone of everything we did along with notes and extra information. I will post some of it below under each day. - See Freestyle Daily on Google Docs for each Day's full ship event list

 

Day 1 – Port of Tampa Embarkation, Set sail at 4:00pm

We did not set sail until about 7:00pm. The Jade had just come from a 14-day Trans-Atlantic voyage and they had the divers under the ship for most of the day, and bunkering the ship to fuel takes time as well. No big deal, everyone was having fun so it didn’t matter. We did sail away after dark so there was no sail-away party that we saw. However, a must see is the ship passing under the Skyway Bridge – takes about 1½ hours after sail away to get to the bridge and out to sea. Everyone is always amazed at the near miss of the topmost radar system and the bridge. I have a video of it which I will post to YouTube.

 

They had the muster station drill at 3: 00pm. We had to go to the Stardust, but your key card will tell you the station number to go. It took about 25 minutes and then they let us get back to partying. Our CC group had an informal meet and mingle just after the muster drill on Deck 6 at the Martini Bar. We met some nice people and chatted for about an hour.

 

We saw the Welcome Aboard Show at 7:30pm at the Stardust Theater which was a great preview to the upcoming week’s shows. The Jade Dancers are an excellent bunch of men and women.

 

First night was prime rib night at the Garden Café and MDRs.

 

Day 2 – Sea Day

The weather was overcast and rained on and off. We explored the ship, ate, and had a good time. At 11:00am in Le Bistro, we had our official CC Meet & Greet/Mingle. There was a spread of drinks and snacks and the top brass came to introduce themselves. We talked with a group of folks both new and old to cruising, and made plans with some to go with us on our adventures in Cozumel.

 

At 12:00pm is the Latitudes Rewards Cocktail Party. If you are a returning NCL Latitudes member, you should get your invitation on embarkation day in your room. We missed most of this since we were chatting with our new friends at the meet and greet.

 

We did not see the Blazing Boots show. This is the first show we have ever not watched. We caught the end of the 7:30 showing, and while the dancing looked good, we are not Country music folks… and this was truly Country twang! No worries… we had a lineup of music awaiting us this evening.

 

At 8:30pm, we caught the group Temperature in the Spinnaker doing a Stevie Wonder Tribute. This trip was full of tributes and Stevie was the first. It was an excellent show. The only thing we noticed was the singer seemed to keep looking at a sheet like he didn’t know the words… but he sang great and if he didn’t know the words, he hid it pretty well!

 

At 9:45pm, Fire and Ice did a Soul Music lineup. The singer is one pent-up ball of energy and has a voice that can cover Soul and Motown very well. An enjoyable show in the Medusa lounge.

 

Day 3 – Cozumel, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

We met our 4 new CC friends for breakfast and headed off the ship. Wife and I have been to Cozumel 4 times and we love it. We have a ritual of renting a jeep from the locals ($75 for 2 door, $85 for 4 door) and driving to Punta Sur lighthouse, then having lunch and snorkeling in the cove at Chen Rio Restaurant and Beach. We got to Punta Sur entrance and it is now $14/pp to get in the gate. This includes the lighthouse climb and the beach access. We used to only have to pay $4 to get to the lighthouse. We went and climbed the lighthouse and the view of the ocean and preserve is spectacular. There is also a museum, some ruins, and some shopping.

 

We get back in the jeep and drive 7km to the beach area which we had never been… but after seeing it we had to stay for 1½ hours and enjoy it! Sugar sand beach and oh so blue water. We brought some of the loungers down to the water and enjoyed it. We were 6 people on a beach with only 2 other people anywhere nearby! Dos XX in a can was $4, a little pricier than our normal spot.

 

We load up the jeep and head to Chen Rio, about 10km east of Punta Sur. We sat at a table right on the beach, ordered some chicken fajitas and more Dos XX in a bottle (now only $3), and enjoyed the sights, view of the ocean, and got to know more about our new friends. After lunch, some of us went in the water – note, bring water shoes as it is rocky, but also bring snorkel gear. Also get your camera ready as the ocean crashes through the rocks and creates fountains in the holes.

 

About 2:30 we packed up and headed back to the port. On the way back we stopped at the Tequila tasting and tour place called Mi Mexico Lindo. Leo was our guide, but told him we were running late so give us the quick tour. It was great and got to taste some fine tequila. Afterwards, we drove back to town and dropped off the jeep. We walked to the market and all went into Starbucks for some coffee and Wifi, then headed back to the ship. It was a great day with beautiful sunny weather, and our friends loved the itinerary. We split everything 6 ways and total per person for the jeep, Punta Sur entrance, and lunch was about $55.00.

 

At 7:30pm we went to the acrobatics show with Dmitry & Ksenia. They are a phenomenal duo with strength and agility we could only dream of having. The show was a little slow at times – the video screen came down 3 times to screen their relationship (they are married) and other things. Overall the show was excellent.

 

Day 4 – Costa Maya, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

In Costa Maya, we had a reservation at the Tropicante on the beach. We had been there in February on the Star after being introduced to it by other CC friends we met. After walking ¾ of a mile from the ship to the Taxi area (long pier, and longer shops they make you walk through), a 5 minute ride in a taxi costing $2/pp had us in town in front of the Tropicante. Our host met us at the taxi and we were on our reserved beach chairs with requested umbrella within 5 minutes. 2 minutes later we both had drinks in hand. Again, sugar sand beaches and crystal clear waters with an abundance of sun made for a memorable day. Steve, the owner, came by and spoke to us for a few minutes and went about his business.

 

I swam and snorkeled for a while near shore. Not much to see, but having the mask and snorkel on keeps the salt water out of my eyes and mouth/lips. There are locals walking by with lots of nice items, but just say “No gracias” and they move on. We did buy a shell wind chime for $10. I was asked about doing a snorkeling trip for $25. I said sure, so about 11:15 I headed to the boat and 3 others were on board and a driver and guide. We went out about 2-3 miles and dropped over the side following the guide. While not as rich and vibrant as some other reefs, this one was really extensive, albeit spotty with many small reef-lets with larger ones in between, and at the end was a very long reef which we swam at least for 10-15 minutes along it. We were out on the water for about 45-50 minutes. One lady was tired, and we kind of all followed suit up the ladder as even with the life jacket, the waves can beat the energy out of you. The whole trip was about 1½ hours and well worth the $25.

 

When I returned, we asked about lunch and were taken to a table. We picked at some chips and salsa and mini burritos for a bit along with another round of drinks. We decided to walk to beach strip a bit and look at the stores and other beach spots. There was a nice silver store where my wife bought a turtle pendant, 2 necklaces and a ring. We went back to our spot and relaxed for another hour or so, paid the tab ($38 for lunch and drinks), then packed up about 3:00pm and caught another taxi back to the port.

 

Back on the ship we saw our friends in the Jasmine and sat down enjoying some great company. We shared our day’s events and made plans for Roatan. We all went to the Stardust to see Showdown – a great performance by the Jade dancers.

 

NOTE: Time change 1 hour back was tonight.

 

Day 5 – Roatan, Honduras – 8:00am – 5:00pm (Time Change)

Today was our 4th Anniversary. We had breakfast at the buffet, then went down to get off the ship and meet the others at 8:30am. We had made a reservation for 2 for a local taxi tour after hearing about it through our friends from the Star. His name is Elmer Welcome and you can friend him on Facebook. We asked him to have a sign with our name on it so we would see him outside the port. We had to walk through molestation lane where they bombard you with taxis and tours, but thankfully can’t come out of their booths. After walking through the lot we came out the gate and there was Elmer with the sign. I told him we brought some friends so we are now 6. He said no problem and he would get a bigger vehicle.

 

Elmer took us to the east side. The first stop was an overlook with a great view of the ship, sea, and landscape. There are some local huts with lots of souvenirs – look around here and haggle with these people as you will probably get the best price on what you find at this stop – especially on the wooden carved bowls and conch shells. We then went to a more commercial shop where overpriced items are priced as is with no deals to be made. We asked Elmer to move along quickly to the next stop as we all were not in the mood to shop. Next he took us to the old Governor’s house and through back streets and landmarks, then drove back by the port and headed to the west side.

 

First stop here was the Zip Line and monkey park. It was $10 to get up close with the monkeys and other animals. Everyone had some fun with the monkeys going all over us. We then went to the bar and got a drink called the Monkey La La – sounds funny, but definitely try it for $5 as all of us loved it (some got 2). We skipped the zip lines, but I think it was $25 or $30 and there are 16 or 19 zip lines. You go up and stay up zipping from line to line, sometimes with monkeys along for the ride! I will definitely do this in April when we return. We then went to West Shore beach. This was $10/pp to use the loungers. We all grabbed a lounger and relaxed for a bit with more Monkey La La’s. 3 of us went with Elmer to get some snorkel gear and do more snorkeling. It was a walk to the end of the beach where the reefs were, but they were right off shore and along the rocky cliff wall. We didn’t stay for too long because they had some rain the last 2 days and the water was churned up a bit. We were on the beach for at least 2-2½ hours before packing up and heading back up the hill. We stopped at the lighthouse which had more vendors, and across the street was the Rum Cake Factory. A few of us bought the chocolate rum bottles and tasted samples of the cakes and rum. I enjoyed the Spiced Rum Cake.

 

After talking to the local vendors, we headed back to the port. The taxi driver cost is $25/pp for 2, or $15/pp for 4 or more. Elmer, the guide, works on tips. We paid the taxi driver $110 and Elmer $125. Another beautiful day – overcast which kept the direct heat away, but no rain!

 

We missed the CruiseNext Cocktail Party at 6pm (also part of Latitudes and return guests). We went dinner, then off to the Stardust for Comedian Rod Long. It was a good show – many cruising jokes in the mix. We then went to the Spinnaker for the 9:30 Tina Turner tribute by Fire and Ice. All we could say was WOW! If Tina Turner was 40 years old, I would think this was actually her. The look, the energy, voice, songs, and moves – all Tina Turner! Tina fan or not, this is one show you should see!

 

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize – 7:00am – 1:00pm

Harvest Caye (pronounced “Key”) is officially open and we were the second ship to step foot on the beaches (The Dawn had the privilege of being the first the day prior). We had a short itinerary being 7am to 1pm. We docked and were cleared at 6:45am, but didn’t head off until about 8:30am. See my 100+

, and a new Private Island Harvest Caye thread on CC here. These links are also in my signature.

 

Back on the ship, we saw the 7:30pm show Elements. It was a combination of the Jade Dancers, acrobats Dmitri and Ksenia, and an Illusionist. It is a theatrical rendition of dancing with the elements – earth, wind, fire, and water, with magic tricks mixed in. It seemed very tribal in nature, but it was a good show. Afterwards, the entire NCL crew filled the stage singing “we are family”.

 

Day 7 – Sea Day (Time Change)

I caught a stomach bug somewhere and couldn’t make it a great day. We did get out to have some dinner at 6:00pm at the Grand Pacific, and see the Stardust show with vocalist Stephani Parker doing a tribute to Whitney Houston. What a powerful voice and performance. She was wonderful!

 

Back to the room to finish packing and pass out.

 

Debarkation Day

We did the Walk-Off option and carried our luggage off early. We were back to the car about 9:30 and on the road home. Another trip we won’t soon forget!

 

Norwegian iConcierge App

The Norwegian iConcierge App is basically like having all the Freestyles in your hand at once. It also allows you to call/text others on the ship for $9.95/per device using the ship’s wifi.

 

Informational: This FREE part of the app I would give a 4 out of 5. It gives you the Freestyle for the entire week in your hand, ability to reserve venue times (paid or free on larger ships), see and reserve dining options (no hours of operation or specialties like Prime Rib night, but all restaurants and most of the general menus), buy CruiseNext Credits, and a host of other features. The best feature is being able to review your stateroom account at any time. Be sure to do this because if you're not signing for a drink on the UBP, you may get charged for something you didn't get like a bottle of water which isn’t included in the UBP (story on that above). I recommend loading the app before boarding, then put your phone in Airplane mode but turn on the Wifi and connect to the ship's wifi. You can only use the features while on board the ship and connected to the wifi. There are no internet charges to just connect to the ship's wifi and use this app.

 

Text/Calling: This is the part you pay for. It costs $9.95/per device (for the entire trip) to use to text or call others with the app on the ship including calling directly to staterooms. Also, you can call outside numbers (and others can call you) for $0.79/minute (whereas using your stateroom phone will cost you $4.99/minute). You get a unique phone number to call/text while on wifi that shows up in the app as ‘Your Number’ which you can give to others to add to their app (all occupants in your stateroom are quick listed in the phone portion of the app). However, we did not use the feature on this trip. We were on the Getaway January 2015 and had poor experience with trying to contact each other around the ship. Thankfully they refunded us the fees. When we thought about using it to text our new peeps on the Star (and make it easier to find/meet them), we didn't get the package.

 

Internet Packages

When we sail, it is the only time I truly disconnect from the world, so unless there is an emergency, I don’t take part with the internet fees. On occasion while in ports we have a drink at a bar/restaurant that has wifi.

 

You can access the internet from any of your devices or at the internet café (Garden Villas and I think Owner Suites come with a laptop on the desk for your convenience). I can’t say how fast the internet is on the Star, but listening to others it is slow but steady. You can choose from the following plans:

 

Time Plan 1 – 250 minutes for $125.00 ($0.50 per minute)

Time Plan 2 – 100 minutes for $75.00 ($0.75 per minute)

Unlimited Cruise Plan - $29.99 per day ($213.88 including activation fee) – must be purchased by 10pm on 2nd day of cruise and is for entire voyage – no single day packages available.

 

There is a $3.95 account activation fee for first time login with any plan. You can print documents for $0.50 per document. The Internet café on deck 7 Mid/Aft inside the Art Gallery is open 24 hours and until 10:00pm on the last night of the ship.

 

CruiseNext Deposit

Each NCL cruise, we buy a future cruise credit for $250 and get $100 in ship credit to use. Now it’s called CruiseNext and it is an even better deal if you buy more than 1 credit. We ended up buying 4 for $1,000 and received $500 ship credit (which we used to pay towards the $1,000). They are good for 4 years and can be used for 6 day or longer cruises as a deposit, but only 1 per stateroom booked. They can be transferred to friends or family as well so you can give them as gifts -- or charge them $125 and break even and they get a free $125 towards their stateroom. See the CruiseNext Form in Google Docs and also the 2015/16/17 NCL Itinerary Guide.

 

Service Charge (a.k.a. gratuities/tips)

A daily service charge for gratuities of $13.50/pp/pd (up from $12.00/pp) for anyone over the age of 3 in your stateroom. The charge in the Owner Suites and Garden Villa is $15.50/pp/pd. This is supposed to get distributed to staff on board. Where/who it goes to you will never see and there are controversies as to the distribution. No matter whom it goes to, you either pre-pay the fee online for the trip ($94.50/pp for 7 days), or let it rack up on your bill and pay it when the bill is settled on the last night. You cannot have it removed or waive the gratuities anymore. They will gladly give you a form to fill out and send it to dispute or refund them, but it will be after the fact and you may or may not get a refund.

 

However, if you’ve found a good bartender, or your steward has taken good care of you, or you’re just feeling generous, be sure to give them something extra for a tip. I know everyone feels like they are nickel and diming you to death on the ship, but reward good service!

 

Tips for Packing

We learn new tips and tricks with each cruise and add or remove items from our cruise list every year. I will post our packing list to Google Docs and list some things we do to make life easier on the cruise. While we can pack more and carry on more than those that have to fly, we like to keep it as simple as we can. We know for our Alaskan and Panama Canal cruises we will have to fly, so what we can learn to do with/without now will help later.

 

- Magnets – did you know most of the walls on the ship are metal and magnetic? Bring some magnets to hang your Freestyle on the wall to look at it, or hold other papers or items instead of getting lost on the desk.

 

- Duct tape – it’s good for repairing everything so bring a small roll with you.

 

- Back of the door shoe hanger – sure you can use it for shoes, but we use it to hold all our bathroom essentials and other small things in all the pockets. Easy to get to and your counter space and drawers won’t be cluttered.

 

- Styrofoam or other to-go containers from Dollar Tree – Want to go get your food from the buffet and bring it back to your stateroom for wife, husband, or kids? Get some cheap containers you can use and throw away on the cruise. It will be easier than balancing plates from the buffet all the way back to your room!

 

Other Notable Notes

- Print out your luggage tags with your cruse docs ahead of time. If you have a color printer, use it so the color shows for the baggage folks. Also, fold them using the extra paper on the sheet and use clear packing tape to make the tag stronger and waterproof. When you wrap it around the luggage handle, don’t staple it 50 times. Use the clear packing tape again to tape the ends and about 3-4 inches up from the end. Do it twice and it won’t be coming off anytime soon!

 

- Get a lanyard to hold your key card (for adults and kids). You can get one with a plastic pocket that can hold other cards/money, but you have to pull it out each time you use it. We just have a clip on the lanyard, and after boarding go to the guest services to have them punch a hole in the card. Having the lanyard around your neck makes it easier to get off and on the ship at ports, give it to the bartender or waiter for drinks/food, and easier to find in the room (hang it on the coat hook near the door).

 

 

If I missed anything, please feel free to ask. If we did it, I will give my review.

 

 

 

I love the pictures. What was that yummy looking drink with the chocolate swirl design?

[need2sailaway]

Angelo..

 

Thanks for the ideas for the group. My problem is I am in wheelchair and unable to do any of tours that have any walking or beach time. It is the 4th time on this itinerary with of course Belize..Harvest Caye...so I will be able to go on shore..no tenders this trip.. We try to take a taxi for a few hours in some of the islands, we have never had a problem and the drivers have always been great.

 

 

PS I was a travel agent for 42 years so I always was and still planning trips

 

 

Susan

[Clarea]

Outstanding compilation of info, thanks!

[Angelo_R]

I love the pictures. What was that yummy looking drink with the chocolate swirl design?

 

It was a mudslide... and it is a delicious chocolate brain-freeze! :D

 

Thanks for the ideas for the group. My problem is I am in wheelchair and unable to do any of tours that have any walking or beach time. It is the 4th time on this itinerary with of course Belize..Harvest Caye...so I will be able to go on shore..no tenders this trip.. We try to take a taxi for a few hours in some of the islands, we have never had a problem and the drivers have always been great.

 

PS I was a travel agent for 42 years so I always was and still planning trips

 

Susan... sorry to hear that, but it's good that you get out and go on these cruises and enjoy life. Keep planning!!

 

Outstanding compilation of info, thanks!

 

Thank you. Glad you liked it!

[hawkeyetlse]

Thank you for your review and the impressive repository of information about the Jade! :) I hope you don't mind if I jump in to contribute this fact sheet that they handed out on the behind the scenes tour:

 

 

[dporter]

What areas do they tour on the behind the scenes tour?

[zounds]

Thanks very much, Angelo ! It's the most extensive "review" I've seen and we'll be on her in 2 wks. !!

[Keith1010]

Excellent writeup.

 

Well done.

 

Keith

[terri910]

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 13 Fwd

You will learn where this place is quickly as all the main events, game shows, latitudes rewards get together, lecturers, arts & crafts, dance parties, white hot nights, and the only movie screen on board. Thankfully, there is a bar at the rear along with wait service at the tables (slow, but it is there). If you only see 1 bartender and a line, you can expect to wait for a drink. Once they add the second or third bartender, drinks flow quicker!

My husband and I were also on this first Jade sailing out of Tampa, as well as the 2-week Trans-Atlantic before it.

 

I hadn't thought about it, because all the weeks sort of ran together, but I suppose during the Caribbean week, the Spinnaker may have been the only place utilizing a movie screen. But during the TA, there was a VERY large screen utilized in The Stardust Theater, for afternoon movies. We enjoyed that a lot...hated it the couple of times they showed the movie on the TV screen at The Medusa lounge. Not the same atmosphere at all!

 

I think I missed seeing The Medusa Louse on your list of bars/entertainment venues. Fire & Ice performed there a few times (over our 3 weeks), and it is where Karaoke always took place, which seemed hugely popular on both the TA and Caribbean portions of our cruises.

Edited November 27, 2016 by terri910

[Lightning Rays]

Wow, wish more reviews followed this format, great job!

[heidigo22]

Love all this info! Thanks so much. Couldn't find your packing list and would love to see it. I did look on Google Docs. We leave in 2 weeks but on the Dawn. Thanks again.

 

 

As the title states, this will be a full review and an almost complete guide to the NCL Jade as of November 24, 2016. It is a work in progress and I will post when I update sections. This document is also located on my Google Drive link listed below.

 

We Embarked on Sunday, November 13, 2016. Debarkation was on Sunday, November 20, 2016. The NCL Jade currently sails out of Port of Tampa, FL for a 7 Night Western Caribbean sailing. The NCL Jade itinerary is:

 

Day 1 - Port of Tampa, Depart 4:00pm

Day 2 - Sea Day

Day 3 - Cozumel, Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 5 - Roatan, Honduras, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize, 7:00am – 1:00pm

Day 7 - Sea Day

Day 8 - Port of Tampa, 8:00am

 

2016/2017 Dates for above Itinerary:

2016 - 11/20, 11/27, 12/04, 12/11

2017 – 1/08, 4/9**, 4/16**

** Both of these sailings will be after Dry Dock in March.

 

There are also 2 sailings on 12/18/2016 and 12/26/16 that are 8-Day Western Caribbean which rotate the stops above, and add the Santo Tomas de Castilla (Guatemala) port.

 

All the information included in this guide and review should be good for the 7 Night Western Caribbean sailings listed above. The Jade will be in Dry Dock March 10-30, 2017 and will change some venues, restaurants, and probably many other things. We will be on the 4/16/2017 sailing and will make an updated review for the refurbished ship. I cannot say whether menus, freestyle events, and other information will be pertinent to other Caribbean sailings.

 

Here is a link to my Google Drive shared ‘2016-11-13 NCL Jade’ Folder.

 

 

The link above contains:

- All Freestyle Daily and Inserts

- Menus for most of the restaurants (I recreated many in Publisher and saved as PDF files)

- Other Documents given or found throughout the Cruise

- A pictures folder with shots of the ship

- A special Harvest Caye Video Slideshow and information.

 

About Us

My wife (46) and I (42) live in central Florida just south of Orlando. We have been on 7 cruises together since 2011, 5 Norwegian (Dawn, Pearl, Getaway, Star, and now the Jade), 1 RCL, and 1 Carnival. We are about 2 hours from Port of Tampa and Port Canaveral, and 2.5-3 hours from Port of Ft. Lauderdale and Port of Miami so we have a good selection of cruises to the W/E/S Caribbean and Bahamas.

 

On this sailing, we had the Ultimate Beverage Package (UBP) included for free. We had the UBP on the Star, but we aren’t big drinkers. To pay just the 18% gratuity which was $80/pp, we knew we could do 1-2 drinks a day and come out ahead!

 

We did this same itinerary in November 2012 for our honeymoon on the NCL Dawn, which is a wonderful ship and was a fabulous trip. We also did this on the NCL Star in February 2016. We like to go with the flow and not schedule excursions at every port. We feel the vacation should be relaxing and we should not need a vacation after our vacation like you do after a trip to Disney! We like to get off the ship at our convenience, do a little shopping, and maybe take in the nearby sights. We meet so many nice people on NCL and sometimes they hang with us or we hang out with them. It’s always nice to have someone that can take a picture of US instead of just one of us being in the pictures or having that selfie couple shot!

 

Arrival at Port of Tampa

Parking – We reserved with ‘Park 4 Cruise’ which is just next to the port. We could see our car from the ship. It is a dirt lot, but it is gated. You don’t leave your keys with them so they aren’t sandwiching cars together like sardines. It’s setup like a normal parking lot and they have a shuttle which takes about 3-5 minutes if there is port traffic. It may be easier to walk to the ship if you don’t have too many bags! We pulled in around 11:30am, gave them our name, they showed us where to park, helped unload the 3 bags into the shuttle, and whisked us off to the unloading zone. When we returned, the shuttle was right where he said it would be and we were at our car and headed home in 15 minutes. Total price for Sun-Sun was $69.

 

Going through Security – We unloaded at the curb and gave our 2 big bags to the port loaders. I had 1 carry-on roller with cruise documents, electronics, and misc stuff. My wife had a backpack with her stuff along with important items like pills and eyeglasses. We got in line about 12:15pm with about 30-40 people in front of us to go through the metal detector and baggage scanner. It went pretty quickly and we were in the terminal. They first made us fill out the “Are you sick” heath questionnaire, then take that to the line to check in – there was no one in front of us and we walked up to the counter. After showing documents and swiping the billable cc, she took our pictures and gave us our cards and welcome aboard flyer with deck plans and information about the ship (see Other Documents on my Google Drive). We walked through the Bon Voyage sign and headed onto the ship.

 

Norwegian iConcierge Program – while waiting to board (or before you get to the port), I would suggest downloading the Norwegian iConcierge program on your smartphone. Then, before boarding connect to the ‘NCL_Jade_Internet’ Wifi to check out the program. I will do more in-depth on the program later.

 

Boarding the Ship

The escalators were not working, so we walked up the stairs (elevators were working but are slow), out on the gangway and across to the ship where we entered on deck 7 mid by the elevators, but not before we got the Washy Washy hand spray – get used to it as you will (and should) do it often. I’m not sure why they don’t bring you in the Atrium first, but maybe people would crowd up by stopping and taking pictures. The Grand Atrium is a large are with the customer service desk, excursion desk and information kiosks, CruiseNext planners, a bar and lounge area for music, and stairs up to deck 8. When you look up, you see the overlooks of deck 8 with The Blue Lagoon (24 hour restaurant) and The Moderno. I had most of the ship memorized, but it still takes some time to get your bearings.

 

Quick directional tip for NCL – the fishes on the carpets on most cabin decks, and on the doors in the common areas point to the forward of the ship – “Fishies Front”. The left side of the ship is the Port – LEFT and PORT both have 4 letters. The right side of the ship is Starboard – if you remember LEFT, you will know what right is!

 

We headed to the elevators at mid and went up to deck 12 to the Market Café buffet which was open, and found TopSiders and each grabbed a drink.

 

Stateroom - 9005

We booked an Inside cabin in February 2016 and selected deck 9 fwd. Room 9005 was a corner room so we only had 1 neighbor and an un-busy hallway to the 4 fwd suites. We have had balconies, and with the extra cost we feel we have to use it… but how often are you in your stateroom other than to change and sleep. Also, we are working on 2 cruises a year so the savings on an inside cabin allow us to do this. We are loyal to NCL because we love what they have to offer on all the ships, although we did the Getaway (review here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=269948) and are not too fond of the mega ships right now.

 

The stateroom was very accommodating for our needs. It had all we needed – bed, bathroom, LCD TV, refrigerator, desk, plugs for our electronics, a safe, ample closet space, and 3 drawers. We put our suitcases under the bed after unpacking and had plenty of room to move around. We are a good normal weight and size – me 5’10” 185 lbs, her 5’4” 120 lbs.

 

Thermal Spa Package

The Mandara Spa located on Deck 12 Fwd on the Jade offers the Thermal Spa package. It is usually the best way to "get away" on a sea day or after an excursion. It's a serene location to relax for an hour, or all day! It's great for bad weather days on deck to still enjoy a pool/spa. For those that don't like kids running around screaming (they're having fun, but they are loud to say the least), there are no children allowed. We loved the Mandara Spa on the other ships, however we did not do it on the Jade. You can pre-pay online to save $30/pp ($129 vs. $159 on the ship). After getting some food at the Market Cafe, we went to the spa and looked around and they have a hot tub, steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, heated stone chairs, and a large hot tub where you lay back and are surrounded by bubbles. The problem was most of these amenities were in the men’s and women’s areas – only the stone chairs and the lay back hot tub are shared. My wife and I like to enjoy the thermal spa time together, and this would not really allow us to do that. Also, they did not have a heated pool like the Star, Dawn, or some other ships have.

 

 

Food/Dining - Complimentary

Grand Pacific Main Dining Room – Deck 6 Aft (B/L/D)

The Grand Pacific is an elegant place to have a sit down breakfast, lunch, or dinner. No swimwear, tank tops, or cover-ups are allowed to be worn here. Minimum attire is a dress or jeans/slacks and a blouse or polo. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. Most of the items of each meal are found at the buffet as well, just served to you and presented nicely. The menus usually change on a daily rotation with an always interesting selection. Fancy words adorn the menu like compote and beurre blanc. Start off with water and rolls, and pick a nice wine or cocktail. The appetizer, main course, and dessert will come at a steady pace. Enjoy the food, the ambiance, and converse with your family and friends.

 

The aft elevator only goes from Deck 6-12, so if you’re in the lower rooms, the easiest way to get to Versailles is to get to Deck 7 Mid and go through the Atrium and either the Art Galler on Port side, or Photo Gallery on Starboard side. Before you enter the gift shops, turn to the middle of the ship and go to the aft stairwell, then go down one flight to deck 6.

 

Alizar Dining Room – Deck 6 Mid (D)

The Alizar has a more contemporary style décor. If you’re not up for the buffet and not in the mood to dress to the nines, it’s a great place to have a lunch or dinner; however, straight bathing suits are not allowed—cover ups are ok. You will need to check the Freestyle Daily to see when meal times are. You are served by several different wait staff all ready to help you enjoy your meal.

 

Garden Café – The Buffet – Deck 12 Mid/Aft (B/L/D)

This is the buffet… breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, evening snack, 10:30 tummy fill. Every day from 6 AM till 11 PM, all different cuisines are placed before you to try, with some common staples mixed in. They do close an hour or two between meals to clean and prep for the next meal, so check the Freestyle Daily for hours. The nice thing about a buffet is trying something new at each meal—you only have to take a small portion and if you like it you can have more. Salad, soup, breads, main dishes, desserts, and snacks adorn the multiple serving kiosks. Walk around and scope the buffet to see what you’re in the mood for, then grab a plate and start selecting. At breakfast, there are 4 omelet stations, one at each of the open sections. Depending on the time, you should expect to wait a few minutes, but it’s an omelet to your request, or fresh sunny side up or over easy eggs. At lunch the omelet areas usually serve specialties. And at dinner they become carving stations for roast beef, pork, and other meats.

 

The food is generally good to great, but don’t expect greatness with everything you try and the same item can change flavor or consistency each day. The scrambled eggs are hit or miss—sometimes dry and cakey, other days just right or even a little wet. Remember that most cruise lines are run by European companies and the cuisine along with the style and preparation are sometimes different than what you might know from home.

 

Entrances are on deck 12 on either the Starboard side of the pool deck through the breezeway from the pool heading aft, or from the aft elevators/stairs. Seating is pretty spacious along the Starboard side all the way to the rear exit, then around the aft of the ship (outside by The Great Outdoors buffet area). During breakfast and lunch, you are allowed to bring your food from the buffet into La Cucina as well since they are only open for dinner. You can also take your food outside to the pool area.

 

Topsiders Bar & Grill – Deck 12 Mid (B/L)

Poolside burgers, hot dogs, fries, and other options – didn’t mom tell us to not eat and swim? Check the Freestyle for hours. It’s basically a mini buffet with the essentials for a short time at each meal. Opening for breakfast at 6:30 AM, hey have the basics, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and some other items. Topsiders is a common place to grab a burger after swimming, or a plate of comfort food like French fries. Weather permitting, these and other items are available until 5 PM, and usually open when a sail away or other even is happening on deck 12.

 

 

Blue Lagoon – Deck 8 Mid (24 hours) – Menu on Google Docs

This is the 24 hour (actually 21.5 hours, they close from 11-11:30AM, 4:30-5pm, and 4am-5:30am) food and bar location. The menu includes a lot of comfort foods like buffalo wings, hot dogs, burgers, and other staples you might want even at 2 in the morning! Hand the host/ess your key card and they will seat you. During the March 2017 dry dock, the Blue Lagoon will more than likely be upgraded to O’Sheehans to match the newer fleet.

 

Our Take: We only ate here once. I had a hot dog which was pretty good, wife had a salad which she liked, and mozzarella sticks which were cold. It is usually hit or miss with wings and mozzarella sticks.

 

Jasmine– Deck 7 Mid/Fwd (D) – Menu on Google Docs

The Jasmine is the Asian noodle bar which is mostly complimentary, and includes ordering from the Sushi and Sake bar which are a la carte. The waitresses are petite wearing orange and white dresses. It has a selection of traditional appetizers and soups, Asian main courses with noodles and rice, and customary desserts.

 

Our Take: We started with the steamed pork pot stickers which were good and the spring rolls that were crispy and delicious (careful, they are hot and will burn your tongue). We ordered sushi from the Sushi Bar. I had the Two-Timing Tuna Roll which is a spicy tuna roll and was delicious. She had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll which the roll is about twice the thickness of a normal roll. It was harder to pickup with chopsticks and fell apart as she bit into it, but she did like it very much. Pictures are up on Google Docs.

 

 

Food/Dining – Specialty ($) and A la carte

There are 5 specialty (additional cost) restaurants on board which include: Le Bistro, La Cucina, Cagney’s, Moderno, and Teppenyaki. These restaurants range in price from $25/pp and up or now have a la carte pricing, and you [should] make a reservation either from the iConcierge app, at the dining desk, or calling the dining desk from your stateroom. The Jade has not been updated as of yet to use touch screens around the ship. There are also several a la carte dining options such as the Sushi Bar, and coffee/desert stations like Atrium Café & Bar

 

Teppenyaki – Deck 7 Mid/Fwd

Teppenyaki is the Hibachi (think Bennihana) grill which is located inside the Jasmine Noodle Bar. There are two grills side by side wrapped on three sides by a table and 12 seats. Check the menu, place your order, and let the show begin. Your two chefs will start making jokes and noise as they do tricks with the utensils and food right before your eyes. The food is cooked fast, fresh, and entertaining. The aroma makes your mouth water while they slice and dice your meal. Follow up the meal with an all “green” tea dessert, or choose a fruit plate. Very few walk away unsatisfied or unentertained.

 

Our Take: We loved the show and walked out stuffed. I ordered the surf and turf, and wife ordered the filet mignon. The fresh garlic smell while he made the fried rice was to die for. Both the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. Overall, our second best experience next to Cagney’s and worth a 5/5 stars.

 

La Cucina – Deck 12 Aft (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

When you’re here… you’re… oh wait, that’s another Italian place. La Cucina is Italian cuisine on located on the ship. They have made La Cucina into an a la carte menu instead of a flat $25/pp. The prices are equivalent to a local restaurant, and you can still keep the bill to around $25 per person with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert unless you order the lobster or T-bone steak. They have a good selection of Italian favorites. FYI – The deck plans on NCL site show La Cucina on Deck 13, but it is on Deck 12.

 

Our Take: We did not eat here as we did not have a great experience on the NCL Star.

 

Cagney’s Steakhouse – Deck 13 Mid – Menu on Google Docs

It’s the talk of the ship—“You have to try Cagney’s.” A small restaurant nestled in a corner of deck 13, the smell of flame cooked steak fills the air.

 

Our Take: We ordered the 32oz Porterhouse steak and shared it along with a baked potato and some broccoli. The steak was good, but not like the ones we buy at home at Publix or Winn Dixie and grill with our own seasonings; plus it had a 10oz bone and about 6oz of fat so it was truly about a 16oz. The a la carte prices went up since February as well ($19.99 to $24.99). I would not recommend paying $2.00 for each side either - we received a 10 cent tiny potato and 15 cents worth of Broccoli and paid $4. The rolls were delicious.

 

Le Bistro – Deck 6 Mid (Next to Gatsby’s Martini Bar) – Menu on Google Docs

Near Gatsby’s (next to the piano) is the entrance to Le Bistro with French cuisine. We enjoyed the food here on the Star, but did not get to eat here on the Jade. The only time we were here was for the meet & greet. Cruise Critic Meet & Greets are usually held here on the first sea day (if one was setup for your cruise). One bad thing is the entrance to the casino is right next to the waiting area for Le Bistro and the smoke smell lingers from the casino.

 

Moderno – Deck 8 Mid - Menu on Google Docs

Across from Blue Lagoon is the Moderno Churrascaria. We did not make it to Moderno on this trip. We heard mixed reviews from other guests.

 

Sushi Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid – Menu on Google Docs

The sushi bar is located just as you walk inside Jasmine. It is a la carte and you order by the roll. They are only open from 5:30PM to 10:00pm every day.

 

Our Take: We were on the NCL Dawn in 2012 and enjoyed their pricing of $2.50 to $4.00 for a full roll. On the Star and Jade with their new menus, it is now $5.00 to $7.50 for a full roll. While still less expensive than a sushi place back home, we only went twice. I had a Two-Timing Tuna Roll and she had the Ten Shades of Grey Roll. All of it was delicious.

 

Bars/Drinks

If you’re on deck 6-8 or 12-13, you will find a bar somewhere. Times vary at each bar, but you should have no problem getting a drink on this ship! Port taxes may be incurred on top of the 18% gratuity fee. In Tampa, a 7% tax is added to any drink until away from port about 20-40 miles (not sure). If you have the UBP, you will still get charged this tax. Embarkation day, we had about $3.00 in port taxes on 5 drinks. Also, I suggest using the iConcierge app to monitor your stateroom account several times a day, especially if you have the UBP. You can get a receipt upon request, but now they don’t bring receipts to sign anymore. If they billed you for something they will usually tell you (over $15, water, soda, or anything not covered by UBP), but may not always. It’s easier to take care of a discrepancy early rather than the last night with 500 other guests.

 

Shakers/Magnum's/Cigar Lounge – Deck 6 Mid

Located outside Le Bistro and in view of the piano, grab a drink at Gatsby’s and sit in a handful of seats line the area for the singer/pianist shows that happen throughout the day. Many trivia games happen in this alcove as well. Service can be slow here at times and was probably the longest wait at a bar we had which was about 10 minutes.

 

Jade Casino Bar – Deck 6 Fwd

Hmmm, drinking and gambling… quite an unheard of mix, but let’s go with it  . If you can stand the smoke smell from the casino area, getting a drink here is not a long wait at all. The bartenders were always friendly here (maybe they get bigger tips from all those winners?).

 

Sake Bar – Deck 7 Fwd/Mid

Located inside Jasmine and Sushi area up front, grab a glass of sake or wine, and a limited selection of mixed drinks. Open from 5:00pm – 11:00pm, there was never more than 1 person ahead of us there.

 

Aloha Café & Bar (Atrium) – Deck 7 Mid

Selling Lavazza coffee and cappuccinos along with muffins and other snacks, this is all a la carte and is only open at select times.

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 13 Fwd

You will learn where this place is quickly as all the main events, game shows, latitudes rewards get together, lecturers, arts & crafts, dance parties, white hot nights, and the only movie screen on board. Thankfully, there is a bar at the rear along with wait service at the tables (slow, but it is there). If you only see 1 bartender and a line, you can expect to wait for a drink. Once they add the second or third bartender, drinks flow quicker!

 

Moderno Bar – Deck 8 Mid

At the back of the 24 hour dining area sits a bar. Get any drink you want here… when they’re open.

 

Topsiders Bar – Deck 12 Mid

Outside and weather permitting, this bar is busy most of the day, but they always had at least 2 or 3 bartenders all the time. They not only serve walk-ups, but also the wait staff delivering drinks to those sunning around the pool area. Even at busy times, we didn’t wait more than 5-6 minutes for a drink.

 

Bali Hai – Deck 13 Mid/Fwd

Another outside, weather permitting bar, a very popular hangout on deck 13 above the pool deck, it overlooks the pool and also gives a nice ocean view on either side. However, people go there for the people and it was always crowded. I cannot comment on wait times because we only passed through just to check it out with drinks in hand from Topsiders Bar already.

 

Great Outdoors Bar – Deck 12 Aft

At the aft of deck 12 is The Great Outdoors with a bar to compliment the view. Enjoy drinks here all day from 10:00am to 11:00pm.

 

Entertainment

Jade Club Casino – Deck 6 Fwd

One word – SMOKY! If you don’t mind, then have fun. If you do mind, then stay away from deck 6 Fwd!

 

Stardust Theater – Deck 6/7 Fwd

A quick note for those with allergies to smoke… do not come out of the Stardust on the lower deck as you will walk into a cloud of smoke from the casino!

 

Spinnaker Lounge – Deck 12 Fwd

The place for all other entertainment outside the Stardust.

 

The Library – Deck 12 Fwd

Forgot your book? A decent library to choose from to curl up on a lounger and read on your trip!

 

The Game/Card Room – Deck 12 Fwd

Card and board games to play with friends and family.

 

Golf Driving Net (2) – Deck 13 Aft

Tee time on the open seas… or at least a few practice swings in the driving nets.

 

Sports Court – Deck 13 Aft

A nice size basketball court.

 

Stateroom TV Channels

There is a small selection of channels on the TV in your stateroom. The first 8 are devoted to the ship – Safety, Shopping, Entertainment, Ship Info, Bow Cam. Then you have 2 or 3 news channels, a sports channel, a ‘TV Shows’ channel, and 2 movie channels.

 

Spa & Fitness

Walking Promenade – Deck 7

Jogging Track – Deck 13

Mandara Spa – Deck 12 Fwd

Spa Thermal Suite – Deck 12 Fwd

Barong Fitness Center – Deck 12 Fwd

Internet Café – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Port (Inside Art Gallery)

 

Shopping

Gift Shop – Deck 7 Atrium

Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shops – Deck 7 Aft

Photo Gallery – Deck 7 Mid/Aft Starboard

 

Daily Log

I kept a pretty good daily log in notepad on my iPhone of everything we did along with notes and extra information. I will post some of it below under each day. - See Freestyle Daily on Google Docs for each Day's full ship event list

 

Day 1 – Port of Tampa Embarkation, Set sail at 4:00pm

We did not set sail until about 7:00pm. The Jade had just come from a 14-day Trans-Atlantic voyage and they had the divers under the ship for most of the day, and bunkering the ship to fuel takes time as well. No big deal, everyone was having fun so it didn’t matter. We did sail away after dark so there was no sail-away party that we saw. However, a must see is the ship passing under the Skyway Bridge – takes about 1½ hours after sail away to get to the bridge and out to sea. Everyone is always amazed at the near miss of the topmost radar system and the bridge. I have a video of it which I will post to YouTube.

 

They had the muster station drill at 3: 00pm. We had to go to the Stardust, but your key card will tell you the station number to go. It took about 25 minutes and then they let us get back to partying. Our CC group had an informal meet and mingle just after the muster drill on Deck 6 at the Martini Bar. We met some nice people and chatted for about an hour.

 

We saw the Welcome Aboard Show at 7:30pm at the Stardust Theater which was a great preview to the upcoming week’s shows. The Jade Dancers are an excellent bunch of men and women.

 

First night was prime rib night at the Garden Café and MDRs.

 

Day 2 – Sea Day

The weather was overcast and rained on and off. We explored the ship, ate, and had a good time. At 11:00am in Le Bistro, we had our official CC Meet & Greet/Mingle. There was a spread of drinks and snacks and the top brass came to introduce themselves. We talked with a group of folks both new and old to cruising, and made plans with some to go with us on our adventures in Cozumel.

 

At 12:00pm is the Latitudes Rewards Cocktail Party. If you are a returning NCL Latitudes member, you should get your invitation on embarkation day in your room. We missed most of this since we were chatting with our new friends at the meet and greet.

 

We did not see the Blazing Boots show. This is the first show we have ever not watched. We caught the end of the 7:30 showing, and while the dancing looked good, we are not Country music folks… and this was truly Country twang! No worries… we had a lineup of music awaiting us this evening.

 

At 8:30pm, we caught the group Temperature in the Spinnaker doing a Stevie Wonder Tribute. This trip was full of tributes and Stevie was the first. It was an excellent show. The only thing we noticed was the singer seemed to keep looking at a sheet like he didn’t know the words… but he sang great and if he didn’t know the words, he hid it pretty well!

 

At 9:45pm, Fire and Ice did a Soul Music lineup. The singer is one pent-up ball of energy and has a voice that can cover Soul and Motown very well. An enjoyable show in the Medusa lounge.

 

Day 3 – Cozumel, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

We met our 4 new CC friends for breakfast and headed off the ship. Wife and I have been to Cozumel 4 times and we love it. We have a ritual of renting a jeep from the locals ($75 for 2 door, $85 for 4 door) and driving to Punta Sur lighthouse, then having lunch and snorkeling in the cove at Chen Rio Restaurant and Beach. We got to Punta Sur entrance and it is now $14/pp to get in the gate. This includes the lighthouse climb and the beach access. We used to only have to pay $4 to get to the lighthouse. We went and climbed the lighthouse and the view of the ocean and preserve is spectacular. There is also a museum, some ruins, and some shopping.

 

We get back in the jeep and drive 7km to the beach area which we had never been… but after seeing it we had to stay for 1½ hours and enjoy it! Sugar sand beach and oh so blue water. We brought some of the loungers down to the water and enjoyed it. We were 6 people on a beach with only 2 other people anywhere nearby! Dos XX in a can was $4, a little pricier than our normal spot.

 

We load up the jeep and head to Chen Rio, about 10km east of Punta Sur. We sat at a table right on the beach, ordered some chicken fajitas and more Dos XX in a bottle (now only $3), and enjoyed the sights, view of the ocean, and got to know more about our new friends. After lunch, some of us went in the water – note, bring water shoes as it is rocky, but also bring snorkel gear. Also get your camera ready as the ocean crashes through the rocks and creates fountains in the holes.

 

About 2:30 we packed up and headed back to the port. On the way back we stopped at the Tequila tasting and tour place called Mi Mexico Lindo. Leo was our guide, but told him we were running late so give us the quick tour. It was great and got to taste some fine tequila. Afterwards, we drove back to town and dropped off the jeep. We walked to the market and all went into Starbucks for some coffee and Wifi, then headed back to the ship. It was a great day with beautiful sunny weather, and our friends loved the itinerary. We split everything 6 ways and total per person for the jeep, Punta Sur entrance, and lunch was about $55.00.

 

At 7:30pm we went to the acrobatics show with Dmitry & Ksenia. They are a phenomenal duo with strength and agility we could only dream of having. The show was a little slow at times – the video screen came down 3 times to screen their relationship (they are married) and other things. Overall the show was excellent.

 

Day 4 – Costa Maya, Mexico – 8:00am – 5:00pm

In Costa Maya, we had a reservation at the Tropicante on the beach. We had been there in February on the Star after being introduced to it by other CC friends we met. After walking ¾ of a mile from the ship to the Taxi area (long pier, and longer shops they make you walk through), a 5 minute ride in a taxi costing $2/pp had us in town in front of the Tropicante. Our host met us at the taxi and we were on our reserved beach chairs with requested umbrella within 5 minutes. 2 minutes later we both had drinks in hand. Again, sugar sand beaches and crystal clear waters with an abundance of sun made for a memorable day. Steve, the owner, came by and spoke to us for a few minutes and went about his business.

 

I swam and snorkeled for a while near shore. Not much to see, but having the mask and snorkel on keeps the salt water out of my eyes and mouth/lips. There are locals walking by with lots of nice items, but just say “No gracias” and they move on. We did buy a shell wind chime for $10. I was asked about doing a snorkeling trip for $25. I said sure, so about 11:15 I headed to the boat and 3 others were on board and a driver and guide. We went out about 2-3 miles and dropped over the side following the guide. While not as rich and vibrant as some other reefs, this one was really extensive, albeit spotty with many small reef-lets with larger ones in between, and at the end was a very long reef which we swam at least for 10-15 minutes along it. We were out on the water for about 45-50 minutes. One lady was tired, and we kind of all followed suit up the ladder as even with the life jacket, the waves can beat the energy out of you. The whole trip was about 1½ hours and well worth the $25.

 

When I returned, we asked about lunch and were taken to a table. We picked at some chips and salsa and mini burritos for a bit along with another round of drinks. We decided to walk to beach strip a bit and look at the stores and other beach spots. There was a nice silver store where my wife bought a turtle pendant, 2 necklaces and a ring. We went back to our spot and relaxed for another hour or so, paid the tab ($38 for lunch and drinks), then packed up about 3:00pm and caught another taxi back to the port.

 

Back on the ship we saw our friends in the Jasmine and sat down enjoying some great company. We shared our day’s events and made plans for Roatan. We all went to the Stardust to see Showdown – a great performance by the Jade dancers.

 

NOTE: Time change 1 hour back was tonight.

 

Day 5 – Roatan, Honduras – 8:00am – 5:00pm (Time Change)

Today was our 4th Anniversary. We had breakfast at the buffet, then went down to get off the ship and meet the others at 8:30am. We had made a reservation for 2 for a local taxi tour after hearing about it through our friends from the Star. His name is Elmer Welcome and you can friend him on Facebook. We asked him to have a sign with our name on it so we would see him outside the port. We had to walk through molestation lane where they bombard you with taxis and tours, but thankfully can’t come out of their booths. After walking through the lot we came out the gate and there was Elmer with the sign. I told him we brought some friends so we are now 6. He said no problem and he would get a bigger vehicle.

 

Elmer took us to the east side. The first stop was an overlook with a great view of the ship, sea, and landscape. There are some local huts with lots of souvenirs – look around here and haggle with these people as you will probably get the best price on what you find at this stop – especially on the wooden carved bowls and conch shells. We then went to a more commercial shop where overpriced items are priced as is with no deals to be made. We asked Elmer to move along quickly to the next stop as we all were not in the mood to shop. Next he took us to the old Governor’s house and through back streets and landmarks, then drove back by the port and headed to the west side.

 

First stop here was the Zip Line and monkey park. It was $10 to get up close with the monkeys and other animals. Everyone had some fun with the monkeys going all over us. We then went to the bar and got a drink called the Monkey La La – sounds funny, but definitely try it for $5 as all of us loved it (some got 2). We skipped the zip lines, but I think it was $25 or $30 and there are 16 or 19 zip lines. You go up and stay up zipping from line to line, sometimes with monkeys along for the ride! I will definitely do this in April when we return. We then went to West Shore beach. This was $10/pp to use the loungers. We all grabbed a lounger and relaxed for a bit with more Monkey La La’s. 3 of us went with Elmer to get some snorkel gear and do more snorkeling. It was a walk to the end of the beach where the reefs were, but they were right off shore and along the rocky cliff wall. We didn’t stay for too long because they had some rain the last 2 days and the water was churned up a bit. We were on the beach for at least 2-2½ hours before packing up and heading back up the hill. We stopped at the lighthouse which had more vendors, and across the street was the Rum Cake Factory. A few of us bought the chocolate rum bottles and tasted samples of the cakes and rum. I enjoyed the Spiced Rum Cake.

 

After talking to the local vendors, we headed back to the port. The taxi driver cost is $25/pp for 2, or $15/pp for 4 or more. Elmer, the guide, works on tips. We paid the taxi driver $110 and Elmer $125. Another beautiful day – overcast which kept the direct heat away, but no rain!

 

We missed the CruiseNext Cocktail Party at 6pm (also part of Latitudes and return guests). We went dinner, then off to the Stardust for Comedian Rod Long. It was a good show – many cruising jokes in the mix. We then went to the Spinnaker for the 9:30 Tina Turner tribute by Fire and Ice. All we could say was WOW! If Tina Turner was 40 years old, I would think this was actually her. The look, the energy, voice, songs, and moves – all Tina Turner! Tina fan or not, this is one show you should see!

 

Day 6 – Harvest Caye, Belize – 7:00am – 1:00pm

Harvest Caye (pronounced “Key”) is officially open and we were the second ship to step foot on the beaches (The Dawn had the privilege of being the first the day prior). We had a short itinerary being 7am to 1pm. We docked and were cleared at 6:45am, but didn’t head off until about 8:30am. See my 100+

, and a new Private Island Harvest Caye thread on CC here. These links are also in my signature.

 

Back on the ship, we saw the 7:30pm show Elements. It was a combination of the Jade Dancers, acrobats Dmitri and Ksenia, and an Illusionist. It is a theatrical rendition of dancing with the elements – earth, wind, fire, and water, with magic tricks mixed in. It seemed very tribal in nature, but it was a good show. Afterwards, the entire NCL crew filled the stage singing “we are family”.

 

Day 7 – Sea Day (Time Change)

I caught a stomach bug somewhere and couldn’t make it a great day. We did get out to have some dinner at 6:00pm at the Grand Pacific, and see the Stardust show with vocalist Stephani Parker doing a tribute to Whitney Houston. What a powerful voice and performance. She was wonderful!

 

Back to the room to finish packing and pass out.

 

Debarkation Day

We did the Walk-Off option and carried our luggage off early. We were back to the car about 9:30 and on the road home. Another trip we won’t soon forget!

 

Norwegian iConcierge App

The Norwegian iConcierge App is basically like having all the Freestyles in your hand at once. It also allows you to call/text others on the ship for $9.95/per device using the ship’s wifi.

 

Informational: This FREE part of the app I would give a 4 out of 5. It gives you the Freestyle for the entire week in your hand, ability to reserve venue times (paid or free on larger ships), see and reserve dining options (no hours of operation or specialties like Prime Rib night, but all restaurants and most of the general menus), buy CruiseNext Credits, and a host of other features. The best feature is being able to review your stateroom account at any time. Be sure to do this because if you're not signing for a drink on the UBP, you may get charged for something you didn't get like a bottle of water which isn’t included in the UBP (story on that above). I recommend loading the app before boarding, then put your phone in Airplane mode but turn on the Wifi and connect to the ship's wifi. You can only use the features while on board the ship and connected to the wifi. There are no internet charges to just connect to the ship's wifi and use this app.

 

Text/Calling: This is the part you pay for. It costs $9.95/per device (for the entire trip) to use to text or call others with the app on the ship including calling directly to staterooms. Also, you can call outside numbers (and others can call you) for $0.79/minute (whereas using your stateroom phone will cost you $4.99/minute). You get a unique phone number to call/text while on wifi that shows up in the app as ‘Your Number’ which you can give to others to add to their app (all occupants in your stateroom are quick listed in the phone portion of the app). However, we did not use the feature on this trip. We were on the Getaway January 2015 and had poor experience with trying to contact each other around the ship. Thankfully they refunded us the fees. When we thought about using it to text our new peeps on the Star (and make it easier to find/meet them), we didn't get the package.

 

Internet Packages

When we sail, it is the only time I truly disconnect from the world, so unless there is an emergency, I don’t take part with the internet fees. On occasion while in ports we have a drink at a bar/restaurant that has wifi.

 

You can access the internet from any of your devices or at the internet café (Garden Villas and I think Owner Suites come with a laptop on the desk for your convenience). I can’t say how fast the internet is on the Star, but listening to others it is slow but steady. You can choose from the following plans:

 

Time Plan 1 – 250 minutes for $125.00 ($0.50 per minute)

Time Plan 2 – 100 minutes for $75.00 ($0.75 per minute)

Unlimited Cruise Plan - $29.99 per day ($213.88 including activation fee) – must be purchased by 10pm on 2nd day of cruise and is for entire voyage – no single day packages available.

 

There is a $3.95 account activation fee for first time login with any plan. You can print documents for $0.50 per document. The Internet café on deck 7 Mid/Aft inside the Art Gallery is open 24 hours and until 10:00pm on the last night of the ship.

 

CruiseNext Deposit

Each NCL cruise, we buy a future cruise credit for $250 and get $100 in ship credit to use. Now it’s called CruiseNext and it is an even better deal if you buy more than 1 credit. We ended up buying 4 for $1,000 and received $500 ship credit (which we used to pay towards the $1,000). They are good for 4 years and can be used for 6 day or longer cruises as a deposit, but only 1 per stateroom booked. They can be transferred to friends or family as well so you can give them as gifts -- or charge them $125 and break even and they get a free $125 towards their stateroom. See the CruiseNext Form in Google Docs and also the 2015/16/17 NCL Itinerary Guide.

 

Service Charge (a.k.a. gratuities/tips)

A daily service charge for gratuities of $13.50/pp/pd (up from $12.00/pp) for anyone over the age of 3 in your stateroom. The charge in the Owner Suites and Garden Villa is $15.50/pp/pd. This is supposed to get distributed to staff on board. Where/who it goes to you will never see and there are controversies as to the distribution. No matter whom it goes to, you either pre-pay the fee online for the trip ($94.50/pp for 7 days), or let it rack up on your bill and pay it when the bill is settled on the last night. You cannot have it removed or waive the gratuities anymore. They will gladly give you a form to fill out and send it to dispute or refund them, but it will be after the fact and you may or may not get a refund.

 

However, if you’ve found a good bartender, or your steward has taken good care of you, or you’re just feeling generous, be sure to give them something extra for a tip. I know everyone feels like they are nickel and diming you to death on the ship, but reward good service!

 

Tips for Packing

We learn new tips and tricks with each cruise and add or remove items from our cruise list every year. I will post our packing list to Google Docs and list some things we do to make life easier on the cruise. While we can pack more and carry on more than those that have to fly, we like to keep it as simple as we can. We know for our Alaskan and Panama Canal cruises we will have to fly, so what we can learn to do with/without now will help later.

 

- Magnets – did you know most of the walls on the ship are metal and magnetic? Bring some magnets to hang your Freestyle on the wall to look at it, or hold other papers or items instead of getting lost on the desk.

 

- Duct tape – it’s good for repairing everything so bring a small roll with you.

 

- Back of the door shoe hanger – sure you can use it for shoes, but we use it to hold all our bathroom essentials and other small things in all the pockets. Easy to get to and your counter space and drawers won’t be cluttered.

 

- Styrofoam or other to-go containers from Dollar Tree – Want to go get your food from the buffet and bring it back to your stateroom for wife, husband, or kids? Get some cheap containers you can use and throw away on the cruise. It will be easier than balancing plates from the buffet all the way back to your room!

 

Other Notable Notes

- Print out your luggage tags with your cruse docs ahead of time. If you have a color printer, use it so the color shows for the baggage folks. Also, fold them using the extra paper on the sheet and use clear packing tape to make the tag stronger and waterproof. When you wrap it around the luggage handle, don’t staple it 50 times. Use the clear packing tape again to tape the ends and about 3-4 inches up from the end. Do it twice and it won’t be coming off anytime soon!

 

- Get a lanyard to hold your key card (for adults and kids). You can get one with a plastic pocket that can hold other cards/money, but you have to pull it out each time you use it. We just have a clip on the lanyard, and after boarding go to the guest services to have them punch a hole in the card. Having the lanyard around your neck makes it easier to get off and on the ship at ports, give it to the bartender or waiter for drinks/food, and easier to find in the room (hang it on the coat hook near the door).

 

 

If I missed anything, please feel free to ask. If we did it, I will give my review.

[Angelo_R]

Love all this info! Thanks so much. Couldn't find your packing list and would love to see it. I did look on Google Docs. We leave in 2 weeks but on the Dawn. Thanks again.

 

Thank you. I have added the packing list to the "Other Documents" folder on Google Docs.

[easyboy]

A very extensive and informative review. Thanks.

[Vinson]

Thanks, we will be on the Jade in 2 days. This review really helps us plan our week appropriately. Much appreciated.

[vlynn930]

First time cruiser ... Uber nervous, but this is definitely has helped ease it a little 😊