What you DID NOT like about Norwegian Jade

[Travelling2Some]

On 2/16/2024 at 8:30 PM, dmwnc1959 said:

It’s a personal preference. I dine solo and really do not care for small talk with the adjoining tables - which are usually so close to each other they are practically table mates.

 

We just got off the Carnival Mardi Gras (beautiful ship but definitely not for us) and had the most bizarre experience at lunch in one of the specialty restaurants.  Restaurant was almost completely empty and my husband and I were at a table for two.  Table next to us was literally 3 inches away.  They seated a (very nice) woman dining alone there.  Of course we conversed because it would have been too rude and awkward not to, but all three of us found it very odd.  We were already half way through our meal so it was kind of her responsibility to ask to be seated elsewhere but I'm sure she was taken by surprise and just did not object in time.  Strange experience though. 

[Sailing12Away]

3 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

So - me, being in an inside cabin on the bottom of the ship with zero expectations - I’m pretty sure I will be fine? 😉 Haven’t been in suites for a very, very long time, just isn’t worth it to me anymore as a solo, I’m just renting the space. 😁 Norwegian Jade is sounding pretty good. 

Yup, you'll be fine. Someone else is cooking, cleaning, making you drinks, and giving you something shiny or sparkly to look at.

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, Sailing12Away said:

Yup, you'll be fine. Someone else is cooking, cleaning, making you drinks, and giving you something shiny or sparkly to look at.

For 3+ weeks at that! I still can’t even 🤯 wrap my head around being on a cruise ship for that long. The crazy part is trying to pack for both 🥵 and 🥶 weather in a single suitcase. Layers, yes, but this is going to take some real thinking through and praying for a mid-cruise laundry special. 

[Sailing12Away]

44 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

For 3+ weeks at that! I still can’t even 🤯 wrap my head around being on a cruise ship for that long. The crazy part is trying to pack for both 🥵 and 🥶 weather in a single suitcase. Layers, yes, but this is going to take some real thinking through and praying for a mid-cruise laundry special. 

Reminds me of our trip to Alaska at the end of August. Little bit of everything.

NCL always does the 'all you can fit in a bag' for $29. It's usually in the middle of the cruise, but if you're running low ahead of time, just ask at guest services. They can either let you know when it will be offered, or have in the past honored the sale price ahead of the published sale.

[dmwnc1959]

I’m curios about the (love this name) Sugarcane Mojito Bar that’s inside the Moderno Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse. Can anyone sit at the bar even if they’re not eating in the restaurant?  Does this bar have a unique menu of drinks not found anywhere else in the ship. I’ve eaten at this type of restaurant on another cruise line and they are always intriguing. 

[Huntingdon1701]

7 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I’m curios about the (love this name) Sugarcane Mojito Bar that’s inside the Moderno Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse. Can anyone sit at the bar even if they’re not eating in the restaurant?  Does this bar have a unique menu of drinks not found anywhere else in the ship. I’ve eaten at this type of restaurant on another cruise line and they are always intriguing. 

 

Yes, you can sit there without eating at the restaurant. It's one of my favourite bars because it tends to be quite quiet so the bartenders get to know you well.

 

It has a set of mojitos on the menu that you can't find elsewhere, but does serve other drinks. https://profcruise.com/norwegian-bar-menus-2022/ [scroll down]

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

 

Yes, you can sit there without eating at the restaurant. It's one of my favourite bars because it tends to be quite quiet so the bartenders get to know you well.

 

It has a set of mojitos on the menu that you can't find elsewhere, but does serve other drinks. https://profcruise.com/norwegian-bar-menus-2022/ [scroll down]

Thank you! Some of these look pretty amazing! 🍹

[Travelling2Some]

On 2/20/2024 at 4:01 PM, dmwnc1959 said:

So - me, being in an inside cabin on the bottom of the ship with zero expectations - I’m pretty sure I will be fine? 😉 Haven’t been in suites for a very, very long time, just isn’t worth it to me anymore as a solo, I’m just renting the space. 😁 Norwegian Jade is sounding pretty good. 

I look at it the same way, lol.  It's just rented space.  We usually go with insides but will take an OV or balcony once in awhile if the price difference is reasonable.  When I spend $600 to rent a window for a few days I feel like I should be able to take it home with me!

Edited February 29 by Travelling2Some

[Travelling2Some]

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

I look at it the same way, lol.  It's just rented space.  We usually go with insides but will take an OV or balcony once in awhile if the price difference is reasonable.  When I spend $600 to rent a window for a few days I feel like I should be able to take it home with me!

Quoting myself (I know, weird).  Just wanted to add that we have been on the Jade 3 times (if you count once way back when she was the Pride of Hawaii) and especially enjoyed the Great Outdoors and the big Spinnaker Lounge up front.

 

Looking at my post above, I realized that I cheap out on cruise cabins but generally book nicer hotel rooms.  Had to think about that for a minute since both are "rentals"!  Realized that, on a cruise, we are usually out in the port all day and then spend our evenings having a sit-down dinner, seeing the shows and being out and about enjoying the ship.  On land vacations our habit is eat early and then stay in for the evening relaxing.  So we get good use out of that "rental".

[jamin jul]

I’m booked on Jade next year and new to NCL? Is there a lobby bar on the Jade or just a coffee bar? What bar do most people go in the evening? 

[ggTexasGal]

1 hour ago, jamin jul said:

I’m booked on Jade next year and new to NCL? Is there a lobby bar on the Jade or just a coffee bar? What bar do most people go in the evening? 

Yes... the Java Cafe and Bar are in the atrium!

 

Most people seek a bar that serves what they like and is located near what they like to do, so the answer is as variable as people are. 

[jamin jul]

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

Yes... the Java Cafe and Bar are in the atrium!

 

Most people seek a bar that serves what they like and is located near what they like to do, so the answer is as variable as people are. 

Thank you.  I read somewhere that there is no one at the atrium/lobby bar in the evening- is that true on the Jade?  I’ve never been on NCL and usually the lobby bar is a happening place. 

[Ken the cruiser]

On 2/15/2024 at 8:08 AM, dmwnc1959 said:

Still hemming and hawing between two ships doing a long (16-25 nights) Panama Canal cruise: Coral Princess and/or Norwegian Jade.

 

For those that have done extended cruises (3-4 weeks) on the Norwegian Jade in the past year, using the Free at Sea promotions with drinks and dining, what were some of the things you DIDN'T like or thought could be better? What were some of the features and amenities of the ship that just didn’t work with crowds and onboard reservations (restaurants, atrium, shows, bars, promenade decks, etc.). 
 

I’m hoping to get some insight as to how the ship handles the onboard passenger experience when operating on longer repositioning  cruises. 
 

THANK YOU! 

We cruised on the Jade for 38 days in an aft-facing Club Balcony from Athens to Cape Town by way of Dubai back in the Fall of 2022 and had an awesome time!! See my Live From thread in my expanded signature area below.

 

Initially, all during the pre-cruise booking process as well as when we first boarded the ship, we kept comparing the experience with those we had come to take for granted when cruising with Princess or Celebrity, as there are definitely quite a few differences we needed to come to terms with. The first annoying one was that we could not use the nonrefundable OBC our TA was giving us to pay the DSR. However, once we expressed our concerns, our TA gave us a rebate check instead. There were others, but that was the most annoying.

 

But after a few days of being onboard and dealing with our "expectations", we made a conscience decision to stop comparing how NCL does things differently and just started appreciating what they had to offer. And from that point on, we started having a great time! I know, who knew! 😂

 

We enjoyed eating breakfast and lunch outside up at the Great Outdoors or in La Cucina, depending on the weather. We also enjoyed going up to Spinnakers to watch the various game shows and other entertainment offered there, to include a few lectures before they moved them to the theater due to the high demand! 

 

But I would also like to add, we were quite pleased when NCL implemented FAS Plus last summer, as it adds quite a few additional perks for around $70 pp/day (if you include the FAS gratuity charge) that we will take full advantage of on future cruises. FAS Plus also tops any All Included perk package either Princess or Celebrity has to offer. 

Edited March 1 by Ken the cruiser

[dmwnc1959]

22 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We cruised on the Jade for 38 days in an aft-facing Club Balcony from Athens to Cape Town by way of Dubai back in the Fall of 2022 and had an awesome time!! See my Live From thread in my expanded signature area below.

 

Initially, all during the pre-cruise booking process as well as when we first boarded the ship, we kept comparing the experience with those we had come to take for granted when cruising with Princess or Celebrity, as there are definitely quite a few differences we needed to come to terms with. The first annoying one was that we could not use the nonrefundable OBC our TA was giving us to pay the DSR. However, once we expressed our concerns, our TA gave us a rebate check instead. There were others, but that was the most annoying.

 

But after a few days of being onboard and dealing with our "expectations", we made a conscience decision to stop comparing how NCL does things differently and just started appreciating what they had to offer. And from that point on, we started having a great time! I know, who knew! 😂

 

We enjoyed eating breakfast and lunch outside up at the Great Outdoors or in La Cucina, depending on the weather. We also enjoyed going up to Spinnakers to watch the various game shows and other entertainment offered there, to include a few lectures before they moved them to the theater due to the high demand! 

 

But I would also like to add, we were quite pleased when NCL implemented FAS Plus last summer, as it adds quite a few additional perks for around $70 pp/day (if you include the FAS gratuity charge) that we will take full advantage of on future cruises. FAS Plus also tops any All Included perk package either Princess or Celebrity has to offer. 

What an exceptional post! Thank you for sharing. I think that the one thing I’m accomplishing with these threads and these comparison posts is that I find myself adjusting my expectations long before I even get on the ship. And I find it amusing how offended and up in arms some people here get when their favorite cruise line comes into question by an outsider. 
 

There are a LOT of things I’m looking forward to on Norwegian Jade, and having breakfast at The Great Outdoors, a mojito  at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, some tasty brewskies at O’Sheehan’s with lunch, and multiple dinners at La Cucina are definitely among them! 
 

😁

Edited March 1 by dmwnc1959

[Huntingdon1701]

5 hours ago, jamin jul said:

Thank you.  I read somewhere that there is no one at the atrium/lobby bar in the evening- is that true on the Jade?  I’ve never been on NCL and usually the lobby bar is a happening place. 

 

The main focus for the evening is more the suite of bars on deck 6. You've got the whiskey and beer bar, martini bar, and champagne bar all in a group, and they have a soloist or small band playing down there as well. It's quite a hub. 

 

The lobby on Jade is more for guest services, but as far as I remember the bar has always been manned in the evening. 

[itsnotjustme]

We did B2B 7-day cruises on Jade this past summer.  What I didn't like:

 

1) Getting off at the end.

2) Not winning in the casino.

3) That the coffee is not better.  (Clue - if you serve NCL coffee for free and get a lot of business at Starbucks charging multiple dollars per cup, your coffee is not good.)

 

The buffet pizza was excellent - hot out of a pizza oven - unlike the Spirit shrink wrapped in a warming oven.

[vswan]

Did an 11 night solo cruise on the jade in late January. It was a great cruise. Nice size ship without it being too big. Things were spread out well so nothing felt crowded. I did attend some of the solo functions/gatherings and had a great time. If you wanted to go to dinner with someone you could, but many just did what they felt comfortable with. I booked shore excursions with my free and sea credits and didn't spend a lot more than the $50 at each stop - the nice thing was that on almost every tour there was another solo cruiser I had already met who could share a beach umbrella or have watch my stuff when I went into the water. Agree the bars on 6 were the most utilized in the evening. I went to Cagneys (great food), Teppenyaka (noisy, but good food and fun) and Moderna (good salad bar and plenty of meats to try and find something I liked).

 

You will have a good time on this ship.