Linda

[luca20]

Has anyone seen the reviews that have been posted on Cruise review.co.uk regarding the ship NCL JADE? We are booked on this ship around the Med on the 9th Aug and to be honest after reading the reviews i am feeling a bit concerned and disappointed with the remarks which range from only 5 of the restaurants are free the rest there being a charge, dirty cabins, miserable staff, and awful entertainment, and even a comment that the American passengers are catered better...:(

[VoyageVirgin]

No, haven't seen them, but I'll have to now.

The Jade is a great ship. Wonderful crew and that's coming from a Canadian :D We were once British.

[resurgam]

Has anyone seen the reviews that have been posted on Cruise review.co.uk regarding the ship NCL JADE? We are booked on this ship around the Med on the 9th Aug and to be honest after reading the reviews i am feeling a bit concerned and disappointed with the remarks which range from only 5 of the restaurants are free the rest there being a charge, dirty cabins, miserable staff, and awful entertainment, and even a comment that the American passengers are catered better...:(

 

Luc20 I am also on the Jade at the same time. I have read some bad reviews but take people comments as a guide and not a true reflection there are so many reasons that some people see a glass half full and others half empty.

As for there only being 5 restaurants and the rest you pay a surcharge for I am confused if you went to an all inclusive hotel you would normally have one place to eat, on the ship you have five and there are other places that you will pay a few dollars for if you want. I do not think we willl starve.

As for Americans being catered for better I am sorry I do not understand what comment you allude to but smile and relax :) and I hope that you have a brilliant holiday I am looking forward to getting on the ship and hope to meet some of you on board.

[Ms belp]

Nope. We have only heard good things as well. My sister and her husband are going on the Jade on August 23rd and are so looking forward to it. We've both been on European cruises and loved them. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

And I, at least, was British at one time too! And furthermore, I can't imagine anyone being nicer to Americans anymore...

[miss-heli]

We are also on 9th August cruise and have read the negative reports you mention, just out of interest the last 3 reviews posted on CruiseReview make much better reading so don't despair!

We have sailed on P & O and Royal Caribbean from Southampton and have paid less than half the fare to sail on the Jade, so we are realistic and although we expect a good cruise we do not expect it to exceed the premium lines.I think that is where some other reviewers are coming from and when you think what you would get in a UK Seaside hotel for the nightly rate we are paying .....its a no brainer.

There will I'm sure be plenty of food even without visiting the surcharge venues and from my experience the staff are nice if you are nice to them!!

Its an American line so I expect the food and entertainment to have a US bias but different is not always bad !!

Stay positive

[terrymtex01]

Two things about reading reviews as far as we are concerned. If a review is totally negative or totally positive, we just stop reading it and go on to the next one. And if we had listened to what people had said, we would have never sailed NCL and missed out on three wonderful cruises...

 

NCL has the cleanest ships we have ever seen.. Not once have we walked anywhere on a NCL ship and not seen people cleaning something. I can not believe the Jade would be any different. As far as the restaurants, I am a little confused by that comment from you. Did you not research and see that all NCL ships have some free dinning venues and some you pay a surcharge for? That is basically what started the entire "Free Style Cruising".

 

And as far as Americans being catered to better.. not for sure what you mean by that, as I have not read the reviews you reference. I would say that a lot of that may have to do with what precentage of Americans are typically on that cruise. On the recent cruise we were on to Alaska there was a large group on board from India... Some Amway group or something like that... anyway.. the head chef told us that he had to alter some of the buffet menues because of that... So they will "cater" to who is usually the larger customer base on the ship. Any business would. That is just a guess of why that would be true.. I don't know the pax ratio on that particular ship.

 

You know what.. here is the thing.. This is your holiday.. make it what you want it. Try the Jade for yourself..Don't let anyone ruin YOUR vacation, your cruise. 8-)

[luca20]

Thankyou for your positive remarks but would like to say on 2 of them when you quote you don't know what i mean by the other restaurants( by which i quote by other passengers not myself )being free, surley if you are on a cruise should you expect to have to pay no matter what amount to over half of the restaurants? Are these really exclusive then..or are they bog nationality standard. The american remark does not worry me as i have no probs with Americans been to the u.s.a enough times..as i said this is one of the comments made by a passenger which i was reflecting and i know you will always get the whingers but it did strike me a little as there did seem so many negative remarks.

[resurgam]

but it did strike me a little as there did seem so many negative remarks.

 

Any where in life the negative always seems to be out of the door running before the good has got its shoes on! :D

My place of work nasty gossip spreads very quick where as nice gossip shudders to a grinding halt.

I read the reviews that I think you have commented on the dancers that wrote that review were very critical and I do not think they would have found any joy just be happy they will not be on our holiday.

[Sue G]

We returned from our Jade cruise last Friday and had a wonderful time. We ate in all the restaurants except Paniolo as we are not keen on Tex Mex. We ate in Cagneys 3 times, Papas 3 times, Le Bistro twice, Jasmine Garden twice. The only place that appeared to have problems was Blue Lagoon where service could be slow and you did not always get what you ordered. The Garden Cafe had a really large choice although you had to time breakfast and lunch as it was really busy but I think people were getting their breakfast and then sitting in Papas to eat.

We had no problem with our cabin. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

We met the Captain and other officers at our meet and greet and if we saw them on the ship they would always stop and speak to you and take onboard any comments you made.

I suggest you go with an open mind and come to your own conclusions - everyone sees things differently.

 

Sue G

[DAGVBSB]

Thankyou for your positive remarks but would like to say on 2 of them when you quote you don't know what i mean by the other restaurants( by which i quote by other passengers not myself )being free, surley if you are on a cruise should you expect to have to pay no matter what amount to over half of the restaurants? Are these really exclusive then..or are they bog nationality standard. The american remark does not worry me as i have no probs with Americans been to the u.s.a enough times..as i said this is one of the comments made by a passenger which i was reflecting and i know you will always get the whingers but it did strike me a little as there did seem so many negative remarks.

 

It sounds to me as if you don't understand "Freestyle Cruising" which is becoming a new standard in cruising. Not only does NCL have "pay" restaurants, but several other US lines including Royal Carribean, Princess and Celebrity have added extra charge restaurants.

 

First of all...you never have to pay extra on NCL ships if you don't want to. There are two main restaurants, the Blue Lagoon (diner type restaurant) and the buffet, which are always free. The "Specialty Restaurants" are just that... one may be Asian, one a steakhouse, one mexican, one italian, etc.. These have a surcharge of between $12 and $24 per person. I really can't say the food is that much better in those locations, but again, you don't have to go there. (In comparison, "Portofino" on RCCL is $20 a person)

 

Restaurant Choice is something fairly new to cruises. In the former days, there was one or two main restaurants on the ship and that is where you ate every day. Now with Freestyle and its copies, you have several options for dinner.

 

The other differences that you should be aware of include reservations and dress code.

 

You do not have a set dining time, set tablemates or the same waiters on NCL. For the main restaurants, buffet and Blue Lagoon, you simply show up anytime between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. and tell the Maitre'd how many of you there are, and you will be seated with just your group. (you can ask to share a table with others, but many have found that no one else wants to sit with them and end up dining alone anyhow at a large table...) Only large groups of 8 or more can make reservations in the main dining rooms. (large group reservations only available before 6:15 or after 8:15)

 

For the Specialty restaurants, you make a reservation a day ahead of time for a specific time, just like shoreside restaurants.

 

As for the Dress Code. There is no "Formal Night." Formal night is optional and is called "Dress up or not Night." Only about 50% of the passengers will dress up and that will range from a few tuxes to shirt/tie. The rest of the passengers will be in "resort casual" which is a polo shirt, kahki or dockers pants and tennis shoes. This is the dress code for ALL dining venues (main and specialty). Jeans are allowed in all restaurants except for one of the two main restaurants each night.

 

For breakfast and lunches, only the buffet, Blue Lagoon and one main restaurant will be open.

 

Hope this helps clear up NCL's Freestyle System. (which is being copied by many of the other US lines...)

[DAGVBSB]

As far as the negative reviews... Terry is right, if it is all negative, then it is probably a troll who either sees nothing they like or are looking to get compensation or so angry that they want to get even with the cruise line.

 

You can't tell me that EVERYTHING on a cruise was bad!

 

 

Also, a wise statistics professor once told us this... people who have something bad to say about something are more likely to report it or write a negative review about it than those who have nothing but positives to say. (and most positives don't get reported!). So always take the number of negative reviews and divide it by 3 or 4 to get the true ratio of positive to negative experiences of anything that you do.

[sandrab]

My Mum and Dad are on board the Jade at the moment.

Mum has been texting me a couple of times every day - and they are really enjoying the ship. (They are veteran cruisers, having cruised many different styles on NCL, RCI, Cunard, Celebrity, Seabourne, P & O, HAL, Princess & Silversea).

 

They sailed last Friday, and are having a lovely relaxing cruise, delighted not to be at work and making the most of all the facilities on offer.

 

I really wouldn't worry too much about negative reviews - people's tastes and preferences vary greatly, the cruise will be what YOU make of it.

 

If there is anything in particular you would like to know while my parents are still on board, please let me know.

 

Sandra

[Addictedtwo]

I find some of your statements surprising. The jade has not been out of dry dock that long and the ship is only 2 years old.

 

We were on it in January when it was Pride of Hawaii for 2 weeks, the ship is beautiful and still had it's newness.

 

As always you have to take a lot of the negative with a grain of salt!

 

All of NCLA ships got bad reviews due to American crew etc. Yes we witnessed some of that but it was minute and not worth discussing and certainly didn't put any damper on our vacation.

 

For every bad review for a particular ship you will find ten others that are positive for the exact same date.

[luca20]

Thanks for all the positive remarks and i can say i don't feel half as dubious now as i have been watching the recent reviews that have been coming in on Cruise review.co.uk ( this is a seperate review site)and if any of you could not understand 'where i was coming from as someone implied 'or believe what i had read, this is where I READ THEM.. i did feel by some of your remarks you were having a pop at what i said when i only was asking..bloodyhell good job we have'nt the death penalty here:confused:

[kdee69]

i did feel by some of your remarks you were having a pop at what i said when i only was asking..bloodyhell good job we have'nt the death penalty here:confused:

 

What a shame you added that at the end of your review when posters genuinely were trying to allay your fears.

 

We too are sailing on the Jade on the same cruise as yourselves and we can't wait!!

 

I have paid nearly as much in the past for grubby cattle market style hotels full of whinging British (no offence to us Brits but I'm sure most of us here in Blighty have had hols like that) where what has been described in the brochure is so far removed from the reality that it's laughable.

 

I understand fully where you are coming from re the chargeable restaurants but it does state that there are ones in the brochure.

I think certainly however, there will always be somewhere where you can eat quality food if you'd rather not pay.

 

I am really excited as I am sure you are about meeting Canadians and Americans and any other nationality that are present.

 

Also, speaking to friends who have been to the US, their standards re food are so much higher than ours here (certainly in my City anyway unless I pay through the nose) that I think we'll be more than happy.

 

Worry not I'd say and focus on not having to make your bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner or evening entertainment.

 

If we meet up whilst on board, we can talk about how great it is.

[electricron]

Recent Jade reviews back to April:

 

Eastern Mediterranean KD 05/08 (**)

Western Mediterranean barron h 05/08 (***)

Western Mediterranean Groovers 05/08 (*****+)

Western Mediterranean wrk2cruz 05/08 (****)

Western Mediterranean dakotaiv 05/08 (**)

Western Mediterranean Waldorf 05/08 (****)

Eastern Mediterranean Sunnyrocks 05/08 (*****)

Eastern Mediterranean todd140 04/08 (*****)

Eastern Mediterranean cp556 04/08 (****)

Eastern Mediterranean Robbo61 04/08 (****)

Western Mediterranean alsoluv2travel 04/08 (*****)

Eastern Mediterranean trbasso 04/08 (****)

Eastern Mediterranean Michel Roy 04/08 (*****)

Eastern Mediterranean Gunny 04/08 (****)

Eastern Mediterranean Donfrom NC 04/08 (*****)

 

Only two reviews ranked below 3 ***. Let's see what the 2 ** reviewers had to say.

 

KD writes (1)The buffet catered the same exact items in all 13 days, (2) Everything is still in the Hawaiian theme, (3) The self service laundry areas have been taken out and replaced with more cabins, (4) As usual, ship crews were mainly interested in selling you drinks, jewelry and expensive shore excursions, (5) Most ship communications/newsletter focus on advertising: Bingo, Casino, Jewelry sales, art auction, (6) Costs: Taxi ride from Southampton to Heathrow is $300.

My take: While KD recognized (4) being usual, I add so are (1) and (5)! He complains about (2), although the Hawaiian decor is beautiful, what did he expect? I'll also add (3) was well documented here they were being removed. And I can't fathom why he blamed (6) on NCL. Therefore, he gives a less than average ranking for an average cruise ship experience, which is pretty good, and this one should have been 3*** at the least.

 

Dakotalv writes We have always maintained that any cruise is a wonderful experience. This NCL Jade cruise challenged that assertion, but we're sticking to our guns - it was a wonderful experience in spite of the poor service onboard and a bout with a stomach virus. Although most of this review is great, he does take a turn about the quality of service aboard the ship, with a detailed experenced with the toast girl at the buffet. Was surprised to see the girl's reaction when he reached in to grab a slice of toast during noro crackdowns. His other complaints had nothing to do with NCL, things that happen off the ship, specifically not being dropped off at his hotel post cruise, and pick pockets ashore.

My take: 2 ** is a low score for the cruise ship. While his vacation may have been 2 ** because of all the actions that occurred to him ashore, it wasn't the ship's or crew's fault.

 

So there you are, mostly postive reviews about the ship, even from those that gave low scores. Why worry so?