NCL's Jade: Brit Isles & Norway Cruise 2009

[Herb44]

Summary: Perfect weather combined with a perfect itinerary and a ship's crew that was excellent should have been a great cruise:). Food was a weak point:mad:. If you like the cruise style and can tolerate poor food, you are likely to enjoy it more than we did. If you can't tolerate cigarette smoke and don't gamble, this isn't for you. If sightseeing is your aim, you might be disappointed on this ship. Nevertheless, staff was unable to make-up for corporate shortcomings on the quality of food served.

 

Specific weaknesses: ship was built for the Hawaiian cruising experience. Many of the problems originated from that issue.

 

Food service: Like the Gem, there is inadequate space for adverse weather (i.e., cool weather) breakfasts in the 12th Floor Garden Cafe and adjacent open air areas. It was more a mob scene than a pleasant experience. Staff expanded indoor seating by opening the adjacent Italian restaurant, but it still never worked. Hot food became air temperature rapidly. After several horrid experiences, we resorted to eating breakfast in the main dining room (Grand Pacific).

 

Food specifics: the fish was always salty and the beef was almost never cooked right. While dining room staff was always willing to give you something else, my frustration level was reached after the second main course was delivered and I found it to be unsatisfactory. This happened so often during the first cruise (Brit Isles) that we abandoned the main dining rooms altogether and paid the extra for the specialty restaurants.) Amazingly, the same beef menu items the following week on the Norwegian cruise were far better, while the fish remained excessively salty throughout the journeys. Garden salads were never available in either main dining room (Alizar and Grand Pacific) at dinner. The British Isles cruise had lots of smokers and gamblers, to the extent that the lobby area at the 6th floor entrance to the theatre was unusable if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke. The Norwegian cruise was somewhat better in keeping the air outside the casino cleaner.

 

Shore excursions: excessively pricey. Be very careful about the wording of the description of the excusions: if it says "shopping opportunity" you are likely to spend a considerable amount of time "shopping" at the expense of "sightseeing." We often found local transportation options at a fraction of the price.

 

Ship decor: if that is a matter of interest, the JADE has lots of large plastic flowers, paintings, fake palms, etc. to reflect its origins as the "Pride of Hawaii."

 

Sightseeing areas: there are really only three areas where you can see everything to the port and starboard sides of the ship: the roof of the Spinnaker Lounge. the Spinnaker Lounge, and the Great Outdoors (the extension of the 12th Floor Garden Cafe). Unfortunately, the front of the Spinnaker Lounge (the only indoor space where one can see both sides outside the ship) was used by crew for storage, and hence unnecessarily blocked by curtains. When we (or other passengers) went behind these curtains, other crew members chased us away.

 

Spending money aboard the ship: the ship strongly encourages you to spend money on-board, with excessive "shopping opportunities." The photographer is everywhere, as are "shopping", drinking (including sodas), and gambling. The service charge is $12 per person (not per cabin) per day, so that also adds up quickly. When the food is less than you expect, expect to spend lots in the specialty restaurants. Beef is rarely very good, unless you are williing to pay the $25 extra to eat in the Steakhouse.

 

Destination lectures: British Isles lectures were poor, Norway was good, but neither provided specifics on the ports visited or things that "must be seen." Do your homework before you go!

[sunsetme]

how was the entertainment?

[sottovoce]

We sailed around the Med on Jade in December and had none of these issues--not one meal that wasn't good or better, no crowding with a full ship, excellent service everywhere, and no issues with the decor. Jade was built for Hawaii. What would you expect? Roman ruins? Little sphinxes?

[Herb44]

I mentioned the decor because some people find it useful info. As for the crowding issue: it might reflect the difference between sailing on a Med cruise vs. North Sea OR the difference between our back-to-back cruises. The British Isles cruises was uniformly poor food (we didn't go to Cagney's, but we went to the others: only Jasmine was OK). The following cruise (Norway) had the same menus, but the quality of the food was much better in the general dining restaurants and specialty. The fish was generally too salty, and the thinly cut meat rarly met expectations. Again, however, the Brit cruise found the beef almost uneatable, while the same menu for the Norway cruise found them acceptable or even delicious. The veal dishes were uniformly chewy and tough on both cruises. Crowding issue: the specialty restaurants offerred 2 for 1 deals to attract users, but people still went to Grand Pacific & Alizar.

 

Again: service (cabin and restaurant) was impeccable, and the assistant maitre d's always trying to help.

 

Announcements sometimes excessive, esp. when pushing gambling, art sales, and other "shopping opportunities"

 

Entertainment: Troubadour & pianist were very enjoyable. Due to seating issues and smoke in the 6th floor lobby, we rarely went to the Starlight on either cruise.