October 2015 - 7 Night Greek Isles (Venice Roundtrip) Cruise on Norwegian Jade
Just not my kind of cruise ship...
luddite42
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Joined 10/2015
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Norwegian Jade
Sail date: October 03, 2015
Just not my kind of cruise ship...
I like to have some quiet, relaxing time on a cruise. There was nowhere to be quiet on this ship - it seemed like a floating theme park with endless noise and overly loud music. Also, there were a lot of smokers on board, which surprised me as it wasn't allowed on previous cruises I've taken. Just not a good match for me.
The excursions all went to places I wanted to see, so they were worth it, but the crowding was unbelievable. A tour guide told me that they had nobody there the day before, then 4 ships all came in on the same day! Several hundred people in numbered groups all trying to squeeze into tiny places. Very uncomfortable. There were enough buses and guides, but not enough streets/pathways/parking to allow access to the sites, in many places. This may not be Norwegian's fault, but some better planning is needed somewhere, as I understand this problem of too many ships at once happens often.
I wasn't excited about some of the buffet food - hot dogs and hamburgers - but it was fine for breakfast, though. The main restaurant had some enjoyable meals available. I like something special when on holiday, not just a slight upgrade on fast food that's everywhere.
I was happy with the service, though - pleasant, friendly and helpful, particularly the stewards and waiters.
Cruise tips
Loved seeing Akrotiri, the archeological remains of Minoan culture. Beware though, you don't get to see the beautiful frescoes, just pictures of them, as they are now in a museum in Athens.
Watch out for scam artists outside the train station. It's a very long walk to get to the port, and people with carts will grab your bags and start running off to the so- called 'people- mover' that takes you part of the way. Then they want 10 euros per bag.
More time in Corfu town would have been great. I may have to go back some day
Norwegian Jade
The library didn't appear to have a librarian (so many books mislabeled or out of order) but it was a place to sit and read or admire the view. Suffers from being too close to the pool - that is probably the noisiest place on the ship - but it is mostly quiet when nobody's yelling nearby.
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I like to have some quiet, relaxing time on a cruise. There was nowhere to be quiet on this ship - it seemed like a floating theme park with endless noise and overly loud music. Also, there were a lot of smokers on board, which surprised me as it wasn't allowed on previous cruises I've taken. Just not a good match for me.
The excursions all went to places I wanted to see, so they were worth it, but the crowding was unbelievable. A tour guide told me that they had nobody there the day before, then 4 ships all came in on the same day! Several hundred people in numbered groups all trying to squeeze into tiny places. Very uncomfortable. There were enough buses and guides, but not enough streets/pathways/parking to allow access to the sites, in many places. This may not be Norwegian's fault, but some better planning is needed somewhere, as I understand this problem of too many ships at once happens often.
I wasn't excited about some of the buffet food - hot dogs and hamburgers - but it was fine for breakfast, though. The main restaurant had some enjoyable meals available. I like something special when on holiday, not just a slight upgrade on fast food that's everywhere.
I was happy with the service, though - pleasant, friendly and helpful, particularly the stewards and waiters.