Europe - Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

Not a big fan of the freestyle dining. Seems crowded with to much continual coming and going. Buffet variety of food was a little disappointing. Cabin was great. Service was very good.

My husband and I just returned from an 11 day Western Mediterranean cruise in NCL Jade.  We loved the itinerary and the ship itself.  We highly recommend this cruise.

The only saving grace regarding this cruise was its itinerary and price. Otherwise, this rating would be much lower. Eight stops over an 11-day time period with only two days at sea was extraordinary. Although, there were some stops that were much better than others which is typically the case. The service aboard the Jade, and in particular in the main dining areas, was lacking.  This is the direct result of an organizational change that has removed the Head Waiter from a previous team of three and replaced them with another Maitre D'.  Thus, the service team has been reduced to a team of two with the same amount of tables.  Many times, drinks from the bar were delayed, in addition to the wait staff not being able to spend personable time in getting to know their staff.  If you do happen to find a good waiter or waitress make sure that they are requested every time that you attend dinner.  In our case, we requested Maddlyn Padilla in the Grand Princess dining area who was EXCELLENT. In addition, the execution of ship policies was extremely inconsistent at the different bars. We had the Ultimate All You can Drink package in which case only one drink at a time could be ordered on a ship card at a time whereas at other bars they honored up to four drinks for our entire group at a time.  Instead of disputing the inconsistent use of the rules, we simply agreed to whatever was requested by either the bartender or the waiter.  The ships' on board was poor.  We only attended four of the evening's shows in the Stardust Theatre the entire cruise.  The best show of all was the Tenors of Power which is not to be missed.

Norwegian "got it right" with freestyle dining and smooth boarding and debarking, but let's see if they are willing to take the next step and make "freestyle excursions" or at least–"freestyle information"–a part of there signature. So far, my experience with all cruise ships has been the same when it comes to helpful information for shore excursions: The "suits" are rude if you ask them about shore information. They say:  "No information" unless you sign up for a "ship" excursion. But here's the deal, to many of us, "freestyle excursions" are the most important part of the trip. Like others, I spent a lot of time researching, reading, checking Trip Advisor, and watching videos etc. but I needed a city map of each port which was not attainable until I left the ship. Norwegian could take a step forward and have those maps available on board, or at the very least, they could have one "displayed" so people could look at them the night before reaching each port. I realize the cruise is trying to sell "their" excursions, but I they would sell more once some people see the difficulty in getting around. Those of us determined to walk would be happy to see the layout of the city in advance so we could plan ahead. It's a small request that would go a long way. If you want five stars, offer what no one else does: "Freestyle Information."

The crew was the best thing about this trip. I've never met such friendly, competent people. Also, the entertainment blew us away. It was over and above anything we expected to find on a boat. We also really loved the food. We thought the buffet had higher quality food than pretty much any other buffet we've eaten at. The food in the complimentary dining rooms was about on par with the buffet (though the wait staff was exceptional). Since we had children with us we ate mostly at the buffet. Our little kids loved the splash academy and we appreciated the fun activities they got to do there. Our older child got a bad first impression of the teen club, Entourage, and wouldn't go back. (He was scolded by a counselor because of an innocent misunderstanding). The ports of call were a great way to see places we didn't want to ride trains through (Greece and Turkey). The weather was on and off but overall for that time of year we felt lucky. Our family's first cruise was a success!

Stateroom, mini-suite, spacious and comfortable. Cabin steward attentive and courteous.

Food in specialty restaurants good, but not a lot of variety.

Entertainment not very good. Poor production shows

Service acceptable, friendly but not overly effecient

This was our 3rd Norwegian cruise and first time on the Jade.  This reminded us why we enjoy Norwegian cruises. The Freestyle way of doing things is the way to go!. Embarkation was a breeze, debarkation was even easier. We chose to depart at the end of the cruise taking our own bags with us and it was the most pleasant experience of leaving a cruise we have ever had.  Getting off the ship on port days was also very easy. We never had to wait in a long line to leave the ship. We only did 2 shore excursions through the cruise line and were extremely happy with the way we were treated like adults and the meeting points for the tours were actually off the ship so we didn't have to spend extra time waiting in a lounge or the theatre for the entire group to show up so that we could all be herded off the ship at the same time. This has been an experience on other cruise lines that is an annoyance and waste of time.

We had the Ultimate Dining Package and Ultimate Beverage Package which also added to our enjoyment of this cruise. We chose to eat in a specialty restaurant each evening and our favourites were LeBistro and Cagneys. We used the buffet for breakfast most mornings and although it can get a bit chaotic because there are heaps of people in there, we found that we could carry our plates and sit in the restaurant that is LaCucina at night and avoid the crowds in the seating area of the buffet.  Because of the port intensive itinerary we only had lunch on board during sea days. The Blue Lagoon hit the spot for us during lunch as it was not overly crowded and the table service was a nice bonus.

We had an aft balcony cabin (not a suite) and were very happy with the choice. Great views and adequate size balcony and cabin for 2 people.  We were surprised there were actually 2 other beds in the cabin (a convertible 2 seater sofa and a small bed that comes down from the ceiling). In my opinion, the room would be quite crowded with 4 people in it.

Our cabin steward, Joseph, was really good and made us smile with his great towel animals every night.

The cruise director, Archie, was quite entertaining and "everywhere". I don't know how he ever gets any rest as we saw him at so many of the activities!

Norwegian shore excursions: We did the night cruise on the Bosphorus. Our meeting point was just outside of the exit at the terminal in Istanbul Because we were there in early March, it was COLD! We stayed on the top deck to get great photos & were happy we were rugged up with gloves, scarves, beanie caps and heavy jackets. The scenery was beautiful and it was an experience we will never forget. There were only about 30 of us on the entire boat, so it was not crowded.

We also did the Naples Herculaneum tour through the cruise line. The guide was good and explained many of the things we saw. It was a pretty big group and would have been more enjoyable with less people in the group. There was a stop at a Cameo "factory" sales showroom on the way back to the boat.

A wonderful cruise. Wish we were back on the ship right now!

The employees and staff are the most untrained and uninformative individuals  that we have encountered with Norwegian. The food was very bland and tasteless and food servers are lacking in orientation training. I believe it is a lack of management problem. Poor management

Food was great.....especially in the specialty restaurants. Cagney restaurant had "melt in your mouth" filets.   Service was superb.  Ports of call were very interesting.  A wonderful experience.

Great first time trip to Greece and Turkey.  Could spend a week or more in Istanbul alone.  We did learn that weather in that part of the world can be unpredictable, just like back in the states.  We had to skip one port in Greece due to high waves in the port.  One nice thing about NCL was that any time a port was missed the captain had staff hand out free rum punches for about an hour.  Nice little extra that other cruise lines could learn from.

Found this cruise on sale -- unbelievable price for a penthouse with large balcony -- and couldn't resist.  What a great decision.  This large stateroom came with butler and concierge service, priority embarkation/debarkation and overall fantastic service.  Also got free Ultimate Beverage Package, Ultimate Dining Package and several hundred dollars onboard credit with this offer. 

We had sailed on the Jade out of Rome last year and enjoyed the ship.  No disappointment this time either. 

Always looked forward to afternoon hors d'oeuvres/snacks left in our stateroom by our butler. 

We had no criticisms of any of the service onboard.  Great attitude by all crew!

The ship was immaculate, attentive but not annoying staff, food good to very good in the dining room, good in the buffet( too much chais, not enough seating), the ports were wonderful, the captain in bad weather did an excellent job keeping balance ont he ship and maximizing better weather.  My only complait.....NCL needs to be helpful in either giving FREE shuttles to the heart of the townsd they advertise visiting.

The Jade is an older ship that is still decorated for Hawaii -- rather gaudy for the Mediterranean.  However, the food was good (just no lobster), shows great, and ports exceptional.  Since the weather was cool, everyone stayed inside on "at sea" days.  The Card Room really needs to be restocked with games as there were very few available.  Movies and crafts (which most other ships no longer offer) were fun.  When the weather was too rough to go to Palermo, the captain sent many waiters around distributing free rum punch for about an hour.  The NCL excursions were very nice as long as you can understand English.  All in all, it was a very wonderful trip.

The Jade is a nice ship. Although the ship is in need of a makeup, i recommend the ship for those who are looking to experience different restaurants, itineraries and first timers. With regards to service, it can be improved. Especially if you have been on other cruise lines i.e.RCI, there are some noticeable differences in service. I like the itineraries on this cruise as I had not been to Turkey before. I also enjoy the ability to book a tour on my own with the cruise ship providing the transportation only. This was especially good for my party as two of my companions did not speak English, and would have been a waste of money had we booked a full tour. Other languages were available, but not in Portuguese.

I would definitely return to the Jade if they end up on different itineraries in the future.

I really enjoyed this cruise. Myself and husband went along with my mom. The room was wonderful and loved the 2bed/bath setup with the living space. The bathroom was absolutely wonderful in the master and the balcony was great too. Our room number was 11006. The service was exceptional. We had a personal butler and concierge which really came in handy with getting things handled apart from the masses. Definitely worth the extra money. The private breakfast/lunch dining experience was great as well.

The negatives I will say as far as food was the pizza service. I have done Princess cruise line and their pizza is top notch. Very disappointed that you have to pay for this rubberized pizza when it comes standard on Princess cruises. Another negative was the sound between the master and 2nd room. You can hear everything and the wall is very thin.  Other than this within the suite the noise was not bad at all.

Positives: The entertainment was top notch! Compared to Princess Cruise Line, it was extremely well. I enjoyed most shows and they were worth attending. Another benefit to being in a suite is the VIP seating which really came in handy when the general seating became crowded.

The excursions were amazing as well for the most part. We went on all excursions and the tour guides were pretty knowledgeable. 

If you decide to cruise with NCL I would 100% recommend a suite. Your experience will be 100xs better and the amenities pay for themselves.

Norwegian went above and beyond to make my 10 day cruise fantastic. The food was excellent, entertainment the best, cabin outstanding but the service & smiles of all staff made it the best cruise ever!

The ship was nice but the food was the worst I have  had in my seven cruises.The desserts looked good but had no flavor.  Chocolate treats almost never had any chocolate flavor. The main dinning rooms and buffet were always a disappointment.  Items were often over cooked and just lacked flavor. One  morning I had Eggs Benedict in the main dinning room.  The English muffin was so hard, I could not cut it with my knife.  The crew was nice ,and the entertainment was good, but the food was very lacking

Great schedule, best cruise for the price! Room was great, food in dining room great, but buffet was same old same old almost everyday!! Not a great variety, except breakfast was great. Served grits every morning. Ship was nice, just the right size!!

THE CREW MEMBERS WERE MOSTLY RUDE AND UNINFORMATIVE.  I HAVE CRUISE ON MANY SHIPS, MANY TIMES AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED RUDENESS FROM MORE THAN 3/4 OF THE CREW MEMBERS.  I WAS TOLD FROM A FELLOW GUEST THAT THIS PARTICULAR WAS GOING INTO DRY DOCK.  WE GUESSED THAT THE CREW WAS ON THIS PARTICULAR SHIP FOR TRAINING SINCE IT WAS GOING IN FOR REFURBUSING. THE FOOD IN THE RUFFLES WAS RATED, BY ME, AS MEDICORE AND LIMITED.  EVEN THE ICE CREAM, EXCEPT SOFT SERVE, HAD THREE FLAVORS, ORANGE, STRAWBERRY, CHOCALATE, AND COULD EVEN B BOUGHT ANYWHERE ON SHIP.  THE RESTURANT FOOD HAD TO BE SENT BACK ON NUMEROUS OCASSIONS AS UNEATABLE.  THE CHICKEN AND ROAST COULD NOT BE CUT WITH ANY KNIVE AVAILABLE.  THE SPECIALITY RESTURANTS WERE GOOD ESPECIALLY THE FRENCH RESTURANT, THAT WAS ABOVE EXPECTATIONS. I DID ASK ONE CREW MEMBER IF HE WOULD STOP TREATING GUEST AS THEY WERE CATTLE, AND HIS REPLY WAS, HOW SHOULD I TREAT THEM ? HE WAS DIRECTING GUESTS TO THE TOUR AREA. I DID BOOK SEVERAL TOURS AND THE ONE FOR ST. TROPEZ WAS THE ABSOUTELY WORSE.  IT WAS A SLIGHT RAIN WHEN WE LEFT THE SHIP, AND THE TOUR GUIDE STATED WE WOULD ADJUST ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER.  WE TRAVELED TO ST.TROPEZ ON A BUS THROUGH THE HIGH MOUNTAINS, SCARY WITH THE RAIN AND SOME AREAS OF THE HIGHWAY WITH NO SIDE RAILS, HOWEVER WHEN WE GOT TO ST. TROPEZ , THE RAIN WAS HEAVIER.  THE GUIDE  WAS GOING TO TAKE US TO THE BATHROOM AND THEN DECIDE WHAT TO DO.  WE WALKED APX 6 BLOCKS IN THE INCREASING RAIN TO THE BATHROOMS, THEN LIGHTING, THUNDER AND POURING RAIN, THE SHOPKEEPERS CLOSED THEIR DOORS, PROBABLY FOR TWO REASONS, RAIN, LACK OF CUSTOMERS, WE WERE THE ONLY IDIOTS ON THE STREETS AND TO AVOID DRIPPING PEOPLE IN THEIR STORES.  THE GUIDE SAID WE COLD RETURN TO THE BUS, SOME STOOD IN WOORWAYS TRYING TO AVOID AS MUCH RAIN AS POSSIBLE AND SOME RETURNED TO WHERE THE BUS HAS DROPPED US OFF. NO BUS AND NO SHELTER FROM THE RAIN.  AS THE RAIN SLACKEN UP A BIT WE WENT BACK TO WHERE WE LAST SAW THE TOUR GUIDE. WHEN WE FOUND HER IN A SHELTERED AREA, SHE IMPLIED THAT MY AGE IS WHY WE WERE UPSET AND WE SHOULD HAVE SEEKED SHELTER. OF COURSE, NOT KNOWING THE AREA AND POURING RAIN HINDERED. SHE CALLED FOR THE BUS TO COME BACK AND PICK US UP AFTER MORE THAN AN HOUR .  AGAIN SHE GUIDED US TO SOME APTS THAT WHERE NOTHING OF SPLENDOR THAT SOMEONE HAD BUITL AROUND A BODY OF WATER AND CALLED A RESORT.  STILL RAINING.  THOSE WITH HALF OF MINE LEFT STAYED ON THE BUS AND WAS ABLE TO INDICATE TO THE DRIVER TO TURN ON THE HEAT SO WE COULD DRY OUT.  HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND ANY OF THE LANGUAGES SPOKEN TO HIM, EVEN THE TOUR GUIDES' BACK THROUGH THE FOREST FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF , TREES,TREES, TO THE SHIP.  NOT AN APOLOGY OR ANYTHING.  THE CABIN STEWART WAS VERY GOOD AND ONE BAR TENDER NAMED JOHAN IN THE BLUE LAGOON WAS OUTSTANDING.  OTHER THAN THAT, CREW SERVICE WAS VERY BAD.  THE WAITERS IN THE FRENCH RESTURANT WERE SUPERB AND THE STEAK HOUSE WAITERS WERE OK. ATHE MOST FRIENDLY CREW MEMBERS WERE THE ONES OUTSIDE THE RUFFLES ADMINISTERING THE GEL FOR HANDS.

There was a lot about this cruise to recommend it. Primarily from a customer service point. As this was a birthday cruise for myself the hotel director Tony found out about it and went out of his way to make it special. He understood customer service and managed his employees with a graceful touch. Unfortunately the food on this cruise is terrible. I am someone who does not generally care about the food and I found it severly lacking. As someone with Celiac disease I found my options non existent. The staff was very poorly educated about how to handle this and they were not willing to special order anything. I had to preorder my meals in the dining room the day before. As I am on vacation I do not want a schedule of any kind.  The entertainment was definitely geared towards an older crowd. There was not that much to do especially on sea days.  There was a new bartender, Johann who was excellent. He went far beyond in his quest for customer service. He cultivated a strong following but apparently this was a problem with the existing staff and then they made it the customer problem by not waiting on you. Extremely unprofessional. The itinerary was good but everyone was surprised with an extra sea day right at the beginning. We left port in Venice at 1:00 am and it showed that day and the next one a sea day. Somehow everyone didn't know we left port at 1:00 am and were at sea 2 more full days.this was key as well because it put us in Rome on a Sunday, which means a lot of the Vatican, etc... Is closed.  I have done several cruises with Royal Carribean and feel they do a better job in the same area. If not for Tony and Johann's excellent customer service I would be left with an overall bad review