This cruise is one step away from separating itself from all the others and earning five stars

Norwegian Jade Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

jeffreythree

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 56

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

11 Night Western Mediterranean (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 07, 2015

Ship: Norwegian Jade

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10510

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

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."

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Good variety of restaurants; open seating/reserve seating available.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

The Zumba was fun. Deal No Deal was a boring way to get your money.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Thought the stage productions were not as good as others I've seen, the lounge/dance areas were the best I've seen.

Children's Programs

I don't know anything about these programs.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Roy Silero was friendly, funny and interesting.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Friendly staff, Clean facilities, easy layout.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Excellent, and worth every penny. Because we were on a budget, we saved money doing our own excursions so we could book the balcony. I took daily pictures of entering and exiting the harbors from our balcony.

Ship tip

The Sunday Brunch with musicians was wonderful and worth the extra $15. The lounge acts and offerings were unusually fresh and engaging.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5

Absolute favorite, walking the streets of Rome with a street map in hand.

Thumbs Up 0

Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy

5 out of 5

An excursion here is a must if you want to see Florence and Pisa: both were wonderful.

Thumbs Up 0

Monte Carlo, Monaco

3 out of 5

Hop on hop off was crowded and slow. Once we made it to the castle, we hopped of and started walking. We enjoyed watching the changing of the guards. By the time we found out how easy it was to take the train to Niece, we thought it was too late. It is an easy 15 minute trip. Too bad we couldn't get that information in advance.

Thumbs Up 0

Toulon, France

5 out of 5

We enjoyed the sashaying around the waterfront and meandering through the city.

Thumbs Up 0

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

We spent most of our time at the Maritime Museum and on the waterfront. The museum is a must do for anyone interested in the early history of maritime.

Thumbs Up 0

Valencia, Spain

5 out of 5

The old city is an easy bus ride and an enjoyable walk.

Thumbs Up 0

Cagliari, Sardinia

5 out of 5

Hands down the best experience of the trip was riding the Segways through the tiny streets of Cagliari. Also, there are two Marine ships down on the waterfront that produced flags and nautical treasures for my collection.

Thumbs Up 1

Palermo, Sicily

5 out of 5

The historic district, the people and the music made this independent venture enjoyable.

Thumbs Up 0

Naples, Italy

5 out of 5

Again, the historic area was an easy walk through the streets with eye-catching shops and historical views.

Thumbs Up 0

Traveler Photos

Entering the port–taken from the balcony

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