Worst Cruise to Date !!
Norwegian Jade Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (Houston Roundtrip)
Sail date: November 14, 2015
Ship: Norwegian Jade
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 8078
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
Horrible cruise!! Started in Houston with bad customer service on check in. One of the managers stopped to help the first day rookie check us in and advised my roommate had an expired passport. Then laughed and shrugged off without apology when we all was clearly upset. Took three hours to get on the boat. Our rooms where not ready. Had to ask customer service twice to separate the beds in both two passenger rooms. Went and tried get a drink and it took an hour at two bars. When we made it to the front we found the beer was warm and just arrived. We left late from Houston due to issues. Service was not present through the complete trip. Dinning halls where packed and we normally ate before any drinks (7UP) arrived. Cozemel port was late and thus we had an extra hour. Getting on and off was a chore. Second port, we totally missed our shore excursion due to tender issues. Spent the day in Belize with Five other boats making it packed hot and nasty. Getting back aboard was a chore again. Nightly entertainment was bad. The comedian was soo bad we walked out during the show. Kareoke was limited and the songs where old. When it was out turn they closed it to have the band up that was just on stage before. The room cleared out only a few remained after the packed room from karaoke. We did ask the cruise Director and he advised they shortened Kareoke due to reports from the Jewel. I rode the jewel, and that was the most effective gathering every day for the boat! Honduras took three hours to get off the boat. Tinder was a mess!! Did get our shore excursion however it took two hours to get back on the boat. My mother was in hell due to the heat and sun. Again that night the shows and service was very poor! First day back at sea we found out poeple had died, one was bit by a viper, and someone was robbed and shot. Our boat moved to Cancun where people were evacuated off the boat. No information was given from the crew or staff on what was going on. Heard from one bar that the service staff was all new to boat and some had missed or could not board from Houston. Last day at sea was a cleanup so we could get off the boat asap.
I will be asking for someone to contact myself on this subject before any additional cruises are ever booked with NCL. I had six family members attend this cruise with me due to my past cruise in February on the NCL Jewel which was amazing. The Jade was duplicate ship so clearly it was not prepared and or staffed correctly thus creating the single worst vacation my family and I have had to date. Just to be clear I feel my full family is owed a full refund and or a full seven day cruise on a boat of our choice. Being back on the Jade is not an option. This would be due to each member of my family taking vacation from work, and spending hard working money for a less then sub par experience.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
I would not suggest the Jade at this time. The Jewel was by far the best boat to date I have ever traveled on. NCL is know to be the best in class however someone did not prepare the Jade correctly making our experience horrible.
Ports of call
Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
4 Comments
JusMe 8 years ago
David. Sorry for the bad cruise. I have been on NCL 3 times, 1 cruse was good the other two go down as the worst service I have had on a ship. I would suggest that you try a better cruise line. I rate NCL at the bottom of the list. I have had much better service and food even on Carnival. I would suggest you try RCI or Celebrity depending on your demographics. Do a bit of research on the ships reviews before you book. Most lines have 1 ship that is not up to standard.
Best wishes that your next cruise is up to your expectations.
noname111 8 years ago
It is unfortunate that your cruise was unsatisfactory. I have couple observations which may help you with future cruises, regardless of the line to which you opt to give your business.
- Expired passports are your responsibility to address. No one needs to deal with attitude in a stressful situation, but be mindful it is important for you to know what your passport status is. I am surprised the cruise line online check-in process allowed the passport to be accepted because most lines caution passengers to have a passport that is valid at least 6 months after the cruise date.
- You did not mention what time you arrived to check in. If it was earlier than advised by NCL, there is no guarantee that cabins will be prepared and ready for passenger access. That is why the dining areas are open for business, to give people a place to eat and await the word that cabins are ready.
- Boarding process is cumbersome on any line, but some do a better job of it than others. We just took a cruise out of LA (San Pedro) on Princess. The boarding was an absolute horror show. It is also worth keeping in mind that port authority staff are NOT necessarily employees of the cruise line. Frustrating, yes. Did we allow it to ruin our entire cruise, no.
- I don't understand this comment about karaoke "When it was out turn they closed it to have the band up that was just on stage before."
- Port arrivals are governed by the port authorities of the respective countries. The ship has to wait for permission for passengers to disembark.
- I'm guessing that you meant "tender", not "tinder". Tender ports are challenging no matter which line we have cruised. If you book your excursion with the cruise line, your disembarkation is aligned with the excursion schedule. However, if you book your excursion privately, you are on your own and the ship owes you nothing if you miss it.
- Selecting an appropriate cruise for all members of your party is absolutely on you. It is unfortunate that your mother was not well, but you knew the destinations when you booked.
- Cruise tragedies are sad. A fellow passenger on our cruise suffered a snorkeling catastrophe and was hospitalized, effectively ending her cruise only a few days in. No one sets out to have one but when these do happen, I am actually relieved that events do not become the subject of onboard announcements. People's privacy must be respected. Hopefully, NCL provided support to the individuals involved.
We learned that good research and preparation go a long way in having a great cruise experience. I really hope your next voyage is smoother sailing.
Ewoodspark 8 years ago
Just shows how different people react to a cruise. We were on the Jade in May this year and had a wonderful time. The staff were outstanding and the food exceptional. Main Dining room and buffet only.Then I read the comment from Mr Sleeman that he is looking for a full refund or a 7 day cruise on a boat of their choice (I think he means ship) and I realise that every word of his rantings is for a reason. I did find it so amusing but would add that he who shouts loudest to NCL rarely gets what .they get. By the way if TINDER was a mess try this :
https://www.gotinder.com/
gman1 8 years ago
David, I totally agree. We were on the same cruise as you and it was the worst of my life. Service was terrible and unfriendly and they were so shorthanded. We felt the same way on each stop, it took so long to get off and then back on again that you missed half of the day. If this was my first Norwegian cruise I would never sail with them again.