Our previous cruise was aboard the Escape, a much bigger ship. Jade is much less crowded, and seems to cater to an older crowd. Jade had more of the big shows, but Escape had more "night life" kinds of activities, like a lounge with dueling pianos and stand up comedians. We were comfortable with both ships, but they are very different experiences.
For the most part, this cruise had excellent ports of call. The one exception was Saint Maarten. Had we known about the continuing devastation due to the storm, we would have simply booked an excursion to a beach. The Excursion Desk staff told us they changed our excursion because Orient Beach was devastated. By that logic, the ship never should have gone to this island. However, I support the idea of going there, to help them boost their economy. But, you still want to have a good time, so choose your excursions carefully. The islands are beautiful, and the weather this time of year is perfect.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food in the main dining rooms were far inferior to those on our previous NCL cruise. Portions were small. I had a New England Clam Chowder that tasted like gasoline. I immediately returned it, but was not offered a substitute. Kebabs had gristle and were overcooked. O' Sheahan's was a big disappointment, as well. The specialty restaurants, however, were excellent! We went to La Cucina, Le Bistro, Moderno and Cagney's. Also, the buffet was very good. We especially enjoyed eating outside at the Great Outdoors.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
For the most part, everyone was cheerful and helpful. The notable exception was the staff at the Excursion Desk. These folks were surly, and generally clueless about the excursions.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was clean and well laid out. There was plenty of storage space, and we tend to overpack.
Ship tip
While the NCL app is generally very helpful, the staff admitted to us that they do not update the information as regularly as they do the Freestyle Daily. Accordingly, if there are schedule changes you are likelier to find out about them on the Freestyle Daily than you are on the app.
We took the St John's Catamaran and Champagne excursion. This was excellent. But be forewarned: you will have about 1 hour for snorkelling or beach. If you snorkel first, there likely won't be time for you to take the dinghy to the beach with your towels, sunglasses, etc. So if you want to do both, take the dinghy first. When you're done, put your belongings on the dinghy, then snorkel back to the catamaran.
St Maarten is still devastated by Hurricane Irma. We booked the "Best of St Maarten and Beach" excursion. When we bought this on the NCL website, months in advance, it stated that there would be a tour of the island followed by a stop at Orient Beach. The excursion actually started with a stop at Mullet Bay Beach. While this was nice, it had big waves, and did not have any changing facilities. As a result, all who swam spent the rest of the tour in wet swim suits. There was no stop at Orient Beach. We were then treated to views of all the destroyed buildings, and descriptions of things that used to be, but were no longer there. When we complained to the Excursion desk, they were completely unsympathetic, and suggested we contact Customer Relations.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
