Great itinerary; not so great service

Item: Norwegian Jade
Rating: 3.4
Author: jwlazar

Norwegian Jade Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

jwlazar

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 35

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Caribbean: Harvest Caye Cozumel & Roatan (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 24, 2024

Ship: Norwegian Jade

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10146

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 7 months ago

Review summary

While it's understandable that an older ship won't provide as much activities or accommodations as the newer modern mega-ships, it's somewhat disappointing that in this day an age there isn't a better system for allowing pro-active travelers to reserve excursions, specialty dining and, more importantly, kids club capacity through a mobile app instead of having to spend hours waiting in line. Also, it was painfully clear throughout the experience that NCL is still stretching too few crew/staff to cover too many passengers, which we saw firsthand at a couple bars and specialty dining restaurants. Other cruise lines seemed to have bounced back much sooner and adjusted accordingly.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Unremarkable; long lines; terminal not very efficient; took 30+ minutes to get on board the ship

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Limited selection in buffet; limited staff in certain specialty restaurants.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Pools were okay but very crowded; limited activities due to being an older ship

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Great staff but woeful capacity and no reservation system; had to wait in line anywhere from half an hour to almost an hour to guarantee spots for our two children!

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Cramped; sofa bed and pullman blocked the balcony door. Very little room to maneuver. On several occasions maintenance staff had to unclog the sink and toilet.

Ship tip

Look to larger, more modern ships for a more streamlined experience that is better for families; this is a more traditional cruise experience...including the lines. Mobile app does very little.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Tampa, Florida

3 out of 5

Not as great port facilities as Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) or Miami.

Thumbs Up 0

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

4 out of 5

Great facilities outside the pier; didn't explore much further.

Thumbs Up 0

Harvest Caye, Belize

4 out of 5

We loved it! Lots of facilities; only complaint is limited seating near the pools.

Thumbs Up 0

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

5 out of 5

Loved it! Did the GumbaLimba Park excursion and our children loved interacting with the parrots and monkeys.

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Did the Chankanaab excursion...essentially a resort compound with pools, dolphin pens, sea lion shows, and free dining. Included food and drinks were not good. Margeritas were not available. Pool was okay.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Much quicker and better organized than embark. Was off the ship in less than 15 minutes.

11 Comments

SEASTHEDAY525 7 months ago

Should research ship ahead of booking Jewel class ships do not have all the bells and whistles and not a ship for kids activities Try the Norwegian bliss or encore or the joy Those newer ships are much larger and more of everything

Thumbs Up 0

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outtoseapatty 7 months ago

I learned we need to keep away from spring break w the kids crowd!

Thumbs Up 1

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natelorip 7 months ago

Thanks for the review.

Thumbs Up 0

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javawoody 7 months ago

Appreciate your comments

Thumbs Up 0

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lemy 7 months ago

Tampa is a great an easy port to get to the parking garage is right across from the ship. Many things to do around the port. Miami is a nightmare.

Thumbs Up 0

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Gwbigdog 7 months ago

Oops 😬 sorry thanks

Thumbs Up 0

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JimOhio 7 months ago

Like jwasney, we were on the Jade in January. This ship is great for a certain demographic, so you need to do your research. Your comment about needing to wait in lines for shore excursions, specialty dining, and kid's programs is simply not true. We made all reservations on the app, well in advance of the cruise and got everything we wanted.

Thumbs Up 3

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jwasney 7 months ago

The Jade is not really a ship for kids. Nothing really for them to do...it's an older crowd...sailed her in January and everything was perfect

Thumbs Up 2

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HeavySeas 7 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Thumbs Up 0

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cruising2004 7 months ago

Sorry this cruise wasn’t the best, hope next one will be.

Thumbs Up 0

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bubbles60 7 months ago

Sorry you were not pleased. Unfortunately, holidays and school breaks, the ships are overcrowded. We went on Royal, Memorial Day, and over New Years, and it was super crowded and miserable.

Thumbs Up 2

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Other reviews of this sailing

Ports were great! Norwegian Jade no so much...

To be honest, a bit boring

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