Norwegian Jade Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This is our second time with the NCL. We like the free style of cruising, the food, the service and non-commercial atmosphere.

We are not impressed with quality of tours for the price. The cabin was not very comfortable for 3 people, it was too small. The art auctioneer on this particular cruise (Will) was not very nice.

One of the highlights of this cruise over any other port city was the departure and arrival in Venice.  The boat circles the main island with incredible views!  That was such an unexpected bonus!  The ship itself is very well maintained (a little bit dated decor) and the staff was great!  Late in the week a lot of them were going on break and new staff coming on, so there was some transition there.  We have cruised other lines before, this was our first experience with Norwegian and it was really good.  The ports were fantastic and we'd highly recommend the cruise line, and the itinerary.  It would be even better if we didn't feel like there were so many extra charges everywhere.  For example, we did not purchase any beverage packages (we try to avoid sodas), and were very curious beforehand if we'd have anything at all to drink.  It all worked out fine, but between that, charges for video games that 12 and unders can access, and various other service charges--> it all seems to be NON all-inclusive and somewhat misleading.  I understand that's pretty par for the industry, but still a bit off-putting. Our cabin stewards were excellent, I'd love to know how much of the daily service fees (12.95 per person per day x7) actually reach the staff, as THEY are the ones who really make or break the cruise experience.  We are so thankful for them!  The only excursion we did was in Ephesus and the tour guide there was amazing. The rest seemed to be at a high premium price, and we and our 4 kids navigated just fine without the convenience and high fee attached.  It's very easy to spend many times the cruise price onboard so you have to be cautious. 

It was a good trip over all. The food was great as well the staff. That is all I can say for right now. fdffddfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdffdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdfdf

The cruise was fantastic!  All four stops were totally "different" from each other --and all beautiful in a unique way.  The fact that the cruise begins in Venice allows for another fantastic opportunity.  We couldn't be more pleased.  

This was the second time we had been on the Jade (different ports) and it has been updated since our last cruise.  Great quality all the way around.  

This was our 1st cruise....and our honeymoon! We loved it......the staff was superb and some of the nicest people you could ever be with on vacation. The food was also very good....we didn't buy the upgraded food package but were very happy with the complimentary choices. We stayed in a cabin with a window....i think next time we will splurge for a room with a balcony and a little more space. Other than being small, the room was very nice, nicer than we expected! The cruise stops themselves were great! We especially loved Santorini & Mykonos.

We had a pleasant surprise and time in our cruise with Jade. I was expecting an average food and service in Jade because of my previous trip with Epic but lo and behold buffet food was better, room housekeeping is excellent as in Epic and some of the entertainment is quite good, to mention 'Shout Out' is exceptional. Jade is considered mid-size compared to Epic and thus manning and managing the ship is more efficient. From embarkation to disembarkation, traffic went on smoothly and efficiently. Seating in the buffet for both ships can be full at times especially at breakfast but you can sit in 'Cucina', an adjacent restaurant. Besides all restaurants serve breakfast if you want to avoid crowds. The Suckling Pig and Paella were excellent in the launch pool area.

I also had a trip with Celebrity cruise. Jade's main buffet at dinner time has a variety of 'theme' of food, 'Indian, 'Greer', etc. something to tap at dinner time, just like Celebrity.  There are complimentary restaurants at Jade, Grand Pacific, Alizar and Jasmine. Jade compared to the sit-in meals with Celebrity, the latter, Celebrity,  is rated 5-star to 3-4 star with the former.

The waiting service and housekeeping are excellent for all the ships mentioned.

The destination ports are all worth the visit. Breath taking views in Dubrovnik and fascinating ruins in Acropolis and Ephesus.

Let me mention and thank these guys who went out of their way or have done excellent job on what they are doing: Archie Achibald, daily morning orientation help in planning our day's activities and itinerary. Jorge al Deck 9 adept housekeeping, Alma's smile greeting at Jasmine Garden, Alan's waiting at Alizar, Rose Ann Genario's excellent waiting at buffet and Alizar and Alex Pagtagnan's stopping to converse with us.

All personnel in the main reception were also very helpful.

The ports we visited were awesome. The staff on the ship was great for the most part. The food was okay in most restaurants, and very good at Le Bistro. We had the ultimate dining and drink packages. It was hard to get a reservation in the specialty restaurants for the dining package. I did not understand how you could get a $10 adult beverage with your drink card, but could not get a $1.75 cup of coffee.

We had an issue with the bingo game and the "new" staff member. Overall the cruise was good. 

The cruise started on a sour note when we arrived by train at the Venice St Lucia station. There was a guy carrying the Norwegian Jade sign & he asked us to go to Platform No. 1 where the second guy told us to go back as he was no longer taking NCL passengers. After much back & forth, we finally found we had to walk across a bridge to get a cab or the "people mover" train to go to the cruise terminal.

Once we reached the terminal, the cruise itself  was great - no complaints at all. Suggest everyone gets the Ultimate Beverage Package unless you are a teetotaller.

Some suggestions for improvement:

1. Trivia - get the questions set in advance by a pro quizmaster. Have a set of 30 ready for each session. Train the guys on the answers before starting on the questions - in short do your homework

2. The evening shows are at 730PM and 930 PM. We generally went to the 730 show and had dinner after that. This meant we could not participate in the 830 PM festivities. Suggest the 830 item is moved to 930 PM.

3. When the off-shore excursions are announced in the theatre, use the screen with slides to call the groups and this will give all a current update on screen. Use a laptop and project on the screen.

Cruise rivals more expensive lines. 

Food:  Dining Room food not quite up to par with more expense lines;  but the rest was very comparable.  Almost all service staff very friendly and attentive.  Specialty restaurants offered variety and enhanced offerings.

 Housekeeping:  Awesome staff.  I got towel animals every nite in my interior cabin. Very friendly and efficient with no fault. 

Entertainment:  Very good, particularly aerial performers.  Good variety for 2 week cruise.  Performers in lounges around ship very popular to listen to although may not have had large crowds sitting all the time.  Plenty of activities around ship for varied interests during day.  Movies in cabin available if want/need that.

Gaming:  Casino, Bingo, Deal or No Deal game, raffle tickets...

Shore Excursions:  very good,  multiple offerings for varied interests,  smooth debarkation to bus.  To me, worth the extra money for convenience.

Kids:  the kids were seen in groups here and there looking like they were having a blast and were so cute!  Looks like the kids program is a success.

Overall:  excellent, recommended

My expectations of my cruise were far greatly exceeded! Everything was perfect (food, crew members, ship condition, shore destinations, entertainment)! It's a humbling experience to have crew member's primary focus on you having the best vacation ever! There was not a sour attitude anywhere. I will highly recommend this cruise to my friends and family and I hope to return soon. Thank you NCL and for making this the best vacation ever!

Lisa Holland

The cruise was amazing except for the weather.  The dinning was nice but eating at Alizar and the Asian restaurant were a waste. The food was disgusting and not worth it.  Good thing they were both complimentary or I would have been very disappointed.  I think the time line for Turkey should be longer and less time in Split since there isn't much to do in split.  We felt really rushed in Turkey.  I got sick with a rash breakout and not sure if it was the food or the chemical used in the sheets.  The prices for the photos are ridiculous.  I think if the prices were cheaper, more people will purchase the photos.  We did because I got engaged during this trip and wanted them for the memories.  I will definitely cruise with NCL again.  My room was alway clean, thanks to Jorge and the Chef's Dinner was amazing and at a very reasonable price.  Oh, internet prices are ridiculous and a rip off!!!!! Overall, good experience and we enjoyed our trip.  

Staff and service was all excellent.  Food was very good and balcony rooms were very comfortable to for two people, could accommodate three without too much issue.

The disembarkment from two of the stops was a nightmare that felt closer to cattle herding rather than a vacation.  I'll chalk this up to it being the staff's first cruise of the year.

This was our seventh cruise, second on NCL.  We also have cruises on RC,Carnival, and Princess.  Really enjoyed the whole trip and ports.

The ship was very clean, and the staff was excellent.  Our stateroom attendant was one of the better ones that we have had.

We were quite disappointed in how poor quality the pay restaurants were.  I normally only eat at these restaurants, but by day 5 we switched over to the dining rooms, which had food that was about as good.

Another item I feel the need to warn people about is the tour to Ephesus.  People need to know that the tour to Ephesus that interline offers has a tour guide which, while extremely knowledgeable on the area, is a shill for a carpet company in town.  The people in there are hard-sellers, so be ready to deal (their rugs are beautiful but you should only pay about 20-25% of what they ask, less on more expensive items), or once you see that this portion of the tour is starting, just duck out. 

The itinerary was also great.  While I'm not interested in going back to Split I'm glad I went, and the other ports were fabulous.  If you like martinis, take NCL up on their cheap tastings...the bartender is a real pro.  

All in all, great trip.  I'll sail NCL again.

The embarkation and disembarkation from Venice was very smooth.  The ports of call in Croatia, Piraeus(Athens),Greece and Kusadasi(Ephesus)were learning experiences and easily accessible.

The ship was clean and crew was friendly.  The weather at this time of year was super. The entertainment was excellent.

Terrible services!  My wife suffered food poisoning since day one and the management did  not responded after ccomplaint.  The 2nd complaint days later was acused by an assistant manager that was not their reponsibily and grabbed my wife's shirt and said " i can escort you to see a doctor but you have to pay for it."The restaurants were in slow service: ignored us without even offering water while 4 staffs chatting nearby and ignored us for 15 minutes.  The excursions wewr extremely expensive and not worthy (The lunch included only had pork which mmy wife is allergic to and the service manager said rudely you get what's available.  The ceilings are extremely low so that you always feel cramed and not relaxed!  

My wife and I recently returned from a seven-day cruise on the Norwegian Jade (April 18-25, 2015). We enjoyed our experience very much. Our inside cabin was small but comfortable and everything worked properly. Our cabin steward always had it prepared and we enjoyed the folded-towel animals each evening as well. Food aboard the ship was good in the buffet restaurant, Asian restaurant, and the two main dining rooms. Service in the main dining rooms and the Asian restaurant was good also. The activities were quite well organized and enjoyable, and the cruise itinerary offered one delightful location after the next. All of our shore excursions were very good, and we were quite lucky with the weather as well. I would rate the ship and its crew on a par with Royal Caribbean, and it's overall ambience superior to that of Carnival. Celebrity is perhaps a half notch above NCL,  but for this trip, the choice of dates and itinerary made the difference in our choice of cruise. We were very pleased with NCL and the Norwegian Jade. 

This was a family vacation for us. We have cruised with Norwegian before but this was by far the best cruise we have had with this line. The cruise staff was fun, friendly, they made us feel like part of their family.

The food was great in the Lido.

The restaurants need more vegetarian variety

The Element and the acrobatic couple were the best

the room, excellent, Peter did an awesome job, Thank u very much, Frank

I have been on 3 Norweigian ships,,,the Star, the Sun, and now the Jade. I must say Jade was the best of the three but that's not saying much....food on their ships are second rate at best.  If their buffet,and some of the pay resturants were on land, they would be out of business in short time.  most local resturants anywhere I have traveled have better selection, and quality of food than Norweigian has. Bar service is predominately slow. Cabins are fine and ship was clean....two days we had no hot water in the morning.  I don't care what their chefs learned in culinary school they need to get some real people to show them how to cook some of the local favorites from different parts of the country.  On Jade the steak restaurant was  good as was the Brazilian  restaurant. But , all three ships I have been on were very lacking in the buffets. We have been on several HA ships as well as several of Carnival ships and find them better.

Ports of call were good, and the shore excursions were great!  It was the first cruise I've EVER been on where the food underwhelmed me in the main dining rooms.  Even the room service menu was underwhelming.  This was my 4th Norwegian cruise, but the food just wasn't great, and other guests were talking about it as well.  Staff was wonderful!  Service was great!  Cleanliness was superb.  Would think twice about repeating a cruise on this vessel.  Have been on several other cruise lines, and NEVER had an issue with food.  It's always been excellent.  The entertainment was top notch, and recommend the shore excursions.  The cruise was a wonderful experience, but the best food we had was when we went ashore and in a couple of the specialty restaurants.