Norwegian Jade Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Second cruise ever. First out of Venice. Back balcony. Loved Venice, Corfu and Santorini. Olympia was a must (one-time only) but could have survived without visiting Mykonos.

A great cruise on a great cruise line. Greece is gorgeous, but better wear comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking uphill and downhill.

This was our second time onboard Norwegian Jade and departing from Venice, but this time on another itinerary taking in Greek Islands.

We’d had a pre-cruise mini-break holiday for 5 days prior to departing. Having stopped at Naples before twice on other cruises, we’d chosen to go back there again. This really gave us time to explore the area, Sorrento and the sites like Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mt.vesuvius.

If you have the time to walk to top of the volcano then the views are fantastic, but wear stout walking shoes (trainers at the least) as it’s a steep walk in places and very loose fine gravel. A walkers pole/stick isn’t such a bad choice if venturing up!

Having used trains a little before in Italy we used their cross country train link to get from Naples to Venice the evening before the cruise. The service was perfectly on time and the fares are very good (when compared to UK v.high train fares!!!). So if needing to travel in and around Italy it’s well worth looking at their trains.

One of the stops was Corfu. There was literally piles and piles of public refuse gathered up in assorted streets and side of some roads, apparently some long running dispute and perhaps economic issues had resulted in no regular services collecting waste so it was just left to fester in ad-hoc piles. Such a shame for such an otherwise beautiful island. We just took a bus from the port into the old Corfu Town for 4 or 5 hours meander around. This was very easy and low cost option if you want a little explore of the old town.

The same issue with refuse was also evident when we took at tour to Olympia. Piles and piles of old festering public waste could be seen roadside as the coach drove from port to the archaeological site. Hopefully the Greek government and people have solved this already so won’t be there now!!!

For us, the best site on this cruise was Santorini. The views from the ship in the bay are glorious, and the views from the land back across the town down into the bay and sea beyond are simply stunning. We also took a tour to visit ancient Akrotiri archaeological site. There’s a huge hanger structure built over the excavations so limits the intensity of the sun. If you have a head for heights then the cable car down from the town is good fun. Alternatively you could try one of the stinky donkeys ;-)

Due to an emergency at home we were unable to enjoy the last three port stops as we had to organise flights home. We flew out of Mykonos to London. Can not thank all the members of staff who helped us throughout the toughest time trying to organise getting home ASAP. So helpful and went to great lengths to help.

I would like it be known this was my First Cruise and it was a Wonderful Experience which I would do over and over again.Since being back I have been spreading the word and the name Norwegian Cruise Lines.I Enjoyed the Food,I am a Vegetarian and the Variety they offered met my needs every day for the length of the time.I enjoyed the Staff especially the little Guy Washi,Washi he was Hilarious all the time,not forgetting the Entertainment,there was lots to do,I kept up with my walking on board ship.I have signed up to go again with my Daughter,I took my Sister this time,In all we had a time of our LIVES,may Norwegian continue with the good works.

I was a little disappointed in the ship itself. The ship wasn't as clean as I would have liked and the some of the staff were not the best but the ports made it a trip to remember! We stayed in cabin 10140 we had a balcony with a beautiful view! The food was the worst I have had on any cruise I have been on. I think because our gratuity was prepaid that the service lacked. The shows were ok but we really enjoyed a couple. We absolutely loved the younger men that worked in the photograph department. Kevin Ada was just a doll and was very good at his job. I am taking the Greece cruise in 2 weeks on the same ship with a bunch of girlfriends and I am hoping it will be much better starting the season in their new Greece ports. The gift shop didn't have a lot of merchandise because it was the last cruise in the western Caribbean before heading out.  

Our group of five really enjoyed our cruise.  The destinations were not the best, but we loved the ship.  The food was very good, but more vegetarian selections in the sit down restaurants would have been appreciated.  The crafts were great for all ages.

벌써 2년전 남편과 함께 한 크루즈~~~ 우리는 행복하고 즐거운 시간을 보냈다^^ 로아탄, 빌리즈, 코쥬멜 모두 근사하고 환상적인 곳이었다. 7일간의 크루즈 총 10일의 미국여행동안 우린 행복했다. 잊지 못할 캐리비안크루즈였다. 스타배보다 조금 넓은 느낌의 제이드배는 배뒤쪽 탁트인 전망이 좋았다.

The Caribbean cruise from Houston was a joy.  We had my 94 year old father with us and the crew and passengers made him feel welcome the entire time.

He began the trip by dancing and throwing away his cane at the bon voyage party! He enjoyed the shore excursions and his time at sea. (So did my husband and I).  The shows were very entertaining and exciting. We enjoyed most of them.  Overall the food was delicious. The crepes in the evening were my go to dessert! 

The Bingo was a fun sea time event however it seemed to be way too costly for the value of the prizes.  The beverages also were was too expensive.  We are not heavy drinkers so chose not to purchase the beverage package, but $9 for a beer...was to much.  LULU and washy washy were awesome!! 

The Port in Houston is very unorganized, The ship is very clean, and staff very efficient, my Cabin 11088 was a very roomy mini suite with a nice sized Balcony, conveniently located.

My cabin Steward Louis was on top of his duties daily and i had no complaints.

The Cruise director and entertainment  were my least favorite, Not as professional orTalented as the  entertaining as my past cruise on The Spirit 2 months ago, The comedian was not funny, the mentalist was average, and his ego was bigger than his talent , i am use to better las vegas style shows on past cruises, on my last 5 cruises.

I did not spend time at pool as it was spring break and way too many small children since 2 pools close together and not a kids only area meant kids in both pools and hot tubs, a lot of un escorted minors drinking alcohol as well, 

The spa is wonderful , and the thermal lounge was worth the upgrade.

Upscale dining was very good the 5 night package was my preference, i did not like Moderno, loved Cagneys and Le Bistro.

I enjoyed the additional Chef's Table  private dinner and the Chef was by far the most Entertaining personality on the whole ship, he is a very Talented ,Naturally Comedic man,

The Port of Cozumel, by far my favorite, Belize City is dirty and disappointing if you are not taking an excursion, no natural beaches...

The port of Roatan is a nightmare , being yelled at from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave by people who make their living 1 day a week by hawking services and sometimes cheating tourists who do not pay attention to the conversion rate.

The 2 days at Sea are very disappointing, the ship sped very fast out of Roatan upon departure only to find us only 178 nautical miles from Houston on day 2 at sea,which led to the ship slowing down to a crawl for most of the morning, then sped up again that put us right in the middle of a low cloud bank and overcast skies,this forced people back  inside to eat, drink and buy more wi fi minutes, as the Entertainment was lagging and not many guests attended ,game shows or activities at all...we were in port by 11:30 pm that night as i watched from my balcony...disembarkation was a total nightmare and the staff in port as well as customs , move at a whole different pace..many people i spoke to only spent 350 for their cruise the last week before the sail date, unfortunately many of those people were located near my cabin and they chose to enjoy the alcohol upgrade instead of food and my deck was very noisy 24/7

I have not been on a cruise since NCL went to the Freestyle cruising. I liked the idea of choosing the time and place to eat. I missed the service you received when the waiter and busboy knew who you were and what you wanted.

My grandson has to eat a gluten free diet. We had to make reservation the day before and select his menu. It always seem that it was an imposition to the staff. His food never can out the same time as our meals. So either we at cold food or we ate while he waited for his food. To your credit he did not get contaminated with gluten products. So that part was great. The food at each of the restraunts was average. I had all my family there and not one of the restraunts where able to sit us at one table. I know 13 people are hard to sit but even with the reservation one day before no one made an effort to sit us together.

The cabin steward was average. 

There was one individual that excelled in service. That was the person that sanitized everyone as they went into the cafe. "washy washy" He made an impossible job fun and entertaining to the guests.

My grandchildren did enjoy the kids clubs. They went over and above. 

I do not know if I will travel on NCL in the near future.

The tendering to Belize was great. I commend you on securing fast vessels.  That made getting to the port easy.

I did love that we able to take our luggage off the ship. That save a lot of time and made disembarkation a joy . 

There seen to be no incentive for service personnel to go above their duties

That I missed.

William Griswold

 Very good cruise. The staff was outstanding, the ship was very clean.

The food in the garden café was very well prepared . I especially appreciated the fresh fruit, and the fresh vegetables that were available at every meal. There was also very good meat ,fish, and chicken available. 

 The entertainment was outstanding. The comedian aboard name David was extremely funny but also quite educational. The magic show was unbelievable, show like that in Las Vegas would cost At least $100.

Although the weather wasn't the best, thanks to do on the ship more than made up for the difference.

My daughter and I cruised March of 2016 and it was awesome. 7 days on the Jade was a dream. The ports were great and we couldn't have asked for a better time. Plenty of entertainment and fun for everyone. It was spring break and it could have gotten wild but the crew made it fun and controlled for every age cruising!!! I might not ever change cruise lines, I might be a NCL-er forever....

K

My sister and I loved the Jade.  All the Crew amd staff were very friendly and helpful.  The ship itself appeared to be in top notch condition.  All the meals were very good.  We ate in several different venues and were satisfied wth all of them.  The only complaint we had was all the noise during the last night of the cruise.  I assume they were doing repair work.  There seemed to be a lot of hammering and/or air gun work going on.  It was very loud and prevented much sleep.  All in all, though, we really enjoyed our cruise.

The food quality was "blau", nothing special. Anything special you had to pay extra for, even the classic surf and turf, or lobster nights that are included on other cruises were extra charge. Hardly any change in menu form one night to the next, menu was what I would describe as "staple food".

The forced freestyle is not for us !! I like to meet new people and share experiences with other passengers. We tried asking for shared tables and that never worker. Never got to build relationship with crew or other passengers.

Our room steward was rude, never acknowledged any of the women on floor until we complained. However once we did, there was a complete turn around.

There was not much to do on ship that was not a surcharge. 

The entertainment was very good, but unfortunately that alone is not enough to have me look at NCL again. Tried them 3 times - unsatisfied all 3 times. 3 strikes you are out !

Monica

Only thing I’ve left off mentioning is once we found out we weren’t locked into just one entrée, we REALLY enjoyed the dining. Even experienced some new items we normally would have skipped had it not been included. Also… O’Sheehan’s wings are our all-time fave 24 hour cruise food!!!

Great ship overall definitely money's worth. We got the Penthouse suite from Houston Texas, USA in 2016. (February) The suite provided priory boarding and Cagneys Stake House for breakfast and lunch. If you don't have a suite you can go to Cagneys for dinner for free! Pacific Dinning room is reccomeded for the last breakfast if you don't like the buffet. We went to Mexico, Roatan and Honduras. We arrived on time at every port. Room service was fast and great! Epic ship!

This was our first cruise and have nothing but compliments on it! What a great crew. I would highly recommend the drink package if you like to drink, well worth it!

Overall a great ship. Very relaxed and extremely friendly crew (washy washy). The balcony stateroom was great. The Dow of the ship was not quite as good as others we have been on but it was clean. Kids programs we also great.

Food in complimentary dining rooms was very bland. "poached pear' dessert was just glorified fruit cocktail.    Also wait staff the nights we were there were rather loud talking to each other.  Fine dining, it was not! Buffet Topside is the best comp one, but hot food is often cold.  Get the dining package!!

Getting tickets for the tender to go ashore is an ordeal.  If you did not book excursion with NCL you wait in line for a LONG time for tender ticket. Then long line to board .  NCL excursion folks do not fare any better.  Tickets could be dispersed the night before.  NCL staff did not seem to know how to handle the procedure either.  We were sent from one location to another. Outside 7th to 14th to 4th to 6th.  When asked staff were told by some "I don't know"

Time in ports seemed to be cut short, especially in Roatan, NCL Dawn was there when we arrived and still there when we left.  Made for a rushed time there