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Mixed feelings |
| Reviewed By: Rosaneee, Fareham on 17th Jul 2008 |
| Cruise Line: NCL Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jade |
Sailed:
July,
2008 |
| Destination: Mini Cruises |
Age: 46-55 |
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NCL JADE has had a mixed press since it started cruising from S'ton this year. There are good and bad things and it is important to offer a balanced viewpoint. We went as a group of 6 on a 2 day hop to Zeebrugge and made our own entertainment for the most part but for those considering this ship we hope this will be informative.
Embarkation was a bit disjointed and the colour coding boarding routine did not work well. Some people waited over an hour to board while others who had only just checked-in went straight onboard. I have left S'ton City Cruise Terminal a few times now and this has been the worst so I can only apportion blame to NCL for inconsistency in their boarding policies.
The onboard decor is bright and in-your-face and its design intent for cruising in Hawaii is evident everywhere. The overall ambience seems designed to create a carefree atmosphere which it does. The cabins were clean and well provisioned and the stewardess was efficient and unobtrusive.
Dining seems to be the topic that comes in for most criticism. The "freestyle concept" with lots of choice and speciality restaurants is ok as long as you can book in advance. The queues at the Grand Pacific Restaurant, the largest main diner, caused much grumbling among other passengers who were unable or did not know about booking in advance. The staff will only allow 30% of tables to be advance booked for any restuarant therefore there will inevitably be those who will not get their first choice of dining venue. The menu choice was good and the food satisfactory although the waiters do not know a lot about wine. Breakfast service in the Grand Pacific was painfully slow and it took an hour for 2 of us to be served a 2 course breakfast. The staff have little sense of urgency and compared with other lines I do consider the service to be sloppy. The Garden Cafe self serve can be manic between 8 and 9.30 am. Many food trays are allowed to run out and catering officers were seen frantically assisting in keeping things tolerable and even clearing plates. The hot and cold drinks stations are messy although much of this is down to the passengers and not the crew. We had our second night evening meal in the Italian restaurant which was fine and reasonably authentic. The service here was much better albeit with a $10 surcharge.
The entertainment programme was not really used by us but if you dine around 8 till 10pm you will miss the production
shows as there is no repeat show. The Medusa Night Club is a misnomer - it is not a disco but more of a Jazz bar. Starlight Lounge overlooking the bridge becomes the late night disco.
Bar service is slow in Starlights, even during the early evening and attempts to speed the process by ordering at the bar cause even more confusion. Elsewhere service varied depending on demand but there seems to be a shortage of waiters.
Coach trips to Brussels and Bruges were ridiculously expensive and we found the 5 Euro return train fare to Bruges perfectly acceptable although no one on the ships excursion desk made mention of this.
Norwegian Jade provides a fairly basic cruise experience well suited to a short break with a group of friends who can see the funny side of most things. Those who have cruised on Ocean Village or Island cruises will probably be happy with the "freestyle" concept. It is value for money - what you pay is what you get. Those who prefer fixed dining, enlightening conversation with other passengers, and prompt service from every quarter should really try elsewhere. I would use NCL again for another short break at a knockdown price but not for a full holiday.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Papas Italian was good
Grand pacific food was OK but let down by slow service. | | Entertainment | n/a |
| | Shore Excursions |  |
| Way overpriced | | Staff |  |
| Papas Italian Kitchen staff were fine. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins |  |
| | Overall Rating | |
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