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The Jade... |
| Reviewed By: Collier, Dickens Heath, Solihull on 25th Aug 2008 |
| Cruise Line: NCL Cruises |
Times cruised before: 0 |
| Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jade |
Sailed:
August,
2008 |
| Destination: Western Europe |
Age: 26-35 |
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Before writing a review, i feel that it is important to point out that this was our first cruise and therefore have nothing to compare it against. We read many reviews that had been posted about the Jade and were alarmed to see that the majority of people had negative views towards all aspects of their holiday.
The day of our embarkation arrived and we had mixed feelings about the cruise. We arrived at Southampton and found that boarding the Jade was very easy and our luggage arrived outside our cabin a couple of hours after we had boarded the ship. On arrival we received a complimentary glass of champagne in the Atrium and then had an explore of the ship. It was much larger than we had expected but was easy enough to find our way around. Our first impressions of the ship were very positive. Although it still had an overall Haiwaiin theme it didn't seem out of place for a med cruise.
We had outside staterooms with an amazing view of the ocean, these rooms were small but comfortable and suited our needs for a 14 day trip. The towel animals that the stewards made were a nice touch along with a chocolate on your pillow before bed time. The Freestyle Daily (onboard newspaper) kept us up to date with all of the daily activities on and off the ship. The stewards were very helpful and kept the room immaculately clean. They always had a smile on their face!!
The entertainment was varied with comedians, magicians, acrobats and musicians to name but a few. Overall the qaulity of the entertainment was good however we were disappointed to see that there was no final party on the last night to mark the end of our cruise. The theatre was comfortable and spacious with more than enough seats. The themed nights took place in the casino and spinnakers bar both of which were excellent venues. Spinnakers catered for children up until 11pm.
The food was fantastic if you ate in the surcharge restaurants. We ate in the "free" restaurants a couple of times and found that the food was adequate (except the blue lagoon which should be avoided at all costs!!!). The service was excellent and the staff couldn't do enough for you, however they could be a little slow at busy periods.
The pool area was always spotlessly clean with staff hosing and washing the decks on a nightly basis. The hot tubs were amazing and the pools were great with children being allocated their own pools and hot tubs. It could be very difficult to get a sun bed with people reserving them from 7am. The rule that their towels will be removed after half an hour was not enforced!!
The gym/spa was superbly equiped and offered a range of classes such as spinning and pilates. Myself and my boyfriend had a poolside massage which can only be described as heaven!!
The excursions, although expensive, were well worth booking. Pizza and wine tasting should not be missed. It is worth booking an excursion through NCL because if you are late back they will ensure that the ship will not leave without you. Some people went off on their own and did not make it back to the ship in time, needless to say they were left behind!!!
Our group varied in age from 30 - 72 and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their cruise. To quote a member of our party "we felt as though we were in paradise". Towards the end of the cruise we were amazed to see long queues of people complaining at reception. The majority of complaints seemed to be about unruly kids, although we didn't have any children in our party we did not notice these so called disruptions. We are looking to go on a cruise again next year for our honeymoon and we would have no hesitation cruising with NCL or on board the Norwegian Jade. We would thoroughly recommend it!!!!!!!!
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| Quality of Food |  |
| We mainly ate in the surcharge restaurants. | | Entertainment |  |
| The second city in Spinnakers was hilarious. The shows at the theatre were well worth seeing. The casino is a must. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| All excursions were fantastic, especially Monaco(Villefranche). Pizza and wine tasting should not be missed!! | | Staff | |
| All staff were friendly, approachable and helpful! | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| A wide variety of activities for people of all ages (including children) | | Cabins | |
| Clean comfortable cabins with excellent view, however one plug socket proved difficult when hairdryers, straightners, irons and MP3 players were needed all at the same time. | | Overall Rating | |
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