Highs & lows on NCL Jade August 2010.

smallworld73 · 1 Sep 10, 07:01 PM

I've not done this before so hope it all makes sense! We sailed from Barcelona on Sunday 19th August and returned Sunday 26th Aug 2010
We stayed one night in a Holiday Inn (really recommend this hotel)
DH & I had cruised before on RCI but dds 15 & 10 hadnt and are huge WDW fans so we were concerned that they wouldnt enjoy it. We paid extra to have adjoining balcony staterooms and i would do that again. Something about having your own balcony and watching the sea and of course seeing the docking.

The Highs
Barcelona:
Sagrada Familia: we visited here the day before the cruise in 95 degrees so it was hot & stuffy. But what a brilliant place. We took the audio guides which were useful but not sure how up to date they were as we couldnt access all the areas mentioned. But the biggest thrill was seeing the stained glass shining brilliantly on the pillars and going to the top of the tower. How amazing. Would go back.
In the evening we went to see the fountains. Managed to get a seat in one of the cafe areas. Wonderful. Didnt realise they played different songs throughout the evening. I was sorry to leave and not hear Freddie Mercury's "Barcelona" but we were all shattered and didnt fancy the crowded subway when the fountain show finished.

Day 1-sailing from Barcelona to Monte Carlo overnight. The organisation of NCL was superb. Smooth check in and our bags arrived in time for us to unpack and watch the sailaway in the Garden cafe with a drink. Arrived in Monte Carlo and had a great time watching the huge boats coming in and out of the harbour. Most of the people on them waved and it was amazing to see these massive floating mansions. Had a wander round the harbour but it was so hot we couldnt wait to get back on the ship!

Day 2 overnight to Livorno
We had already booked our tickets for the Leaning Tower of Pisa - very easy to do and I really recommend it boxoffice.opapisa.it/Torre/index.jsp
We took a bus from the port to the train station, then there was quite a walk (especially in the heat) to the square itself. Tickets were being allocated for 3pm so if we hadnt booked it,it would have been impossible to go up. Most strange experience and i wasnt prepared for being able to go right to the very top. Legs wobbled a bit & I dont mind heights! Spent a little while taking photos then walked all the way back down. A bit claustrophobic but absolutly worth it
We then took a slow walk back to the train station via an ice cream shop!

Day 3 overnight to Rome
This was a bit of a trek tbh. And again it was hot. We found our own way in and got a bus tour round the city. Stopped off at the Trevi Fountain so dds could relate to it in Epcot! (always a WDW reference somewhere!). Far too hot though and we were desperate to head back to the sanctity of the air condtioned ship!

Day 4 overnight to Naples
We decided to take an excursion to Pompeii. Expensive but it was door to door and the guide was excellent. We thought dd10 had had enough of traipsing round on trains so we treated ourselves. Pompeii was fantastic and well worth the money. Thank goodness we took our Disney squeeze breeze, an absoloute essential item! I was a bit concerned that the tour was going to take in a Cameo factory but it turned out to be a shop and amongst the tacky souvenir shops outside the Pompeii site. Well worth the money for the excursion.

Day 5 overnight and day at sea.
We are not pool people. I would say that for us that was the worst part of the ship. It was full of Italian & Spanish (not having a moan about any nationality here) but as a result, they had taken most of the spaces around the pool. There were even a few teens that stayed in the jacuzzi, eventually being asked to get out to let someone else have a turn. I hated the noise, the heat and the general atmosphere-but as I said, it's not our thing. DD10 had a splash in the pool with a friend she had made but I went back to the cabin to sit on our balcony with my book and generally watch the world go by...

A brief overview of the ship.
We found that water, tea and coffee were available in the buffet restaurant the whole time. So we filled up water bottles from the water fountain, (poured into glasses first). We didnt bother with drinks packages as dds arent bothered by fizzy drinks, and dh and i dont drink a huge amount. We also found that throughout the day, there were cakes available so if we'd missed our lunch when we were on shore, we went to the cafe and got some cakes, cookies, water & tea and sat on our balcony, or watched tv in the coolness of the room.
The food was excellent. We did go into some of the surcharge restaurants and noticed that the service was considerably better. Wine was very expensive, around $25-$30 a bottle! Captive market. We didnt really enjoy the Mexican/tapas as the portions were huge. The best meal was the Asian, with the waiter on our 1st meal there being excellent.
We saw one show. It was good, and they worked hard but it was a bit disjointed. The theatre was lovely tho and we really enjoyed the atmosphere, despite some very rude English people behind us and some Spanish in front who chatted virtually the whole way through.

We went to play Bingo(!) but it was really expensive so we left.

We spent most of our time relaxing in our room or on our balcony watching the sea. We like our own company and not really into organised activities. That's the beauty of a cruise tho, you can do as much or as little as you want! I woke up one morning and realised that I had nothing to do! It was our first holiday in many years that we weren't self catering and i loved having the time off!

We had our photos taken, and decided to have a formal sitting. I must say we're pleased with the results. They were done on the day at sea, we dressed up and have some lovely photos.

Dd15 went to the teen club the first night but hated it! She doesnt like meeting new people and struggled to find anyone English. A lot of the Spanish/Italian groups of teens just stuck together. She refused to go again. Dd10 on the other hand is more confidant and really enjoyed the club. Not great organisation for the dropping off & collecting, but they do make sure they right child is going to the right person and that takes time.

I didnt go in the Spa-no time!

Day 6-Majorca
We headed into Palma for some shopping. We got a taxi (a fraction of the cost of the ship transfer) to the town centre. I was looking for some kitchen things but couldnt find what I wanted. Plenty of designer shops if you're into that but once again, it's not our thing! It was lovely walking around Palma, finding little streets and courtyards but again hot and we craved the sanctity of the ship! So we headed back, a pocket full of Euros still! Leaving Majorca was wonderful, some fantastic scenery and the sunset was stunning...

Day 7-overnight to Barcelona
We had packed the night before and the luggage was out of the door by 8pm. Last evening so we went to the Italian restaurant and had a very good meal. Fairly early to bed as it was an early start the next morning, we had to leave the boat by 7am! Organisation wasnt quite as good going to the airport, the coach driver didnt speak English and went to the wrong terminal at first. Some people got off, no idea where they ended up! Back on the coach and around the airport. Finally reached the right terminal for us where we had our own check in. One tip at Barcelona - the main shops are downstairs, once you go through security you cant go to the shopping area, just the usual duty free!

So this is my highs & lows! Hope you've managed to stick with my ramblings and may be able to get some tips from it. Any questions, PM me...

alexisemma31 · 1 Sep 10, 07:16 PM

Thanks for posting yoour highs and lows, I enjoyed reading it.

Would you sail with NCL again or did you prefer RC?

smallworld73 · 1 Sep 10, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by alexisemma31

Thanks for posting yoour highs and lows, I enjoyed reading it.

Would you sail with NCL again or did you prefer RC?

NCL for us I think. We enjoyed the freestyle style-eating when and where we wanted and always on our own. RCI was a smarter ship, more formal (Splendour of the Seas) but I got bored with the dressing up for the meals (we were entertaining customers & they wanted formal dining every night). I also can't recommend enough having a balcony, if you can do it. It gives you more space, and some privacy.
I wouldnt go to the Med in August again, it was too hot, but would do the same route.
So NCL wins!

jam jar · 1 Sep 10, 09:56 PM

Get some pics of the Jade posted up if you can. We are big NCL fans and have been on the Peril and Jewel previously. Great ships but they are always a little expensive compared to RCI ships. Sounds like you guys had a fantastic time

smallworld73 · 2 Sep 10, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by jam jar

Get some pics of the Jade posted up if you can. We are big NCL fans and have been on the Peril and Jewel previously. Great ships but they are always a little expensive compared to RCI ships. Sounds like you guys had a fantastic time

Very expensive! And although we enjoyed the surcharge restaurants as the service & food were better, it's still irritating to have to pay the extra when the cruise is as dear as it is. Still prefer NCL though. Will try to post some pics but not very good at it!

ANGEL · 2 Sep 10, 06:45 PM

Thanks for all the info, we enjoyed our Jade cruise too so it's good to read others opinions

lizzie · 29 Sep 10, 09:40 PM

Thank you for that. I am doing a RCI Med cruise next August with a 15 & 10 year old so your comments were invaluable.

mandy_mccormac · 1 Oct 10, 03:30 PM

Thanx for taking the time to post

Enjoyable reading

DIBBadmin · 1 Oct 10, 03:30 PM

This thread has been automatically closed as it has not been posted on in 365 days.

1 Sep 10, 07:01 PM	#1
	1 Sep 10, 07:01 PM smallworld73 Imagineer
smallworld73 Imagineer Join Date: Jan 09 smallworld73's Reviews Restaurant Reviews: 1	Highs & lows on NCL Jade August 2010. I've not done this before so hope it all makes sense! We sailed from Barcelona on Sunday 19th August and returned Sunday 26th Aug 2010 We stayed one night in a Holiday Inn (really recommend this hotel) DH & I had cruised before on RCI but dds 15 & 10 hadnt and are huge WDW fans so we were concerned that they wouldnt enjoy it. We paid extra to have adjoining balcony staterooms and i would do that again. Something about having your own balcony and watching the sea and of course seeing the docking. The Highs Barcelona: Sagrada Familia: we visited here the day before the cruise in 95 degrees so it was hot & stuffy. But what a brilliant place. We took the audio guides which were useful but not sure how up to date they were as we couldnt access all the areas mentioned. But the biggest thrill was seeing the stained glass shining brilliantly on the pillars and going to the top of the tower. How amazing. Would go back. In the evening we went to see the fountains. Managed to get a seat in one of the cafe areas. Wonderful. Didnt realise they played different songs throughout the evening. I was sorry to leave and not hear Freddie Mercury's "Barcelona" but we were all shattered and didnt fancy the crowded subway when the fountain show finished. Day 1-sailing from Barcelona to Monte Carlo overnight. The organisation of NCL was superb. Smooth check in and our bags arrived in time for us to unpack and watch the sailaway in the Garden cafe with a drink. Arrived in Monte Carlo and had a great time watching the huge boats coming in and out of the harbour. Most of the people on them waved and it was amazing to see these massive floating mansions. Had a wander round the harbour but it was so hot we couldnt wait to get back on the ship! Day 2 overnight to Livorno We had already booked our tickets for the Leaning Tower of Pisa - very easy to do and I really recommend it boxoffice.opapisa.it/Torre/index.jsp We took a bus from the port to the train station, then there was quite a walk (especially in the heat) to the square itself. Tickets were being allocated for 3pm so if we hadnt booked it,it would have been impossible to go up. Most strange experience and i wasnt prepared for being able to go right to the very top. Legs wobbled a bit & I dont mind heights! Spent a little while taking photos then walked all the way back down. A bit claustrophobic but absolutly worth it We then took a slow walk back to the train station via an ice cream shop! Day 3 overnight to Rome This was a bit of a trek tbh. And again it was hot. We found our own way in and got a bus tour round the city. Stopped off at the Trevi Fountain so dds could relate to it in Epcot! (always a WDW reference somewhere!). Far too hot though and we were desperate to head back to the sanctity of the air condtioned ship! Day 4 overnight to Naples We decided to take an excursion to Pompeii. Expensive but it was door to door and the guide was excellent. We thought dd10 had had enough of traipsing round on trains so we treated ourselves. Pompeii was fantastic and well worth the money. Thank goodness we took our Disney squeeze breeze, an absoloute essential item! I was a bit concerned that the tour was going to take in a Cameo factory but it turned out to be a shop and amongst the tacky souvenir shops outside the Pompeii site. Well worth the money for the excursion. Day 5 overnight and day at sea. We are not pool people. I would say that for us that was the worst part of the ship. It was full of Italian & Spanish (not having a moan about any nationality here) but as a result, they had taken most of the spaces around the pool. There were even a few teens that stayed in the jacuzzi, eventually being asked to get out to let someone else have a turn. I hated the noise, the heat and the general atmosphere-but as I said, it's not our thing. DD10 had a splash in the pool with a friend she had made but I went back to the cabin to sit on our balcony with my book and generally watch the world go by... A brief overview of the ship. We found that water, tea and coffee were available in the buffet restaurant the whole time. So we filled up water bottles from the water fountain, (poured into glasses first). We didnt bother with drinks packages as dds arent bothered by fizzy drinks, and dh and i dont drink a huge amount. We also found that throughout the day, there were cakes available so if we'd missed our lunch when we were on shore, we went to the cafe and got some cakes, cookies, water & tea and sat on our balcony, or watched tv in the coolness of the room. The food was excellent. We did go into some of the surcharge restaurants and noticed that the service was considerably better. Wine was very expensive, around $25-$30 a bottle! Captive market. We didnt really enjoy the Mexican/tapas as the portions were huge. The best meal was the Asian, with the waiter on our 1st meal there being excellent. We saw one show. It was good, and they worked hard but it was a bit disjointed. The theatre was lovely tho and we really enjoyed the atmosphere, despite some very rude English people behind us and some Spanish in front who chatted virtually the whole way through. We went to play Bingo(!) but it was really expensive so we left. We spent most of our time relaxing in our room or on our balcony watching the sea. We like our own company and not really into organised activities. That's the beauty of a cruise tho, you can do as much or as little as you want! I woke up one morning and realised that I had nothing to do! It was our first holiday in many years that we weren't self catering and i loved having the time off! We had our photos taken, and decided to have a formal sitting. I must say we're pleased with the results. They were done on the day at sea, we dressed up and have some lovely photos. Dd15 went to the teen club the first night but hated it! She doesnt like meeting new people and struggled to find anyone English. A lot of the Spanish/Italian groups of teens just stuck together. She refused to go again. Dd10 on the other hand is more confidant and really enjoyed the club. Not great organisation for the dropping off & collecting, but they do make sure they right child is going to the right person and that takes time. I didnt go in the Spa-no time! Day 6-Majorca We headed into Palma for some shopping. We got a taxi (a fraction of the cost of the ship transfer) to the town centre. I was looking for some kitchen things but couldnt find what I wanted. Plenty of designer shops if you're into that but once again, it's not our thing! It was lovely walking around Palma, finding little streets and courtyards but again hot and we craved the sanctity of the ship! So we headed back, a pocket full of Euros still! Leaving Majorca was wonderful, some fantastic scenery and the sunset was stunning... Day 7-overnight to Barcelona We had packed the night before and the luggage was out of the door by 8pm. Last evening so we went to the Italian restaurant and had a very good meal. Fairly early to bed as it was an early start the next morning, we had to leave the boat by 7am! Organisation wasnt quite as good going to the airport, the coach driver didnt speak English and went to the wrong terminal at first. Some people got off, no idea where they ended up! Back on the coach and around the airport. Finally reached the right terminal for us where we had our own check in. One tip at Barcelona - the main shops are downstairs, once you go through security you cant go to the shopping area, just the usual duty free! So this is my highs & lows! Hope you've managed to stick with my ramblings and may be able to get some tips from it. Any questions, PM me...

1 Sep 10, 07:16 PM	#2
	1 Sep 10, 07:16 PM alexisemma31 Imagineer
alexisemma31 Imagineer Join Date: Feb 07	Thanks for posting yoour highs and lows, I enjoyed reading it. Would you sail with NCL again or did you prefer RC? __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

1 Oct 10, 03:30 PM	#9
	1 Oct 10, 03:30 PM DIBBadmin Imagineer
DIBBadmin Imagineer Join Date: Mar 02	This thread has been automatically closed as it has not been posted on in 365 days.

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