Ship Reports - Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Jade

NCL’s ‘Freestyle Cruising’ brand is all about flexibility and freedom so they do not enforce mealtimes, dress codes or schedules and encourage all onboard to relax and totally escape from their usual routines.

Broads Travel’s consultants, Anita Williams (pictured left, who is our dedicated Cruise Specialist at our Mere Green branch), Charlotte Hughes, Isabelle Bending, Julie Little, Sarah Yates, Debbie Smith, Graham Barrett and Sheila Fisher all visited NCL Jade, (one of NCL’s 12 ships) in August 2009. You can read their views on NCL Jade here or if you would like to book a cruise on NCL’s ships, call them on 0121 250 2201, visit www.broadscruises.com or email cruises@btgl.co.uk.

First impressions

The exterior of all of the ships in the NCL fleet are similar - quite jazzy, if not a little garish! The ship was originally called the Pride of Hawaii in NCL’s American division and it was interesting to see that the ‘Hawaiian theme’ is continued throughout the ship in the purples, pinks and gold furnishings and décor.

We embarked the ship via the ‘tradesman’s’ entrance and even this was clean and bright, so our first impressions were good. We were then separated into small groups of 6/7 for an in-depth tour of NCL Jade which allowed us to see a good variety of cabins, restaurants and sun decks.

Cabins

Those who are after real luxury accommodation can stay in one of the Garden Villas which NCL describe as ‘your own ship within a ship’. These can accommodate up to 6 so are extremely spacious, all with huge bathrooms, walk in dressing rooms and their own living and dining area. They also have their own private sun decks with double sun loungers and hammocks.

We also saw the Deluxe Owner’s Suite, which was amazing and left us completely speechless. We found it hard to believe that we were on a ship due to the sheer size of this suite. There was a baby grand piano, chandeliers, a butler service, outside Jacuzzi and large private decked area which would compare to any penthouse suite in the world’s top hotels. Whilst the average price of over £7,000 is beyond most passengers’ budgets, it is worth noting that this suite can accommodate several passengers, making it more appealing to families who are travelling together. The extra living space and outside area would definitely be worth paying the extra money for.

The Courtyard Villas consist of 8 or 10 staterooms set around a private courtyard which has an Arabian feel with a seating area, dining area and private swimming pool (with Butler service). The décor is bright and vibrant, which is of course consistent with the rest of the ship, and the area has a sliding roof so is perfect in all weathers.

The use of soft flowing fabrics and colours in the Courtyard really work well and give a sense of luxury and opulence. There are plenty of balcony and ocean view rooms too which are mainly located on decks 8, 9 and 10. They all have 4* facilities including internet and tea and coffee making facilities. The inside cabins are still well equipped but are slightly darker due to the lack of natural daylight.

All of the accommodation on NCL Jade from the inside cabins up to the Penthouse suites is impressive, the bathrooms in particular are some of the largest we’ve seen on any cruise ship.

Deck

We thought that the deck area, in particular the pools, needed a lick of paint and as the sun beds were quite close together, we felt that this area was a little small. There is a designated pool for children and a separate one for adults which is a good idea. It was here that a large yellow snake caught our eye - it turned out to be a huge water shoot! We did think that this looked slightly out of place but the children would love it!

There are lots of other facilities onboard such as basketball, a volleyball court, tennis and golf driving nets.

The ship has an excellent spa called Bora Bora Health Spa which offers spa treatments ranging from facials to complete body therapies and even teeth whitening! This is definitely worth a visit as the sauna is the only one we’ve ever seen with views across the ocean! The Spa is linked to a very well equipped fitness centre which is open 24 hours a day.

Dining

There are 12 restaurants on NCL Jade, and the use of 6 of these is included in the cruise fare. The other 6 are speciality restaurants for which you are charged extra, around 15$ - 25$ per person. These cater for all tastes including French, Italian, Spanish and Asian etc. We particularly liked the French restaurant which had an art deco theme with original art and Versace plates!

The Garden Café serves buffet food all day and runs the whole length of the ship with tables and chairs outside. Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be eaten here in an informal setting so this area would appeal to families who don’t want to be tied down to menus or dress codes.

The Grand Pacific is the main dining room which is much more traditional in décor with a lovely atmosphere. This is definitely a more formal dining option where you would be able to dress up without feeling uncomfortable. We ate lunch in here which was extremely good - the service was efficient and delivered with a smile, but we would advise you to watch the wine prices!

Screens in the public area corridors show the availability at all of the restaurants which can be pre-booked.

Public Areas

The public areas on the ship include a 3 story theatre, library, a large casino and gaming lounge (smoking is allowed in here). It also has lots of bars and lounges, one of which is themed as an English Pub! In the quieter lounges there is usually a live singer or a piano player who provide relaxing music.

Children’s entertainment

Bringing children on NCL Jade means they’ll never be bored, the Kid’s Crew and Teen’s Crew programmes are some of the biggest afloat. They are all professionally supervised and have age-appropriate activities that will keep them entertained for their entire holiday. All staff are chosen from recreation and education programmes so all children will be safe and secure at all times. We discovered by talking to our host that the ship can hold over 1,200 children which is way more than most cruises can accommodate!

Summary

The disembarking policy on NCL cruises differs from most other cruise lines as it is much more relaxed. You need to disembark by 10.30am which means that you can enjoy a last dip in the pool and a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

We were all really impressed with NCL Jade, and would encourage clients to choose the ship for their next cruise. It felt friendly and spacious and will be particularly appealing to families with children of all ages and also to couples who are new to cruising.