_Mr.G_

HALF the price is a strong argument for the EPIC 🙂

I've been on the EPIC in 2021 and I have mixed feelings about this ship.  It depends if the "ocean feeling" while cruising is important to you.

The Epic is very much built with an inside focus. There is no walk-around promenade deck. No front views like the Spinnaker Lounges on other ships. Everything in the public spaces inside is very dark and you barely get to see daylight or the ocean when inside. This is what I disliked most. So if these things are important to you and the price thing works out, then the other ship might be better.

See my review on the Epic here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2799317-worst-norwegian-ship/?do=findComment&comment=61942741

I was on the Jade for the Israel cruise May 8th to 15th. This ship was on about half passenger capacity (approx. 1100 Passengers).

I assume you refer to the Stardust Theatre shows. Every evening there was just one show at 8.30 pm. I assume it will be like this until there are more passengers cruising.

I'm just back from the Jade May 8-15 out of Athens last week and I can't confirm any of this.

We boarded in Athens around 1 pm. We went straight to the Garden Great Outdoors and had lunch with beers and later several other drinks from that bar before sail away. I saw other people with different alcoholic drinks. The bars were only closed for a short time during the muster drill PA announcements.

The entire week bars were open and served alcohol, especially in Santorini. We had a great cruise!

I'm just back from my Jade cruise last week. On the regular drink menus there was no more Baileys listed. All the days we had some fun with the bartenders, because "Mollys is the new Baileys". They couldn't (or wouldn't) tell us why it was changed. This is what they serve now and we were told it's best to just order "Irish Cream":

In Le Bistro Baileys is still on the menu, but now for $ 16. I didn't take it and I'm not sure whether they serve original Baileys there ..

Just a quick info regarding the boarding process and current Jade status:

They did check the PCR test from prior during boarding as well as the vacination status. Then there was the antigen test performed at the pier. I asked what happens to people who don't have the PCR test and they said, that the PCR test will be performed on board and charged 120 USD (so no "are denied boarding"). At the pier everything was organized very well. The Athens airport has a medical center which does PCR tests with results within 24 hrs for 60 Euro.

The current cruise runs at 45% capacity with about 1100-1200 passengers. So entertainment is somehow reduced but other than that the cruise is really enjoyable with great weather so far.

I'm currently on the Jade. They don't even have Baileys on the menu anymore. If you ask they serve an alternative product (Mooleys or Hooleys, I couldn't see it clearly), they didn't put that on the menu either. The taste is the same and from time to time they give us double shots without up-charge.

In the Tradewinds board shop however, there is a lot of Baileys for sale ...

2 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

What is the name of the Israel entry form?

It's listed here in the travel requirements section for Israel:

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/travel-requirements-by-country#israel

The Israeli government requires all non-Israeli citizens boarding a cruise whose next destination is Israel to fill out Entry Statement found here https://corona.health.gov.il/en/flights within 48 hours of embarkation.

 We just received a phone call from NCL. They informed and reminded us personally that the PCR test prior to boarding is required as well as the Israel Entry Form.

I just did my PCR test this morning and hope to get the results until tomorrow. At least the test-center put a note for priority-handling on my probe 😎

Can't wait to get onboard on Sunday 🤪

We're leaving in 3 days on Sunday. I got my upgrade this morning from Ocean View to Balcony for 90€ pP. I guess it's easy these days since the ships don't run on full capacity.

Nevertheless, I'm very happy 😃

I was on the Epic last year. We had a nice cruise but it is definitly not my favorite ship. I wrote a summary in this funny thread "Worst Norwegian Ship?" which has lots of comments about the Epic:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2799317-worst-norwegian-ship/?do=findComment&comment=61942741

Everyone on the Jade for this week - enjoy your cruise! 🙂

It would be of great help for us, if anyone could please post some photos of the current shore excursions order form incl. the prices from the Jade. Thanks! 

1 hour ago, casofilia said:

@_Mr.G_

 

Could I suggest you follow the two cruises that are occurring before yours.   Lots of information there

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2784066-norwegian-jade-april-24-may-1-2022-round-trip-athens/page/5/#comment-63108113

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2823528-jade-may-1st-2022-athens-via-israel-round-trip/page/8/#comment-63108118

 

So, from what I read there it says that two PCR tests are required. On from 72hrs prior to embarkation at self-cost and the one done on the ship provided by NCL.

@Ernstmfg Just out of curiosity - did you have a PCR test from prior to embarkation and did they check it when boarding?

Thanks for your report Ernstfg! Hope you get your luggage soon and have a nice day in Israel!

We're all curious how the PCR testing, entry requirements and tours will go 😃

We're sailing the Jade cruise to Israel from Athens at 8th of May 🙂

There is still so much confusion about the PCR test requirements, as can be seen here:

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/travel-requirements-by-country#israel

We would conclude that two PCR tests are needed, one from

"taken within 72 prior to embarkation"

and one from

"An additional negative NAAT (I.e. PCR) test result will be required before arriving to Israel. This test will be facilitated and paid for by Norwegian Cruise Line onboard."

?

I just had a chat with NCL about that and it did not bring any clearance.

So if anyone is here on that cruise currently: How was the boarding process? Are the antigen tests done at the terminal? Are PCR tests "from 72hrs prior to embarkation" checked and needed?

Are the Israel tours about to go given the current situation and political conflicts during Ramadan in Tel Aviv & Jerusalem?

Thanks!

Just now, ChC said:

 

And here is the email from NCL emphasis PCR test 72 hours pre embrakation

OK! I missunderstood - the key word here is "An additional .. test".  So obiously two PCR tests are needed. Hope someone on the next cruises can share their experiences with this ..

42 minutes ago, ChC said:

Please make sure you read about Israel entry requirement as well if your cruise goes to Israel. I received several emails from NCL in last 72 hours to tell me that I have to follow the Israel entry requirement. One of the requirement is PCR test 72 hours before EMBARK the ship (not before entering Israel!).

[Edit]

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/travel-requirements-by-country#israel

6 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I only just noticed the typo. 🙂

It was a very accurate original post though. Maybe the cursing started before that.

Thanks for your reports Keith!

We will be on the Jade for the Israel cruise in 2 weeks. ☺️ What is the situation in the Garden buffet? Is it completely served (as Covid measure) or back to self service now?

@ Sam Ting:

Really? You use booth hands to do the business? What about using one hand for the contaminaton thing and the non-contaminated hand for the door? Also, as previously mentioned, how do you cope with regular stalls in public places, restaurants etc?

7 hours ago, CruizinKittie40 said:

I'm booked for the Escape next month and hope their controls are different.  It was one of the most annoying parts of our cruise

As it was said before: These shower controls are very common in Europe. The idea behind it is that you have to adjust the water temperature just once and then never touch it again. You just have to control the water flow and you will always automatically get your preferred temperature. (Also it usually has a maximum temperature limit that prevents too hot water and burns. It can be exceeded by pressing that little red button on the temperature control). Also, I'm from Europe and don't like these either 🙄😁

9 hours ago, Nicky Mouse said:

By all means!

 

I normally punch a home in my cards and wear on a lanyard. Have never been on a big ship until last week with the Encore. Since I couldn’t punch hole in card, found Amazon things to still attach card to lanyard but allow for doors and bar swipes. Also made friends of bartenders handing out extracts of clip thingys that they loved. So, plann8ng to be on Epic for b2b starting Nov 11 and wanted to confirm that I should bring clip thingys. 
 

edit: I bought three diff versions of card lanyard clips things. On the Encore the insert into slot for lights to work thing precluded one of them so I learned things. 

That makes sense! I just double checked, it's definitely proximity. I have a little ritual as I take a photo of all our cabin doors/numbers - you can see the door and lock in the photo.

9 hours ago, Nicky Mouse said:

Can you tell me about the keycards? Were they proximity for the doors, or did you have to insert them into the door to get into the cabin?

It's proximity, you don't have to insert the card. May I ask why you care about this? 🙂

I've read the entire thread and there is a clear tendency or "negative" winner, which seems to be the Epic.

We just got of the Epic last week. It was my first sailing with her, we had a great cruise and I would definetly not say "worst" ship. However, if I can choose I would choose another NCL ship, especially the Jewel-class/sized ships in the first place.

We had a balcony cabin on Deck 11 with the bed near the balcony. I really liked the design and the curved walls! The much discussed bathrom design is clearly no favorite, but in reality it wasn't a big deal either. We really missed electric sockets or USB ports near the bed to charge our phones overnight. This was only possible at the sideboards on the other side of the room/foot end.

The overall ship design is really quirky. There is no use of the "promenade" deck with the life boats in front of it and nearly no ocean view. The top level decks are really badly built. There is no "front to back way", you always have to take stairs or curves around things. High windows obstruct the ocean views. It took us 3 days to discover the "quiet zone" sun deck in front of the ship 😉

What we really did not like was the sound quality in Spice H2O at parties.  The sound was loud, which is OK for a party, but the sound quality was really really poor with crackling noises and cut off higher notes. You didn't need to be audiophile to feel physical pain because of the sound quality.  We constantly wondered how any sound engineer or "DJ" or entertainment team would provide/accept such a terribly sound quality.

We did not understand why the entire spacious atrium on deck 5/6/7 with the big screen was not used at all. Instead the big screen showed NCL feature trailers 24hrs repeatedly one week long. The piano music in the Shakers bar was excellent and people were close together in that limited space area. The piano player would have been easily capable of providing entertainment for the entire atrium in front of the big screen across all decks.

The entire ship is build with an inside focus. All inside activities are arranged along decks 5, 6 and 7 - which is easy to understand. There is always traffic around you when you sit in Shakers, O'sheehan's, Maltings or the Casino. There is only very limited day light by the Guest Services. Mostly all windows were completely covered and everything on those decks is dark (nearly depressing). The 'darkest' room was the Blizz Lounge. You enter the room and it's hard to understand the room, because everything is black and you barely can see who is sitting and watching from the corners.

Oh god - did I miss the Spinacker Lounges with the great front ocean views! I look forward to the new Leonardo/Prima class ships with the Ocean First approach, I'm on a ship to see and enjoy the oceon feeling. Otherwise I could be in any hotel or mall.

Apart from the architectural ship design, the "Norwegian experience", the staff, the entertainment, the food quality and the bars were excellent and we greatly enjoyed our first cruise after 2 years break. The Covid-Situation was no big game-changer either, everything on the ship was coordinated perfectly. 

We just got of the Epic last week and had a rather strange experience with the Italian Bubble Tour "Escorted Day in Capri". Upon arrival in Capri with the ferry, the Italian tour guide charged everyone 20 Euro "Cash only" in order to get on a bus and further information from her. Otherwise everyone was free to roam Capri until meeting again 4hrs later for the ferry trip back to Naples.

We and about 1/4 of the participants were free and left the Tour Bubble and wandered around Capri without limitations. That was wired and we did not expect to be charged during the tour in order to attend the further tour. Also it was not in the NCL description that there were further costs. Did anyone experience the same in Capri?

Apart from that, we did have a great time in Capri 😉

Greetings from the Epic! 🙂 On both sides between staircase and rooms 14040/14055 there are fire-doors that are permanently open. So everybody can and will walk between hallways along these rooms. See photo attached. I would have never noticed that there are inside cabins in this place 🙂

1 hour ago, fin said:

The Jade is currently in Naples, with a 2021 itinerary that takes it all over the world.

Last week I was in Naples, wandering around, didn't expect anything. And then, bam - there she was, what a surprise! These are the recent photos I took - it was strange seeing her like this, without any passengers:

I've been on the Jade twice, before the refurbishing and always enjoyed the Haweiian theme - no matter where in the world we were cruising 🙂