Silverhairedbee

Just had a lovely cruise east med on the Jade.

However we had two niggles which we tried to get resolved whilst on board.

1) When my wife needs a soft drink she wants a "light" variety. However

not Coke light. The only alternative seems to be 7 Up light which is perfect.

However the number of times we were told the bar did not have it was more often than not. The Atrium bar made some effort to keep it in stock but this was still very uncertain. Even when I escalated this little improvement was

made.

2) We attended a number of the day time functions such as quizzes etc. However we often found the bar was closed in the room where the function was being held. Often as late as 5.00pm. This made getting regular drinks very difficult. I also escalated this to the senior manager who was quite defensive and asserted that bar staff circulated the bar when the events were being held. This was blatantly untrue and the situation did not improve.

I wonder what experiences others have had.

Robbie

Just a week away from cruising and was just about to book the UBP.

However it occurs to me what happens if I cannot go on the cruise for whatever reason, would the UBP be refunded, due to non use.

If so it would be best to book it last minute.

Any advice appreciated,

Thanks in advance Robbie

I have used the UBP several times now. I don't consider myself a heavy drinker but even if you have one drink an hour from midday to 11.00pm at an average of $7 that is $77. My wife and I generally get double the

value in monetary terms and we love the choice that is available. I don't think we actually got drunk once.

Thank you all for your great advice,

Robbie

Just about to cruise in February.

We will have $100 OBC and also intend to purchase the next cruise offer for $250 where an additional $100 is added to the OBC. Therefore $200 OBC in total.

My question is can any of this $200 be paid against the "next cruise offer"

or as I have read elsewhere can the $200 be "laundered" so to speak through the casino.

Thanks in advance for any advice given,

Robbie

Thank-you. Although our travels don't usually take us to Europe, this information is still very helpful.

I think there may be a "world" rate of £5 a day, only on days used.

iPhone: go to settings and turn on "hotspot". Your iPad (w/o phone) can find it and connect, which then gives access to iPhone's data connect and internet. Of course, you'll now be paying international data roaming rates.

 

 

I believe if you use the Euro Traveller package with Vodafone you do not pay international roaming rates. You just use up data that is in your normal monthly plan. I think the cost is about £3.00 a day for every day used. Of course this is only any good in port or close to shore. I believe the other networks also have packages but I think Vodafone is the only one that lets you use your normal plans inclusive minutes.

This may not be the correct place to post this question, but I wasn't sure of where else to post it. Does anyone have any experience with portable WiFi routers? Yes, I know that when the ship is docked, you can usually find a place that offers free WiFi. But, on those occasions when you don't have access to a WiFi signal, I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to have a portable router. So, I thought I'd ask if any of you own a portable router. Have you used it while traveling, in your car, on a plane, or on a ship? How well does it work for you?

With the right phone and data plan you can use your phone as a hotspot using tethering.

For example an iPhone using a Vodafone Sim with Euro Traveller (I think it's called)

Euro traveller lets you use your UK plan for voice, text and data whilst in many European countries for something like £3.00 a day. Then use your iPhone to tether whatever wireless device you like, such as an iPad. However keep an eye on data usage with respect to what your plan allows.

Good luck,

Hello, I have never been on a cruise before and would like to get opinions on the best trip to take around Europe where I can get the most bang for my buck.

Accepting all the valid comments already made. With respect to "bang for buck"

I have found the NCL cruises exceptional value for money.

For example,

Departs 4/2/2015

Ports of Call:

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy | Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Toulon, France | Barcelona, Spain | Valencia, Spain | Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy | Palermo, Sicily, Italy | Naples, Italy

£260 inside cabin, £460 balcony.

10 day cruise.

Hope you find what you're looking for,

Robbie

Hello Silverhairedbee!

 

I was excited to see your comment about sparkling wine in regards to the UBP (because I love it, too!). Do they serve it by the glass or do they serve you the little split bottles? I seem to remember getting the little bottles in the past & was worried those wouldn't be part of UBP even though there are some available for less than $10! Thanks in advance!

Hi WCAS74,

We drank Prosecco which was served by the glass as far as I knew. It was included because it fell within the price limit of $9 which I think it was at the time. I don't recall if any other sparkling wines fell into that price bracket but we could have as much as we liked. We are looking forward to that again!!

My wife and I have used the UBP on both our cruises with NCL. We don't consider ourselves heavy drinkers but enjoyed the variety of drinks offered.

If we had bought our drinks we would have spent over $2000. If you drink a couple of sparkling wines with your evening meal, several in the theatre and regularly the rest of the day it doesn't take long before it adds up. I think it is exceptional value considering they are all premium brands and allows you to try a bit of everything without worrying how much it will all cost.

hic!! hic!!

What is your destination?

Rome, Olympia, Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul, Turkey, Naples, Rome.

NCL 4th February.

My wife and I are relatively new to cruising and are looking forward to our

fourth cruise this February. As is the habit with most of us we like to make comparisons between Cruise lines and the ships that we have experienced.

I know many of us have our favourites but I wonder how much the "price" of the cruise is taken into account when making these comparisons.

Having had one Cruise on Cunard and two on NCL I can honestly say we enjoyed NCL far more. I personally did not feel huge differences in the quality aspects these "lines" had to offer and where there was compromise it seemed so small considering we were paying under half the price for the NCL cruise.

Do others expect "everything" regardless of the price or do you take this into account when making your reviews.

Happy New Year to all,

Robbie

From what I've heard the Jade doesn't leave EU waters so you will not avoid the VAT if you purchase on the ship only if you prepay

That is my concern, which is why I am trying to find out in advance. I think the ship has to be around 15miles out before being able to waive taxes.

Has any one ever done this on the Jade on its Eastern Europe itinery.

As posted above your best bet is to prepay before the cruise. No tax and $5 less per person per day then onboard.

Having paid out of port twice on the Spirit it is certainly cheaper than paying in advance in the UK. I don't know if that is because of paying UK taxes or not.

This was after coming out of Barcelona.

Thank you for your reply. That is what I was trying to find out. Does the Jade allow you to pay for the Beverage package tax free once out of local waters.

My wife and I have cruised several times on the Norwegian Spirit. More By luck than judgement we were advised to buy the Ultimate Beverage Package once out of port where taxes would then NOT be applied. My question is does this apply to the Norwegian Jade who we plan to travel on in February.

Thank you kindly in advance.