New to NCL and have some questions

I only asked if the late night entertainment was child friendly. I'm not sure how you extrapolated that our child was going to be the "center of attention". I also have questions about the thermal suites (for my wife) and the dining room question was for me. I'm not sure if you have a family, but if you actually like spending time with each other you don't mind looking into things that each other will enjoy.

We went on the Jade and with NCL for the very first time at Christmas. Our previous cruises had been with Royal and Princess. We were impressed with the dining options on the ship. We liked the included Asian restaurant, Jasmine Garden I think, plus we did eat in the main dining room on a couple of occasions. We just turned up and sometimes we had to wait a few minutes but nothing major. Food quality was about the same on all the lines. The buffet wasn't bad though we mostly enjoyed the breakfast and lunch time selections.

Service was good and there seemed to be lots of kids enjoying themselves. I did find that the recliners around the pools on sea days filled up way to early (chair hogs) but you get that on every ship and every cruise line and its not the end of the world, there was always someone to sit.

my apologies.

I accept your apology.

We went on the Jade and with NCL for the very first time at Christmas. Our previous cruises had been with Royal and Princess. We were impressed with the dining options on the ship. We liked the included Asian restaurant, Jasmine Garden I think, plus we did eat in the main dining room on a couple of occasions. We just turned up and sometimes we had to wait a few minutes but nothing major. Food quality was about the same on all the lines. The buffet wasn't bad though we mostly enjoyed the breakfast and lunch time selections.

 

Service was good and there seemed to be lots of kids enjoying themselves. I did find that the recliners around the pools on sea days filled up way to early (chair hogs) but you get that on every ship and every cruise line and its not the end of the world, there was always someone to sit.

Thank you for your perspective. I really appreciate it.

CCL MDR was okay. DCL MDR was not as good IMO. I was wondering if the specialty restaurant were miles above the MDR. It doesn't sound like they are.

The specialties are usually better than the MDR, but but the value proposition isn't good in my opinion. They are good if you get them on a promo, or if you have a special occasion. But for LeBristro, one of the top two in most people's opinion, the a la carte price for a meal is going to run $30 to $35 plus tip. So your family of three would be $90 to $120 if your child eats from the adult menu (although he or she could eat for free from the regular children's menu). Add to that the value of the prepaid meal your fare covers and it's not that great a deal. I would put the quality at about the level of a mid-priced steak house on land.

That's awfully narrow-minded. We look at it as some of the best money we've ever spent. Our kids are grown now but still absolutely love cruising. After our daughter graduated from college, she did a 7 month contract with Carnival working in the kids program (and in case you think that was wasted money on a college education, Carnival requires a degree in education to work in the children's program). We started them cruising when they were 14, 12 and 8 yo. All three have at least 10 cruises under their belt with two more each booked.

 

 

It's a good thing we all have the freedom to make our own choices for our family. Those cruises have been some of the best vacations we've ever taken as a family. My children had the chance to see early on that not every place in the world has the lifestyle that we are so very fortunate to have. They came back from every cruise deeply moved by what they had seen.

 

While you may think it a waste of time and money, we have experienced the exact opposite. I wouldn't take one penny or minute back of any of our family cruises.

I have to agree that taking our kids along on our cruises was absolutely a great idea! They are all out of college now and pursuing their own lives, but the time that we had on family cruises was certainly well worth the time/effort/expense. I think they all gained a better appreciation for living conditions in other countires, expanded their culinary tastes, and put manners to good use during our travels. Two of three have done mission trips and I think exposure to other cultures helped them decide it was a way to give back. I am looking forward to being able to take the grandkids on cruises!

What a silly comment! What business is it of yours if an 8 year old goes on a cruise. This is the dumbest post I've seen in weeks on here. You don't think children cruise or deserve to? Unreal ....

It boggles the mind how others suggest "leave the kid(s) home with family for the week". Some may not *have* family or some like us can't imagine doing that.

Side note: an immediate family member of mine once invited us to join them on a cruise. I "reminded" them that we have a child. He suggested we "leave her with family for a week", I told him that wasn't our style... he paused and then goes "maybe you should have just gotten a dog instead". ???????

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