Live From the Garden Villa on the Jade

[jannandjohn]

I would day that your reviews, are the most informative, and most constructive of any reviews I have ever rad on any CC forum.:)

ohh, my slip of the fingers was soooo bad..I don't want to seem illiterate:o

so, it should say..

 

I would SAY that your reviews, are the most informative, and most constructive of any reviews I have ever READ on any CC forum.

 

and I mean it:D

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Thank you all for your comments - it keeps me motivated! We are at sea today and got our lost hour back. The casino has generously offered me a visit to the spa today and I happily accepted.

 

Seas at "wavelets" according to the television screen and the morning temp is 61 degrees. I will try to post an update later. One note about Egypt - traffic returning to the ship was unbelievable. While we got back in plenty of time, we planned it that way. I am certain if you are on a private tour, your guide knows what it takes to get you to the ship on time. However, just for peace of mind, we decided not to visit the new library in Alexandria. It was worth it to us - and each of you would have to make that decision for yourself. One of our suite mates has traveled all over the world and says he has never seen traffic that bad including Singapore, Moscow, Mexico City and Tokyo.

 

Again, thank you for the comments and more later.....

Cathy

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

A welcome day at sea, so just general notes today.

Our first cruise was in 1989 and we had a stateroom with a window. A few years later we discovered the joy of having a balcony and never looked back. We mostly cruised with RCCL and worked our way up to Diamond Plus. We also, over the years, worked our way up to longer cruises and suites including, eventually, a 14 day cruise to Alaska in the Royal Suite. We branched out a little and cruised with Celebrity in the Penthouse for the 14 day round trip San Diego/Hawaii/San Diego itinerary. We had sailed once on the Norway in the early 90's but found NCL again in 2008 when we were looking for a west coast Thanksgiving cruise for 21 family members. We discovered the Garden Villa. It is perfect for traveling with a large group. We thought - okay - a once in a lifetime experience. But when we started looking at a Trans Atlantic cruise for 2009, we looked first at NCL and the Gem had a perfect schedule for us, my sister and our two friends from Houston (also on this cruise with us). There was a time in my life when even taking a cruise would have seemed like a financial impossibility. A couple of us are retired and working part time, but most of us are still working long hours - mainly because we love working, but also because we want to be able to afford to vacation while we are healthy and young enough to enjoy. I know there are many people who can't afford the GV - or even if they could - wouldn't book it because they would prefer something more tangible for their money spent. However, my philosophy is there is nothing more tangible than memories.

Garden Villa

For a quick comparison, the Royal Suite on RCCL was special only in size. No butler (and our room steward was awful, leaving dead flowers and fuzzy strawberries in the room until we set them in the hall) and the concierge was in a lounge which was nice for cocktails before dinner and a cup of coffee in the morning. The Penthouse on Celebrity was a step up with a great butler, and I think we had priority checkin. The deck was over 1,000 square feet and had a private hot tub. We seemed to be able to get reservations anywhere and any time we wanted. But neither of them compare to the grand experience that is the Garden Villa.

• three large bedrooms and three and a half baths allow you to share the experience with family and friends (both RCCL and Celebrity have one bedroom only)
  
• the view is much better than the other two - we have floor to ceiling windows looking down on the pool - about the same location the Crown Club is on RCCL
  
• the private hot tub and sauna and upper and lower decks make you feel like you are alone on the ship at times and are really great for pulling into and out of port.
  
• 6 bottles of alcohol in our room (I believe we had wine on RCCL and liquor on Celebrity)
  
• from check in to disembarkation, you have a butler and concierge who will try to do anything you ask.
  
• we have received non stop complimentary deliveries including fresh flowers, champagne on arrival, complimentary dinner with wine (twice - once from the casino), bowls of M&M's, cashews, gummy bears and trailmix plus platters of fresh fruit, cookies, crackers and cheese and chocolate covered strawberries.
  
• a computer in the living room and large screen television in the living room - plus televisions and dvd players in every room.
  
• we have a dining table that seats 8 (one indoors and one on the balcony) and our butler serves any meal we request, either early or late.
  
• we have two carafes of coffee in our room every morning plus orange juice, mixers, water, soft drinks and ice
  
• we never stand in line for anything (except returning from excursions) including meals, embarkation and disembarking at ports
  
• we have a limo ride to the airport at the end of the trip
  
• of course, breakfast and lunch at Cagneys.
  
• because we booked through Casinos at Sea, all 6 of us had player cards and drink cards waiting in the GV when we checked in
  

Many of the above are available to other suite guests as well. We have considered cruising on some of the luxury lines, but can't imagine we would have the fantastic experience we have had during this trip and the two previous.

Some random thoughts about these past 9 days...

• Genesis has been our server in Cagneys on several occasions and always has a smile and does a great job.
  
• Swaroop Bannanje is an excellent waiter at Le Bistro, offering a class of service we haven't received elsewhere on the ship. He is very personable and takes care of business with excellent service.
  
• Rimarie, the casino host, has been fun and friendly and generous.
  
• Roland has exceeded our expectations as our butler - he even found me some buttermilk!
  
• We have nothing but rave reviews for Monica - she couldn't possibly have done a better job.
  
• Sea conditions have been better than our wildest expectations - I'm sure we've just been lucky.
  
• We had excellent service in the spa with a massage and facial (wonderful - aaahhhhh).
  
• Weather has been perfect except for a light rain in Rome. We actually had a few drops of rain in Cairo and our guide says it rains only 5 days a year.....
  
• All of our excusions have gone off without a single hitch - great guides, always on time, everything as expected, no surprises on costs - and outstanding knowledge and service in every port.
  
• We got the laundry special twice - and needed it! We all got filthy in Cairo, and that was without a windy day.
  
• We found the condition of the ship to be very good - and with a pro-active staff and the cooperation of passengers, we have managed to avoid any indication that there is any illness on board.
  
• We have docked and disembarked on time in every port.
  
• Even with all the bad weather in the states, we had only a slight hitch, missing our connecting flight in Frankfurt, but still got in on the day planned with all our luggage.
  
• We avoided the coup in Turkey, the demonstrations in Greece, a storm in Rome and we're hoping the Lufthansa strike (which has ended earlier than expected) doesn't effect our return home on Friday.
  
• We all agree that the quality of food is improved over the Gem last year. We weren't crazy about the Italian restaurant, we didn't try the Sushi or Teppanyaki this time, and we are going for Mexican food the first time tonight. Cagneys and Le Bistro are excellent.
  

Don't think for a second that everything has been perfect - but there have been very few issues and we just choose not to dwell on the small negative things when we are having a wonderful time and making beautiful memories we will have forever!

Tomorrow is Malta!

[carontori]

Cathy,

I have loved your reviews over this past week and am anxious to see and do everything myself in less than two weeks. You have been honest , through and extremely helpful and it is very much appreciated. Although I had mentioned earlier that we had issues with Monica, I am very happy to hear you have not. I am looking forward to another opportunity to see her and change my opinion. We were lucky enough to sail in the GV last year on the Star and completely understand how much you are enamoured by it. It certainly makes it difficult to sail any other way. Enjoy the rest of your cruise and let us know how the rest of it goes.

Caron

[Rodie H]

Cathy, love the posts! So informative. But, now I know what I couldn't stay in a GV--the snacks! OMG I couldn't handle the M&Ms, chocolate candy, choc. covered berries. I'd be leaving the cruise with at least a 10 lb. gain. So glad I know I can't cruise in style!! Okay, a balcony will normally do for me!

 

Gilda

[jvsnana]

So glad you posted "the grand experience of the Garden Villa"!

It helps us get excited all over again for our stay in May!

I have a question on how you split up the on board expenses between the three cabins in the GV. Are there 3 separate accounts with each cabin or just one account for the stateroom?

Enjoy your day at sea!

[McDebbie]

Thanks for taking the time to post, I feel like we are traveling along with you.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

So glad you posted "the grand experience of the Garden Villa"!

It helps us get excited all over again for our stay in May!

I have a question on how you split up the on board expenses between the three cabins in the GV. Are there 3 separate accounts with each cabin or just one account for the stateroom?

Enjoy your day at sea!

 

When you check in, they swipe a credit card for each room (there are actually different room numbers within the suite). But we are all officially in suite 14500. And we get separate bills. Although, interestingly, we can't seem to find a way to view our accounts on the television as we have been able to do in the past...... We can't find the "guest services" screen...... will have to ask Roland. I know you will have a great time. It's a great experience.

Cathy

[jvsnana]

When you check in, they swipe a credit card for each room (there are actually different room numbers within the suite). But we are all officially in suite 14500. And we get separate bills. Although, interestingly, we can't seem to find a way to view our accounts on the television as we have been able to do in the past...... We can't find the "guest services" screen...... will have to ask Roland. I know you will have a great time. It's a great experience.

Cathy

That's good to know! It will be easier for each couple to keep track if they are separate:) Thanks!

[jannandjohn]

we were wondering how you work out who gets the bigger bedroom?

do you know beforehand?

I suggested to my husband, that if we went with 2 lots of friends, we would all put our names(each couple)into a hat with a $1000 per couple in a pot.

then two lots would draw out their names, so they get their money back, but a smaller room, the other couple leaves their 1000 in the pot for all to put towards fun times, and then they get the bigger room.

how else would it be fair if you all pay the same cruise price..I understand everyone has different expenses after that, but the price for the cruise is in one lump, .not 3 . right?

[giggleshanks]

Thanks Cathy for your detailed reports. I've been looking forward to each one of them. I was so excited to read every word about Egypt!

We sail aboard the Jade on March 7! I can't wait!!

We felt the same way about St. Petersburg several years ago. Couldn't wait to get there, loved the tours, glad we saw it all and were very glad to be back aboard as we sailed away.

I've never sailed on NCL before, you have me convinced we'll have a wonderful trip. Marilyn

[carver_89]

Thanks Cathy- We also will be on the March 28th Jade cruise, and are not quite what you would call "experienced world travelers" nor have we cruised before. I now have 2 pages of handy tips and notes from your posts. I know all of us future cruisers can rest easier due to you showing us the ropes. It has been extremely selfless of you to take time out of your fantasy vacation to share precious information with us. A "thank you" can't even describe our gratitude. :D

[PEASECORP]

Thanks Cathy- We also will be on the March 28th Jade cruise, and are not quite what you would call "experienced world travelers" nor have we cruised before. I now have 2 pages of handy tips and notes from your posts. I know all of us future cruisers can rest easier due to you showing us the ropes. It has been extremely selfless of you to take time out of your fantasy vacation to share precious information with us. A "thank you" can't even describe our gratitude. :D

Ditto Cathy. Copied all your information. Thanks so much for taking time from your cruise to detail an itinerary we all will share on March 7th!

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

we were wondering how you work out who gets the bigger bedroom?

do you know beforehand?

I suggested to my husband, that if we went with 2 lots of friends, we would all put our names(each couple)into a hat with a $1000 per couple in a pot.

then two lots would draw out their names, so they get their money back, but a smaller room, the other couple leaves their 1000 in the pot for all to put towards fun times, and then they get the bigger room.

how else would it be fair if you all pay the same cruise price..I understand everyone has different expenses after that, but the price for the cruise is in one lump, .not 3 . right?

 

I wondered if anyone would ask. On the Star, it was easy as there are two larger masters, which my sister and I took and my son and his wife were in the middle room. This year I had gotten a generous "incentive" from Casinos at Sea - which we used to lower the total price for everyone. Our friends agreed that because everyone benefited from the credit, we could have the larger room. Our other option would have been to have an auction for the bigger master and it goes to the highest bidder and then the other two bedrooms split the balance of the cost of the cruise. For example if the total was $10,000 (which we all know it isn't) and one couple bids $5,000 then the other two couples would pay $2,500 each. On our 15 day TransAtlantic last year we considered rotating through each room for 5 days each - but decided that would be way too much trouble........ Lots of creative ways to figure it out. To me, the larger master is worth more money because of the bathroom and closet...... Good luck working it out.

[Rodie H]

Check out the Roll Call for the Jade 3/28/10. We have a Meet and Greet that you register for and excursions posted. Take a look at us--you might like what you see!

[AuntieBarb]

Cathy, your live review is so good and so helpful! Thank you again for all you have shared with us.

 

If I may ask....

 

Our roll call is aware that certain locations, such as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, require the checking of backpacks, purses, cameras, etc. My question is how are such items secured? Are you given a locker or are these items merely tagged as in a coat check? I am concerned about our valuables.

[jvsnana]

I wondered if anyone would ask. On the Star, it was easy as there are two larger masters, which my sister and I took and my son and his wife were in the middle room. This year I had gotten a generous "incentive" from Casinos at Sea - which we used to lower the total price for everyone. Our friends agreed that because everyone benefited from the credit, we could have the larger room. Our other option would have been to have an auction for the bigger master and it goes to the highest bidder and then the other two bedrooms split the balance of the cost of the cruise. For example if the total was $10,000 (which we all know it isn't) and one couple bids $5,000 then the other two couples would pay $2,500 each. On our 15 day TransAtlantic last year we considered rotating through each room for 5 days each - but decided that would be way too much trouble........ Lots of creative ways to figure it out. To me, the larger master is worth more money because of the bathroom and closet...... Good luck working it out.

Is the large master bedroom the one in front or back on the Star?

[carver_89]

Check out the Roll Call for the Jade 3/28/10. We have a Meet and Greet that you register for and excursions posted. Take a look at us--you might like what you see!

Thank you for the invitation. I'm in the party of 3 with Esp55, and we are confirmed to attend. See you there.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Cathy, your live review is so good and so helpful! Thank you again for all you have shared with us.

 

If I may ask....

 

Our roll call is aware that certain locations, such as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, require the checking of backpacks, purses, cameras, etc. My question is how are such items secured? Are you given a locker or are these items merely tagged as in a coat check? I am concerned about our valuables.

 

We had to run our items through a scanner but got to keep everything because our guide told us to leave our cameras in the van. I'm not sure what they would have done with them if we had brought them in. Everything was safe in the van as the driver stayed with it all the time. Hope this helps.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Is the large master bedroom the one in front or back on the Star?

 

Front, overlooking the pool, is the larger. Back is nice, too, with doors to the patio area.....

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Malta

We were up early, had a leisurely breakfast in Cagney's, and then watched from our fabulous GV view as we saw the island of Malta in the distance.

Everyone says the cruise into the harbor at Malta is one of the nicest and we were looking forward to seeing it for ourselves. From a distance it was obvious the island's hills were dotted with villages and as we got closer we could see what looked like forts all around the harbor. We came through a tight break wall on each side of the ship and deep into the harbor, passing several elevated fortresses. Malta is exactly what you expect/want a Mediterranean port to be. Clean, beautiful, kind of beige buildings and churches with beautiful country side vistas and villages.

We had booked a private car, driver and guide with Charmaine at SwanSea Car Hire Malta (swansab@malta-car-hire.com). We debated before booking as we weren't positive we needed a guide, but it only took about 5 minutes with Marie Louise for us to realize we would have been lost without her. She met us at the ship and we headed inside the walls of Valleta. Our driver, Manuel, dropped us at the Upper Barrach Gardens where we looked down on cannons overlooking the harbor. From there we walked through some of the beautiful streets to St. John's Co-Cathedral / Museum. It was well worth the 6 Euro entry and Marie Louise was very knowledgeable about history and restoration. From there we went to the city of Mdina, a beautiful city surrounded by a (dry) moat and overlooking Malta, with narrow streets and beautiful buildings and views. And then a quick trip through a fishing village. Our tour was only 4 hours as our stay in Malta was only 7 hours. We found a sidewalk restaurant for pizza and wine. The city of Malta is amazingly clean - the first city we have visited where we didn't see any graffiti. We visited a few shops looking at glass works and lace pieces created locally, but only bought a few t-shirts at the Hard Rock Bar at the Harbor.

We backed away from the dock at straight up 6:00 pm and made a very tight turnaround in the basin, and we're now headed back to Barcelona. It's dark on the way out so I'm glad we saw the cruise in this morning.

We haven't mentioned much about the entertainment because there hasn't been much to say. Most of the shows were put on by the production company plus there was a violinist (we didn't attend), Spanish dancers (none of us were impressed), three Spanish guitarists/comedians who were okay, and a Celine Dion imitator who probably would have been better if she had just been herself instead of imitating Celine. We had stopped going to shows on cruise ships several years ago when they all started looking/sounding alike. But last year, on the Gem, we started the cruise with 5 sea days and plenty of time to see the shows and made an effort to see most of them. We were impressed with the quality and diversity of the entertainment offered. But the Jade is pretty much the same type of entertainment we had stopped attending. So, some people will love it and some people won't. Tracey Shield, with her tribute to Celine Dion, got a standing ovation. And the entertainment will probably change for future cruises. It's free, the theater is nice and you don't have to worry about parking or driving home!

There was a very diverse group of friendly people on this sailing. Announcements were in German, Spanish and English. We saw lots of families traveling with children.

We plan to have a lovely day at sea tomorrow and dinner tomorrow night at Le Bistro. Then packing and early to bed because we will be up very early on Friday - so that we can be off the ship by 6:30 am as we are concerned about the Lufthansa strike. We are flying Lufthansa from Barcelona to Frankfurt and then Frankfurt to Houston on a Lufthansa flight operated by Continental. Hopefully, all their flights will be on schedule by then. Unfortunately we have only 1 1/2 hours between flights in Frankfurt - so not sure we will make our connection. I'm certain we will get home eventually.

 

More later,

Cathy

[jvsnana]

Are you planning on taking the provided Limo to the airport?

We loved Malta in November. We did Valletta on our own and did not get to Mdina. Can you elaborate on that city? Also, can I ask you how much you paid for the private tour?

Thanks:)

[Beauseant]

Hi jvsnana, if you want some more info about Malta (I live in Malta) just click here and there might be something interesting to you:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1046600

 

...and thanks for your very interesting review WhenIsOurNextCruise, I'll be on the Jade in 2 weeks time, and hope to have a splendid time as you are having :)

 

btw....is it possible to take pics inside the Great Pyramid? Not fair paying all that money (have booked an overnight stay in Cairo) and not being allowed to take photos inside the Pyramids....no paintings to ruin with flash in there!!

 

Anyway, hope you find nice weather till you hit Barcelona. Will miss MSC Splendida's inside pool....

[Turtles06]

btw....is it possible to take pics inside the Great Pyramid? Not fair paying all that money (have booked an overnight stay in Cairo) and not being allowed to take photos inside the Pyramids....no paintings to ruin with flash in there!!

 

 

We were in the Great Pyramid a few weeks ago. (An awesome thing to do!) Taking pictures inside is prohibited. You will not be allowed to bring a camera in (we left ours with our guide). I will tell you, though, that you won't be searched for your cell phones, and there were people inside taking pix with their phones. You'll have to decide for yourself whether taking forbidden photos inside a tomb would be bad karma....:)

[Turtles06]

Our roll call is aware that certain locations, such as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, require the checking of backpacks, purses, cameras, etc. My question is how are such items secured? Are you given a locker or are these items merely tagged as in a coat check? I am concerned about our valuables.

 

At the Museum, our guide (we were on a private shore excursion) told us to leave our cameras in the van, which were safe with the driver. At his suggestion, though, we took one camera with us through the main ticket entrance (which is outside), so that we could take pictures in the front garden area of the Museum before going inside (where no cameras area allowed). That way, we got some photos of the outside of the Museum and the statues in the garden.

 

Before we went inside, our guide checked this camera with the Museum folks (yes, tagged like a coat check). When we left, the guide got it back just fine with no wait. (Take the memory card out before checking if this process worries you, or don't even bring the camera into the garden area in the first place.)

 

I'm usually pretty concerned about doing things like this, but it turned out just fine.