JADE - Just Back

[nadalina]

We just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Jade. We were in an ocean-view cabin on deck 5, and we loved the location. We usually purchase a balcony cabin on a higher deck, but since we expected the weather to still be cool, we felt an ocean view would suffice, and we were right.

 

My comments are 99% positive. The food, service and shows were excellent. We ate dinner 3 times in one of the main dining rooms, 5 times in the specialty restaurants (Le Bistro - 2, Papa's Italian Kitchen - 2, Cagney's - 1), and we also dined at The Chef's Table one night. All were excellent. The Blue Lagoon was excellent, too, and this is where we had lunch most days. We did eat in the buffet three times and it was good to very good but very crowded most of the time and seating was sometimes difficult to find.

 

Embarkation was excellent and disembarkation was good. The ship is in excellent shape and I really enjoyed the main atrium lobby on this ship, whereas my experience has not been as enjoyable on the other NCL ships because of that huge Wii screen. The Jade's lobby is lovely and a hub of activity because of the almost constant entertainment, a coffee bar, shops, and the guest services counters.

 

We loved Barcelona, Madeira and Malaga but did not care for the two Canary Islands.

 

All in all, it was an excellent cruise and very good value.

 

If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.

 

Peggy

[Dayenu]

:( sad face only because I don't have a cruise planned (yet) and sailed on Jade before. We often went to Blue Lagoon for afternoon coffee and cheesecake. And we too had a window cabin on deck 5!

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!

[www3traveler]

We just returned from a wonderful cruise on the Jade. We were in an ocean-view cabin on deck 5, and we loved the location. We usually purchase a balcony cabin on a higher deck, but since we expected the weather to still be cool, we felt an ocean view would suffice, and we were right.

 

My comments are 99% positive. The food, service and shows were excellent. We ate dinner 3 times in one of the main dining rooms, 5 times in the specialty restaurants (Le Bistro - 2, Papa's Italian Kitchen - 2, Cagney's - 1), and we also dined at The Chef's Table one night. All were excellent. The Blue Lagoon was excellent, too, and this is where we had lunch most days. We did eat in the buffet three times and it was good to very good but very crowded most of the time and seating was sometimes difficult to find.

 

Embarkation was excellent and disembarkation was good. The ship is in excellent shape and I really enjoyed the main atrium lobby on this ship, whereas my experience has not been as enjoyable on the other NCL ships because of that huge Wii screen. The Jade's lobby is lovely and a hub of activity because of the almost constant entertainment, a coffee bar, shops, and the guest services counters.

 

We loved Barcelona, Madeira and Malaga but did not care for the two Canary Islands.

 

All in all, it was an excellent cruise and very good value.

 

If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.

 

Peggy

Who was the Hotel Director?

[portcbob]

Hi Nadalina.

 

You stated you dined at the " Chefs Table ", what do you mean by that????

 

My wife and I are doing the Jade for a 14 nighter through the Eastern Med/Adriatic in about 3 weeks time and can't wait. Love NCL .

 

Regards Bob & Chris.:):):)

[nadalina]

Thank you, Dayenu. Hope you can plan one soon. I love having a cruise booked that I can look forward to.

 

WWW3traveler, the Hotel Director was Denis from Dubrovnik, Croatia. I can't remember his last name but we met him on the third night of the cruise at The Chef's Table. Not only were the Executive Chef and Master Sommelier present but also the Hotel Director and the Food & Beverage Director. They were all very charming and seemed genuinely interested in making sure we had a great experience. My partner is also from Croatia, so there was an immediate bond. We saw him many times throughout the cruise and he always stopped to talk. All of the top officers, in fact, we're very visible, approachable and friendly..... very impressive. And, to my surprise, there was an American as the second in command Staff Captain. I've never even known of an American on the bridge in all of my cruises, but he, too, was very nice and friendly.

[www3traveler]

I was wondering if Denis was still on the Jade or whether he had left for vacation. Yes, he is a very nice man, I have sailed with him several times on The Pearl. Do you remember the Staff Captain's name?

[cruiseclues]

nadalina, Thanks for the mini review. I'm interested in your feeling about the MDR food, as many have remarked that it was not so good. You said you liked the location of your cabin. Would you mind giving an approximate location, deck etc. :)

[nadalina]

Hi Nadalina.

 

You stated you dined at the " Chefs Table ", what do you mean by that????

 

My wife and I are doing the Jade for a 14 nighter through the Eastern Med/Adriatic in about 3 weeks time and can't wait. Love NCL .

 

Regards Bob & Chris.:):):)

 

Hi Bob & Chris. I'm not sure if it is fleet-wide, but once per cruise they offer this dining experience for $75 per person for a maximum of 12 people. I believe it was 7-9 courses with wonderful wines selected to compliment each course. You cannot reserve it in advance online but must wait until you board. We went immediately upon boarding to reserve our place and it was on the third night of the cruise. There were 3 Americans, 1 from Croatia, 2 from Ireland, 2 from Australia, 1 from Switzerland and his wife who was from Slovenia, and 2 from Germany. It was great fun and a delicious meal. My only complaint is that, unfortunately, the lady who was the Master Sommelier was clearly not used to public speaking and was painfully nervous.

 

The event started with champagne as we all gathered in one of the lounges, and ended, after a tour of Le Bistro's galley (where the dinner was held), with after dinner drinks back in the meeting lounge.

 

We felt it was well worth the $75 per person charge. If you're interested in the menu, tomorrow, when I get back to my office and can type on my computer instead of this iPad, I'll post it for you.

[nadalina]

I was wondering if Denis was still on the Jade or whether he had left for vacation. Yes, he is a very nice man, I have sailed with him several times on The Pearl. Do you remember the Staff Captain's name?

 

I only remember his first name, which was David. All of the officers referred to themselves or the other officers as "Captain Michael", Hotel Director Denis, Staff Captain David, etc. instead of using their last names.

[nadalina]

nadalina, Thanks for the mini review. I'm interested in your feeling about the MDR food, as many have remarked that it was not so good. You said you liked the location of your cabin. Would you mind giving an approximate location, deck etc. :)

 

Hi cruiseclues. We were very pleasantly surprised with how good the food was in the MDR. We didn't always feel like eating what was on their menu, and if that was the case, we went to one of the specialty restaurants. But I have to say that everything we ate in the MDR was very good in our opinion, and we aren't novice cruisers ---60+ on Carnival, Celebrity (the most), Costa, Crystal, Princess, NCL, RCCL. I know there have been many negative comments about the MDR food, but you won't hear any from us, but, again, just our opinion.

 

As for our cabin, it was #5596, deck 5 on the port side. We were close, but not too close, to the elevators & stairways. Everything was just so easy to get to from that location, plus the view of the sea from that deck is absolutely gorgeous.

[cruiseclues]

Hi nadalina, thanks for the great information. :) Besides us, many others will appreciate it.

[cruis247g]

Thank you for posting Nadalina. So glad that you enjoyed your time on the Jade. We like the Jade very much, also.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review. Glad you had a good cruise.

[swedish weave]

The HD may have been Denis Prguda. We met him on the Pearl about three years ago, and he is a very nice guy !

[portcbob]

Hi Nadalina.

 

The menu would be great thanks.. Might put our name down for this when we embark in Venice.

 

Once again, thanks.

 

Regards Bob & Chris.:):):)

[pkt1976]

Great info, i can not wait for my turn :)

[English_in_Spain]

The HD may have been Denis Prguda. We met him on the Pearl about three years ago, and he is a very nice guy !

 

Yes, that is the name of the current HD. He is excellent and very approachable.

 

[nadalina]

Aperitif: Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs - Sparkling Wine - North Coast of California

 

Appetizers: (3)

Amuse Bouche: "Molecular Gastronome"

(spherical mango, vodka & jalapeno ravioli)

 

Tomato, Basil, Curry & Lavender Lavosh

 

Ahi Tuna Tartare

(with orange wasabi glaze and sesame crisp)

 

Wine Paired With Appetizers: Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough, New Zealand

 

Soup: Asparagus Cream

(with cauliflower flan and crispy beetroot & saffron angel hair)

 

Salad (but more like another appetizer): Short Crust Tartlet

(with goat cheese, sun-dried tomato chutney, basil oil & Kalamata olive tapenade)

 

Palate Cleanser: Granite

(grapefruit & moscato)

 

Entree #1: Pan Seared Sea Bass

(plantain-crusted with mango, papaya & avocado salsa and lobster veloute)

 

Wine Paired With The Above 4 Courses: Silverado Vineyards Chardonnay - Napa Valley, California

 

Entree #2: Milk-Fed Veal Chop

(with Anna potatoes, sauteed spinach and truffle veal jus)

 

Cheese Course: St. Andre Triple Creme & Stilton

(with honey comb, port wine infused figs, pickled watermelon and bagel chips)

 

Wine Paired with Above Two Courses: Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California

 

Dessert (2 - your choice or both):

#1 - The Dome (Yogurt Mousse with Lychee Raspberry Creme and Hazel Sablee with Lime Vanilla Reduction)

#2 - Chocolate Log (Spiced Dark Rum Infused Banana and Cocoa Mousse)

 

Coffee: Lavazza Coffee (Italy)

 

After Dinner Drinks: Choice of The Glenlivet, Bailey's Irish Cream, Courvoisier V.S., Grand Marnier, Kahlua, and Sandeman Founders Reserve

[TITISSA]

Do you have any pictures?

[waverley7]

We were on the April 12th sailing on the Jade and we ate in the MDR every night and we thought the food was great!

 

Also, when booking a room..........we were forward on the 10th floor (balcony) and it was a great location. The only reason you had to go to the back of the ship was to go to the MDR. Everything else was handy from where we were, theatre, casino, Martini Bar etc. We were in 10534 and it was close to the stairs and elevators, awesome location!

[nadalina]

Do you have any pictures?

 

Sorry, but no. We did not take any photos of the ship, inside or out, but I wish we had.

[English_in_Spain]

Do you have any pictures?

 

Photos of our recent Jade cruise to Canary Islands here

 

http://s537.photobucket.com/albums/ff339/CarolandBob_photos/Jade%202012/

 

[*Libby*]

Hi Carol, thank you so so much for letting us see your photos of the lovely Jade. Hubby & I are sailing on her in September, and are also in an interior cabin. Can I ask you how it was spacewise etc? I chose to go down to deck 4 instead of being under the casino etc on deck 5 - and am just wondering if I've made the right decision. I guess I can always hope there's a huge price drop and I can possibly bag an upgrade :p

 

Any other info/tips you're able to share would be most helpful.

 

Thanks again, glad you had a great cruise!

[English_in_Spain]

Hi Carol, thank you so so much for letting us see your photos of the lovely Jade. Hubby & I are sailing on her in September, and are also in an interior cabin. Can I ask you how it was spacewise etc? I chose to go down to deck 4 instead of being under the casino etc on deck 5 - and am just wondering if I've made the right decision. I guess I can always hope there's a huge price drop and I can possibly bag an upgrade :p

 

Any other info/tips you're able to share would be most helpful.

 

Thanks again, glad you had a great cruise!

 

Our cabin was on deck 9 midship (9585). It was pretty small compared to other cruise ships on other lines we have been on. We jokingly called it our cupboard :D

 

It was, however, big enough for two people to sleep and shower. We did not spend much time in there. When getting ready for dinner etc we did find it easier for one person to get ready at a time. I wouldn't want to be in there with 3 or 4 people even if the extras were children.

 

There was enough storage space for us for our 9 days and I am not a 'light' packer :o

 

This was a last minute booking for us and all that was available was insides or top of the range suites so there really was not much choice. It was also a very good price.

 

Depending where you are on deck 4 and, when in port, which deck they use for embarking and disembarking (sometimes it's 4 and sometimes 7) you may find a lot of people about near your cabin. That wouldn't bother me unless we were in port somewhere for an overnight stop. I, like you, would not want to be under the casino – in it but not under it :D

 

Other information or tips? If you enjoy good meat be sure to go to Moderno restaurant. It was wonderful – especially the lamb and the salad bar. We enjoyed it so much we went back a second evening.

 

If it is still on, make sure to go to the show ‘Elements’ on the last night. Try to go to the second show and get there early. It fills up and they will not let you in after it has started.

 

This was our 26th cruise. Our first on NCL for over 20 years. We were not sure whether we would like it but we loved it. The crew were so helpful and friendly.

 

If you have any specific questions let me know and I will try to answer them.

 

[pris993]

Thanks for your review. We are booked on the Jade for April 2013 Mediterranean/Middle East cruise. We have not been on NCL in 10 years, cruise mostly Princess, Celebrity, HAL and Cunard. Decided to book NCL since it was visiting Israel and the price was very reasonable. Looks like we are in for a treat when we go. We did book a mini suite towards the front of the ship under the library. Sounds like that will be a good location.