Honeymoon: RC Anthem or NCL Jade or other?

[redredgirl]

My fiance and I are trying to pick a cruise for our honeymoon. We have a very narrow date range and have unoffically narrowed it down to two cruises. We are looking for a relaxing but fun cruise. The Jade sailing from Venice in August hits up some of the best ports and would have the unlimited beverage package, which is very tempting. For quite a bit more we could get the Anthem as it goes through the Spanish beaches. As we are previous RCI cruisers we would like to stick with them, and try out the new ship, but the Jade just seems so tempting as well. Any advice or tips on how to choose? Also open to any other suggestions for early August!! Thanks!!

[Aquahound]

Having experience with both lines, I will almost always recommend RCI over NCL. However, itinerary is key in the Med and sailing out of Venice is one of the best...if not the best sailaway in all of cruising. There was another thread recently that was similar to this one. Have you checked out the Splendor of the Seas out of Venice? I would book that ship long before I would consider any NCL ship.

 

The brand new Anthem is appealing, but only if that's the itinerary you are most interested in. JMO. :)

[zoncom]

Jade is getting old. Was on Sun, a sister ship, in AK several mos. ago. Never again. What is your time frame? The discount cruise agencies have online charts with time frames and desired ports which include all lines.I would consider Celebrity also for a special honeymoon.

[redredgirl]

Our timeframe is about July 27th to August 16th. Might be able to push the August date a few days for something worthwhile.

[Essiesmom]

Although I love Venice and the Adriatic,, August is the hottest month there, beastly hot, as in the 90's, and I would never go there then. Also the most crowded, as it is the traditional vacation month for Europeans. So of the two options, I would choose Anthem - but think for August, you should look at the Baltic instead. EM

[Iluvcruising2]

Obviously the Anthem is a much newer ship with all the supposedly 'WOW' factors for you to enjoy. But I think the cost would be substantially higher.

 

If you want a more homely and personalized experience, I would go with the Jade in a Suite. Enjoy the suite perks on NCL and the NCL Jade offers them usually a decent price.

 

We did a 2 bedroom penthouse non-haven suite on the NCL Jade in Dec 2014 and loved it! Having my own coffee machine in my suite was awesome.

[YOUTUBE]ilgsTvs8hdk[/YOUTUBE]

 

Yes, the Jade is an older ship but not that old! She was launched in 2006.

 

If you want relaxing and visiting some of the very romantic ports, go with the Jade. If you choose a suite, then it would be even more fun and romantic.

 

I put up many pictures and videos on my blog post. We sailed on the NCL Jade to Greece and Turkey.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/p/norwegian-jade-ncl-cruise-greece-turkey.html

Edited February 10, 2015 by Iluvcruising2

[jocap]

Jade is one of the Jewel Class of ships, and newer than the previously mentioned Sun. She's become very popular in Europe during her 7 years here....not as glitzy as some RCI ships and quite small for these days, but we've been quite satisfied with her on two cruises.

The activities will also be less than on RCI, and you'll probably find many nationalities on board, which will make the announcements longer.

But, in the Med, especially in all the heat, you'll probably find you're happy to return to the ship after a tiring day, and not be looking for a great deal of fun, except on sea days.

August is the holiday time for Europeans, when schools and many businesses close, so it's going to be crowded at the sights....and there will be lots of children on board both ships.

Enjoy choosing! ;)