A Ma'am and 2 Ma'amettes week on the Jade

[medicalma'am]

What a great time we three had on the Jade out of the Port of Houston. This cruise was booked 11 months in advance. I was perusing the NCL website back last March and just could not believe the great offer they had going: book a suite and get UDP, UBP, Paid Gratuities, and $200 OBC. Let's see, I have a daughter in law who will be graduating with a Master's in Counseling in December. Hmmmm, she deserves a really great graduation gift. Hmmmm, maybe a cruise! Yes, that's it. My daughter could go too and we could make it a girl's cruise!

 

So that was the birth of this cruise. I called my PCC and booked an aft Penthouse on the 10th floor. I don't remember how long I waited to tell them but when I did, we started a group text for all things cruising. It was so much fun to plan, pick our excursions, and talk cruising with them.

 

The itinerary was three ports: Cozumel, Belize City Belize, and Roatan Honduras. That meant three sea days, so we definitely would need the Spa Pass. I could introduce these gals to the Spa.

 

Fast Forward to three weeks before the cruise.....I was (again) perusing the NCL website and saw that there were at least two Owners Suites available. Hmmmm. My mind is imagining a week in that suite! My daughter was at my house at the time and she wanted me to call my PCC. I did just that and asked about moving to that suite. She and I talked a couple of times that day and she said that she would write an email to the upsell department and call me in the morning. When she called with a great price I told her "SOLD!". I even had my choice of all four of the owners suites! I chose one on the port tenth deck and started dreaming.

 

I had to tell my daughter (I just couldn't stand to see her disappointment for those three weeks just to surprise her in the end), but we did keep it a secret from my daughter in law. After all, it was HER graduation cruise! How nice to sneak in a surprise.

 

So, come along on our journey with me. I will have lost of pics and fun!

 

This is a screen shot of MyNCL that says at the top of the page "1 day" till we sail!

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by medicalma'am

[medicalma'am]

We had a plan to drive to the port on the day of sailing. We live in East Texas and it is less than a three hour drive. We got a bit of a late start that morning and rain was in the forecast. We had just a mist the first bit of our drive and had clear skies most of the way. We discussed our snorkel plans on the way and I discovered that they had no snorkel gear! They thought from a text of mine that I had gotten some for them. "You said snorkel gear was packed!" Well, I meant MINE was packed. OK, now I felt bad. We got to La Porte and I stopped at a Walmart. Nope, out of season. We got directions to Academy. My, I grew up in Clear Lake City and I thought I knew how to get around La Porte, but it had changed sine I moved away! We found it soon enough with our phone apps. They did have what we needed. We stopped at a grocery store then for last minute items we thought we needed and off to the port!

 

Our first glimpse of the Jade.

 

We were greeted by our concierge, and within a few minutes we were being led up the gangway. Off to Cagney's for lunch!

 

Waiting in the Star Bar for a table in Cagney's

 

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My car is out there somewhere.

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by medicalma'am

[medicalma'am]

After a great lunch it was time for the big reveal. When my daughter in law (Samantha or just Sam) was handed her cruise card, JUST before we had to have them scanned to board, she looked at it front and back, but said nothing. My daughter (Natalie or just Nat) and I exchanged glances (Did she see that? Did she guess? Is she wondering?) Not a word though. We now had to head toward the stern on the 10th deck. Now she knew we were in the aft. We had talked about that many times in the months leading up to the cruise. I am an avid aft cruiser and I wanted them to experience it. She also knew about the little fishies on the carpet swimming forward because I had talked about it on FB that week I think. She told us later that she was a bit confused because the fishies on the carpet told her that we were going the WRONG direction, but she kept looking at the cabin numbers on the doors we passed and they told her that we were going the RIGHT direction. She checked our cabin number on her cruise card.....yep, we were going in the right direction all right. Well maybe this ship or deck or hallway just had the carpet laid wrong (or her dear mother in law just didn't know what she was talking about. :p)

 

I can't wait! This is so much fun! I love surprising loved ones!

[medicalma'am]

Now I expected our door to be on the end of the hall, so I walked all the way to the end. When we have stayed in aft penthouses that is where our door was. I did not see our cabin number. So we backtracked a bit. There it was.

 

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All you could see was the side balcony and the couch at first. Then as she stepped farther into the room she looked to the right and saw the bedroom area. OOOOOOs and Ahhhhhhs from both the Ma'amettes. Then into the bathroom and BAM! She went wild! A tub! A shower! TWO sinks, and a...a...a... DRESSING AREA!!! Then she went wild for the loofa! "We have a LOOFA! Look, a LOOFA!" You would think it was made of gold! So maybe a couple of drinks in Cagney's had taken effect, ya think?

 

Well it was fun for sure. I had to tell her the whole story of how I had upgraded from the upsell PCC Fairy.

 

I have videos of the suite that I will try to post tomorrow. It is midnight and I work as an RN Manager at a State Supported Living Center for the physically and intellectually disabled, so I do need to sleep. After work tomorrow we will continue on this journey and I hope the Ma'amettes will add in their comments. Until then....

[Cruise-mom]

Great start, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading more.

[medicalma'am]

Thank you cruise-mom. Glad you are reading! I am VERY behind on my reviews, as you can see from my signature. Time to get caught up!

 

I am waiting on my first cup of coffee for the day and thought I would check my video upload. I started it around midnight and it is 91% complete. Folks, that is over 6 hours for less than 2.5 minutes of video! That is how slow our internet has gotten. Oh my, this may not be possible. Well, I do have tons of pics of the suite and will use those.

 

Be back after work!

[kosweeps]

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

[cmsgtwhite]

We also booked the Jade 10th Floor AFT Suite about a year ago and leaving in 17 days on 12 Mar! So excited to hear about the rest of your trip. Thanks for sharing!

[Aprille]

Loving the review so far. Looking forward to more. Pictures and review! :)

[Planmaam]

Yes! Pictures of your suite on the Jade; can't wait to learn everything about your wonderful, relaxing week!

[Mistizoom]

Great review so far, thanks!

[Lialovestotravel]

Can't wait to read more! Love a girls trip! I'm an RN too, I work in mother and baby though. Thanks in advance for your review!

[dolita22]

You are an awesome mother-in-law! I would love it if my MIL surprised me with a vacation anywhere. ;-)

 

Sailing the Jade next January for 10 days, so I'm excited to have a great review to read. Looking forward to more!

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am loving your review! I am also looking forward to your next installment and pictures.

[DMH15]

In exactly one year I will be on the Jade in a forward PH for a girls' trip. Me, my sis and her daughter, who will be 20. I have cruised with them both but never together. Your review is a must-read for me. Great inspiration.

[hlb76]

woo hoo.. another picture review! Thanks I cant wait to learn more about cruising NCL and the Jade!

[medicalma'am]

Glad you are along for the ride kosweeps!

 

Aprille, the pics are what make a review great for me too!

 

cmsgtwhite, the aft suites are my FAVORITE!

 

I knew you would be here Planma'am. :p

 

Thank you Mistizoom! You are so welcome.

 

 

 

[medicalma'am]

lialovestotravel, a fellow RN! We work hard for our vacations, don't we? I am already needing this review to 'relive' mine!

 

dolita22, aren't I just the greatest MIL??? lol I was actually thinking of using that in the name of this review, but Medicalma'am (my sister) came up with this one and that was it!

 

Linda the book lover! So glad you are enjoying!

 

DHM15, I hope this will be an inspiration to you. We had SUCH a great week and got along fabulously all week.

 

hlb76, I only cruise NCL the last 9 years, but I hoped they would stay in Houston. Our next closest port is New Orleans. The Jade was awesome and reminded me of the Pearl, the first NCL ship I sailed.

[medicalma'am]

Well, let's see. I guess we will continue to tour the suite. I left my video uploading this morning when I left for work and it got 'stuck' I guess, cause it is still loading that last 9%. :eek: My son is coming over later to show me how to post it from someplace else. :)

 

This is the entry door. Now, notice that it is much larger than the door you saw in the picture of the outside hall. I guess if you pay more for a cabin that is larger, they think you deserve a wider door.

 

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Then beyond that is the bedroom.

 

 

 

[medicalma'am]

The bathroom is HUGE. This is the largest bathroom I have ever had on a ship. There is a long counter and two sinks with mirror above. See the box on the counter? That is a loofa in that box. We should have asked for another. LOL I had brought mine from home.

 

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Across from the sinks is the toilet enclosure. I brought a curtain as the door was quite see-through. The three hooks were useful as there were three of us. We could hang our robes and a towel on each of them.

 

Edited February 25, 2016 by medicalma'am

[DMH15]

I decided to peruse the Owners suites layouts. Just in case. [emoji3] I love the aft PHs on the Sun because of the separation of sleeping spaces so I would pay to upgrade if there was a deal to do so. My niece is in college and my sis is self employed so I would treat any upsell cost. But man, I do not know if I can keep that secret.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Have been on Jewel twice but Jade is new.

 

Where are you in East Texas? We are in Dallas.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Is that a reading chair with a hassock and hopefully a light? I sometimes like to read before bed if we don't sit on the balcony. Alas I will have to stick with our aft penthouse but I am vicariously enjoying your Haven.

[medicalma'am]

Donna, we are in Nacogdoches County, in the woods. We have 5 acres and are renovating so we can sell. We want to downsize, in square footage and acreage. We have a plan picked out and 3 acres picked out. We have been in this house 28 years now.

 

Linda, it is a very comfortable reading chair and large hassock. There is no reading light there. I just used the light that is on the desk and it was enough.

[medicalma'am]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Then I wonder what a video is worth???? First try at a video link.

 

Our suite!

 

[ncklhaus]

This is great! I love reading a ma'am review. Looking forward to more.