NCL Jade out of Southampton

[nissach]

In the process of booking the Jade out of Southampton for a 10 day Norwegian Fjord cruise in August. Taking advantage of the 'Free at Sea' offer.

Very excited to cruise NCL for the first time and also to sail Europe for the first time. We have been mostly on Carnival (one HAL) and always in the Caribbean.

I have done reviews on the Jade, just wondering what those who have sailed on her think??

Do all charged restaurants need to be booked before the cruise or can we book while on board?

Do any shows need to be booked ahead of time or can we just show up?

Are there any 'adult only' areas onboard? Not sure if there will be many kids, but you never know.

 

As for the itinerary, can anyone share their experiences of ports, best things to do in port, must sees, etc. (Southampton; Stavanger; Hellesylt; Geiranger; Flam; Alesund; Haugesund; Oslo; Disembark Southampton (London)*(England).

We also plan on spending a week or so before the cruise in London, any recommendations of where to stay?

 

Thanks for any feedback, I know I am asking a lot of questions!:)

[cclarke12]

In the process of booking the Jade out of Southampton for a 10 day Norwegian Fjord cruise in August. Taking advantage of the 'Free at Sea' offer.

Very excited to cruise NCL for the first time and also to sail Europe for the first time. We have been mostly on Carnival (one HAL) and always in the Caribbean.

I have done reviews on the Jade, just wondering what those who have sailed on her think??

Do all charged restaurants need to be booked before the cruise or can we book while on board?

Do any shows need to be booked ahead of time or can we just show up?

Are there any 'adult only' areas onboard? Not sure if there will be many kids, but you never know.

 

As for the itinerary, can anyone share their experiences of ports, best things to do in port, must sees, etc. (Southampton; Stavanger; Hellesylt; Geiranger; Flam; Alesund; Haugesund; Oslo; Disembark Southampton (London)*(England).

We also plan on spending a week or so before the cruise in London, any recommendations of where to stay?

 

Thanks for any feedback, I know I am asking a lot of questions!:)

 

 

We were on the Jade in October and had a great time. You'll have the advantage of sailing after she has been in dry dock for refurbishment. I'm wasn't aware of any adult only areas of this ship.

 

There will be a large number of children on this ship as it is the school holidays in the UK and NCL has had some very attractive pricing on sailings out of the UK.

 

We didn't use any of the speciality restaurants as the MDR was more than adequate. I think most people to advise booking in advance though.

 

In terms of itinerary

- Stavanger has a surprisingly interesting petroleum museum 10 mins walk from dock

- Flam railway is lovely but don't pay the extortionate cruise tour pricing. You can book tickets directly for a fraction of the price.

- the funicular at Bergen can be pre booked too I think, and is worth doing given it's not a long day in port

 

I'm not sure wher you're looking to stay in London, but if you want a reasonable priced hotel chain (no frills but comfortable) then Premier Inn chain is good. As long as you're near a tube line then everywhere is pretty accessible.

Edited November 27, 2016 by cclarke12

[KeithJenner]

If you are taking the train to Southampton then I would recommend staying somewhere near Waterloo. There are lots of hotels in the area and they are ideal for sightseeing as well.

 

Premier Inn have a place at County Hall there, but do also check other hotels as well. In my opinion, Premier Inn are proof of the fact that once you get a reputation for being cheap then you can charge whatever you like. More often than not I find better pricing elsewhere.

 

As for the Jade, it's a great ship. It is a little difficult to tell at the moment what the situation will be like with regard to bookings in the speciality restaurants, as the customer mix is likely to be a big different out of the UK. My guess is that this will result in less people using them, but that may be totally wrong. I'd book beforehand if it is important.

 

No entertainment on the Jade is available to prebook, so you don't need to worry about that. The theatre entertainment is fairly traditional cruise stuff, with two shows a night. Just turn up.

 

As said above, there will probably be quite a few kids onboard, as it is holiday time in the UK. There are no adult only areas as far as I can recall.

[nissach]

Thanks for the great info.

I did consider that it would be summer holidays in UK as it is here in Canada too. I jus don't think of kids being on a cruise with that itinerary...to me it is like going to Alaska...but that is me being a silly Canadian!

I will look into staying in Waterloo prior to the cruise if it makes it easier to get to the port.

What would be the best way to get to the cruise terminal from London if we do get there early and do some sightseeing? Is the tube the best way? Also, after the cruise we will likely book a flight for the next day and stay somewhere close to Gatwick, which will be the airport we will be flying in and out of. We don't want to rent a car and just want to use the tube, trains, etc. to get around.

I have read that the Jade is due for an upgrade in early 2017. What does this mean for changes? What will be changed or be added?

[hawkeyetlse]

The only adults-only public area I am aware of on the Jade is the Thermal Suite (spa). The highest open deck, which is the topless "Freestyle Sun Deck" on some other ships, is currently just an unlabeled sun deck that anyone can go to (but no one does).

What would be the best way to get to the cruise terminal from London if we do get there early and do some sightseeing? Is the tube the best way?

Southampton is a couple of hours away from London (about 80 miles), so the Tube doesn't go there. As KeithJenner mentioned, there are trains, also long-distance buses, and private transfer options (which you can also combine with a visit to Stonehenge, which is sort of on the way :)).

I have read that the Jade is due for an upgrade in early 2017. What does this mean for changes? What will be changed or be added?

I think the thread with the most details about this is the following one:

Jade drydock ~ change to SE decor?

[Byron_1978]

Som eideas for some of the ports.

 

Southampton: A lovely town for a walk. We particularly loved the QE2-mile (I believe it is called) with a quote of history every few steps. If I recall correctly this is in "High street" between Holyrood church and the waterfront.

 

Stavanger: We took a boat trip into Lysefjord and got to see "Pulpit rock". Very nice.

 

Geiranger: We went to the top of mount Dalsnibba. Very nice view from up there.

 

Flam: As mentioned above, the Flam Railway. It's amazing. Make sure to pre-book as this can get sold out.

 

Alesund: We took the small train that takes you to the viewing point. Nothing spectacular, but can get sold out as well.

 

None of the excursions I mentioned were organised by the cruise-line. Our TA managed it all (except Southampton) for us.

 

Hope this helps

[SuiteTraveler]

In Southampton, not all of the hotels have AC - since you are cruising in August, you might want to check this when choosing a hotel. The Holiday Inn at the port does have AC and it is so close you can literally walk to the ship.

 

Definitely book the specialty restaurants in advance as they will all be booked up by the end of the first day. On Jade, we particularly like Le Bistro - I'd book there twice - and Cagney's. The Teppanyaki restaurant on this ship is small and usually full every single night - so definitely book this if you want to eat there.

 

One tip: In the morning, the buffet is too small to handle all the guests. If you can't find a table, walk through the buffet and go into La Cucina for additional overflow seating. This is available at breakfast and lunch. At night, of course, it becomes a specialty restaurant.

[nissach]

Som eideas for some of the ports.

 

Southampton: A lovely town for a walk. We particularly loved the QE2-mile (I believe it is called) with a quote of history every few steps. If I recall correctly this is in "High street" between Holyrood church and the waterfront.

 

Stavanger: We took a boat trip into Lysefjord and got to see "Pulpit rock". Very nice.

 

Geiranger: We went to the top of mount Dalsnibba. Very nice view from up there.

 

Flam: As mentioned above, the Flam Railway. It's amazing. Make sure to pre-book as this can get sold out.

 

Alesund: We took the small train that takes you to the viewing point. Nothing spectacular, but can get sold out as well.

 

None of the excursions I mentioned were organised by the cruise-line. Our TA managed it all (except Southampton) for us.

 

Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the tips Byron! Any ideas/tips for places to visit or eat while in Oslo. We overnight there so we will have more time to explore.

[nissach]

In Southampton, not all of the hotels have AC - since you are cruising in August, you might want to check this when choosing a hotel. The Holiday Inn at the port does have AC and it is so close you can literally walk to the ship.

 

Definitely book the specialty restaurants in advance as they will all be booked up by the end of the first day. On Jade, we particularly like Le Bistro - I'd book there twice - and Cagney's. The Teppanyaki restaurant on this ship is small and usually full every single night - so definitely book this if you want to eat there.

 

One tip: In the morning, the buffet is too small to handle all the guests. If you can't find a table, walk through the buffet and go into La Cucina for additional overflow seating. This is available at breakfast and lunch. At night, of course, it becomes a specialty restaurant.

 

Thanks for the tip on AC...never thougth about it as I did not think it gets that hot, but I guess the humidity can be high.

 

Le Bistro and Cagneys were the two restaurants that we are most interested in so we will book ahead of time.

[sweeneytod]

No on has mentioned that there is a hop on hop off bus in Alesund. It starts at the port. Well worth the trip.

We have been on several of the NCL Jewel class ships and never had to pre book restaurants. The main up date to the Jade is to remove the South Sea Island décor and replace with a more modern look.

[sweeneytod]

The last time we sailed from Southampton we were on NCL Epic on a repositioning cruise. As we were returning to Gatwick we could not drive to Southampton. We took the National Express bus from Victoria coach station to Southampton. The fare was £5 as special offer. It takes around 2hours and goes to Southampton coach station, which is 400yards from Premier Inn, which in turn is about 400yds from the cruise terminal. this area is West Quay with a large Shopping mall.

[ireashmott]

Thanks for the great info.

I did consider that it would be summer holidays in UK as it is here in Canada too. I jus don't think of kids being on a cruise with that itinerary...to me it is like going to Alaska...but that is me being a silly Canadian!...

 

I laughed when I read that: We are Canadian and took our then toddler and baby to Alaska (even did helicopter rides and dog sledding) and we will be doing the Norway Fjord cruise on the Jade in June with our kids and baby. I'll post about it in June. For now I will say that, unlike Alaska, the execursions on this trip will likely all be booked with third parties. And in most towns there aren't too many options.

[Byron_1978]

Thanks for the tips Byron! Any ideas/tips for places to visit or eat while in Oslo. We overnight there so we will have more time to explore.

 

Sorry, haven't been to Oslo yet.

[nissach]

I laughed when I read that: We are Canadian and took our then toddler and baby to Alaska (even did helicopter rides and dog sledding) and we will be doing the Norway Fjord cruise on the Jade in June with our kids and baby. I'll post about it in June. For now I will say that, unlike Alaska, the execursions on this trip will likely all be booked with third parties. And in most towns there aren't too many options.

 

That is awesome...you just don't expect a lot of kids to be on Alaskan cruises.