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A "Quickie" on the Jade

Oakman58

By Oakman58,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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NCL Jade

Four day Caribbean cruise

Jan 22 – Jan 26 2018

 

We booked this four night cruise on the Jade in mid-October of 2017 when NCL offered the Take All Five promotion. Normally to get all 5 perks you have to book a suite or Haven category so when NCL offered those perks to baggage class passengers like me I jumped on the deal. I booked a balcony cabin that would be assigned by NCL. Just a few days later we were assigned balcony cabin 10552 a BA category cabin.

 

We were joined on this trip by my wife’s brother and his wife (their first cruise), and her cousin and his wife (their third NCL cruise.) Both couples were assigned balcony cabins on deck 10.

 

At the time I booked this cruise I thought January would be a great time of the year to get out of Missouri. January is the coldest month of the year in the St. Louis area so weather-wise it was a smart move, but health wise I suddenly wasn’t so sure. Currently in the U.S., cases of the Influenza Virus are widespread in 49 of the 50 states.

 

With this widespread outbreak of the flu, we were now just a couple of days away from boarding a ship in Miami with 2400 passengers. These people would be coming from all over the U.S. during the height of the flu season. There was no question in my mind that at some point during the cruise my wife and I would be exposed to the flu virus from other passengers.

 

Oh well, I thought to myself, there’s nothing I can do about it now. I was sure we were destined to catch the flu on this cruise. I was convinced we were doomed. And then suddenly I had an epiphany, it was pure genius. We would both get a shot for the flu.

ru7f6b.jpg

 

Naturally this type of flu shot won’t actually protect you from the flu virus but we discovered after taking a few more flu shots, we no longer cared. As a matter of fact, we were no longer concerned about anything at all.

 

21 Jan 2018 MIAMI HERE WE COME.

We always fly into the port city a day early because as we all know things happen. We had a 9:35 AM flight to Miami with a layover and change of planes in Atlanta. Here’s a picture of our plane landing in Atlanta. Our shadow was already on the ground when we arrived.

30wb66t.jpg

 

We arrived at Miami International at 4 PM and after retrieving our luggage walked outside to wait for our free shuttle to LaQuinta Inn and Suites East. It was a short wait for the shuttle and we were checked into our hotel by 5 PM. During the check-in we scheduled the free shuttle to the cruise port for the next morning and would be on the first one to depart at 10 AM.

 

I had chosen to stay at LaQuinta because it was moderately priced and offered the free shuttles. Last month for our Panama Canal cruise we stayed at the Red Roof Inn which was right next door to LaQuinta for the same reason. Even though there was construction going on in the LaQuinta I would still choose it over the Red Roof Inn. The biggest drawback to these two hotels is the lack of any restaurants in the area.

291lu95.jpg

 

Continued in my next post.

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MrsTocko

MrsTocko

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NCL Jade

Four day Caribbean cruise

Jan 22 – Jan 26 2018

 

We booked this four night cruise on the Jade in mid-October of 2017 when NCL offered the Take All Five promotion. Normally to get all 5 perks you have to book a suite or Haven category so when NCL offered those perks to baggage class passengers like me I jumped on the deal. I booked a balcony cabin that would be assigned by NCL. Just a few days later we were assigned balcony cabin 10552 a BA category cabin.

 

We were joined on this trip by my wife’s brother and his wife (their first cruise), and her cousin and his wife (their third NCL cruise.) Both couples were assigned balcony cabins on deck 10.

 

At the time I booked this cruise I thought January would be a great time of the year to get out of Missouri. January is the coldest month of the year in the St. Louis area so weather-wise it was a smart move, but health wise I suddenly wasn’t so sure. Currently in the U.S., cases of the Influenza Virus are widespread in 49 of the 50 states.

 

With this widespread outbreak of the flu, we were now just a couple of days away from boarding a ship in Miami with 2400 passengers. These people would be coming from all over the U.S. during the height of the flu season. There was no question in my mind that at some point during the cruise my wife and I would be exposed to the flu virus from other passengers.

 

Oh well, I thought to myself, there’s nothing I can do about it now. I was sure we were destined to catch the flu on this cruise. I was convinced we were doomed. And then suddenly I had an epiphany, it was pure genius. We would both get a shot for the flu.

ru7f6b.jpg

 

Naturally this type of flu shot won’t actually protect you from the flu virus but we discovered after taking a few more flu shots, we no longer cared. As a matter of fact, we were no longer concerned about anything at all.

 

21 Jan 2018 MIAMI HERE WE COME.

We always fly into the port city a day early because as we all know things happen. We had a 9:35 AM flight to Miami with a layover and change of planes in Atlanta. Here’s a picture of our plane landing in Atlanta. Our shadow was already on the ground when we arrived.

30wb66t.jpg

 

We arrived at Miami International at 4 PM and after retrieving our luggage walked outside to wait for our free shuttle to LaQuinta Inn and Suites East. It was a short wait for the shuttle and we were checked into our hotel by 5 PM. During the check-in we scheduled the free shuttle to the cruise port for the next morning and would be on the first one to depart at 10 AM.

 

I had chosen to stay at LaQuinta because it was moderately priced and offered the free shuttles. Last month for our Panama Canal cruise we stayed at the Red Roof Inn which was right next door to LaQuinta for the same reason. Even though there was construction going on in the LaQuinta I would still choose it over the Red Roof Inn. The biggest drawback to these two hotels is the lack of any restaurants in the area.

291lu95.jpg

 

Continued in my next post.

 

I am subscribing too....I will be on the Jade in 53 Short days...so looking for all info Jade related. Who were the officers and concierge? CD?

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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I am subscribing too....I will be on the Jade in 53 Short days...so looking for all info Jade related. Who were the officers and concierge? CD?

 

The Cruise Director was Richard Matic and the Master and Commander of the ship was Kim Karlsson. I'm sorryI don't know who the other officers were.

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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22 Jan 2018 Day 1 Embarkation Day

 

With the excitement of boarding the cruise ship today we were both awake by 6 AM. For breakfast we took advantage of the hotel’s continental breakfast. The food selection was limited but they did have two waffle irons for those wanting something hot for breakfast.

 

After breakfast we gathered our luggage from the room, checked out, and waited in the lobby for our shuttle. There were a number of other folks in the lobby waiting for the same shuttle. When the shuttle arrived, we all walked outside and the driver checked our names off his list of passengers. Oh oh, there was one couple whose name wasn’t on the list. This was a twelve passenger van and there were 14 passengers.

 

Apparently when the couple checked in last night the clerk failed to put their name on the list for the 10AM trip or any trip for that matter. They were livid about this screw up. I don’t blame them, I would have been very upset too. I was about to go over and suggest they try taking a couple of flu shots but the van was loading passengers so I had to leave.

 

It was a 25 minute ride to the cruise terminal and in no time we were wading our way through the throngs of people outside the terminal who had come off the Jade and were waiting for their transportation. Once inside the terminal building there were three lines for the security X-ray machines. It was a pleasant surprise that there was no waiting to pass through security. We zip-a-dee-doo-dahed through the security check point and then shockingly, there was no line for the check-in either so it was more zip-a-dee-doo-dahing for us. We were upstairs in the waiting area by 10:45 AM.

 

Boarding began around 11:45 and since my wife and I are platinum latitudes members we were among the first to board the ship. We told the other two couples we would meet them in the Atrium on the ship. Normally we would have waited to board with the other couples but we wanted to get onboard as soon as possible so we could make dinner reservations for six at the Teppanyaki Restaurant. We had made reservations for two of the specialty restaurants weeks before our cruise but we couldn’t get them at the Teppanyaki. While making that reservation we also made reservations for 5:30 that night in the Grand Pacific dining room. That turned out to be completely unnecessary.

 

With our reservation mission accomplished we waited by the entrance to the Atrium from the Promenade for the other two couples. Once we were all together we headed to the Grand Pacific dining room for lunch. I have found it’s always easier and quieter to have lunch on embarkation day at either the main dining room or O’Sheehan’s rather than the buffet. Here’s a picture of the lunch menu.

2afxspk.jpg

 

After lunch we went up to the Great Outdoors and were lucky enough to find a place to sit while we waited for the cabins to be available. Naturally we all took advantage of the UBP while we waited.

That would be me on the left.

2vw8kky.jpg

 

At 2:15 PM it was announced that the cabins were ready so we grabbed our carryon luggage and headed to our rooms. In our cabin we began unpacking and putting everything away. Once that task was done it was almost 3 PM and time to head to our muster station in the Bliss Lounge on Deck 7. The Bliss Lounge has a dance floor so with that large empty space our muster station never felt crowded.

wamsr9.jpg

 

Muster was completed by 3:15 and we headed back to our cabin. Back on Deck 10 I was surprised to see that checked luggage was already being delivered to the cabins and our two suitcases were already waiting for us. It wasn’t long before we were completely unpacked and sitting on our balcony enjoying the warm weather.

 

As we had previously arranged, we connected with everyone at 4:45 in O’Sheehan’s for drinks before dinner. We went to the Grand Pacific dining room at 5:30 for dinner. I experienced my first disappointment of the cruise when the waiter brought the bread and butter to our table. The brand of the butter was Grassland and not the President butter we were served on the Star. In my opinion the President brand butter is sweeter and creamier than any other butter we’ve had.

2gwuoeb.jpg

 

I was surprised at how empty the restaurant was when we were seated and it remained uncrowded throughout our dinner service.

akhema.jpg

 

1zhq3l.jpg

 

After dinner our group went to the Welcome Aboard show in the Stardust Theater. All of us enjoyed the show. When it ended we went our separate ways. Joyce and I headed to the Spinnaker Lounge for a few drinks and to watch the This or That Game show and have a drink or perhaps even get another flu shot. The game show was entertaining and when it ended the Hi Lux Band took the stage and played some great tunes.

 

I drank too much that first night and I didn’t realize how tipsy I was until we decided to leave the Spinnaker and I pulled out my cell phone to call for an Uber to get us home. Somehow we made it back to our cabin that night.

 

Continued in my next post.

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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A very electric cabin

 

Before I continue my daily report I want to mention that with the recent refurbishment of the Jade our cabin looked great. The biggest surprise was the additional 110 volt outlets that had been installed in the cabin.

 

There was one outlet by the patio door that I used for the one cup coffee maker. By the way the top of the stool in the picture lifts up for some shallow storage.

1enayt.jpg

 

There were two more 110 volt outlets by the phone on the shelf below the television.

v4w8x3.jpg

 

There was one more 110v outlet very well hidden in the cubby hole under the mini-fridge where the ice bucket was located.

15p5r11.jpg

 

What I didn’t find was a 110v outlet by the bed. With the increasing number of people who use CPAP machines I would think that NCL would have installed an outlet next to the bed. Perhaps I didn’t look hard enough to find one.

 

There were also a number of USB charging ports in our cabin. There was one next to where the phone was plugged into the wall and each light sconce by the bed had a USB port located by the on/off switch under the base of the sconce.

24m5d8k.jpg

 

The television in our cabin was on a swing out arm so the TV could be pulled outward and turned to the right or left. The back of the TV had an HDMI input on the back. Here's a picture of the back of the TV.

wrj7d3.jpg

 

I didn’t even realize until the next to last day of our cruise that there were two small storage areas under the television. My wife pointed those out to me.

2j10jua.jpg

 

Daily trip report continued in my next post.

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suzcaplan

suzcaplan

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Love the travelogue about the Jade....we were on it before it was refurbished and then last Oct to Canada. Great Job. Back on in a month and later this year to the Panama Canal. I learn more every time and the most from other travelers. NCL seems to be my "sweet spot" and I will stay with until I run out of places to go. Lucky enough to be a Haven Guest and the service is just the best.

Look forward to more reading

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zdcatc12

zdcatc12

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The Cruise Director was Richard Matic and the Master and Commander of the ship was Kim Karlsson. I'm sorryI don't know who the other officers were.

 

Glad that Kim is still the Captain. He was the Captain on the Jade during our TA in 2015. Will be nice to see him again.

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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23 Jan 2018 Day 2 Sea Day

 

I was up before sunrise and feeling great which surprised me considering the amount of alcohol I consumed the day before. I made a cup of coffee with the itty bitty one cup coffee maker and went out on the balcony to enjoy the fresh sea air.

 

The ocean was relatively calm and the skies were partly cloudy. The air temperature that morning was perfect for sitting out on the balcony naked. Fear not, I always wear clothes on the balcony. I was just trying to give an idea of how comfortable the temperature was.

 

When the sun rose at 7:16 AM that morning the partly cloudy skies were perfect for producing a stunning sunrise.

11uje2q.jpg

 

My wife is a tea drinker so after she wakes up we head to the buffet so she can make a cup of tea. Making a cup of tea using the coffee maker is an exercise in futility. No matter how many times water is run through a coffeemaker, the hint of coffee flavor will still taint the tea.

 

After breakfast we headed to the Bliss Lounger for the 9 AM morning trivia game. When we were on the Star, trivia was well attended, not so much on this cruise. I think there were a total of eight people playing the game. Even with that few participants we still didn’t win.

2e5kxzs.jpg

 

After the trivia game we went out on the promenade deck to walk for a bit. I love that the Jewel Class ships have a full wrap-around promenade deck. I also love that the lifeboats are tucked in on deck 8 so that those with balcony cabins can look straight down at the ocean and not have the view blocked by lifeboats. The lack of a promenade deck and the lifeboats hanging over the side of the ship were two of the things I disliked about the NCL Epic. As we walked the promenade I was surprised at the small number of loungers on the deck.

2rp2p36.jpg

 

At 11:30 there was a cooking demonstration about working with chocolate scheduled in the Atrium. By the time we arrived all the seats were taken so we walked up to O’Sheehan’s and sat by the bar area overlooking the Atrium.

s2qfeo.jpg

 

11:30 came and went and no chef. 20 minutes later there was still no chef and we were getting tired of looking down on people so we left and headed to the buffet for lunch. After lunch we headed up to The Pit Stop on deck 13 for a drink or two and to look down on the people on deck 12. The pool deck was already very crowded

w148yg.jpg

 

At 1 PM the Freestyle Daily listed pool side games. The game was 11 people doing an individual scavenger hunt one item at a time and the last person to return to the stage with the item was eliminated. It was rather boring to watch and the member of the CD staff certainly did not liven it up.

 

At 3 PM we were in the Spinnaker Lounge again to watch the Who Wants To Be a Bazillionaire game show. Good grief, the questions were incredibly easy and the member of the cruise director’s staff that hosted it certainly didn’t bring much enthusiasm to the game.

 

The cruise director on the Jade was Richard Matic and while he brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the events he hosted, many of his staff were very lacking in those two attributes. That’s just my opinion of course. Perhaps they were nearing the end of their contract with NCL and were just going through the motions. Regardless, I wasn’t impressed.

 

After the show we went back to our cabin to rest for a bit. When we walked out onto our balcony we were surprised to see how calm the ocean was. I’ve never seen the ocean this calm. The only waves were the ones created by the wake of the ship.

2ur6utz.jpg

 

Day 2 Continued in my next post.

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