New to NCL- question about NCL Jade and Panama Canal

[jamin jul]

Hello. I just booked a 10 night Panama Canal cruise on NCL Jade. I’ve never cruised NCL.  I have sailed Celebrity,RC,Disney, Carnival and Princess. What other company ship would you compare the Jade to? Will there be many kids on this sailing? Any recommendations? Any dining recommendations? Anyone sailed NCL Jade lately? What is the extra tax on drinks in port? Thank you.😀

[mcmomny]

I just got off The Jade in August from Greece and loved her!

 

Much older ship but recently redone, very clean and easy to explore.

 

I have not sailed any other lines so can not compare for you but I have been on several NCL cruises from small to huge ships and we were concerned we would be bored after being on several larger ships recently but we were not and we had a wonderful time getting to know the staff and exploring the ship.

 

Depending on the dates of your cruise will depend on lots of kids or not, sailing Greece in the summer we had lots of kids from all Nationalities.

 

We really enjoyed The Whiskey bar and their bartenders, La Cucina and Le Bistro were excellent meals and service.

[9tee2Sea]

the tax on drinks while in some ports is the sales tax charged in that area.  If you have the drink package, you still get your drinks in the package, but the sales tax will show up in your onboard account.  As for kids, there are always kids onboard.  Some time of year there may be more, may be less.  Be ready for humidity.  As for specialty restaurants, I ALWAYS go to Le Bistro.  Don't care to go to Cagney's  ( haven't had a good meal there lately).

[Firstin87]

Just off the Jade's Feb. 7-18 sailing.  As mcmommy said, Jade is clean and easy to get around.  Three elevators per deck (except Deck 14).  I recommend reviewing the ship guide and getting a sense of where locations of interest are before you sail.

 

You don't mention when you are cruising, but with it being a 10 day through the Canal, there will probably not be a lot kids onboard.  NCL will have a local guide come aboard and talk about the Canal as you go through.  This lecture can be heard on the TV in your room, over the PA system, and in person at the venue (probably Spinnaker lounge, Deck 12, Forward) where the speaker is.  

 

Food, which is subjective, is good.  Loved the choices and quality in the buffet.  NCL is not known for their desserts and cookies are no longer available, so if you have a sweet tooth and are used to Princess' desserts, you may be disappointed.  Jade ahs a Brazilian steakhouse restaurant called Moderno that is different.  If you're not familiar with Brazilian steakhouses, a large variety of meats are brought to your table throughout your meal for you to choose from; sides dishes (same for everyone) are at your table;  and grilled pineapple is the dessert.  If you go to Moderno, you prepare as you would for Thanksgiving - lol.

 

Personally, we are fans of Cagney's steakhouse and LaCucina (Italian).  LeBistro is OK, but I'm allergix to seafood so my choices there are limited and we tend not to find it worth using a specialty dining there.  LaCucina and LeBistro have an additional charge for some items (fillet's, I think), so if you have Free at Sea specialty dinings, you'd have the upcharge (noted in the menu) still to pay.

 

Crew is friendly, helpful.  Venues are not overly crowded.  You only need to get to Bingo pretty early to get a seat, but other activities you can arrive maybe :15 early if you want a particular spot or are meeting friends.

 

One 'negative' to be aware of is that the shorex staff coordinating tour departures at the piers is very disorganized.  No signage for each tour and communication between the shorex staff at the pier is minimal to non-existent.  Arrive a few minutes earlier than your tickets states, ask a shorex staffer for directions, then ask fellow passengers already lined up to find your tour group.  We didn't go to the Shorex Desk onboard, so I don't know how helpful they are in that situation.

 

You'll have a great time transiting the Canal! 

[jamin jul]

Thank you for all the tips! We are booked for next January so will have plenty of time to research. Do you recommend the Japanese restaurant?