Live(ish) Review - NCL Jade (July 27 - Aug 3) - Two Azipods, or Not Two Azipods, That is the Question.

[Stealthdog]

3 hours ago, mking8288 said:

  Did you by any chance noticed ship's WiFi signals reaching the island while there (should've mentioned earlier & see if you can check it out, sorry about that) as cellular signal has been blocked from the island.  Years ago, we roam on Bahamas cellular signal ashore as the towers are there and we're able to take advantage of our data plans.  Now, it seemed they somehow managed to block it but oddly enough, ship's WiFi were usable (at least it was ... in 2022) - they probably used microwave relays to beam the signal ashore while tendering guests ashore for the day.  

I couldn’t access the ship Wi-Fi from the island.  We have T-mobile service, so we get data at just about every Caribbean location.  We turned off airplane mode (once we ran out of range to access the ship Wi-Fi) and just used our TMobile service while on the Island. Because we were able to access data, it seems like it might have reverted to your earlier experience where people can access data through cell service providers.  TMobile data service on the island was fairly good/fast.  I looked to see if there was any NCL island WiFi service and there wasn’t. 

[Stealthdog]

Day 3 Freestyle

[Stealthdog]

Day 3 - first sea day was packed full of things, so we had to skip some events we would normally do because we didn’t want to feel rushed.  Behind the Scenes Latitudes Tour, Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle, Latitudes Party, and Veterans Recognition event were all going on.  Bingo, Deal or No Deal, and the Art Auction were all major events happening across the ship.

 

We did the Behind the Scenes Tour and got to the Meet and Mingle late.  We skipped the Latitudes Party and the Veterans event - I don’t know why they schedule the Veterans event at 530pm.  We normally attend those because I’m retired Army and Eric is USPHS, but we had reservations at La Cucina.

 

We did do a trivia, Blazing Boots, and had another day in the Thermal Spa.

[Stealthdog]

The behind the scenes tour was a lot more laid back on the Jade than other ships, though more stairs.  We also had fewer stops we toured. For the Jade it was just the Galley, the Laundry Room, I-95, and the Theater.  On other ships they also take you to the Bridge and Engineering Room.  I was hoping for the engineers so I could ask the questions about the Azipods, what happened, how they fixed it, and what its current status…..but no chance to ask.

 

The lady from Cruise Next is the guide.  And noone from security escorts you like on other ships.  You just go to Cruise Next, get your sticker and off you go.

 

On the Jade there are 7 different galleys that support the various restaurants around the ship.  That’s why you may have something at one restaurant and it taste completely different than the same item at a different restaurant - different chefs in different galleys are making them. 
 

At the galley, one of the chefs walked us through their daily activities. 
 

After the galley, we headed to laundry…..which was hot!!!  Some of the laundry machines operate 24/7…..or near continuously, so requires constant supervision.  The operation on the jade is a lot smaller than the big ships, so it looked like it didn’t have the robotic folding of some of the items. 
 

The last stop of the tour was the theater.  The production manager brought us behind stage, through the changing rooms, and explained how the production shows operate, how the contracts work, and what acts were on board. 
 

The only acts on board are permanent residents of the ship under long term contracts - the production (singers and dancers), the illusionist, and the acrobats.  No temorary acts are on board.

 

if you have a chance to take the tours.  Do it.  They last about an hour and are free for platinum and above.  Be aware that the tour on the Jade does use a lot of stairs, so anyone with mobility issues should consider that before going. 

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 is Falmouth, Jamaica Day.  It has started off frustrating.  We are docking now (645-650 am). The buffet is open but MDR (and Great Outdoors) doesn’t open until 7am, so everyone is crammed in the buffet (some may be at Osheehans).  We have a 715 meetup time to be off the ship for the NCL excursion, but they don’t provide the towels until after 7am on the pool deck.  I feel rush, everything feels hectic, and everyone is bumping into each other.  We should have gone to Osheehans for a less crowded breakfast…but that won’t fix towels not being available until 7.  
 

It looks like we will be the only ship in port.  Carnival is in Ocho Rios.

[bluesea777]

6 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

The behind the scenes tour was a lot more laid back on the Jade than other ships, though more stairs.  We also had fewer stops we toured. For the Jade it was just the Galley, the Laundry Room, I-95, and the Theater.  On other ships they also take you to the Bridge and Engineering Room.  I was hoping for the engineers so I could ask the questions about the Azipods, what happened, how they fixed it, and what its current status…..but no chance to ask.

 

 

The free BTS tours for Platinum & above do not include Bridge, and almost never include Engineering room. The paid BTS tours are longer and include Bridge room. My DH is retired engineer but has never had a chance to take a peep into an Engine room on any of the NCL ships. We just completed our 31st NCL cruise last month. Wait for the Officers' Q& A session (check the dailies).

 

 

[bluesea777]

6 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

Day 4 is Falmouth, Jamaica Day.  It has started off frustrating.  We are docking now (645-650 am). The buffet is open but MDR (and Great Outdoors) doesn’t open until 7am, so everyone is crammed in the buffet (some may be at Osheehans).  We have a 715 meetup time to be off the ship for the NCL excursion, but they don’t provide the towels until after 7am on the pool deck.  I feel rush, everything feels hectic, and everyone is bumping into each other.  We should have gone to Osheehans for a less crowded breakfast…but that won’t fix towels not being available until 7.  
 

It looks like we will be the only ship in port.  Carnival is in Ocho Rios.

 

 

TIP: always grab the towels you need on the day/afternoon/evening before! The dailies should tell you the Towel Desk opening hours.

 

That was what we did - we signed out some towels the evening before we got off ship in Akureyri Iceland for our Natural Baths swim.

 

 Another tip: room service for early morning breakfast.

 

[Stealthdog]

Favorite Port Day activity - pier runner watching from the balcony!  All aboard was 2 minutes ago. 

[Stealthdog]

We were rewarded with one pier runner, who was gracious enough to waive to everyone on the side who was cheering him on.  😎. We left shortly after, so it seems everyone made the ship!  Off to Georgetown!

 

I’ll try to get caught up with yesterday and today later tonight. 

[okpaddy]

Thank you for this review. I have sailed the Jade previously and enjoyed it very much. Best wishes for a wonderful adventure.  

[JimDee363636]

@Stealthdog

I'm enjoying your account greatly!

 

One question: We'll be on the Jade in early January of 2025 for a 15-night Caribbean/ Panama Canal cruise, after which we'll be staying in Panama City, Panama for three more nights. We'll definitely be needing to have laundry done a few times. How expensive is it to have it done onboard? Do you pay by the item, or do they offer a fixed price for an entire bag?

 

Thanks.

 

Jim

[Stealthdog]

10 hours ago, JimDee363636 said:

@Stealthdog

I'm enjoying your account greatly!

 

One question: We'll be on the Jade in early January of 2025 for a 15-night Caribbean/ Panama Canal cruise, after which we'll be staying in Panama City, Panama for three more nights. We'll definitely be needing to have laundry done a few times. How expensive is it to have it done onboard? Do you pay by the item, or do they offer a fixed price for an entire bag?

 

Thanks.

 

Jim

I’ll take a look and see if I can see a sheet with the costs.

 

For Platinum, we get 1 free bag of laundry per member.  At the Behind the Scenes tour the guide said with sailings of 12 days or more you get an extra bag.

 

For Club Balcony we also get a 1 free bag each for the category of room we see in.

 

So, depending on your loyalty steroid and the type of cabin you are in, you will get some complimentary bags.

[Stealthdog]

Day 3 we ate at Cucina.  It was really good, both for the vegan and non vegan eaters. We may change our 4th specialty dining back to Cucina to give us a second time eating there.  We canceled Moderno because the people staffing the reception area told us they can’t accommodate a vegan restricted diet.  I mentioned that to the restaurant host near the Guest Services and she said she would get back to me. 

 

We all ordered multiple apps in Cucina and the server didn’t say anything.  In fact, he didn’t tell us what the limitations of using the free at sea dining package was at all.  
 

I got the Mozzarella Caprese, Spaghetti Carbonara, Osso Bucco, and Tiramasu.  Eric got a Caprese variation, a mixed salad, a vegetable pizza with no cheese, and chocolate cake with raspberry.  Also pictured are Liz’s Filet and cannoli. Everything in La Cucina was significantly better than what we have experienced in the MDR or buffet.
 

The location of the La Cucina on board is a little weird though.  Depending on how you get there, you may have to walk through the buffet and past the “washy washy” guards.  You can also get there direct by using the aft stairs/elevators.

 

We had 530 reservations and the place was empty early.  It filled up by 630-700.

 

Like Moderno, we recommend using a dining package on La Cucina as well.  There are so many safe options on the menu as well, that is may be difficult to be disappointed.  

 

 

[Stealthdog]

Day 3 was also the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet day.  We got there really late because the Behind the Scenes ended at about 1015 (we started late because we were waiting for guests that did not show).  So, we already missed the officers speaking.  When we got there, they were halfway through a raffle event and then moved into the Home Town shot glass exchange.

 

The Meet and Greet was located in Le Bistro, so it was set up with the dining tables - that did help foster talking to neighbors.  There were a lot of people there - I’d guess 50-60 range.  But it looked like it was a combo Facebook-Cruise Critic event.  Because of our late arrival and short time there, we didn’t get a chance to meet any of the individuals on the cruise critic roll call - we did meet some nice people on from this sailings Facebook page. 
 

We always like doing these Meet and greet events because we are chatting with people for months leading up to the cruise and it’s an opportunity to have a one-on-one with senior officers outside a mass passenger event.  I always recommend signing up for the roll call for your sailings, regardless of ship and cruise line.  Day 3 was tough for us though because it seemed they were stacking all of the special events that day. 

[Stealthdog]

Day 3 we went to the 9PM showing off Blazing Boots.  We got there at 830 and the theater was filling up quickly, even for a late show.  It appears Blazing Boots is a popular show on the Jade, so recommend getting there early to secure seats.  There are no reservations for the shows on the Jade, so it’s just walk in and take your seat. 
 

It was a fun, high energy show.  There was no storyline like in standard production shows, so you could sit back and enjoy without having to follow along.  It was production show style - costume changes and different singers/dancers performing different songs. 
 

We are not huge country music fans, but I knew about half the songs they played.

 

It looked like there were 3 male vocalists and 3 female vocalists and about a half dozen dancers from each gender.  The production manager from the Behind the Scene Tour told us they were short one male dancer, who will be arriving next cruise.  So the show will be slightly different moving forward with the full cast.

 

All the dancers and one male + one female vocalist were fantastic.  The talent on the Jade seems pretty good.  Some of the performers will run up to the entrance of the theater to great passengers as they exit the theater.  That gives you can opportunity to say a few words to them on the way out.

 

Blazing Boots was a good show and if you have some free time, it’s worth seeing.  

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 Daily.   I am one day behind in the review.  I have day 4 to update (excursion, port area, MDR dining, and aerial acrobat show).

[Stealthdog]

Day 5 we are in Grand Cayman.  We are doing a NCL excursion again today with a meetup time of 9, so no feeling of rushing today.  We will leisurely eat at MDR and head to the theater to wait for our excursion to be called.  This is a tender stop, so people will need to get tender tickets or have loyalty status for depart the ship.  Carninal Horizon is in port with us today. 

[Stealthdog]

Forgot to post the location and temps.

[dannyv23]

10 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

Day 5 we are in Grand Cayman.  We are doing a NCL excursion again today with a meetup time of 9, so no feeling of rushing today.  We will leisurely eat at MDR and head to the theater to wait for our excursion to be called.  This is a tender stop, so people will need to get tender tickets or have loyalty status for depart the ship.  Carninal Horizon is in port with us today. 

Thanks for all the Dailies, I look forward to comparing it to next weeks even though we'll be on a different itinerary. 

[jamin jul]

Thank you Stealthdog for all the info.  How did the tenders go in GC? Long lines? What did you do in Falmouth? Is the Great outdoors bar a quiet zone? I saw that on the daily information.   Is the bar like sunset bars on. Celebrity ships? 

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 in Falmouth, Jamaica we did the NCL excursion Blue Hole and River Tubing.

 

Just to put it up front…..yes, Jamaica has a certain reputation and yes, we did hear a number of racist (specifically anti-Asian), homophobic, and other inappropriate comments throughout the day by staff members of the excursion stops we went to. Also be aware that the State Department elevated its travel advisory to Jamaica because of security and medical concerns.  We never felt unsafe in a large excursion group that went to tourist zones.  I probably would not recommend doing your own thing on the island given the current State Department advisory.  If you want to explore the island, do it with a cruise line excursion or private excursion through a reputable company. 
 

After collecting the towels from the pool deck (get them the day prior for days the ship gets into port early), we got off the ship and found our excursion spot.  The pier area in Falmouth was fairly nice - it’s enclosed in a security zone with vendors inside that zone.  So, you can get off the ship and still explore some shops in the secured zone.

 

Once our group was formed, we were loaded onto busses and were off to Ocho Rios, where the blue hole and river are located.  It is normally about a 1.5 hour drive, but one of the busses got a flat tire and we all stopped to help.  So, I created a new joke - How many Jamaican tour guides does it take a change a flat tire?  6….5 to watch, and 1 to change the tire.  😂. After about a 30-45 minute delay we were back on the road.  We were the last two to board, so I got to sit next to the driver and got first hand experience of Jamaican driving.  
 

I don’t have any pictures of the tubing or blue holes because I didn’t want to chance losing or damaging my phone.  Also note - the description in the excursion is not really clear about appropriate footwear - bring water shoes with you.  Sandals, crocs, and flip flops are going to fall off when you jump into the blue hole area.  They sell water-shoes at the site for $20, or you can let the tour guide know on the bus, and she will get them for you for $15 cash.

 

Our first stop was the river tubing.  You will be provided with a helmet and life jacket.  There is a little steep decline to walk from the reception area to the spot where you enter the river.  When at the river, you will enter the water and climb into an individual inflatable tube. The experience is really like a lazy river - you will float down a river that is mostly calm with 1 or 2 spots that have a little rapids (not white water rapids like, just maybe 10-15 yards of a faster movement).  It’s shaded inside the river and the tubing was nice and relaxing.  In total, it was probably about 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the river.

 

After the tubing, we loaded back into the busses and drove to the blue hole region.  There, we were given another life vest and walked down to the first jump.  It was about a 25-30 foot drop from the ledge to the water.  They did have alternative ledge that looked like it was a 5 foot drop.  Once you drop, you swim to the far end and wait for the group to finish.  They give everyone an opportunity to jump twice. 
 

After the first jump spot, we walked to the second, which they call the Tarzan swing.  It was a rope with two handles connected that you hold on to as you swing off to the ledge.  The swing takes you out to the center of the water and you drop about 5 feet into the water.  Once everyone was complete, we got out of the water and headed back to the bus again.

 

NOTE - People with mobility issues should not do this excursion….especially the Blue Hole portion.  There is alot of climbing onto rocks and walking on slippery rocks enter and getting out of the pools.  The river tubing portion looked easier for people with mobility issues, but still had a steep decline we had to walk to get to the river. 
 

After loading back onto the buses, we headed to a restaurant that provided jerk chicken and rice meal.  They gave Eric a vegetable meal with corn instead.  You also have the choice of fruit punch or a bottle of water.  The meal was ok, nothing remarkable.

 

After the meal, we headed back to port….this time with no flat tires.  We got back to the ship about 20 minutes before all aboard.

 

Overall, we would recommend this ship excursion, with a few caveats.  This would be a much better excursion from Ocho Rios vs Falmouth because of the distance it takes to get there - alot of wasted time driving to and from (~3 hrs).  Some people may take offense to some inappropriate comments.  And, people with mobility issues will have challenges, especially with the Blue Hole portion. 

 

 

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 - Dinner MDR - Alizar

 

Day 4 we tried the other MDR Alizar.  We did the Grand Pacific on Day 2.  Both dining rooms have the same menu, and presumably the same galley.

 

The biggest differences between the two are the ambiance and servers.  The Grand Pacific is more open and brighter.  The Alizar has darker lighting and seems smaller.  The lighting was a problem for guests - we saw many using the table candles to read the menus.  And of course, the dim lighting makes for poor photos for cruise critic reviews.  😂   We also found the service to better at the Grand Pacific (was a lot slower at Alizar), so the rest of our MDR meals will be in the Grand Pacific.  If you like a more intimate ambiance for dining, you may prefer Alizar.
 

I got the pot stickers and cheese raviolis for appetizers. Eric got a vegan version of the Asian noodles salad and mixed green salad.  For the mains, I got the chicken cordon bleu and Eric got the eggplant Parm without cheese.   Desserts I got the cannoli and Eric a chocolate cake. 
 

For us, the appetizers and deserts were good.  I bit into the cheese ravioli and didn’t realize it was a lobster cream sauce (I didn’t see the smaller print on the menu), so I pushed that to the side.  😂. The potstickers were standard for what you will get at a land based Asian restaurant.  Eric really enjoyed Asian noodle salad.  The chicken cordon bleu was really dry, and Eric wasn’t a fan of the eggplant dish.  The cannoli was good, but was also something you could probably get the buffet.  Overall, not much difference in quality between the buffet and MDR on Day 4.
 

 

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 we saw the Midnight Sky by Duo Forte in the theater (7pm showing).  They are the aerial acrobats.  Because of the type of act, it probably doesn’t matter where you sit because much of their act is up in the air.   We sat a few rows back from the stage center.

 

The show is probably half slide show presentation with music for a story line and half performance.  They probably need the breaks because of how strenuous the performance is.  The slide shows are accompanied with slow music, so it was sadly putting us to sleep.  The performance itself was awesome.  They did a combination of strength acrobatics with lifting and balancing, large hoods, and various ropes for the aerial parts.   The performance was outstanding - really difficult and they were very talented.  
 

They will also be part of the Elements show on Day 6, so you could miss the performance on Day 4 and still see a more limited performance as part of Elements.  I’m kind of mixed with the Midnight Sky performance.  If we did it again, we would go to a later show and not right after dinner.  The music accompanying the slides and performance was just too slow. 

[Stealthdog]

Day 5 Freestyle.

[Stealthdog]

A couple pics of the sun deck and pool. Every time we have checked it out the sun deck is empty.  They have loungers up there that no one seems to use because they probably don’t know they are there.  If you are looking for a less congested place to sunbathe, check out the sun deck right above the pool deck.