Our Western Mediterranean cruise in August, 2012 was the 2nd cruise for my wife and I. We had done an Eastern Med 10-Day cruise in November of 2011 on the Norwegian Jade. I'll try not to compare the two that much if I can, because how many folks are going to be comparing these specific two ships, after all! But I can say that overall, each ship had its plusses and minuses, but both were great.

EMBARKATION: We departed from Barcelona. Arrived at the port around 2pm, and it took quite awhile to make it through the line...I'd say it took 45 minutes to get through the line at check in, plus another 30 minutes from there to get onboard, because the lines backed up again. After the prior year, when we spent 15 minutes from arrival at terminal to arrival at buffet, I was a bit disappointed. This was not a deal-breaker, of course, but it was a bit tedious.

Once on board, we grabbed a drink at the nearest bar and then headed to the MDR to see about changing from fixed seating dining to My Time Dining. This was handled quickly and we made our reservations for later in the evening. We explored the ship for awhile, then headed to our cabin, 7th deck, near the front, balcony, starboard. Read more