Norwegian Jade Sailing - Sunday, 3/22/14 - Wednesday, 4/2/14. My boyfriend and I booked this cruise to celebrate his March birthday in January 2 months before sailing date. We booked an inside cabin 9553 which was really nice, center of ship, quiet, and well appointed. The bathroom was larger than most cruise ships, and the shower was about a 1/3 larger with a sliding glass door. This was my 35th sailing, and 9th time on NCL. Note: I prior to this I had not sailed on NCL since 2006. After experiencing lackluster food on that sailing I decided no more NCL. We picked this cruise for the itinerary only, and crossed our toes, and fingers hoping the food would be better. Read below.

We flew KLM Airlines from San Francisco to Amsterdam, then KLM to Rome. This was my first time on KLM, and I would highly recommend it. Lots of legroom, better legroom than on most airlines, and the food was pretty darn good for airplane cuisine. We overnighted at the Hotel Quirinale in Rome. I have stayed here before. The location is excellent about 2 short blocks to the Roma Tremini train station. They also provide a good breakfast buffet with a variety of breakfast items. The bus stop (take bus 64 to see the sites) is right in front of the hotel so it is easy access to the Vatican, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Partheon, Spanish Steps, and of course great eats.

The next morning we walked to the train station. Go to the machine and to get your tickets. The price is 5 Euro p/p to get to Civitavecchia. Go to Platform 27 and if there isn't a train there, and there is one on Platform 28 take that one instead. The trains on both Platforms go directly to the cruise port. The gate for the port is about a 10-15 minute easy walk from the train station. Note: There are stairs going up and down from the train station so if you have mobility issues you may want to take an another mode of transportation. Once at the port there are complimentary buses that take you directly to the ship. Just look for the ship name on the front of the bus window. Read more