This is our 8th cruise with NCL, so if you like the free style dining and more casual cruising idea, this is a nice option. My wife and I flew into Venice, via Dublin from the east coast of US and stayed at the Best Western Montecarlo for two nights prior to our cruise. It was perfect spot to stay as we were one block from St. Marks square. For directions from airport, etc - see the Venice website. Our transport from the square to the ship was quick, a 10 minute boat ride - 8 euros per person.Upon arriving at the dock, we went through the embarkation process with very little waiting. We boarded the ship within 15 minutes of our being checked in. Our room - inside cabin was ready - so we stopped in with our carry-on bags.
Now to summerise our trip as quickly as possible, I would say that having cruised on the Epic the two previous years, the Jade was a step below in many ways. The buffet is organized chaos in the morning, but for a quick breakfast it was fine. We made a point of having all of our other meals in the Grand Pacific or the Alzimer restaurant- which are both very nice sit-down restaurants without any additional charge. We did not use the charge restaurants on board.
The ship was full with 2400 passengers, thus a bit crowded at most events. The entertainment was ok but not great. The NCL sponsored tours to the 4 islands were very good in seeing the islands and getting around while always feeling safe. It is a bit pricey, but getting around on private taxis, tours, can be expensive.