We've cruised out of Tampa several times, and we really enjoy the port. Easy to get where you need to go, fast boarding (both Norwegian and Carnival, the other line we've cruised Tampa with).

Jade is a very nice smaller ship. We prefer slightly smaller ships, just easier to get around. Norwegian was offering "extras", we went with the free beverage package and the 4 nights premium dining. Good choice for us, anyway. Ship is in good repair, but they were in the process of removing the slide, so no slide, and the one pool was closed much (but not all) of the time. We're older, so it wasn't a big deal for us, but feel a little sorry for any younger children cruising...I know the slides are popular with kids. We had an oceanview stateroom in the middle of deck 5. After having balconies the last couple of cruises, we were worried we would be too spoiled to go back. But honestly, we missed not having a couch more than not having a balcony (Carnival has balconies in ALL staterooms, but Norwegian's inside and oceanviews are smaller). But, it wasn't a big deal anyway, we don't spend that much time in the room on any cruise. Storage was good, bathroom was nice, stateroom was adequate for the 2 of us.

Food in the main dining room was excellent, specialty dining was exceptional...wonderful when it was "free", not sure if I'd pay the extra otherwise, but my wife and I aren't that big a foodies...we're happy if someone else is cooking and washing dishes, so its all good. Read more