Norwegian Jade Review

Jade - The Crown Jewel

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Jade
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First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jun 2009
Cabin: Inside

Background Information: This was our second NCL cruise, but our first time visiting Europe. We booked the cruise in January 2009 and immediately started researching the ports to get some idea of what we wanted to see and do. The information available on the Cruise Critic website was invaluable in our planning. We gained a lot of insight from other peoples experiences.Hotel Info: Since we booked a nonstop, overnight flight with USAir from Charlotte, NC to London, Gatwick airport, we wanted a hotel that was close to the airport so we could take a nap after arriving in London. Therefore, we booked a room at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport location. Of course, we made sure that the hotel was air-conditioned before booking the room. We arrived in London on Saturday morning at approximately 8:00 am. It took us about 45 minutes to an hour to get through the process at the airport and to collect our luggage. The hotel website said that the hotel was connected to the airport by a covered walkway. Therefore, I was expecting a cement sidewalk with a cover over it. However, the covered walkway is actually within the building and is more like a long hallway than a covered walkway. We never had to go outside with our luggage (which was nice). When we first arrived at the hotel, we were told that it was too early to check in. Check-in was supposed to be 3:00pm. However, I asked what would be the earliest that we could check in and was told to check back around 11:00am. Since the wait was only going to be about 1 ½ hours, we decided to hang out in the lobby of the hotel. At 10:30, I saw someone else go to the registration desk to check in and that person was allowed to go ahead and check in. Therefore, I approached the desk and asked if we could check in yet and was allowed to check in at that time. The hotel staff was nice and the room was appropriate for the rate that we paid. The room was clean and provided the essentials, but the bed was not the most comfortable. However, it was fine for a one-night stay. After taking a two-hour nap, we headed back to the airport (through the covered walkway) and went to the train station that is also a part of Gatwick airport. It was about a 30-minute train ride to central London. The train station was very convenient and had a "manned" ticket booth with employees that were very knowledgeable and helpful. They told us exactly what platform to go to and what time the train would arrive. The trains in London are very good about being on schedule.

Travel To Port of Embarkation: On Sunday morning, we again headed to the train station to take the train from London to Southampton. The employee at the ticket booth gave us advice on the best route as well as the most economical. Since we were planning to return to the Hilton for another night's stay at the end of the cruise, we went ahead and purchased the round trip ticket which was only about 10 pounds more than a one-way ticket. Since we are not accustomed to traveling by train, we weren't quite prepared for the difficulty of handling luggage on a train. First of all, our luggage was heavy. That is not a big problem when you can roll them, but lifting them on and off the trains was a bit more difficult. On the train ride to Southampton, we had 5 total pieces of luggage. When we returned at the end of the trip, we packed our smaller suitcases in the larger ones so that we would only have 3 total pieces. That made a world of difference. The reason we had 5 pieces in the first place was because of the weight restrictions on the airplane. However, there are no weight restrictions on the train. After the initial transfer of trains at Clapham Junction (which has a lot of steps to descend and climb in order to move from one platform to another with no escalator or elevator available for people with luggage), we were finally able to sit down and enjoy the next 2 hours of the train ride through the countryside. At the train station in Southampton, there were taxis immediately available just outside the station to take you to the port. The cost of the taxi ride was only 5 pounds. However, since we had so much luggage for a 14-night cruise, we gave the driver a generous tip.

Embarkation: Our taxi driver dropped our luggage off at the drop-off location and we entered the terminal with just our carry-on luggage. The line inside the terminal appeared quite long, but it kept moving. An NCL employee distributed the "Freestyle Daily" while we stood in line so we could start planning our evening activities. The process was organized and as efficient as it can be when you are trying to process 2500 passengers for a cruise. After passing through the security checkpoint, we were able to move quickly through the rest of the process since we were Latitudes members. We were sent to a registration line that only had one other couple waiting. We were also given a "Priority" boarding pass that allowed us to board almost immediately after registering. Since the waiting area was quite full, the "Priority" boarding pass was a welcome surprise. We were onboard and in the Grand Pacific dining room by 1:30 or 1:45. While we were eating lunch, the announcement was made that the cabins were available. Therefore, we were able to take our carry-on bags to the cabin as soon as we finished eating lunch.

Cabin Review

Inside

Cabin ID

We had an inside cabin that worked fine for the two of us. The cabin was very well thought out with lots of storage (shelves, closet, etc.). The bathroom was larger than the bathroom on our last cruise and was quite sufficient for our needs. Our cabin stewards were wonderful and always called us by name. I have two comments about our specific cabin (#8501). First, the cabin was as far to the front of the ship as possible and as far away from the main dining options as possible. We did a lot of walking, which was fine for us, but may not be a great location for passengers with walking issues. Secondly, there is a crew access door right beside this cabin. The first night of the cruise, I was awakened by noise from this area. However, it never happened again after the first night. We saw crew members accessing that area during the day, but did not have anymore nighttime noise. Therefore, this cabin worked fine for us.

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