Norwegian Jade Review
The Circumnavigation Of The British Isles Tribute Cruise
Rating by category
Additional details
I decided on this cruise because it was an itinerary I have been wanting to do for many years and my favourite ship with my favourite company was doing it. Being a solo cruiser this was not the cheapest cruise I have done but as it had sold out quite some time in advance of the departure date and was rather port intensive I suppose it should be expected.
The first disappointment was the fact that nowhere on my itinerary/booking confirmation or at the time of booking was there mention of the fact there were two ports of call requiring the use of tenders. The management of the tender service both in Guernsey and Newhaven (Edinburgh) was appalling!
The check-in, embarkation and disembarkation processes in Southampton were very well managed and went smoothly. The Norwegian Jade has just been through a multi-million dollar refurbishment and it shows. Gone have most of the awful bright Pacific Ocean/Hawaiian colours and in their place have come in far more subtle & subdued shades particularly noticeable in the Garden Cafe, the cabins and the stairways. Sadly, the Star Bar has now been replaced by Moderno. Sad because it was the one bar on the ship where in the past a bit of peace & quiet was certain to enable conversation whereas all the other venues around the ship at night have obtrusive music. O'Sheahan's, the 24 hour eatery, now takes up the whole of Deck 8 around the atrium which I think is a mistake. I think that some room could have been allowed for Moderno as well leaving the Star Bar where it was.
Cabin Review
Family Inside
I had a Family Inside cabin to myself and so I had plenty of space. The cabins have been upgraded with more subdued carpeting and decor. The over bed lighting has been replaced with something far more modern with USB chargers built in along with new HD TVs in a corner unit also with USB chargers and power sockets. The bathroom remains much the same with plenty of room to manoeuvre oneself about in and the shower area is big enough for two normal sized people. Just one thing, why was the toilet placed at an angle? I had no problem but for anyone of larger proportions must have problems. As someone put it, sitting on the loo was a bit like The Queen riding side saddle! My cabin was kept spotless by Edgar.
Port Reviews
Southampton
Embarkation and Disembarkation port. Very well managed and all went smoothly
St. Peter Port (Guernsey)
Unfortunately one of the tender ports. The tendering process did not go too well mainly due it seems to the fact only one tender could tie up at a time in St. Peter Port. Once ashore St. Peter Port is a pretty little town built upon a hillside but there is not a whole lot to see.
Cobh (Cork)
Cobh is the port town for Cork. An attractive town in its own right with plenty of history it is worth a walk around. Just outside the cruise terminal is a train station with cheap rapid links into Cork. Really it is worthwhile doing an excursion as the most attractive sightseeing is outside the towns
Kirkwall
There is a free shuttle bus service to and from the cruise terminal into the centre of Kirkwall although I chose to walk both ways. Once in Kirkwall there is a quite Main Street, a church and ruined castle to visit.
Invergordon (Inverness)
Not too much to see here but the walk to Saltburn, with its community gardens & forest, is well worth it. The railway station in Invergorden is also well worth a viewing.
Dublin
A typical large city with all the associated problems of heavy traffic, overcrowding and quite visible drink & drug abuse. The skyline consists of a lot of cranes due to all the construction taking place. It was a very disappointing port of call