The flight and embarkation all went reasonably smoothly and it was helpful that our bags were delivered to our cabins directly from the wagon that took them from the airport. Our cabins were ready, and the ovation of mine, midships and near the lifts, was ideal because of my walking problems, so I was very pleased about this. Unfortunately my cabin had been made up as a double, despite my request for twin beds, and had I left it like this I would hardly have been able to move around the cabin. The toilet cubicle was very small and as someone who has arthritis quite severely this caused problems. My cabin steward was very helpful - and unfailingly cheerful - and sorted the bed situation out within a few hours.

I have cruised with many cruise lines over the last ten years and unfortunately the standards of Norwegian Jade fell well below what I have come to expect. The standard of food in the restaurants was very poor - only three courses, too much repetition of choices, which were limited to begin with, and often barely warm and/or overcooked when they eventually came to table. Table service was very slow and not always friendly and the waiters' understanding of English/knowledge of the menu components was often limited. On two occasions I had to leave the meal after my starter in order to meet a friend at the late show in the theatre - having been at the table for two hours! On two occasions we paid a supplement (usually at least 20$) to go to one of the speciality restaurants, where the food was more like what i would expect in the main restaurants, but in the Teppenyaki restaurant four of our party of suffered significant stomach upsets overnight, following this meal. The cost of very mediocre wine was prohibitive.

The standard of the shows in the Stardust theatre was very poor and amateurish - apart from the acrobats who were quite good - and the MC Jill made me ashamed to be British. Her attempts at communicating in Italian were embarrassing and underlined what every continental believes about the British and languages.The words she spoke on Christmas Eve - speaking about that Christmas means to Britons - were banal and certainly did not reflect the views of many of us. Usually, the shows are interspersed with more cultural entertainment on alternate nights. Not on Jade - there was nothing remotely cultural at any time, anywhere. Read more