Norwegian Jade Review
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The Norwegian Jade, formerly the Pride of Hawaii (with décor to match), is an NCL Jewel class ship, which includes the Gem, Jewel, and Pearl. Like most cruise ships, the Jade has something for everyone, from DJ dance music to quiet places with relaxing guitar or piano music, from fine dining options to quick buffets or snacks, from small get-together entertainment like trivia to large productions done in the main theater. And, as with most ships, it does some of these options better than others.
For my friends and me, the best aspect of the cruise was the entertainment which has come a long way from the early days of cheesy productions by the onboard entertainment staff. Of particular note, we found the group 4Ever to be impressive singers with an excellent range of material, were astounded by the Cirque de Soleil style performers (Roberto and Dorota??), and even found the onboard entertainers to be unusually good. We also appreciated what are still the largest, most comfortable room showers of any cruise line in its class. The service was also excellent, with the common areas kept clean, the room made up quickly and efficiently, and friendly service when dining. Occasionally the food service staff seemed overwhelmed, but never to the point of it being a real problem.
Two areas, however, need improvement. Sadly, one of these is the food, which I often found to be uninspired at best, at least in the main dining rooms. The number of options has decreased, especially with several choices making appearances every one of the 11 nights of dining, including beef sliders as an appetizer, and different styles of burgers as an entrée several nights of the cruise. The chef seems to have an unusual attraction to pepper with, for example, the “everyday choice” of steak coming only with what most people would consider an overdose of that spice. Food pairings were sometimes eccentric with pasta marinara as a side for veal cordon bleu. And the veal on that dish, like several other entrees, was tough. The wine package, though, was a good deal with a reasonable selection of wines in each price category.