For my first cruise experience, I traveled with a group of 20 (aged 20-35) friends on the Norwegian Jade. They chose this itinerary because the embarkation port was in the location closest for the majority of us and the price point was great for our group. Included in all of our packages was the ultimate beverage package, something we all made good use of. My fiancé and I had about 3 drinks a day, and after we totaled our drinks across the week, we certainly saved a lot more with the ultimate beverage package than if we purchased the drinks separately. You definitely don’t have to be a heavy drinker to get your money’s worth out of the package; if you love wine, or sampling different liquors, this is the package for you.

Overall, my fiancé and I highly enjoyed every bit of the cruise. The freestyle feel of the entire trip definitely had to be one of my most favorite things about it. I highly enjoy being able to choose what I want to do and when I want to do it, not being on someone else’s schedule. Our group met once every night for dinner but we otherwise kept to our own schedules. The ship boasts a lot of activities and entertainment if you’re into that. Or, you can spend plenty of time relaxing in multiple areas of the ship. This was a wonderful first-time experience.