We chose the Jade because we had sailed on it five years ago and also because the current itinerary appealed to us. We contacted a specific booking agent who works for Norwegian; our friends had booked with him previously and felt he was very efficient and helpful. Due to budget considerations we chose to go with the program where the cruise chooses your room. We informed the booking agent that we were two couples who were traveling together and hoped we would be able to be in rooms that were near to each other. When we booked, he informed us that we booked the last two rooms at that price. This was untrue, because our friends booked a few days later and were also able to get this fare. He also told us that while he could not guarantee rooms adjacent, he could assure us that our rooms would be in close proximity. We ended up on 5 forward, while our friends ended up on 4 aft. We informed him of this and nothing was done to remedy the situation.

I called Norwegian's corporate offices to voice our concerns, and was told that as a "compensation" we would be given a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. I informed the individual that while this was very sweet, it did not really alleviate any concerns, and in addition, my husband does not eat strawberries. The plate was delivered with 6 strawberries.

As for the cruise: everything was "adequate." The cruise staff appeared to be comprised of many individuals who did not speak English very well. In addition, a good number of the staff was new. The food was not at all stellar. Our room steward was sweet, but there were two nights when he only left one large towel (we were two people) and another night where he did not leave a floor mat. Read more