Norwegian Jade Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,043 reviews

Nicely refurbished older ship, great crew, very LOUD music

Review for the Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Jade
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Iowa cruiser
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2017
Cabin: Inside

I have cruised with a dozen different cruise lines and think that Norwegian now offers the best value at sea. Certainly it is the only mainstream cruise line that makes solo travels feel welcome due to NCL's solo pricing and amenities.

The Jade is an older ship, but it has been nicely refurbished. This 10 day Christmas holiday cruise to the ABCs with stops in Jamaica and Grand Cayman had quite a few families on board -- about 2,000 adults, 500 kids, and 1,000 crew. By current standards that is just medium-size for a cruise ship. Ships in that class lack some of the more exotic venues of the megaships, but I like the openness and nice sea views from most public venues and the wonderful quiet of the wrap-around panorama walking deck just under the life boats. In some of the larger megaships one feels boxed in because one does not see the ocean from most of the public venues.

The entire crew on this cruise seemed especially friendly and helpful -- someone in management is doing an exceptionally good job training them. My cabin steward Jose Nunez was top notch -- he kept everything immaculate. The food and service in the main dining room were first rate, and I never felt the need to eat in any of the surcharged specialty restaurants, although you may enjoy this if you want to celebrate a special occasion. I kept an early schedule, eating when the dining rooms opened, in part for food freshness (almost like "a la minute" custom cuisine) and in part for better seating near one of the many dining room windows. Dining is very casual -- do not be surprised to see T-shirts and shorts at dinner, on men and women. Sport jackets and cocktail dresses were very rare even though it was a a holiday cruise. I no longer bother to pack a suit or even a sport jacket on these cruises.

Cabin Review

Inside

Cabin IX

Small but comfortable inside cabin directly above the theater -- one could hear rehearsals and shows through the flooring, but not enough to interfere with sleep. Nice shower; snug corner toilet. Great cabin steward.

Port Reviews

Falmouth

FALMOUTH, JAMAICA: This is the newest and least visited of the Jamaican ports. Many of the shore excursions head east or west to the other ports, but I had a relaxing day in and around Falmouth itself. The port area is modern and secure, with standard tourist shops and a few restaurants. I am adventurous and enjoy exploring, so I simply walked out of the port into the surrounding town. The town has seen better days, and many of the historic buildings are in need of loving care, but the locals were all very friendly and I had some nice encounters with local kids (on holiday) and their parents. I felt perfectly safe as I wandered around town. I visited some of the old churches and the small public library northwest of the town center, where internet and wifi are free (opens at 0900, and there is a donation box for those who feel generous).

Local taxis offered to take passengers to hotel beaches ($10 USD per person each way, plus $10 entry fee). I changed some USD into Jamaican dollars (about 110 Jamaican dollars to 1 USD) and for 100 Jamaican (1 USD) I took a share taxi to Burwood Public Beach east of town ($5 USD entry fee for foreign visitors, 100 Jamaican dollars entry fee for locals). The beach is uncrowded, shallow and calm, with lifeguards but no snorkeling. There is some shade, and the restrooms and changing rooms are clean and well maintained. The downside is that a nearby restaurant blasts music, but that is my hang-up -- I prefer quiet beaches.

Grand Cayman (Georgetown)

GRAND CAYMAN: This is a tender port, but the local tenders are huge -- up to 250 passengers each. Even though I showed up at 6:45 am for a tender ticket, I was assigned tender #5 (about the 1,000th passenger). The good news is that I was ashore within 15 minutes of the first tender anyway. Most of the 1,000 NCL passengers with better tender tickets never showed up for their assigned tenders so NCL ignored ticket numbers soon after tenders started. I prefer cruise lines that distribute tender tickets when a family is ready to go ashore.

Georgetown is an off-shore banking and money-processing haven (hundreds of international and private banks), so it is kept clean, safe, and easy to navigate. Since six large ships were in port with us, I knew that stingray city and other popular sights would be over-run. Instead I walked a few blocks inland to the mini-bus station near the courthouse and public library. I then took the minibus north to Cemetery Beach, my favorite every time I am on the island. The 20 minute ride costs only $2.50 USD pp each way, and minibuses are frequent (flag one down anywhere on the route to return to the city). There may have been 20,000 passengers on the island, but Cemetery Beach had fewer than 50 people all morning. It has excellent shade, beautiful sand, and there is good snorkeling about 100 yards straight off shore in about 20 ft depth.

After spending the morning at the beach, I spent an hour at the public library (free wi-fi), strolled through town, and tendered back in time for a late lunch.

Miami

From the airport take the Metrorail to Government Center station, walk two blocks south to (eastbound) S First St, then catch the free Coral Way Trolley over the bridge to the cruise port.

Aruba

ORANJESTAD, ARUBA: The west coast of Aruba is lined with beautiful beaches and fancy resorts. I prefer to take the local bus (Arubus) all the way up the coast to Arashi Beach near California Lighthouse in the northwest corner of the island. The bus station is just a short walk directly inland from the cruise port. A $5 USD pass will give you a round trip anywhere on the island. A day pass (unlimited rides) is $10 USD. The bus to Arashi Beach leaves hourly at the top of the hour and returns on the half hour. Additional buses go to nearby Malmok Beach, just a kilometer south of Arashi. There is reasonable snorkeling between the two beaches. There is a dirt road north and east along the coast from Arashi to the sand dunes and up to the California lighthouse -- a beautiful 90 minute coastal walk which I enjoyed before a refreshing swim. Arashi used to be quite isolated but now it is popular -- there is even a bar at the south end of the beach.

Curacao

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO: Curacao is my least favorite island in the southern Caribbean. Yes, the Dutch gingerbread buildings are photogenic, but the island has little to recommend it otherwise. Beaches tend to be crowded and unattractive, and are difficult to reach by public transport, which tends to serve only the center of the island and not the coasts. There is a mini-bus terminal just east of the floating market. This serves over-crowded and over-developed Mambo Beach to the southeast. There is another bus station, which serves the western half of the island, located directly inland from the cruise port just beyond the soccer stadium. Buses are cheap (just a few USD) but run infrequently, and again most do not serve the coasts. I usually take a morning walk in Willemstad and then spend the rest of the day aboard ship. Curacao is not a user-friendly island in my experience.

Bonaire

KRALENDIJK, BONAIRE: Bonaire is famous for its diving. Snorkeling there is good but not great since the shallow reefs are largely dead or damaged by storms. The good news is that the marine life is protected, so there is a nice variety of relatively large and colorful fish in snorkel areas. Perhaps the most conveninent good snorkel beach is Windsock, at the end of the airport runway. There is no bus transport on the island, but a taxi load to Windsock is just $10 USD if you can find someone to share the ride with you. There can be a current along the shore. If you are caught in a current, just drift until you reach a resort pier or ladder, then exit and walk back to your starting point. For those who want to relax on a beach, Eden Beach north of the town is a 40 minute walk or a short water taxi ride from the cruise port. It can be crowded if there is more than one ship in port, but it is convenient for a relaxing morning or afternoon. The easiest water entry for a quick dip is simply a few minutes north of the cruise port in the yacht basin. Locals swim from the small piers along the waterfront -- the water is crystal clear and there is little boat traffic.

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