Norwegian Jade Review
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My sister and I chose this trip based on a different itinerary, but the change to islands visited prompted by the hurricanes did not diminish our enjoyment of the trip. We spent a night in South Beach Miami at the Hampton Inn on 17th Street, which I highly recommend. Embarkation seemed much slower than normal (seemed a bit chaotic on embarkation and dearkation), taking around two hours vs one hour on most prior cruises. We arrived at 11 am, aboard by 1 pm, but good news was the cabin was ready so we could drop the carry-on. Conversely, at ports, the off/on went very well, even with the one or two tender ports.
This was our first time on the Jade, which is a smaller ship than some other NCL ships we had sailed. It had recently been refurbished, and seemed nicely refreshed without visible signs of wear or tear. The public bathrooms were very clean, as were all the public areas I saw (never any trash, glasses or food laying around, only the occasional plastic cup blown by the wind on the pool deck). Service was always very good and cheerful. The officers were very visible on this cruise, approachable, took comments well, and resolved any issues that arose.
The activities on board were fun, but cruise director, though well-meaning, needs to learn not to scream into the microphone; it was literally painful. The entertainment was varied, and all very good. We rarely had trouble finding a place on the pool deck, which was very nice and refreshing for a change.
Cabin Review
Obstructed Oceanview
Booked an obstructed OV because the rate was very good, and although I did my homework, the view was much more obstructed than anticipated. It was actually no issue, and unlike others' description, we did not ever see workers outside the big picture window. Location just down from O'Sheean's was great, mid-ships. The cabin seemed bigger than I thought it would be, and we finally figured out that it was because there was no couch; we never missed it. The bathroom had a separate door that shut it off from the rest of the cabin, so not an issue of privacy as on some NCL ships. It seemed a bit cramped (I am 5'2" and my knees almost hit the wall while sitting on the toilet). The toilet room had a sliding door to separate it from the sink and shower area. Our cabin steward was great at providing a clean room, ice and towel animals.
Port Reviews
Miami
South Beach is very nice, fun people-watching, lots to do.
Grand Cayman (Georgetown)
Beautiful island, and you cannot go wrong with 7 Mile Beach. However, we took a shared van from the pier, and driver refused to drop us at requested area (Blue Water), saying it was closed. Instead, he drove us way down the beach where his friends were waiting to take us to their designated area (and it was more expensive because further). We refused to be corralled and walked more than a mile down the beach closer to where we wanted to go in the first place.
Curacao
Took a taxi to Seaquarium beach which was beautiful. Be aware there are some places on the beach that charge you for entrance and use of chairs separately, and other places where it appears to be free. Big beach area, and large, protected area for swimming. Great little bar in a small hut serves great drinks. Food and facilities available.
Bonaire
Took a shared van to Sorobon Beach. Found a nice resort that had beach loungers, bar and restaurant. In order to access the water, you had to go out this pier to steps into the water. Only issue was it was right next to the wind surfing school, and there was little area that was safe to actually swim.