This was our 14th cruise and 7th with NCL. We have had some outstanding experiences on cruise ships, and this was certainly one of our best - with a few little hiccups I'll go into later.

We spent one night pre-cruise at the Marriott Renaissance at the airport. Very nice hotel, but a little too modernistic for our taste. Excellent service and very helpful employees. Being very tired after our long flight from DFW, we didn't get a chance to see much of Barcelona, but did take the hotel shuttle to the City Center - beautiful - and wish we had more time to explore Los Ramblas and the local market. Maybe next time.

Boarded the Jade on Sunday. Check in was fast and simple. After lunch at the Grand Pacific dining room, headed to our room. Within 2 hours we had our luggage and were unpacked and ready to vacation! Read more