I have cruised several times with NCL and typically find them to be a bit better than other cruise lines. However, I may have to reevaluate this after my latest venture with the Jade.

As a first time cruiser from Southampton I should have done my homework and realized it was a significant distance from London. We arrived a day early and managed to catch a train to the port city. London was nice, my third visit so tried to see some things I had missed on previous visits.

The embarkation process was fairly smooth, but we were late arrivals and the crowd was pretty thin. We had an inside cabin and it was a bit cramped but that is to be expected. The ship wasn't as well maintained or staffed as previous vessels we have been on. Service was particularly slow in the main dining rooms. Our cabin service was adequate. One major complaint I had was the seating in the Grand Pacific dining room. This was the first ship I have been on that only used 1/2 of a deck for their cafeteria. It was quite difficult to find seating on many occasions. Always were 2-3 people minimum in front of you at every station, regardless of time of day it seemed. The quality of the food was mediocre. I had overcooked prime rib one night, and another night the steak was so tough I could not eat it. The menu selection was also very disappointing as it was quite redundant. We received the "ultimate" beverage package but found out quickly it was not quite ultimate at all. It did not cover bottled water, fresh orange juice, soda, or premium coffee. The stewards and bartenders rarely provided wine lists unless requested and would try to pass off lesser quality alcohols unless you were very specific about what you wanted. Read more