This review is about the Venice port services and not the city : 
The NCL terminal stands alone and separate from the other terminals. Luckily we had a private driver to get us from the Airport to the terminal which knew the ropes. We came in early and the NCL was not yet in place to meet us, but we figured it out by ourselves. 
Start of check in was a bit of a chaos, due to computer malfunctions and some confusing caused by non-Italian AND non-English speaking customers. A big let down, were the Italian customs and other civil servants who were less than helpful and interested. The 10 or so people we saw, where less enthusiastic and helpful than the worst crew member on the Jade.... 
We missed the embarkation picture, but for the rest, the embarkation went smoothly and was a snap. 
Just one logistical question : why does it take 10 hours to get our bags to our cabin ? 


Venice

First port, tendering to shore, directly into the old town. 
This must have been the cleanest world heritage site I've ever seen. We both were a bit ill (unrelated to anything that happened on our cruise), so we only spent limited time here. 
The ice cream was very good and the people were nice. We'll definitely be coming back here to get a better look. 


Dubrovnik

Note : When we visited the town, public transport was striking, but it was hardly noticeable. 
Having been to Athens on several occasions before, this was the time we decided to go up the Acropolis. 
If you've never been to Athens it is definitely worth the visit, especially if you take the time to roam the Plaka area. The Acropolis is one of those must-see sites and the tour we took from the cruise ship was exactly right : not too long and allowing a lot of free time to roam around. 


Athens (Piraeus)

The city of Split is a nice place to visit, the palace is nice to visit, but one can do without. The sea side promenade is perfect for a nice drink and some relaxation, the old town is strewn with nice places, if you take the time to look for them. Buy a guide book if you're not that adventurous. 


Split

Venice, the city of the Doges. 
There is already too much said about how good/beautiful the city is, so I will just add, that the gondolas are really a rip-off, but for a once-in-a-lifetime experience it is worth it, the coffee is good, the gelato is even better. 



Stateroom 11508 : Just in front of one of those "Crew Only" doors. Apparently, this was the main Deck #11 access door, so from 6 in the morning, the door slammed shut every 60 seconds or so with a loud bang, waking up all the pundits (well me at least). 

It would be a great help if the engineers would find a way to make these doors seal properly but without the big bang

The ship was just fine, the shows were great, the dining was good (great for the restaurants with a cover charge, they were effectively worth the money) and the staff was friendly and helpful, so much so that we were almost embarrassed to ask for anything.We took the unlimited spa-access package for US$ 119 for one week, which was great value for money : sauna, steam bath, hot tub and heated relaxing beds with the best view of the ship was well worth the investment.

Norwegian Jade Review

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