13 Nights Asia: Thailand & Philippines Cruise

Good first cruise on Jade

This was my first cruise ever. I'm a widow, 70, very good health. I do a lot of solo travel to Europe with an art and history focus. I wanted toe experience a cruise and being "at sea." I chose this cruise (about 6 weeks in advance) because it seemed to be a good price for a single in a stateroom with balcony, it was fairly short (5 nights) and I wasn't committing far out into the future. I made the reservation thru vacationstogo.com--my agent there was very helpful. I was impressed. I was actually apprehensive after reading many bad reviews about ncl and Jade--that everything had gone downhill. But I found the ship to be in nice condition, my room to be comfortable and well-equipped, the staff to be professional, and the operation to be well-organized. The facilities--the ship and room were clean and well-maintained. I was impressed by the number of staff engaged in cleaning and maintaining--and all working hard. The fitness center was spacious and equipped with new or like-new equipment. I never had to wait. I walked the promenade often as extra exercise. There were other walkers but mostly I was almost alone. I didn't use the pool although I walked through the area to the fitness center several times a day. Everyone seemed happy. Lots of activity including a live band often. The staff--friendly and professional. My steward Joseph was great. Waiters at Alcizar, where I ate each night, also excellent. Helpful wine staff with upgraded glasses. I would have preferred having the same waiters each time, as tipping a team each night wasn't comfortable. I'd actually prefer a no-tipping policy--pay more upfront and be done with it. (Other than cash to one's steward) I had the beverage package and was very satisfied. It worked exactly as advertised. I did pay a few dollars at dinner for more interesting glasses of wine. I wasn't interested in activities or entertainment so didn't experience it. I know there were singles-focused activities or meetups for dining, but again, not interested.

Great itinerary & holiday on a spotless, friendly

Our first time on NCL although have previously cruised a number of times. Had read some negative reviews on here so was really nervous beforehand, when had booked the Jade for its itinerary. We needn’t have been! Club balcony cabin was lovely, very peaceful & kept spotlessly clean. In fact all areas of the ship were very clean & tidy. We requested a coffee machine & that was kept well topped up for us & used it to make hot water for tea as well. Made use of the one free laundry included with room category, which came back promptly & folded. Was then able to borrow iron & board to press returned washing. Food in the buffet was plentiful with lots of differing choices. Occasionally the MDR seemed a bit mundane but always regular fallbacks. Enjoyed all the specialty restaurants we ate at. Plenty of bars to choose from & never had an issue getting served. Staff were always helpful & friendly. We met some lovely people and would have no hesitation in booking again in the future

Nearly perfect weekend trip on the NCL Jade

This was the best weekend cruise I have ever been on! The service was extremely good, the food was very good, and especially for a short Cruise the night Time entertainment was incredible!!! The only big downsides I had were that the stateroom Steward that I had was the worst I have ever had on a cruise. And the daytime entertainment was lacking. Also O'Sheehans was completely terrible both times I went. For an older ship it was very well of kept and renovated. I liked that it had a more homey feel... I've gotten so used to the ultra modern cruise ships that I forgot there were other options. The layout of the ship is very nice, with all of the specialty bars being very close to each other, except for the mojito bar which is fittingly near the Brazilian steakhouse. There were more than enough specialty dining options for such a small ship, with the Italian and Chinese both being extremely good food. The service at the Italian restaurant felt like fine dining. The steakhouse was the only part that felt not worth the specialty price tag. I did not eat at the main dining room at all, but the buffet for breakfast was adequate, with omelette stations that made it worthwhile. They also had a staff that definitely has fun, singing songs to the theme of washy washy, and coffee coffee