For our first cruise, we decided to sail in the Mediterranean on the NCL Jade. We chose to expose our kids to other cultures and feel that a trip to Europe was in order. As we looked into traveling to several countries with our kids, we read an article suggesting that cruising would be a great option. The prospect of only unpacking once and utilizing the ship as our transportation around Europe appeals to us. In our opinion, NCL, is geared towards families with children. Several cruises later, we still don’t consider ourselves as “cruise people“, but I’m not sure what that even means anymore.

The Ship

Having sailed on the NCL Jade twice, here are our thoughts. The Jade is an older ship. The common areas and decor are a bit dated. The staff and crew are average in our experiences. The itineraries are phenomenal and we are active in the ports of call on each cruise. While on the Jade, we have have experience in both an inside cabin and a balcony state room. The cabins on the NCL Jade seem to be somewhat smaller than those on Princess Cruise Line. The pools and common areas are very crowded and the clientele seems to be less refined. While there are several areas that we would like to improve, our kids have really enjoyed the kids club, teen club, and programming while on the NCL Jade. 

The Food

The food at the buffet is average at best with some items being inedible. Contrary to the buffet, the main dining room and pay restaurants are much better. In our opinion, in order to have a better cruise on the NCL Jade, you need to add several features and spend more money.

In Conclusion

As you may have guessed, NCL and the Jade are not our favorite. Despite the issues we have experienced, if the itinerary appeals to us, we will sail on the NCL Jade again in the future.

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