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Despite the efforts of São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard to ferry the passengers to the ship in tender boats, the group was unable to reboard and had to turn back to land, according to the ABC affiliate WPDE. The passengers found themselves stuck on São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation of some 220,000 people off West Africa, in what the cruise line called a "very unfortunate situation." Teens can come and go as they please from Entourage, which is staffed but much less structured than Splash Academy. Inside, they'll find plenty of alcoves to hang out in, as well as board games, foosball and TVs for watching movies and playing video games.
Photos of Norwegian Jade
The lilac, orange and turquoise hued rooms could be reserved, with a minimum drink order of $20 per hour. We loved the goofy undersea theme, with jellyfish, corals and starfish-like chairs, but the dance floor didn’t see much action. The venue was also used for assorted seminars (Intro to Acupuncture) games (Pictionary), and it also served as the ship’s screening room. The limited food menu included burgers, hot dogs (Bavarian sausage on request) chicken breast sandwiches with sides of coleslaw. In addition to what was in our minibar, room service could deliver other soft drinks, still and sparkling water, beers, and a selection of wines by the bottle or glass—all at a surcharge.
Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport
The 2006-built Norwegian Jade cruise ship is the 2nd of NCL Jewel-class liners, with sisterships Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl. Relax with hot-stone massage, one of over 50 treatments offered. Learn about the latest ships and destinations by browsing hundreds of questions (and the answers to those questions) posted by real cruisers. If you happen not to find what you’re looking for, you can even post a question of your own.
Grand Pacific and Alizar Main Dining Rooms
The well-equipped gym kept us in good shape, but the sports court was ignored by more cruisers. Each evening we found plenty of diversions to distract us from dining. For breakfast we chose a fruit platter (basic), Raisin Bran (no surprises, beyond a dysfunctional milk carton), grapefruit juice and coffee. Other than alternate cereal and juice choices, yogurt and bread and pastry options, there wasn’t much else available. ©2024 Reviewed, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network LLC. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line announces cancellation of multiple 2025 sailings (7 ships)
With a couple exceptions, service was excellent, and the senior staff was easily available to guests; their phone extensions were displayed on guest TVs and elsewhere on the ship. We liked the lush Hawaiian décor, right down to the swirling hot lava carpet pattern. But, six days after being left behind in São Tomé and Príncipe, the cruise line confirmed the eight passengers, including the Campbells, finally re-embarked in Senegal on Tuesday. Deals are often advertised and might include discounted services on port days, packages that offer several abridged services for one price or a percentage savings for booking multiple treatments at the same time. To the right of guest services are the shore excursions desk and future cruise office, where passengers can go to inquire about ship-sponsored port tours or booking their next voyage.
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Reviews (2024 UPDATED): Ratings of Norwegian Bliss - Cruise Critic
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Reviews (2024 UPDATED): Ratings of Norwegian Bliss.
Posted: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:10:13 GMT [source]
All suite passengers (including the Penthouse and Romance suites) also have a concierge and butler at their disposal to arrange restaurant reservations, expedite room service orders, stock mini-fridges, etc. The in-cabin coffee makers are also upgraded to fancy espresso and cappuccino machines, and balcony furniture improves from the plastic found elsewhere to teak. Moderno is a bit tucked away on Deck 8, overlooking the lobby at midship. With Moderno and Blue Lagoon the only public facilities on this deck—the rest being cabins—it seemed both venues were missed by a number of passengers.
For dinner we had fried calamari as a starter—nice and light, with salt, pepper and irrelevant sweet and sour sauce for dipping. We liked the fried crab dumpling, its creamy filling somewhat like tuna salad. For entrée we chose sweet and sour pork, which tasted canned—the pineapple certainly was, and the sauce tasted like it came off the shelf. There were just two dessert choices, and we skipped banana pancakes and ice cream in favor of a crème brûlée trio—green tea, ginger and adzuki bean.
Another menu, Shabu Shabu, is dedicated to hot pot dinners (also $15). While the surcharge wasn't excessive, the food served mainly as a diversion from the main dining hall and buffet. Separately, the Sushi Bar was open nightly for sushi and sashimi, priced à la carte. Ignore the cheering and clanging knives from nearby Teppanyaki; the venue also overlooks the piano downstairs—it's not a quiet spot. The Garden Café served as Jade’s clamorous buffet, and during breakfast and lunch hours it was often quite crowded. We found seating in short supply until, a few days in, we discovered additional tables next door at Papa’s (except during dinner); by the end, this was fully utilized.
Although it came with potato chips, the promised coleslaw and kosher pickle on the side were nowhere to be found. Both meals were brought on a serving tray, on plates covered with plastic lids. The dishes fit on the table easily, as well as on the “desk,” but in both cases there was not really any place for a second person to sit comfortably. A $3.95 surcharge was applied for orders between midnight and 5 a.m. Lighting was sufficient in the bathroom, but a makeup mirror would have been appreciated, as would bigger shelves for storing our travel kits.
In NCL America's fleet, it had as a fleet mate the sistership Pride of Aloha (now Norwegian Sky). Hidden away at the top of the ship is an exclusive enclave with our most luxurious, well appointed and spacious accommodations. Redwood forests, charming wineries, lush gardens, rugged coastlines - yours to discover.
There was a drink of day for $6.95, available at the al fresco bars—Piña Colada, Blue Lagoon, Bushwacker, etc. Indoors, cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking was allowed only in the casino and in the enclosed cigar lounge next to Magnums Champagne and Wine Bar, and we didn't see any exceptions to this rule. Laundry and dry cleaning services were available onboard at inflated rates. On the fifth night of our cruise we received a flyer that offered a full bag of laundry washed and folded for the discounted price of $24.95. Few cruise ships allow public viewing of the bridge area, so it's worth checking out, especially if you have kids in tow.
These staterooms sleep up to four guests and come with two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed and a convertible sofa pulls out to sleep two more. Also includes a sitting area and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a private balcony. Hawaiiana aside, Norwegian Jade didn’t seem overly concerned with interpreting its Mediterranean itinerary through an American filter. If it sounds like a laundry list of complaints, there were a number of laudable elements to our cruise—some of them unexpected. We found the Norwegian Jade to be a smooth, stable and quiet vessel. This might have been partly due to calm seas on our itinerary, but engine vibration throughout was at a minimum (except when docking).
Excursions on our Western Caribbean sailing ranged from kayaking, snorkeling, sightseeing and shopping to swimming with dolphins and tours of Mayan ruins. The ship’s standard bar menu was available along with traditional Brazilian cocktails— caipirinha, pomegranate caipirinha, caipiroska and strawberry batida ($6.75-$7.50). Everyone loves an Italian trattoria, but Papa’s just missed the mark for us. The setting reminded us a bit of a big theme park restaurant, efficient, polished and inauthentic. Some of tables are long, family-style arrangements, for those who don’t mind sharing.
During the day, swimwear is acceptable at the buffet or at outdoor restaurants but a shirt or coverup and footwear are required. Resort casual and shorts were allowed in all other restaurants at dinner. There were two nights that were called “Dress Up or Not Night.” While the attire did move up a notch or two on these evenings, there were plenty (maybe even a majority) who kept it casual. These amazing Villas sleep up to eight with three separate bedrooms, each with a king- or queen-size bed and luxury bath. With a living room, dining room and incredible private garden with hot tub, you will have more than enough space to spread out and unwind. Includes butler and concierge service.Extras were in short supply for our Inside cabin, but pricey suites came with nifty amenities.
We did find a Friends of Dorothy meeting here nightly, but otherwise few cruisers seemed to stumble across this spot. It was our pick for a pre-prandial cocktails against the setting sun. The Medusa Lounge also had a trio of private “Whatever” rooms, which could be used for karaoke or, well… whatever. Curtains sealed guests off from view of the bar and the rooms accommodated up to about a dozen people.
The kids activity center on Deck 12 was conveniently located between the Garden Café and pool area, and flanked by the arcade room, making this section of the ship family central. A staff of photographers were aboard to capture cruisers in action, with formal shots also available. Portraits and casual shots in 8×10 size were priced $19.95 each. Packages of 1-liter bottles of San Benedetto water were available—prices ranged from $2.91 each for a package of 24 to $3.66 each for 6 (regular price was $4.50).
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