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Norwegian Jade |
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| Norwegian Jade, formerly named Pride of Hawaii, is NCL's year-round Europe cruise ship. When she was Pride of Hawaii there was no casino onboard, so they had to refurbish the ship in order to compete better in the non-Hawaii cruise markets. During this process they (understandably) did away with much of the Hawaiian theme and added the casino. Today, Norwegian Jade is a fresh-looking, beautiful ship that is sure to meet the cruising needs of all its passengers. Some of the more prominent features to go along with NCL's Freestyle Cruising concept include 12 international restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, and NCL's exclusive Courtyard Villas and Garden Villas. |
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| Norwegian Jade will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010 & 2011: Canary Islands & Morocco, Mediterranean |
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| Norwegian Jade features a wide array of stateroom types, from its standard interior staterooms all the way up to its unbelievable Courtyard and Garden Villas. Interior Staterooms: The interior staterooms onboard Norwegian Jade all feature two lower beds that can be converted into a queen-size bed. Categories range from N through II, with N being the least premium. The major difference between the different interior stateroom categories is their location on the ship. Usually, the higher up on the ship the room is, the more premium it's considered. Oceanview Staterooms: There is a wide variety of oceanview staterooms for you to choose from onboard Norwegian Jade. The most basic oceanview room is a category H, which features a porthole window. The most premium oceanview is a category CC room, which has a picture window. All of the oceanviews feature two lower beds that can convert to a queen-size bed. Balcony Staterooms: Norwegian Jade's oceanview staterooms with balconies (also simply known as balcony staterooms) feature two lower beds that can be converted into a queen-size bed, a sitting area, and a floor-to-ceiling glass door that opens to a private balcony (a really great feature that you're sure to enjoy). The categories range from a BE all the way up to a BA. Suites: There are quite a few types of suites onboard Norwegian Jade. The most basic type of suite are the Mini-Suites (category AF and AG). The Mini-Suite features a sitting area, a private balcony, two lower beds that convert to a queen-size bed, and a luxury bath and shower. The next most premium suite category are the Penthouses. These staterooms feature a living area, a private balcony, a dining area, a luxury bath and shower, and a bedroom with a queen-size bed. Butler service and concierge is available with the Penthouses. Please be aware that certain suites that normally feature a luxury bath and shower will only have a shower if the room is for disabled guests. Among the Penthouse category rooms are the Romance Suites (category AD), which are built with romance in mind. The category AB Penthouses also feature a separate children's bedroom. After the Penthouses, the next most premium category suites are the Courtyard Villas. These rooms are exclusive to the newer NCL ships. The Courtyard Villas feature a living area, a private balcony, a dining area, a separate bedroom with a queen-size bed, a luxury bath and shower, access to the exclusive concierge lounge, and a private courtyard area (hence, the name) with a pool, hot tub, and sundeck. These rooms also have a butler and concierge service available. Only certain Courtyard Villas (category A3) feature a separate children's bedroom. The Owner's Suites (category AA) have a living room, a private balcony, a dining room, a separate bedroom with a king-size bed, a mini bar, a luxury bath and separate shower, access to the concierge lounge, and a private courtyard area with pool, hot tub, and sundeck. These rooms feature the butler and concierge service as well. Deluxe Owner's Suites (category A2) are larger than the regular Owner's Suites and feature the same services and special amenities. The most spectacular (and expensive) accommodations onboard Norwegian Jade are the two Garden Villas. These suites (category A1) are an amazing 4,390 square feet in size. The Garden Villas feature a living room, a dining room, and three separate bedrooms (each with a king- or queen-size bed, and a private luxury bath). One of the three bedrooms features a full bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower. Of course, this type of suite features butler and concierge service, as well as access to a private courtyard area (as described above). |
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| All Norwegian Cruise Line ships have an open dining setup (which is one of the main aspects of their Freestyle Cruising format). Open dining means that you can eat where you want, when you want. Norwegian Jade has 12 dining venues from which you can choose from, besides the 24-hour room service! Norwegian Jade has two main dining rooms, Alizar and the Main Dining Room (both located on deck 6). Both of these dining rooms offer the same five-course menu, which changes each night. Dinner is served from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm. This beautiful vessel also has an indoor/outdoor buffet, featuring a wide array of options for you to chose from, depending on the time and day you dine there (including omelets, waffles, fruit, pizza, sandwiches, ethnic specialties, pasta, and more). Blue Lagoon (located on deck 8) is a 24-hour food court-style eatery, featuring a menu that includes favorites such as hamburgers, french fries, and even fast-wok dishes. It's most popular for those that tend to look for a midnight snack. Topsiders Bar & Grill is located poolside on deck 12 and features a grill menu (hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, etc). The Grill is on deck 13 and features a full bar and grill. You'll find popular items such as hamburgers and grilled chicken. The specialty restaurants onboard Norwegian Jade offer a wide array of international dining choices, with a per person cover charge ranging between $10 and $30. Cagney's Steakhouse is one of the most popular specialty restaurants onboard Norwegian Jade. Cagney's is an upscale traditional American steakhouse, with a 1930's theme. This restaurant charges a $20 per person cover charge for those that dine in it and choose anything but the Surf 'n Turf (which costs $30 per person). Le Bistro is Norwegian Jade's French specialty restaurant. Le Bistro features a fabulous menu, featuring an excellent Filet Mignon and a wonderful mushroom soup. Jasmine Garden is Norwegian Jade's Pan Asian restaurant, featuring a Japanese/Chinese/Thai menu, a sushi bar and a teppanyaki (also known as Hibachi) room. There is an all-you-can-eat sushi option available at a flat fee of $15 per person. There are two specialty restaurants onboard Norwegian Jade that have a less expensive cover charge (at only $10 per person) - Papa's Italian Kitchen (a casual Italian Restaurant) and Tapas & Salsa Restaurant (a modern tapas bar). Reservations are highly recommended for the specialty restaurants, as they are very in demand and can book up quickly. Dining reservations cannot be made prior to your cruise. You can make a reservation 24 hours prior to the day you want to dine, unless you have a balcony or higher (in which case you can make a reservation within 48 hours). Be sure to make reservations at least the night before you want to dine, to help ensure that the time (and restaurant) you want to dine at will be available for you. |
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| There are countless places to go and things to do onboard Norwegian Jade. There are 12 bars and lounges onboard Norwegian Jade. Among them, Medusa Lounge & Night Club (located on deck 7) is an excellent option for those looking for some dancing and fun. This area features three karaoke rooms. Especially during the day, Topsiders Pool Bar & Grill is a very popular, and busy, poolside spot to spend time at. Another great option is the Spinnaker Lounge (on deck 13), which features an amazing view and a dance floor. For those looking for a more relaxed atmosphere, there is also Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar, a contemporary bar located on deck 6, and the Star Bar (located on deck 13), with a very 1920's inspired theme. The Corona Cigar Club is a favorite among cigar and cognac aficionados. The Jade Club Casino is a real hot spot (especially in the evenings) onboard this ship. There are many slot machines and tables to choose from, in addition to various poker, slot, and blackjack tournaments throughout the cruise. One of the most popular things to do onboard Norwegian Jade is go to the Stardust Theatre for its nightly show. The Stardust Theatre is huge! It spans three decks (5, 6, and 7). This theatre has a capacity of 1,042 and features various Broadway and Vegas-style shows. For those looking for sports and exercise, there are 4 pools, 4 hot tubs, a basketball/volleyball/tennis court, a jogging/walking track (on deck 13), and a fitness center (a gym that is open 24 hours). Daily fitness/aerobics classes are available. For those looking for a more relaxing time, there is the library, the art gallery, the internet cafe, the card/lifestyles room, and (of course) a huge outdoor deck to pick a spot on and relax in a lounge chair. Don't forget about the Ying & Yang Health Spa & Beauty Salon (located on deck 12), where you can choose from a wide range of spa treatments. |
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| Because of the Freestyle Cruising concept, the dress code is not very strict or formal on a Norwegian Cruise - it is actually quite casual, relative to other cruise lines. As far as dining goes, casual attire is preferred during the day. Examples of casual attire are: khakis, skirts, jeans, casual tops, and shorts. At the buffet and outdoor dining venues, swimwear with a cover-up is just fine. During dinner a collared shirt and pants (or nice jeans) is fine for men. For women slacks, jeans, dresses, skirts, and tops are fine. If you'd like to dress up for dinner and wear something more formal or glamorous that is OK too, as on most NCL cruises there is usually at least one night were many people will do so (known as the "Captain's Night" or "Formal Night"). For kids 12 and under, shorts are OK in all of the restaurants. |
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| NCL's children's program is called the Kids Crew. The Kids Crew program is run by NCL's Youth Staff and is free of charge (of course, gratuities are appreciated by the staff). Each staff member is CPR and First Aid certified. The Kids Crew program features complimentary activities that are scheduled throughout each day of your cruise. Examples of these activities are painting, pajama parties, pizza making, and shows. A parent or guardian is required to initially register 2-17 year olds for this program. Children are assigned to groups, based on age (Juniors = 2-5 years old, First Mates = 6-9 years old, Navigators = 10-12 years old, and Teens = 13-17 years old). Kids under 13 may not sign themselves out. There is not a one-on-one care program available in the Youth Program. There is group-sitting available for kids. The "Late Night Party Zone" and "Port Play" are both programs for kids 2-12 years of age. The "Port Play" program is run from 9 am to 5 pm and is for parents that want to go on shore excursions alone, leaving their kids in the hands of qualified professionals. The "Late Night Party Zone" is available from 10 pm to 1 am. The cost of these two programs is $5 per hour, per child, and $3 per hour for each additional sibling in the same family. These charges are applied to your onboard expense account. There is also a Teen Program available onboard Norwegian Jade. This program is for those that are 13-17 years of age. This program is a great way for teens to meet and have fun. As far as facilities for children and teens goes, there is a video arcade on deck 12 that features various video games and machines. There is also the Teen Club, a hip teen hang out (also located on deck 12). The Kid's Center is located on deck 12; it's a special kids area filled with an indoor jungle gym/obstacle course. |
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| NCL charges a fixed fee for what they call service charges on all Norwegian Jade cruises. This fee is $12 per person, per day and is charged to your onboard expense account. There is no such charge for children under 3 years of age. If while on your cruise you find that these fees are more than you'd like to pay (or if you are very unhappy with the service you've been provided with by the staff), you can adjust the service charge fees to the level you prefer (as long as you do so before you leave the ship). NCL does not consider this service charge to be the same thing as a gratuity or tip. NCL states that they do not auto-charge you for gratuities (even though the service charge does seem to be a similar fee). If you find a few staff members that really stand out and make your vacation more enjoyable, NCL's staff is allowed to accept cash gratuities. The recommended gratuity for guests purchasing bar beverages is 15%. For those purchasing spa and salon services, please be aware that NCL automatically adds a gratuity of 18% (called a service charge on certain ships). |
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| The official legal drinking age on a Norwegian cruise is 21 years of age. However, guests that are 18 to 20 years old with written consent from their parents or guardian are allowed to purchase beer and wine when the ship is sailing in international waters (except in Alaska & Hawaii, where you must be 21 years old to do so). |
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| The minimum gambling age on all NCL cruise ships in 18 years of age. A valid photo ID may be required, so be sure to have one with you while in the casino. Please be aware that onboard casinos are closed on NCL ships while sailing in Hawaii. |
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