Norwegian Jade Ship Review

Norwegian Jade near Cannes, France. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

In the year 2000, NCL decided that cruising had become too stuffy, so it began redesigning its onboard programs and its ships to be more casual, down-to-earth, and just plain fun. The 93,558-ton, 2,380-guest Norwegian Jade and her Jewel-class sister ships are the direct result of that makeover. Launched in 2007 as Pride of Hawai’i and renamed after NCL scaled back an over-ambitious Hawaii commitment, Norwegian Jade is everything a mainstream American megaship should be: She offers a festive atmosphere, great entertainment, a slew of restaurants, awesome children’s centers, fun decor, fantastic suites, and comfortable standard staterooms, all at a fair price.

Click for deck plans and deals on Norwegian Jade.

Public Rooms & Entertainment On Norwegian Jade

The Star Bar is an inviting place to have that late-night drink aboard Norwegian Jade. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Inside, the mood is light and fun from the moment you come aboard, with fantasy furniture and artwork in the atrium lobby, an explosion of bright island colors in both the public rooms and accommodations, and a dash of contemporary and art deco styling in some of her fancier restaurants and lounges. The multi-deck Stardust Theater seats 1,000 guests for some of the best production shows in the cruise world. The Medusa Lounge & Nightclub on Deck 7 hosts late-night music and dancing and offers three great little private karaoke rooms that can be reserved for private parties. Up on Deck 13, the Spinnaker observation lounge is also open for dancing at night. More intimate, low-volume socializing takes place at midships on Deck 6, where three themed bars are clustered together, one specializing in beer and whiskey, one in martinis and cocktails, and one in champagne. Other public rooms include a large casino, a reading room, a library, an Internet center, and a wedding chapel.

Just For Kids On Norwegian Jade

Kids get a huge, bright play area outfitted with cozy TV rooms, a huge climbing maze, and great crafts, play, and computer areas. There’s also a small play area outdoors. Teens get their own hangout space called the Wipe Out.

Dining On Norwegian Jade

The Jasmine Asian specialty restaurant aboard Norwegian Jade. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

A dinnertime, guests can choose among 12 different restaurants:

• The main Grand Pacific and Alizar dining rooms
• Le Bistro, the most formal restaurant onboard, serving French and continental cuisine
• The Jasmine Garden, for Asian food
• The Teppanyaki Room, where chefs prepare your meal at a tableside grill, Japanese style
• A sushi bar
• Cagney’s, a classic steakhouse with an attached, 1930s-style bar for cocktails before or after dinner
• Papa’s, serving casual, family-style Italian meals at long tables
• Paniolo Tapas & Salsa Restaurant
• The Garden Cafe buffet restaurant
• The casual Blue Lagoon, serving comfort food 24 hours a day
• And, added in 2011, a new South American–style steakhouse called Moderno Churrascaria, where servers circulate among the tables with a huge selection of grilled meats

There are also the usual outdoor grills and indoor snack spots during the day, plus room service, and you can even order pizza 24 hours a day for $5 per pie, delivered to you anywhere on the ship.

Pools, Fitness & Fun On Norwegian Jade

Outdoors, Jade’s resort-like pool deck is hedged to port and starboard by a row of palm-tree-shaped street lamps, while a large, Bermuda-style gazebo bandstand sits in the center, among two pools, four hot tubs, and a two-story corkscrew waterslide. Up in the bow on that same deck is the ship’s amazing spa, with its multiple treatment rooms, saunas and steamrooms, beauty salon, and calming relaxation center with its own aquatherapy pool. A large fitness center is next door, and there’s a jogging track and a basketball/volleyball court outside.

Staterooms & Suites On Norwegian Jade

Standard staterooms are comfortable if not plush, decorated in bright fabrics and woody paneling and accents. Furniture tends to be a bit spindly and insubstantial, but overall the rooms are pleasant and livable, with TVs, minibars, well-designed bathrooms, and, in about half the outside cabins, smallish but acceptable private balconies. Outsides range from about 160 to 205 square feet.

At the high end, Jade offers 11 different categories of suites, many of them in its “The Haven by Norwegian” first-class section. Top of the heap is the incredible Garden Villa, with its three separate bedrooms, living room, dining room, and private garden. Most distinctive are the two-bedroom, 572-square-foot Family Villas and 440-square-foot Courtyard Penthouses, all arrayed around a private courtyard with its own small swimming pool, hot tub, and plush sun beds. There’s also a private sun deck upstairs and a dedicated concierge lounge, all for the use of Haven guests only.

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