During the fall of 2022 my husband and I cruised on the NCL Jade for 19 nights through the Middle East (starting in Athens and ending in Dubai). My first cruise was on Norwegian in 1995… on the iconic transatlantic ship The Norway (which we spent 7 days dodging storms… with an ever changing itinerary… but I still credit NCL for my introduction and love of cruising!) 🙂
NCL has gotten more popular with my clients (mainly those traveling with families) the past few years. It’s comparable to Royal Caribbean with their ship designs, size and quality (lots of activities and great entertainment!). They’ve also received a lot of industry buzz with their epic naming ceremonies (Katy Perry in Iceland!) and inaugural sailings.
Pros
1. Shore excursions
The choices are exceptional! On this itinerary we took many long tours (8-12 hour days) and were impressed with the quality and expertise of the guides! In many of the ports we noticed it was the same companies used by the luxury lines (such as Regent Seven Seas).
2. Value
With their “free at sea” perks package – NCL is a good value with free wi-fi minutes, tour credits, specialty dinners, and their drink package included in the fare.
3. Exotic Itineraries
This is the main reason we choose to cruise on NCL, was for this specific 19 day itinerary from Athens to Dubai. Besides the traditional 7 day cruises – NCL offers numerous longer and more unique itineraries across the globe (compared to their contemporary Royal Caribbean).
4. Ship Cleanliness
Even though the Jade is an older ship – it was spotless throughout (keep in mind staterooms are only cleaned once a day now on NCL).
5. Entertainment
The shows are top notch (don’t miss their theater productions!). There are also tons of options for music and activities on the ship. We never got bored with almost 3 weeks on board (and we had 4 sea days in a row through the Red Sea).
6. Food Variety
Between the main dining room, buffet and specialty dining options – there’s ample food venues. We dined in the French and Italian restaurants (very good!), along with the main dining room and daily breakfast at the buffet.
Cons
1. Pre Boarding Information
On a cruise – there are some countries which allow you to disembark for a day (or more) and don’t require you to obtain a visa. Everyone we talked to on the ship got a visa for Egypt… even though it wasn’t required. I called numerous times, looked through their pre departure country info and never got a correct answer for this ($ and time wasted).
2. Embarkation
I think this was the slowest embarkation day I’ve ever experienced – we waited 2-3 hours before boarding!
3. Flight Department
We didn’t book flights through NCL for our cruise last fall. But, I’ve had numerous clients reserve flights through them the past couple years. They’ve become increasingly difficult to work with and some of their rules (extra $ to guarantee same schedule as traveling partners, etc…) just aren’t worth the bit of savings! I won’t work with NCL or recommend them for airline packages at this point.
4. Tour Departures
This was the biggest fail by NCL. I’ve been cruising for 25 years and never seen such a disaster of departing the ship for your tour! It was the worst mess and frustration… it ended up being the biggest negative of the entire trip. It started each day out with such a bad taste. NCL – please note, this needs a major overhaul on your part!
Will I cruise on NCL again? NCL isn’t my first choice, as I prefer Celebrity Cruises (for the food, ships, and staff – for large ship cruising). But yes, if it was for a specific itinerary/date, I’d sail on them again. 🙂
Do I recommend for clients? Yes, for clients traveling with kids or multi generational families – it’s a great option… especially on their newer ships with all the bells and whistles (it compares to Royal Caribbean).
Hope you’ve found this review helpful! I look forward to matching you to the best cruise line and ship for you. 🙂
Until the next adventure – bon voyage!
Kris
