So after the absolute disaster of last February (Norwegian Cruise Line is clearly not on my preferred vendor list), I for some crazy reason agreed to join my friends for a cruise in the Caribbean this December. In deference to the fact that my head still spins when someone says "Norwegian" and "cruise" in the same sentence, this cruise will be with Royal Caribbean. Since we haven't gone yet, it's a little early for a trip report, but I think I'm finally capable of talking about the last one without swearing.
Norwegian Jade - "Morocco" and Canary Islands, February 2011
Morocco is in quotes as this trip (and only this trip, not any of the ones before or after) did not go to Morocco. And therein lies the problem. But I'll get to that.
Travel: US Airways, award tickets in Business / Envoy class. MHT to BCN (Barcelona) by way of Philadelphia and Madrid. Outbound trip in old envoy, so no sleep for me. I don't know why US still insists on flying those horrible barcalounger seats, but they do, and I hate them. Not catastrophic, but not a good start. Madrid to Barcelona was on Spanair: for what it was (note: first class within Europe is typically economy with an empty middle seat), a pleasant, short and unobjectionable flight.
Return via the same route. This time the Madrid to Philadelphia flight was in the new Envoy configuration - unlike the other config, this one is truly a premium experience. So, when flying US to Europe, be careful with your aircraft selection.
Cruise Ship:
The Norwegian Jade was formerly one of their Hawaii ships; I think either the Pride of Hawaii or the Pride of Aloha. This isn't a problem, but it does explain why a ship in the Mediterranean is decorated in a Polynesian theme. The Jade follows the same general plan as most other Norwegian ships. It's not the newest ship in the fleet, and it is showing some wear and tear (particularly the stateroom carpets), but the crew absolutely does their best to keep things clean.
Amenities:
2 main dining rooms (the Grand Pacific and Alizar), a buffet, and two grill-type restaurants (included). Coffee bar and numerous specialty restaurants (Tex-Mex, Italian, French, Teppenyaki, Asian/fusion, and a steak house). Casino (smoking permitted, a deal breaker for me), library, spa, gym (microscopic) and 2 pools.
Entertainment:
Changes nightly, always packed. Most of the shows were quite good. Elements was Cirque de Soleil style, and well executed. I would recommend you skip the magician, but then I'm not much for magic tricks
Itinerary:
And here is where I get angry. Supposed to be Casablanca and Agadir in Morocco, followed by stops in the Canary Islands, Madeira and Spain. At 5:30 on embarkation day, they announced we would not be going to Morocco due to unrest. Ok, I get it. In hind sight, it was a bit of an overreaction, but they had no way of knowing that at the time. The problem was, they sent us to Lanzarote, a teeny tiny little outpost in the Canary islands where they roll up the sidewalks at noon for a siesta. Very little to see or do. And that is our "alternative" to not one but two Morocco ports. They also added an extra day at sea.
Madeira and Malaga were my two favorite ports of call. In both cases, we got really good tour guards, including a university professor in Malaga who did a great job adding dimension to what could otherwise have been a long bus ride to the Alhambra (which would have been worth it, even without the great guide). Absolutely stunning. I plan to go back to both Madeira and Spain.
Needless to say, many of the passengers (us included) did not think that the substitute port carried equivalent value and were not pleased that the company seemed to think we should be satisfied with a second class itinerary. From what I could tell, there was no attempt at service recovery, just a "thanks for the money, sucks for you on the itinerary change" attitude. I felt like a walking wallet the whole trip.
So what, you ask, do I think they should have done? Well, there are some options. First, and most preferable, they could have gotten an adequate alternate port; maybe Gibraltar or Lisbon in Portugal or an additional port in Spain or one of the Western Italian ports. Considering the issue was decided before we left Barcelona, they had a huge swath of the Mediterranean to work with, and they chose.. Lanzarote. Not ok. Next choice: offered a significant stateroom credit. Since we were losing 2 port days, out of 6, I would say a credit equal to 15-20% of the fare paid per person would do the trick. It would be fair to the passengers (those who paid more would get more and they could use that money on extras to make up for the additional sea time) and good for the company. It would have given a good impression while not actually costing them anything. Ok, it would reduce their revenue, but a credit is better for their bottom line then a refund. On that theme, option 3, offer a significant (again, 20% or so) credit on a future cruise. Finally, there is always the refund option. Of course, they did none of those things. So... avoid Norwegian unless you are 100% certain that your trip will go flawlessly (and if you're that sure, there's this bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you... )
Post Cruise:
Stayed in Barcelona three days post cruise - made the entire trip worth it. Go to Barcelona. It's a wonderful city full of a huge variety of different styles and types of attractions. The museums are great (recommend the Maritime museum and City Museum of Barcelona in particular), the architecture is stunning (the old cathedral, the Sagrada Famiglia, the assorted Gaudi houses) and hte parks are fantastic. Also, the food is wonderful; tapas are possibly the perfect way to experience a new cuisine because it allows you to try a little of everything without turning yourself into a bowling ball.
As usual in Europe, I did not rent a car but instead used public transportation. The metro in Barcelona is great, very convenient punctual, clean and the signage is easy to follow. One thing to note, in Barcelona, they speak Catalan as well as Spanish; actually, they speak Catalan primarily and will switch to Spanish as needed. Also, if you have studied Spanish in the US, be aware that the accent and pronunciation in Spain are significantly different then what is common in the Americas.
