Be sure to complete your precheck items on the Norwegian website before you leave! I would recommend doing this about a week before your departure. Print those documents!!! It will make your travel a lot easier. Included in those documents are your boarding passes for the ship, airport information, luggage tags, etc. Print enough tags for all luggage you have with you just to be on the safe side. Be sure to fill out those luggage tags ahead of time as well. Even if you don’t use them all, it will be better to have extra than not enough. I would put all of this in a folder or large envelope where it can all easily stay together and be accessible any time during your trip. 

We arrived in Vancouver, which was an absolutely beautiful airport. There were native sculptures and totems throughout the terminal as soon as we entered. Customs was easy to get through however, the systems are mostly automated now. You will only deal with a person for a brief time, but the rest will be  over a computer system. The NCL crew met us past customs and took our luggage for us. This is where your prefilled out luggage tags come in handy. I took them out and the NCL crew attached them to our luggage and then our bags were gone and out of our hands. All we had to deal with was our backpacks. Our luggage arrived in our room just a few hours later. This made lite work for us as we had nothing to worry about save our wallets, phones, passports, and extra layers. 

The onboarding process at the cruise terminal was a little chaotic, and I recommend doing the priority boarding process if possible. Just know that no matter how you board, there are a lot of lines, one bathroom, and 2,000 other people boarding the ship at this terminal. It’s a disorganized situation unfortunately, but all the NCL staff was super polite and tried their best to get everyone through as quickly as possible. Part of the issue was people not being prepared. Be sure to print your boarding pass ahead of time and complete all E-document requirements prior to boarding! Have your passport at the ready at all times. We were probably one of the fastest families through the line since we had everything in our hands and ready to go. Most people were digging for emails and documents that they had stuck back at the bottom of their bags. Remember: proper planning and preparation prevent piss poor performance. This is no different; come prepared and you will move through the line quickly. The lady said we were her fastest family through for the entire day since we immediately handed her passes and passports the moment we got to the desk. 

Once onboard the ship, we had to meet at our assigned muster station for check in and then we were free to find our room. We were in room 9114 which was a balcony room with a sleeper sofa and king sized bed. The sleeper folded out into a full sized bed which was plenty enough for our teenage daughter to be comfortable on. The closet was a good size, but I do wish it had a shelf for suitcase layering. There are drawers and shelves on each side of the closet as well for additional storage. The bathroom had a nice layout with the toilet having a separate closed door so one person could brush their teeth while another used the bathroom or showered. The bathroom was a little tight, but the ADA accessible rooms have a much bigger bathroom if needed. There is no additional charge for requesting an ADA room. 

It’s helpful that the bathrooms have soap and shampoo/conditioner. Made less for us to pack especially with the restrictions on fluids with the TSA requirements. There were plenty of towels and if needed, it was easy to request extra. There were plenty of hooks so that you could recycle your towels. If you didn’t want to recycle them, you could leave them on the floor for replacement towels. We recycled ours no different than we would at home. If you shower properly, the towel isn’t getting dirty! 

The buffet was on deck 12. Breakfast was pretty standard: bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, fruit, cereal, etc. Lunch and dinner varied every day, but there were certain staples to expect like pizza, pasta, burgers, lunch meats, etc. There were different themes for the menu each night: Asian, American, Indian, Caribbean, etc. We received two speciality dining nights with our cruise. We used one at the Brazilian steakhouse. The food was good and there were several sides to go with the variety of meats. All four desserts looked amazing, but my personal favorite was the banana pie pastry. You also have the options of the complimentary speciality dining like the Grand Pacific dining hall, O’Sheehans, and Alizar. All had good food and were a sit down dining experience opposed to the busy buffet. Pay attention to your daily at sea itinerary as it will tell you which one is open for what meals, the hours, they are open, and if they are included in the ship’s complimentary dining experience. They were also a lot quieter as it was far more adults. We did use our second specialty dining night at Cagney’s Steakhouse. The food was also good at this restaurant. Just know you can order more than one side with your dinner. I didn’t realize this and only got a potato, but I should also have gotten the broccoli because it looked amazing. I do recommend making your reservations for specialty dining ahead of time. If not, you will be eating late. They do take walk-in’s, but there is no telling how long you will be waiting to be seated. You can make reservations on Deck 7 beside Guest Services. 

Our first day of the cruise was an at sea day. We spent the day exploring the ship. The Jade has a small arcade, a gift shop, art gallery, several lounges and bars, and scheduled daily entertainment. There is also a walking track, fitness room, spa, library and card room. There was also painting classes, different entertainment each night including comedy shows and music tribute bands, as well as different game shows for the family, couples, or adults. I also enjoyed going to the bridge viewing area where you could learn about the history or the ship, see the crew working, view the sonar, maps, and more. This is only open certain hours each day, but well worth the visit if you are interested in the inner workings of the ship. There is also an “excursion” you can book where you get a behind the scenes tour of the ship. It appeared this excursion was only available on the at sea days. 

Our daughter signed up for the Entourage club. This is a club option for teens 13-17 years old. She was able to spend time with other people her age from all over the world: Australia, Canada, India, as well as other kids from the U.S. The Entourage club organized several events for the kids like scavenger hunts, video game competitions, karaoke nights, and more. It kept her entertained when she didn’t want to hang out with us “old people.” Honestly, besides excursions, we hardly saw her. They also have the same option for kids 12 and under through the Splash Academy. This gives parents some time to enjoy themselves and the kids to be able to spend time with others their age. Be sure to check in and sign up for this included service after boarding the ship. You can receive the hours and the scheduled activities once you sign up your kiddo. 

Remember that the ship is tax and duty free when you visit the gift shop. On this ship, it was Tradewinds. There were daily raffle drawings for different items. We had to visit every day so that Jason could view their constantly changing watch collection. On the first day, you will receive a coupon in your room package for a free bracelet. I recommend getting there early as the line gets long quick. Each day of the cruise, you can collect a charm and on the last day, there is a special ship charm. It’s also worth noting that the Alaska charm bracelet is only available on your final at sea day. You will not be able to get it sooner. I also recommend getting on line as soon as the shop opens for this specialty bracelet on the last day.