We flew into New York three days before our cruise. It was our first time to the Big Apple, so we wanted to spend a couple of days sightseeing before our cruise. That meant that we had a relaxing embarkation day, because we slept in, had breakfast, packed our bags, and grabbed a cab. The cab ride to the pier was quite reasonable, since we had been staying in Manhattan. The Larchmont Hotel, where we stayed is old and the rooms are small, but it is clean, affordable, and if you don't mind European-style shared washrooms, quite charming. They even provided free WiFi and breakfast.

According to the staff aboard the gem, the ship was full, so no room changes would be accomodated. A full ship meant more lines, so even though we arrived fairly early (just after 12), it still took us around half an hour to get onto the ship. There was a lineup for security, a lineup for checking in, a waiting area until our number was called, and then a lineup to actually board the ship. Fortunately, our room was actually ready to go when we got on board, so we were able to deposit our carryons, change the baby's diaper, and freshen up before heading to the buffet for lunch.

We had booked our cruise the day before final payment was due, at which point we paid for a balcony gty room. The boat was fairly empty at that point, so it looked good for upgrades. However, after Sandy, the ship filled up quickly. We did get upgraded though, from balcony on deck 8 to midship balcony (10608) on deck 10 (3 category updgrade to BA). Our cabin came with a bunk that could be let down from the ceiling and a hide-a-bed. NCL provided us with a playpen for our little one. Read more