Norwegian Gem Review

First Time Cruiser with an Amazing Experience

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Gem
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KayFit
First Time Cruiser • Age 30s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2015
Cabin: Family Balcony

This was my first cruise and I had high expectations. Most of my expectations were met.

Embarkation was a breeze for the most part. We arrived around 11am by taxi from the Bolt Station a mile away and was on the ship around 12:30 I believe. We went straight to Guest Services and put cash on our account since we didn’t want to use our credit card. Then we went off to the main dining room where we ate lunch with two other couples at a shared table.

I enjoyed the freestyle cruising although I don’t have anything to compare it to. I like getting dressed up when I want. I mostly wore summer dresses but I always felt comfortable. I also like eating when I want instead of a set time. We also could choose if we shared a table or ate separately. Most of the time we ate by ourselves. The main dining rooms were good. We preferred to eat at Magenta. We ate most days in the dining room for dinner. Lunch was probably split between buffet, outdoor grill, and occasionally Grand Pacific. Most of our food was good. Some of the buffet food was often cold but overall okay. I imagined the food would be a lot better than what it was but still it was good. We also ate at the Sushi Bar, Teppanyakki, and Lu Cucina. These were all good and worth the extra money. The cruise had lots of entertainment through the shows, games, and parties. There was always something to do. I would highlight each day on the dailies what I wanted to do. I think my boyfriend felt like we had too much to do because we had a full schedule. The entertainment is definitely a plus although I imagined I would relax more.

Cabin Review

Family Balcony

Cabin B2

Cabin 8032 is forward starboard. The cabin was a nice size and had a hull balcony. I enjoyed the hull balcony because it kept out rain and skeet that briefly came down. It also allows for more privacy then regular balconies because you cannot see your neighbors. At times the cabin had a slight whistle noise coming from the balcony door but it was not loud or disturbing but definitely noticeable. This room also is not for people who are prone to seasickness. Our ship was very rocky during quite a few of our sea days and I would instantly feel very sick and have to go mid-ship which helped a lot. I could not be in the cabin when the boat rocked at all. Overall, this was a very good room. The room is close to the elevators and Stardust Theater but not close enough to hear noise. The room also is easy to get to the Atrium. I originally booked the BX category and received this B2 category.

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