A friend and I recently sailed on the Norwegian Gem for the "Savor the Night" Celebrity cruise out of New York. I was very impressed with the initial size of the Gem. Overall, the Gem is a beautiful ship. The exterior is truly something to behold. The colors were very vibrant and bright. The wood trim in the cabins was very sleek and had a high gloss finish. Everything was so new.

Embarkation was very smooth. We entered the Manhattan cruise terminal just before 3:00 pm (thanks to a delayed flight) and there were no crowds. They had literally rolled out the red carpet. Everywhere you looked there was red carpet leading to the ramp to board the ship. After a very brief check-in, we were onboard within 10 minutes of entering the terminal. A quick snapshot by the photographers and the next minute we were being greeting with glasses of champagne welcoming us onboard. What a perfect way to begin a cruise.

This was my first experience on NCL and I thoroughly enjoyed the Freestyle Dining experience. This is very similar to Princess' Anytime Dining, which I enjoy very much. The huge HD/Plasma screen in the atrium was very enjoyable. While taking photos of the ship, we somehow missed the basketball or tennis court (not sure which) and the rock-climbing wall in the rear of the ship. There are also two bowling alleys onboard adjacent to the Bliss Ultra Lounge & Nightclub. The cost is $5 per game inclusive of shoe rental. Read more