Norwegian Gem Review
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This was our 4th cruise and by far our best. My wife and two children, age 3 and 9 took this trip. The port in nyc is quick and easy (amazingly). Once on the boat the party started. I have no complaints at all. We all had the time of our life. The boat always had something to do for all ages. The kids camp, "splash academy" was excellent. The nickolodeon staff was amazing. There was a girl named kiki, who is officially my shy 3 yo friend. The nick shows, events, and meet and greets were great. My son got cream pie to the face twice. He was in his glory. The shows were excellent. The boat production company was great. Dan from Scotland reminded me of justin timberlake. Great group. The rest of the shows were unbelievable. I couldn 't believe the quality of the shows. The second city comedy troupe was amazing. They did numerous things through out the week. They were great. We saw the all age appropriate stuff but they did adults only. The food is not gourmet but is very good and plentiful. The staff was out of this world. They tell you numerous times that they are voted the number 1 crew on ncl and I believe it. Joy our cabin steward was excellent. The washee washee ladies are quite entertaining. The cabins are small but your on a boat so I guess you expect that. Im sure there are bigger ships, and newer ships but it was a lot of fun. BBQ on the deck were great. The fun that the crew creates is amazing. The gym and spa were really nice. We took gym classes and the instructors were excellent. The port stops were excellent with st. martin by far my favorite. I would stay there forever. We got a real tour from a real local. It was more than you could ask for. Orient beach was something special.Disembarking was easy...only sad to go.
Cabin Review
Aft-Facing Balcony
The cabin is what the cabin is. 2 adults and 2 kids in a cabin is tight but it was more than we needed. The balcony helped and surprisingly it was better than I would have hoped.
Port Reviews
New York (Manhattan)
Easy on, and easy off. Port in nyc does a great job. Parking is very pricey at the port. There are some other parking garages you can park that are real close and half the price.
San Juan
We didnt take an organized excursion. We took a local taxi tour. And went to the beach. Being in san juan pr feels a lot like nyc with nicer beaches. Could be cleaner and many places need a paint job.
St. Thomas
St. Thomas is amazing. Everyone goes to Megans Bay which is beautiful but we went to sapphire beach which was just as nice with better snorkeling. You have to tell the taxi you want to go there because its a few minutes out of the way, and the taxi drivers would rather you stay closer.
St. Maarten
St Maarten is my new second home. We got a local to give us a local tour. Truly amazing. No tourist traps. We learned about sea grapes. He took us on a 2 1/2 hr drive all the way around the island, probably saw most of the 37 beaches. Saw the french side, saw the dutch side. We saw all of the island and it is spectacular. SO laid back. We ended up at Orient Beach by our choice. Close by is the full nude beach which we did not see but my 9 yo asked why some women were topless. It is on the french side. Had an amazing beach side meal, beautiful waters. Outrageous!
Tortola
So the port in tortola is under renovation so you get tendered in. Since you leave by 1 its kind of a waste of time. We did a local taxi tour, did some walking around but it wasnt the best weather and being on the boat by 1 is kind of silly. Nice island, the brits keep it cleaner. I would like to go back.