Our cruise was from Jan. 12-22 and was our first with Norwegian. We have cruised previously on Celebrity, Azamara, Royal Caribbean, and Queen Mary II. The Gem suited our purpose which was a family cruise involving no planes suitable for our family cruising with us for the first time. I will try to give an honest overview.
1. Embarkation--processing seemed comparable to our other cruises. We arrived around 1pm and we were able to go to our cabins as soon as we were checked in. If you arrive too early before setting sail, you will not be able to board and will be stuck sitting around. Luggage arrived in the evening. Remember to carry on anything (meds, swimsuit, baby and children items, etc.) that you may want access to right away. Lunch was available and after having a bite, we went exploring, then attended the sail-away party.
2.Dining--the food in the buffet was average and the seating was adequate, esp. when available on back deck. However, we only ate when it was not crowded and it seemed really tight at busy times when we happened to pass through that area. We ate most meals in the Grand Pacific and ate early enough to avoid the crowds. Service was adequate, but far from polished---many servers seemed to be learning on the job. Food and variety was good and eating there was relaxing. The Magenta dining room was very noisy and not at all relaxing the only night we went there, but our son and his wife went one night and had a nice time.
We were pleased with our cabin and found enough storage for all our belongings. The bathroom seemed it bit larger than on our other cruises and the balcony was large enough to relax outside when weather permitted. Space between the foot of the bed and the wall was a little tight, but that is to be expected. Our room adjoined that of our son's family which made it convenient for us to share child care for our 3 & 4 year old grand daughters. We were able to put them to bed and take turns going out for the evening with no worries. The little couch opened up to a bed just the right size for the 2 of them, but would probably be too small for older children.