We were on the April 4th cruise to the Bahamas out of NY. Our family: two parents in their 50s, 3 kids, (ages 10, 12 and 14) and one grandparent. A very full ship, spring break for many school districts - if you are traveling without kids take care not to book one of these weeks. We knew that there were going to be about 1000 kids onboard - for us a plus. We are very experienced travelers and have been all over the country and the world with our kids. We chose the Gem because it is new, large (lots to do) and departing Manhattan (our former home and favorite place). So, in the interest of full disclosure: yes we are snobs, but not super-snobs - we prefer places like the better hotels at Disney and Universal and the good resort Hyatts, not super-posh places like the Four Seasons or the Peninsula. We thought the newer NCL ships were an upmarket experience, but that was a disappointment. The Gem, to us, was a full notch below the Disney/ Universal/ Hyatt resort experiences that we've had. In fairness, an NCL cruise may also be cheaper than those places if you tally up all the costs. NCL is pretty much the mass-market experience I had imagined Carnival to be. [A long review follows.]

First the GOOD. The ship is still in excellent shape, fresh feeling. We had one penthouse suite with a huge forward-facing balcony plus 2 inside cabins across the hall. The balcony on our suite was probably the absolute best part of the cruise. It had lots of comfortable furniture so the whole family could sit out there and enjoy it. I had assumed that the balcony was going to be windy when the ship was moving and would only be usable when we were in port. To my great surprise, on our 2 at-sea days, we were able to enjoy the sun on our balcony for 4-6 hours in the middle of each day. Somehow, the way the front of the ship is sloped, the aerodynamics caused most of the wind to blow right over the top of the sloped balcony walls. When we were docked in Nassau for a day and a half, we had a beautiful view of Atlantis and some pretty Bahamian homes (as well as a bit of industrial stuff).

BIG SHIP ISSUES: No one in our family has a disability, we are all healthy & fit. Even so, the distances you must walk on this ship each day are enormous. I suppose since our cabin was at the front of the ship maybe our case was a bit extreme - but truly, think twice before booking this ship for someone who will need to be pushed in a wheelchair, or who is not a strong walker. With toddlers or babies, you will absolutely need a sturdy narrow stroller - a stroller not wider than an slim adult. The corridors are quite narrow, and the maids carts and ice chests are cluttering the hallways most of the time. From either end of the corridor, the sight of the half mile hike ahead of you, with hundreds of cabin doors, almost takes your breath away! Read more