My husband and I had a wonderful time on the Gem. We love the intimacy of the smaller ships. I would like to preface this review with the fact that we were staying in The Haven so my review is primarily based on the staff and services we received while staying there. The cabin was spacious however, the bed in the extra bedroom was extremely uncomfortable. I have suggested perhaps a mattress topper to soften it a little. Every woman knows when their husband snores, we need a place to get some sleep but when the accommodations are worse than a prison cell cot (not that I have experienced that), we still do not get much sleep. Out butler Rosh and cabin steward Terrence were amazing, it almost seems like they never sleep. They were always smiling, outgoing and a true delight to encounter on a daily basis. Jenzer worked in The Haven itself, serving our cocktails, meals and anything else we would need. From before breakfast to right before dinner, that young man was always on the move with his various responsibilities continually sporting a smile on his face.

Our vacation experience begins the minute we get in line and continues right through to the end. We deeply appreciate the efforts the staff put forth for us. The specialty restaurants did not disappoint, the only food we were a little tired of was in the Garden Café, the variety on a daily basis is plentiful however, it is the same food each day for breakfast and lunch. For some unknown reason, they eliminated lox from the buffet line which saddened my husband tremendously. We did meet up with another avid cruiser who stated that if you asked the attendant at the buffet line for some lox, he/she would get it for you. However, sometimes going to the main dining rooms is not what we are looking for and just want to grab a quick bite but would like that quick bite to have more flavor. All in all however, we understand that cooking for the masses is not easy so we do not hold the Garden Café against our overall experience.

We did not go to any of the shows, but the lounge singer outside of Le Bistro, who sang primarily Billy Joel songs, was really not that good. I did hear from another cruiser that Bingo was a blast perhaps that's because she won over $800!! Read more