My wife with some of her friends selected this cruise after much research. It was a mixed bag. Embarkation and disembarkation was okay. We were a group of 8 adults and we had to split up because of poor planning on the part of NCL. They need to ensure that larger groups travelling together can stay together. The ship was clean and well appointed, and our room steward was nothing short of fantastic.
That said, the food was tempting, there was more than enough but was quite unhealthy. There was so much salt used that some of the dishes were actually inedible. The miso soup in the Japanese restaurant was so salty nobody could eat it. Seawater would have been more palatable. Since there were abundant salt shakers, the food could have been made without salt or minimal salt and then be salted to taste by the individual. Do not take this cruise if you have high blood pressure or kidney problems! This makes more sense when one realizes that salt causes thirst and beer aboard GEM ran $6.50 to $7.00 per bottle. We were told not to drink water from the tap due to health concerns and you guessed it, bottled water could be purchased on the ship at many times the cost charged by your local Costco. You were not permitted to bring your own water on board. No surprise.
The entertainment was lackluster but there were varied activities for those that wanted them. There was insufficient seating in the evening in the public areas if one wanted to listen to the performers.
We had a cabin with a balcony on deck 11. It was a bit cramped but wholly acceptable. There were too few electric outlets and none near the night tables which was a problem as I sleep with a medical device. I had called NCL before the cruise to check and they advised that I bring an extension cord. They also arranged for distilled water to be delivered to our room which was appreciated.
Varied shopping.
A beautiful island with nice restaurants.
Best destination of the trip. Very few public bathrooms in town so be warned.
A really nice ride around the island with a couple of stops. Would recommend.
It was New York City so a lot of traffic and our ride had trouble parking to let us off. Royal Caribbean leaves out of Bayonne, NJ which would have been more convenient.