I recently sailed the Gem from New York to the Bahamas for 7 days. Price per person was actually great at only $499 per person, after tax and the mandatory gratuity total came out to roughly $1,600 for two people. This was my first cruise and I was on a budget so I didn't want to spend additional on extras such as room upgrades, drinks or excursions. This was a decent first cruise but I probably wouldn't do Norwegian again.

Important Things to note:

- Free drinks. There are non alcoholic beverages that are COMPLIMENTARY! I searched all over and could not find this information on their site so figured I could save someone from buying the crazy overpriced bottled water or drink packages. Drinks available daily include: water, apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, tea, flavored waters, coffee, hot chocolate and milk. You could also hit up the art auction for free champagne and then leave. Read more