But I was very pleasantly surprised...so much so that I bought another future cruise certificate while on board.

Some info about me...This was my 21st cruise, having cruised with Celebrity, HAL, Carnival and twice before with NCL. I am now a solo cruiser for the past 13 months. Several years ago, while still a couple, we bought cruise certificates while on a fabulous New Year's Eve cruise. I used one of them in 2008 on the Dawn & that was the cruise that turned me off NCL. This Gem cruise redeemed the cruise line in my eyes. :)

Embarkation in NYC was a breeze. I arrived at the pier at 9:30, handed my large piece of luggage to the porter & drove out of the terminal & then turned back in to park on the upper deck. I've left from NY all but 3 times, and always arrive very early. This was the first time I wasn't permitted to park immediately. After paying the $210 parking, I was instructed to pull over & wait until 10AM when I would be allowed to proceed & park at the pier next to the Gem. No big deal, it was a gorgeous day. Read more