I love to cruise, have always gone on NCL, they leave out of Boston, which is great, but my complaints are always the same: cabins too small, bad poop odor in halls. Breakfast ends too early, all day breakfast not available. Music, singers, theater shows, MC's, games, singers, DJ's, and band around pool, way TOO LOUD!!! It drove us out of many activities. Movies in atrium would have been fun except they were awful, and again too loud. Drawings and slot machines in casino never seem to win. NCL needs to stop trying to sell diamonds and art, no one wants it or can afford it. NCL should end the stupid games around the pool and get rid of live band. Make rooms bigger on ship and let people relax in the sun. Also, pool water was not warm. But I was glad the hot tubs were not too hot, they seemed just right. The staff was helpful and hard working. I will cruise again, but just wish NCL would change cruising and get away from the loud hocky games, shows & blaring music. A classier atmosphere would be so much better. Hope this helps. More vegetarian options and please stop serving Veal, too cruel!! Read Less

We went on this cruise to get a good sampling of the Southern Caribbean. The service was excellent and all of the staff were truly happy to part of your vacation. I have mixed feeling about the freestyle cruise.On one hand I enjoyed the freedom and flexibility, it also I believe lead to some fast food attempts for some at the restaurants. Although we did not travel with kids, there were a lot of onboard activities and areas for kids. These areas were somewhat out of the way so those that did not have kids wouldn't necessarily know there were any onboard, a very good design. The activities on at see days were great for learning culture history and being entertained, the staff were excellent and really made the trip worth while. Overall I would definitely consider using Norwegian again over the 3 others cruise lines I have traveled with. Read Less

1. Before we booked the cruise I specifically asked the NCL sales person what would happen if the price decreased after we booked. I was advised we would be offered a portion of the difference as onboard credit. A couple of months after we paid, the booking price decreased by $400.00 for a two week period beginning a month before the sail date. When we inquired about the decrease, we were instead offered a cabin upgrade, of which we declined because we indicated that cabin type was not important to us. Also, a family member is prone to motion sickness, so we wanted to keep the midship cabin location we selected when we booked to minimize the possibly of motion sickness. There was no offer of any onboard credit given (we were declined when we subsequently asked both before and during the cruise). 2. A hostile spa employee who yelled in the spa hall and scolded us from 30-40 feet away because we were unattended in the hall looking for a family member on day one when spa tours were occurring. 3. Engine exhaust fumes (it was not paint or other ship maintenance fumes) in the cabin for the entire time (11:30 P.M. arrival to 6:00 P.M. the next day departure) in port in St. Thomas. We reported it in person to guest services 3 times until 2 A.M., who acknowledged there was an issue in multiple areas of the ship. One explanation given was that it was caused by a downdraft making the ships exhaust to get blown back into the ship. We were concerned about carbon monoxide. The housekeeping management subsequently indicated there were CO detectors in the cabin that would alert if there was a problem. That wasn't very comforting. It didn't make for a good night sleeping. 4. Lack of attention on two different days to our single person dining needs in the dining room. (Water not refilled, food not served for 15 minutes due to staff change, not asked if food was okay, and no salt/pepper/sugar on the table). Two of the three of us seldom ate in the dining room as a result. 5. Rolling cart noise on many days and associated clanging/banging sounds when apparently things fell from the cart. These sounds, which were in the wee hours (2 A.M. to 5A.M.) of the morning waking us up, came from behind, above, or below the cabin walls and were not from the hall. 6. Had a very difficult time (finally giving up after three attempts with no success) of being transferred between departments while trying to get pre-cruise phone assistance a couple of days before sailing with our designated NCL representative regarding item 1 above. We were advised by another rep that a possible reason for that could be our cruise sales consultant was no longer available due to possibly either leaving NCL or changing jobs, because she wasn't found in a NCL directory. We also received no reply to an email regarding this issue in item 1 sent to this consultant 3 weeks before sailing (which was the same day we talked with her by phone). We've done 7 cruises with 3 different companies in the last 2 years and this is the first time we had a negative experience. Read Less

We love leaving out of Boston. No planes.....easy port. We love the 14 day cruises in the fall. There are very few kids (I like kids,but as a teacher, it is nice to have adult time) We arrived in Boston around noon. We parked in the open lot next to the ship ($200). Check in was easy. We have taken this same cruise many times on the Gem as well as other NCL ships. We had an ocean view room on deck 8. The room was clean and easy to get to. Our room steward was new. He was good, but forgot minor things. FOOD The service and the food in the main dining room was good. The staff was good, but always seemed in a hurry. The food in the speciality restaurants was NOT good. There are many changes to the speciality menus and they are not good. Le Bistro was awful. Our waitress was very rude. The Denver Sole was dry. The creme brûlée is now a pudding. Cagney’s was a disappointment. No more oyster rockerfellow. My steak was all fat. Service was okay, but staff was so overworked. Le Cucina was also a disappointment. Chicken parmigiana was overcooked with dried pasta. Teppanyaki was sad. The scallops were tiny pieces of scallops. The main dining rooms were so much better than speciality. Save your money. The buffet was always clean and good. Entertainment We enjoyed the comic, the magician, singers, and shows. We loved the game shows. Trivia was fun. Islands We had perfect weather on each island. We have been to all these places dozens of times, so we mostly did beaches. Casino Nice selection of slots. The dealers at the tables are like robots. They do not smile, talk, or enjoy working. Many told us they were quitting soon. Overall I had a nice time. The ship is dated, but I wanted a quiet, peaceful trip. Other then the speciality restaurants being horrible, everything else was very good Read Less

My wife and I have cruised before, but this was our first time on Norwegian. The ship was very clean and the service overall was very good (wait staff and room steward). We were pleased with our cabin (an interior stateroom). The food was better than we expected (given the many negative reviews we had previously read about the food). We especially enjoyed the fish entrees on the dinner menu, and the seafood chowder offered on the last day was amazing! Our biggest food criticism is that the same menu was offered in the dining room at lunchtime every day. Every other cruise we've been on has offered a lunchtime menu in the dining room that changed from day to day. Our biggest disappointment with the cruise overall was the entertainment. First of all, they had the same musicians/singers (e.g., guitarist, pianist) for the entire cruise. They were just okay, and we grew to like them less and less (not to mention repeating the same songs) as the days ticked by. Every other cruise we've been on of this duration has swapped out entertainers over the course of the cruise. Secondly, we found many of the evening shows to be a disappointment, especially the comedian and musical shows. The music was too loud and the song selections were often poor (not fitting the audience). Also, my wife and I found the sexually suggestive dance moves and skimpy outfits offensive. Please treat and present people as authentic human beings, not sex objects. Finally, we found the selection of activities on sea days disappointing. Part of this reflects the ship being smaller in size, but the cruise director's staff could have done a much better job with activities being offered. For example, why not show a movie in the theater on sea days? Read Less

Start to finish this cruise was AMAZING!! The cabin, restaurants, ports, entertainment and especially the staff. We cannot thank Benny our butler and Giann our concierge enough for making this cruise so special.The ship was spotless any hour of the day. The bar staff went out of their way to accommodate us. We traveled with a person using a scooter and he had no issues navigating his way through the hallways or in and out of the elevators. All of the ports we docked and very easy to get on or off especially with the scooter. We did three beach excursions booked through NCL and all we fantastic. We really loved the itinerary and are disappointed that NCL has decided to stop this trip for next year and replacing it with 5 day Bermuda trips. Hopefully enough people will speak up and bring the southern Caribbean trips back to Boston. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it departed close to home and is an easy drive to the port . Once at the port and rounded like cattle and every one boarded . As the day went on I figure i would take a shower . The drain in my mini suit backed up and flooded my bathroom with all kinds of waste coming up from the floor drain . it took almost four hours for the plumber to even get there to look at it. Day two excursion desk clerk thought it would be cute to talk about us in spanish as we walked away ( he didn’t know we understood him) idiot. The buffett was repetitive and had to many senior citizens grazing instead of putting food on their plates. There was a black sticky substance on the floor of state room , we asked house keeping to remove it , it was there the duration of the cruise . The cruise photographers all use the same model camera and strobe taking pictures while dinning or disembarking , The pictures taken at dinner cost 24.99 ok , but when approached by a photographer to take pictures they immediately try to up sell the picture for almost 1,200 dollars or 500.00 for a thumb drive . waste of time and way to expensive for a gaudy wall portrait . or digital files . I purchased some alcohol while on an Island. Once back on board ship it was taken away per policy with the promise it would be kept safe, this was not the case i got my bottle back damaged with the security seal partially removed. The head bartender was notified.His response was “the contents are still safe but he refused to sample it himself . ( would you buy an open questionable item in the grocery store) NCL thinks passengers are stupid enough to. ) The specialty Resturants were just ok except Le Bistro , the entertainment was geared more towards the elderly only a few good shows. We had requested a room away from the elevator. Not only was the room directly across from the elevator it was also directly under the pool , so we didn’t sleep much due to excessive noise .( we booked almost 9months before sailing so there shouldn’t have been an issue ) another example of NCL sticking it. to the consumer . At the end of the cruise after clearing security only to be stopped and told i have to go back and pay 12 dollars on a mini bar tab i never used ( NCL mistake ) not even an apology . speaking of drinks the bartenders couldn’t make a drink at all . My wife ordered a Blue Hawaiian and was given a pina collada mixed with blue curaçao. i asked for the drink of the day “ rebellious fish and got a moscow mule , next asked for a mai tai and got a rebelious fish aka moscow mule . and what type of mojito bar sucks at makin mojitos . This was not my first cruise but a first with ncl and most likely my last . they try and brainwash passengers with a “ you are ncl family “ song at the end of the last show . If that’s how NCL treats family . it’s awful . horrible experience. time to retire this very old and run down ship . Read Less

We live just outside Boston and this was a 13 day round trip cruise from Boston which was perfect. I had recently been put on a restricted sodium diet and did worry about how that would work out over a 13 day cruise. I need not have worried as I had a woman meet with me every night to preorder my meal for the next night at whatever dining room we planned to eat. Including the specialty restaurants! This was arranged through the dining room manager. I actually lost 2 pounds!! Food was excellent. We found the entertainment varied and quite good. The library was one of my favorite spots until they held art classes in the card room next door which meant people were in the library playing cards, games, etc. One woman actually brought her pillow, blanket and eye mask and stretched out across the couch to take a nap! Another man came every day to snore for several hours! Maybe a little better control over what a library is intended to be. Read Less

The people working on the ship really made our experience a positive one! They were all so kind and cheerful and everyone knew our names (especially Patrick, Altheena, Rechelle, lady from St. Lucia, lady from South Africa, Chinese ladies, etc). They were the best part of the cruise! The girls in the Spa were so friendly (Sumi, Thiang, Pauline, Katazyna, etc!) and the ladies working in the Splash Academy were amazing with the children especially Rainbow and Brazilian girl). The fresh crapes with Nutella every night made by Patrick were our favorite part of the food on board! I would suggest an upgrade in food including more fresh fish options. By the end of the cruise we felt like we couldn't bear another meal onboard so we definitely would have enjoyed the food more if there were fresh fish. Maybe less options but more freshness. Lastly painting maintenance shouldn't be done when passengers are aboard the ship. I got a horrible headache because of the paint fumes and my children were complaining too of the smell. When we complained of the smell they came and changed the HVAC filter in our room and it was like black soot. I heard another lady on board say that she had been coughing the whole time she was onboard and it stopped when she was off the boat. Maybe that was why... Overall a positive experience thanks to the crew! Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was out of Boston so we did not have to fly to get to the ship., We had sailed on the Gem last year and enjoyed the ship so we figured we would do it again. We enjoy all the different places to eat on the ship, your are not limited to the dining room or the buffet or the specialty restaurants. The money we saved on airfare we put into a better cabin, the suite life really is sweet. The crew was great the lounges were great and the food was great. When you book a suite you are escorted on to the ship and taken to a private restaurant for lunch. You also have access to private restaurants for lunch and breakfast during the entire cruise. Shore excursions were ok! but nothing to write home about, some better then others. All in all great trip. Read Less

This was our first cruise longer than 7 days.It was a good decision and we will be booking longer cruises in the future.Getting on the ship ran smoothly and our room was ready . The inside cabins seem to have shrunk quite a bit.The layout of the ship was similar to other so finding our way around was easy. The shows were good but the dance routines were just a little too busy. The cruise director and staff were great and allover the place. All the staff on the boat were great. Our room steward was excellant, she was never in the way but available when we need her. The TV free selections were very poor. We book excursions off the ship mostly because of cost. This was a nice selection of islands and did not include a cruise ship island which we don't care for..The disembarkation was a little confusion because we could not tell which color was being called. The meeting space for the friend of bill meeting would have worked better for me at 5:00. One of the conference room would have been a better choice Read Less

This was a solo cruise for me. The second day on the ship the solos got together with Patrick from the Cruise Staff leading the meeting. It was nice to look forward to having dinner and company in the main dining room each evening. The food was good, not great. The service was fair. Long waits for food to arrive, inexperienced wait staff. I joined the spa for the whole cruise. It gave access to the thalassotherapy pool and whirlpool. There are also heated tile beds, comfortable lounge chairs, a steam room and dry sauna. Locker rooms with showers also available. Cost was $250 for the two weeks. I attended two of the spa lectures. The second was on weight loss and detoxing. Attendees were invited to make an appt to meet with one of the speakers to get add'l info on recommended foods, body fat percentage, weight loss goals, etc. I signed up. What actually occurred was a high pressure sales tactic to buy very expensive vitamins and sachets for the bath which were supposed to penetrate the skin and remove built up toxins. The cost for the sachets? $1,000/3 months supply. When I said it was not affordable to me the spa employee became rude and dismissive. I was really taken back that a ship employee would speak to a passenger in that manner. What a creep. I complained. My $39 charge and 18% auto gratuity were refunded. I also had a 75 minute massage which was $152. At the end the massage person started a sales pitch for ridiculously priced products. I passed. This time without the crass feedback from the employee. The spa service level is low end. Looks nice until you don't buy what's offered. Cruise spa services have always had premium pricing but in years past the level of exchange was much higher. The spa staff needs some serious work. The Park West Gallery auction staff were on the ship (as they always are). Same stuff I first encountered many years ago with some new artists. Tarkay, Medvedev, Peter Max, Bellet, Krasnyansky. They're all still there. The staff focuses on those who show interest and the auctions are fun-for a short time anyway. The first one I went to dragged on for a long time and I ended up leaving before the pieces I was interested in were brought up front. It would be nice if those pieces people expressed interest in were brought up to auction first. There were a few high end pieces ($30,000+) that no one purchased and there were a few others in the $2,000-$5,000 range that were bought by one couple. My cabin steward was very good. Highly professional and kept my cabin tidy and supplied with ice. I used the shower in the spa for the entire two weeks so minimal cleaning needed in my cabin. The wifi is terrible. I purchased 50 minutes time and it took that long for me to connect with email I needed to reply to. The woman at the internet desk was very nice and recommended trying to log on during slow times. This was when most passengers were off the ship. It took a very long time to connect and several times the connection failed. I made one connection so for the cost it was a complete waste of money. The ship returned to Boston a day early because a passenger became ill. I was thrilled to get off the ship and home early but the process was chaotic, none of the staff had a clue on how to direct passengers. I was directed to go through the immigration room twice. Once w/o luggage and the second time w/ luggage. It took 2.5 hours from when I left my cabin until when I finally got off the ship. The elevators were shut down to all but two floors, people not able to negotiate stairs and left with no direction. It was a big fail for the ship and staff. I have never seen a disembarkation so poorly executed. When I got off the ship there were no taxis waiting and the weather was cold and rainy. Not good. For entertainment the hypnotist was a lot of fun. She had 20 people on stage and the show was really good. A lot of laughs. The piano player/singer in the Martini/Champagne bar area could play well but his voice was terrible. Worst I've encountered in 22 years of cruising. He mentioned looking forward to seeing his girlfriend when he returned home, he said she was going to need a lot of loving from him because of his absence. Does anyone need to know this? No. Overall, I would not do the cruise again. The spa confrontation left me with a really bad feeling over high pressure tactics, rude, very rude staff and the general attitude from spa staff was less than inviting. One woman, Sunshine, was lovely and very pleasant. But that was it. Read Less

We took the 14 night gem cruise because of cruise credits expirations. We were pleasantly surprised as last cruise on ncl was epic in 2013. Recently doing RCL and celebrity. Dining room staff excellent food decent. Activities staff outstanding. Zumba with Jeff was outstanding. Daily dancing activities. Every night a dance theme parties. Ports were excellent. Unfortunately quite a few drunks as this drink package thing is not controlled. The ship is a little worn out. Paint chipping etc. Prism band was outstanding. Production shows were excellent. Other acts were fair to great. We had an issue with chemical smell in our first ocean view room and after days of complaining we were switched to a balcony floor 8. Thankfully we enjoyed the fresh air but ceiling paint chips kept us out of balcony. Ncl activities staff were excellent and the dance parties were great as they added so much to everyone. Cruise came to an early end as a medical emergency had captain cruise full speed and we got off the ship with our luggage at 8 pm Thursday after dinner and show. I’m home writing review instead of waiting to embark on Friday morning. Read Less

Our family of 4 loved making memories together on this 15 day cruise out of Boston. The ship is the perfect size, in my opinion. The ship could use a few cosmetic updates, most notably some signs that had paint chipping off, etc. - but was in great condition overall. Our stateroom was kept very clean, and although we encountered a few issues (clogged drain with some leaking, broken light fixture, etc.) they were resolved pretty quickly. I would say about 75% of the crew was outstanding on this cruise - friendly, personable, and at least from outward appearances seem to enjoy their job. We did have a handful of crew members who were not the friendliest or who kind of came off rough around the edges, including a few at the guest service desk. That said, we found the overall crew and service to be great. Activities staff was enthusiastic and funny, and all activities we participated in were fun. My kids (aged 13 and 12) enjoyed themselves but were a bit bored by the end of the cruise. Not many other kids on this sailing since it was a long one during the school year, and many of the activities were geared toward older cruisers for obvious reasons. We had good experiences in all the ports, and made lots of memories. Dining was pretty good overall, especial the specialty dining. Buffet lacked some variety but otherwise we were pleased with everything. Drinks were made stronger than I ever remember from previous cruises, but tasty nonetheless. Entertainment was pretty good overall, with the guitarist/singer LM Cancio being the best in our opinion. Very talented young man. Would definitely take this trip again, although my kids would prefer a larger ship with more bells and whistles. Read Less

My husband and I are longtime NCL guests. We chose this cruise based on the convenience of departing port being close to home and also based on the itinerary. We have taken numerous cruises with NCL and were very disappointed in this cruise. It lacked all of the reasons we usually choose to vacation on this cruise line. Embarkation was disappointing. First time ever where it seemed chaotic and disorganized and the lines were beyond long. Once onboard it was apparent that the ship was not staffed appropriately. It seemed that there was minimal staff to accommodate guest needs. Unable to be seated in timely manner at specialty restaurants that were pre-booked prior to boarding that were 3/4 vacant at time of reservation. Food service took a ridiculous amount of time to arrive after placing an order. Food was over salted to the point of it being inedible. There was a medical emergency on deck 12. The guest was injured and bleeding in and around the hottub. I watched as the crew without gloves attended to the guest contaminating the surrounding area. The location was never properly sterilized after the emergency. Hot tub was never drained and cleaned/disinfected. They absorbed the blood with pool/beach towels. The shore excursions meeting location was set up poorly in every port. There was one canopy set up along side the ship with few chairs for guests to wait however the tour organizers did not allow us to wait under the shaded canopy. They had us gather in lines in the sun for 15-30 minutes prior to the tour start. Another medical emergency occurred on the day of the last port. The ship was full speed ahead to get back to Boston a day early which meant we lost a day of beautiful weather, use of the pool, outdoor activities. I have always enjoyed cruising with NCL but was really taken aback by what was lacking in this cruise. It makes me question whether I may want to rethink NCL being my cruise line of choice for my family's upcoming European vacation. Read Less

No flights, time of year & length. NCL always does a nice job W/ value & friendliness. Decent perks for Latitudes members. Specialty dinning was excellent, we ate at Cagney's twice La Cucina twice, Tepanany and Orchard Garden twice, celebration our 31st anniversary at Cagney's with cake provided by the Gem,,,nice surprise. I am unable to walk long distances so we like the Jewel class ships or smaller. This was a problem at two ports through no fault of NCL. We were unable to go ashore in St Thomas or St Martin this time do to a lack of shuttle service at the piers, big disappointment since they are two of our favorite islands for different reasons. Another problem that wasn't the cruise lines fault was at the terminal in Boston. After disembarking they made us go outside the building where there was no protection from the 21 degree wind chill while awaiting our transportation. Many, including handicapped and elderly were huddled in the restroom and it's entryway shivering for up to and over an hour, almost criminal! Must also be hell in hot summer weather. As a result I doubt we will ever leave from Black Falcon Boston again. It made NYC piers and Cape Liberty seem almost luxurious. Read Less

The first 10 days were pretty good. Weather was great till the end. Left in the rain and returned with rain. The ship needs some maintenance and definitely all was not working correctly. Some passengers were relocated due to a unusual odor in room that caused headaches. Our cabin was kept clean and well stocked with towels Most crew members were very personable however there were some that could have cared less about the passengers. Dining room crew became very attentive after a negative comment card and tried to make it right. Entertainment was mediocre however the cast was exceptional. I was not impressed with the comedian, aerialist couple were great. Enjoyed the band that played in the pool area. While in our last port, there was a medical situation on Monday. Tuesday noontime there was an announcement that we were going to sail at full speed in order to reach Boston a day early. Seems that a closer port could have been reached without creating an immigration and disembarkation nightmare. Based on the numbers of passengers with lmobility issues, location for immigration was a mistake since only 2 elevators went to the 12th floor and then a different elevator to get to 13. Food was repetitive and service was mediocre. Lack of desserts that were lactose free, only had fruit and lemon sorbet were the options. Read Less

Being New Englanders we enjoy going out of Boston because of the convenience. The embarkation process was super easy this time...very little waiting around....and as usual, the staff was friendly and helpful. We had been on the Gem before, so it was easy to get around and find everything. Our balcony cabin on the 9th floor was always clean and tidy. Thanks to the tour we had, we heard that the towel animals would be “endangered” because of all the extra laundry it causes, but we did have a few on our 2 week cruise. We are Platinum level and also had 5 other specialty dining nights (due to the package deal) and we definitely enjoyed those nights. Cagney’s steaks are so delicious as is their OMG cheesecake. We love La Bistro, including the escargots. The food and dining experience at Tepanyaki is always fun. The other dining was equally good and the service was excellent. We always try to chat with the servers and love watching them smile when we ask where they are from. This time we were not as impressed with the entertainment as we had been other times. The juggler was ok as was the hypnotist, but nothing special. The pianist was excellent as was the ship’s band. Some of the small bands that played at the pool and in Magnums wow good, but it was a disappointment to not have a “sing-along piano bar guy”. We took several shore excursions, including a catamaran ride, which was great. The cave tour (sorry, I cannot remember where!) was also very good. There were several ecumenical church services during our time onboard. These were lovely and I hope they continue to offer these on future sailings. There was a medical emergency that caused us to return to Boston 12 hours early, but it was handled well, and passengers were given the choice to leave or remain on board. We chose to remain on board. I can honestly say the staff was super friendly and initiate saying hello when they passed you in the hallway. We enjoy NCL, and have been on other cruise lines so have things to compare with. Read Less

Cabins not updated and small....guest services would not deal with a drunk neighbor we had next to us that screamed at nite....I was forced to buy alcohol package even though I can’t drink due to heart medicine.....Royal Caribbean always accepted a dr’s note....and did not force purchase of alcohol package...Very difficult to find a seat at breakfast...Staff was not helpful with seating issues.Food was not impressive...we are upset that we are not being reimbursed for loosing a day and a half of a 14 day cruise...We will NEVER cruise with Norwegian again...We feel that the quality was certainly not worth the money.Guest services were not helpful with issues of a noisy ,drunk neighbor...Had to getup really early to get a seat at the pool...was expected to pay $8 extra for room service in the morning if the order included an omelet...Put limits on how many muffins,etc could be ordered on room service... Read Less

We chose this trip because we are from Boston and it's a great port to leave from. This was the first trip on the Gem out of Boston. The previous 7 years we had the Dawn. We were looking forward to having a new ship for a change. Embarkation was very smooth, although the ship was late arriving in Boston from New York. The good thing was that since no one was disembarking we were able to go straight to our rooms. this was a 14-day cruise. The first week the entertainment was great. The ship band was wonderful. The singers and dancers were great. The second week , in my opinion, was not as good for entertainment. They never repeated a show which was fine but I just don't care for the magician, juggler, acrobatic shows or the other shows they chose for the second week. We were in a two-bedroom haven room and were able to have lunch and breakfast in Moderno which was really nice although during a two-week cruise it would be nice to have a little variation in the choices especially at lunch time. We did the specialty restaurants , Cagney's was not as good as other ships we've been on. It was never full yet it said it was if you looked on line. The staff was very slow. They didn't seem to have enough staff on hand. One of our meals was a slow roasted prime rib but the prime rib was grilled which basically made it a steak. Moderno was wonderful, LaCuchina was fabulous and Teppanyaki great. We really enjoyed the entertainment in the atrium and Magnums, particularly Leo Jostol and the Vibz Quartet. Both were awesome and you wanted to go back and see them again and again. We enjoyed the casino especially meeting Angelo one of the hosts and Rodel, one of the slot attendants. Our Butler Ronald was wonderful, easy to talk to and took care of our every need. The concierge, Jahira was great. We had a couple of hiccups in the room but she addressed them immediately and they were taken care of promptly. The Haven pool area had a few tables and was attended by Made. He worked very hard but truly for a haven area there needed to be one or two more people working since both food and drinks had to be retrieved from different locations and brought back. He had to take care of two floors all by himself. He did a great job and always had a smile. Our steward, Komang, was efficient, pleasant and kept everything spotless. We've been to most of these islands so we only took three shore excursions and they were wonderful. If you take the train ride on St Kitts be sure to sit upstairs outside and you'll see more of what they're explaining. Read Less

Gem Review The Norwegian Gem—and NCL in general—have lost a lot of its sparkle. We booked this cruise because the departure and arrival out of Boston was convenient. I had another NCL cruise out of Boston booked, but I’m canceling it. Our 14 day April-May 2019 cruise on the Gem put NCL on the bottom of our cruise choices. THE GOOD: • The entertainment was very good. The production shows were a notch above. The show band was superlative • The cabin shower was spacious! • “Freestyle” service in the main dining rooms was better than expected. And wait times--even during prime-time--were minimal. • The quality of NCL’s drinks is excellent. They tasted great and looked even better. And their drink cards are some of the best afloat (but come with a VERY steep price). • Like most cruise ships, there was an excellent selection of live music throughout the ship, especially at night. • Shore excursions were good without a lot of hurry-up-and-wait. THE BAD: • Many of the Oceanview staterooms have TINY portholes that are set a foot or so into the ship. Very difficult to see much through them unless you’re a contortionist. • The cabins are TINY. Most cabins have absolutely no room for a chair or sofa in them. • There was ONE closet in our cabin. • We had ONE 110 volt electrical outlet in our cabin. • Service is the specialty restaurants was only fair. It seemed the wait staff was stretched way too thin. • Food in the specialty restaurants was good, but most portions were beyond tiny and disappointing. • The main buffet was small, and the different stations often had the same food. The main salads could be seen in about three different places on the buffet. • The buffet was a huge dumping ground for leftovers—not so creatively disguised. Breakfast too often included many leftover vegetable dishes from days gone by. • Duty free liquor prices were more expensive on board than buying them at home. Do your homework. • The staff in the buffet area was sub-standard and not at all friendly. They often ran around like there was a fire in the galley. They avoided eye contact and rarely returned a smile. • It was sometimes difficult to get reservations in some of the specialty restaurants…but they were NEVER more than ½ to 2/3 full. They make you feel like there’s a huge rush or wait to get in. There isn’t. • NCL supposedly has an hour limit on reserved chairs in the pool area. I asked the pool deck staff to clear lounge chairs that had been reserved with towels and books for over two hours and they refused. I had pictures to back up my claim, but they didn’t seem to care. • The lunch menu in the main dining rooms never changes. It’s gets boring and repetitive quickly. • The NCL app is severely lacking. Only the daily activities were uploaded. Nothing else. Other cruise lines upload menus and opening and closing times for restaurants and bars. They offer a text and calling option for $10. No one seemed to use it. THE UGLY: • The outside chair cushions are threadbare and FILTHY. The plastic outdoor sun lounge chairs are way past their prime. • The main pool area is butt ugly and old. It’s flanked by 1960 style fake plastic palm trees. An enormous, unattractive bright blue slide tunnel takes up about 20% of the real estate. Hot tubs were occasionally closed with yellow caution tape. • Most bar areas have NO server. You usually have to belly-up to the bar if you want a drink. • NCL’s “perks” are costly and not competitive with other cruise lines. Internet is $25 per day and drink packages are $100 per day for unlimited. The Thermal Suite is also about $20 per day per person IF purchased for the entire cruise. • Many fares on NCL include “free” perks. The exorbitant gratuities for these “free” perks make them NOT free. The “free” internet was less than 20 minutes per day. Buyer beware. In summary, we enjoyed our cruise. There were some true vacation heroes. Our expensive “free” drink and dining package helped a lot, but I’m not sure it was worth the high cost. Some of the staff, especially in the buffet area, were not at all friendly. NCL has both new and aging ships. I was hoping that their “classic” ships would have classic service. Not the case. They need to polish their older gems. Read Less

Value fantastic Value!!! service ,Itinerary, great food ,staff, .We enjoyed all the ports of call,entertainment , drink package..A incredable value for a amazing two week vacation! Friendly professional crew and entertainment director .The shows we very much looked forward to .The gentalman in charge of internet Outstanding customer service!! If we had somthing we could say need improvement hmmm..some meals ify we are not big foodies but a few ehh...washy washy crew happy happy all day !!The comitment of the crew to cater to pepole with disabilities Outstanding and a joy to witness really inspiring very inclusive. Overall we can not wait to cruise again and are very much looking forward to booking several more with this progressive cruise line and have our cruise next deposits purchased and have begun telling all our coworkers froends and family about our Amazing vacation experience with Norwegian cruise line !!Thank you All for a perfect vacation memory Read Less

I'll start by saying that this is my 10th NCL cruise in the last 3 years. I'll probably do this cruise again on the October 25 to Nov 08 sailing. The first person I'd like to compliment is the cruise director Ferdie! He is the best I've seen. He probably said hi to me three times a day. This man is always working! The people at guest services were very helpful and friendly. Cristina and the ladies at Cruise Next were friendly and informative. Aris, Camille, Millie, Josh, Zeng were some of the cruise staff that helped make the cruise great. Simone and Rose in Photography were fabulous! The restaurant staff was very accomodating with my special diet requests. Xia Lu and Afirin were a delight to see in the shops. The Ship was My destination! I spent all 14 days on the ship. I enjoyed the 7 port days in a row with most folks leaving the $700 million dollar ship to me! Lying out on the quiet sundeck listening to a book. Pure relaxation! The production show cast with excellent. I enjoyed outstanding singers Sarah and Nick. The Spinnaker lounge is awesome. It's on deck 13 forward and has 3 walls of windows for a great view. The Bliss lounge was fun for karaoke, and dancing. I was always able to find a treadmill in the fitness center. The painting classes were fun. Lastly I must say that the other guests were great. Almost everyone was cheerful and friendly! Read Less

this cruise left from Boston MA which meant no flying, just a drive to the dock and the added advantage of 6 at sea days which are my favorites. it took a couple of days to get a feel for the ship and where things were in relationship to our cabin. but once we worked that out all was well. the at sea days were filled with games and music and a small note in the schedule was a knitting and needlework informal gathering...we ended up being 25 or so knitters, tatters, chrochetters, cross stichers, and quilters. it was a very nice way to meet people. dining was ok the kind of food you can get at any steakhouse or good restarunt. the beef (once we got the idea that there was a cooked version between rare and medium) was delicious. I had a few fish dishes and they were excelent. Breakfast the first day out was a very big dissapointment as I truly HATE Starbucks coffee and that is all the had on this ship. or I believe it was an Italian rosat similar to Starbucks. I was very glad to get home to DD. the newsletter that you get with your turndown at nightis another story. it had the basics (day, date, temp, sunrise and set, as well as the drink of the day) and writeups about the shows and a schedule of the things going on around the ship, maps of the ports for the following day and stuff like that. However the editor of the newsletter (if there was one) had so many errors in spelling and grammar, as well as typos...it got to be a game with my roommate as to what we would find. the staff varied from "by the book" follow the rules kind of people to cutie happy happy types and the captain and his crew were on the aloof side. but all I have to compare them to is the staff on Disney cruise ships so I might not be as fair as I could be. Read Less

This was my 27th cruise with NCL since 2004. They have progressively gotten worse since that time. Specifically the food, service, and loyalty to their returning customers. Lobster use to be available in the main dining room and specialty restaurants. Not anymore! The desserts used to be something to look forward to. Not anymore! The desserts are made for the masses now. You know every day in the buffet there will be some flavored sheet cake moose/gelatin cut into rectangles with a piece of chocolate stuck into it to look fancy! So disappointing! The service is much different now. We used to feel special. Now we are just another number. You would assume being a “platinum plus” member NCL would elevate you to a higher level. NOPE! NCL keeps taking away and taking away to make their numbers work at the expense of their customers and with a smile on their faces! So disappointing! So this cruise the jacuzzis didn’t open until 8am! WHAT!!! On past cruises I looked forward to watch sunrises from the jacuzzi. Now NCL has ruined that!!! So disappointing!!! NCL should be ashamed! Read Less