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 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

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

Sailing to Bermuda for our 40th wedding anniversary. We were unexpectedly treated to a special cake at the Chef's Table dinner one night. Meals were very good, and the specialty restaurants were fantastic! The main dining room was good, with a buffet offered at breakfast, as well as the order off the menu. The main buffet offered a wide variety, from salad to pizza to Indian and Chinese food. There were always a lot of entertainment going on. Music in the Centrum, which could be heard up several levels varied from Regae to accoustic guitar. There is a piano in one of the lounges, and that was good too. The movie selection was bad, mostly old movies, and the one that was new was only shown once, and conflicted with something else we had scheduled. If you're into wine tasting, there were several opportunities. I wish the lounges and pub would serve finger food so we had something to eat while having drinks. We loved the ship, and would definitely sail again. Read Less

Received as a free cruise from Hard Rock in Biloxi. I was excited about receiving the free cruise off as it was the first time I was going to be going on NCL. I had heard a lot of good remarks from previous cruisers. My experience had good and bad reviews. Not real sure I like the freestyle concept. If you do not want to wait for 30-45 mins for a table if you go anytime after 6pm, make sure you make previous dining reservations. Then after waiting for your pager to go off, you have to expect 1-1.5 hours for dinner. Service is EXTREMELY slow, wait staff is not in any rush whatsoever to clear your empty dishes nor refill your beverages. Our group (6j made reservations at La Corcina, what a DIASTER that was. This dinner took over 3 hours.....the excuse was they had just gotten a new chef and they did not know the kitchen and was having issues finding what he needed. Really are the kitchens on the ship all that different????? We were approached the next afternoon by the Guest Relations manager whom was fact finding on what we thought of ALL the service areas. I believe our concerns were given to the appropriate parties, as EVERY night after the first two nights of HORRIABLE dinner service the Restaurant manager appeared wherever it was our group was having dinner and service was impeccable. Why should it take going to measures of complaining to receive such service? Have the crew members gotten so complacent with the fact that they are guaranteed tips since you prepay your gratuities, that they feel it doesn’t matter what their attitude or service is like???? Other than the restaurant fiasco we really enjoyed our cruise. Read Less

Have never been to any part of Canada, was hoping this would be an opportunity to see whales etc. and wildlife. Boston departure was ok, ship dock located in a typical big city port area, mostly industrialized, pick up at airport was easy once we identified the ship's folks handling transfers....no sign or anything, noticed ladies had name badges, assumed, correctly, they were with Norwegian transfer. Cabin was fine, ship was a little dated, main dining room was a disappointment from the menu changing very little from day to day........service was very slow (one hour wait for Breakfast...really two eggs, bacon?), waiter told my wife the reason they took so long is "Busy, busy"! Best Food was in Buffet, and Best Service was O'sheehans (spa?) Loss of two best ports, due to storm was very disparaging, replacement (Portland) was ok, but not on my list. Balance of Ports were Beautiful places, with very little to do or see, unless you jumped on a tour, mostly available from ship. Saguenay was pretty, but, required a $50 shuttle to main part of town, which was eleven miles away......Port area was very minimal shopping, however, there was a seaplane or Helicopter ride readily available next to ship dock....Beautiful Fjord area! Departure was very poor, we opted for walk off early with luggage, due to early flight (airport in Quebec ws 30 min. cab ride), ship allowed most of us to leave at about 7:15 AM, except me, (wife and I were 10 the in line to leave, was stopped at exit, due to red flag on my account......it was due to me having a $51 credit on my Sea pass account.....had to go up to Customer service and "wait" in line 15 mins(no notation on the bill which I received the night before to go down to Customer Service, close my bill out by collecting my $51....finally returned to debarkation line and was allowed to break the line to exit, and was stopped again, saying I still had a red flag...showed my receipt, noting my account was cleared, necessitated a call to CS, before allowing me to leave! My wife was just ahead of me when we started down ramp, when I was stopped, had no idea what was going on, however, she did not panic, and waited on dock for 15 minutes till i exited.....than the fun began: walked about three blocks thru warehouse to Cab pick up, then we were told by personnel at door, it would be at least an hour before we might "see" a cab! wow! so much for early departure.....we were about halfway back to fence gate, maybe 100th in line when this announcement was made...also, we were told it was a 10minute walked to train station, with luggage, where we might find a cab? Not very impressed, wife and I stayed in line, from 7:45AM until 9:10AM, when we were able to join another couple in a cab to Jean Lesarge Int'l airport, made it, checked luggage, Kiosk were not working, were told a luggage check in we had 15 minutes to get to gate for our flight....fortunately we made it! Note: Some of the folks we were chatting with, while in line to depart ship, opted to return to ship and take the cruise shuttle, we noticed they were arriving at airport after we had processed our luggage.....Our Departure Flight was scheduled for 10:25 AM! Very dissapointed with departure operation...... Read Less

The timing of the cruise fit within our schedule so NCL was chosen. This was our 2nd cruise, 1st with NCL and probably the last with NCL. One reason we won't go NCL again - is it's too old of a clientele. The comedian has it correct. It's a floating nursing home. At 50, we were the youngest on the boat ! Expect most to turn in at 10 pm or earlier. You'll also be stuck behind many walkers in the many lines. While the hurricane wasn't their issue, they could have communicated it better. We had to hear on the local new (we're from Maine) that the ship would be re-routed to Portland due to Dorian. NCL had not told us yet. We called the customer service # and they still had no information yet. So we traveled from Portland to Boston, just to head back to Portland - oh well. They gave us a port charge credit of $10 each. Halifax closed their port so we had to skip that port. So it was a day at sea instead. Still waiting to hear about a port charge credit for Halifax. Several calls/emails still nothing. Cabin was on deck 4 (4553) Inside. Good for us. Less movement. Never met the steward but he/she did a good job. It was just the 2 of us so this fine. Dining - The pay restaurants - Japanese place, french place were too close to the Casio and cigar bar so they stank of smoke. We passed on those. We did eat at the restaurant - grand pacific (included in your cruise fare). Service was excellent. Food needs improvement. Meat (Prime Rib) was excellent, but the corn cob was so overcooked, was not edible. The steak, also good, was served with shoestring fries (Really ?) way to take the ambiance down - serve french fries with a quality steak. No local seafood? No lobster.. we were in Maine? really? Scallops also were no larger than your fingernail. Tiny. No Blueberries that I could find. Again, this is the area for it. Buffet - we ate there a lot. Seating was at a premium though and our ship was not fully booked. Lots of choices - including vegetarian. So real creative designs with fruit carvings Entertainment = we thought it good. Shows were worth going to. One we actually went to twice. They have them at 7 and 9 pm. Dancing - I appreciated that the professional dancers came out to dance at the clubs to get the party started. They missed the Latin night unfortunately, which my wife and I went to. We had the floor to ourselves. Excursions - Dorian caused some damage. Many areas had no power. Not NCL's issue but they cancelled some of the tours and the other ones quickly became overcrowded. Alcohol - packages not worth it. Not even if they are "free" as you still pay the service fee. Do the math. You'd need to drink about 5 drinks each day (for every one in your room) to break even. That's including the first day when they leave port at 5 pm. Skip the packages, and just pay by the drink. We did the "drink of the day" which had a reduced price. They do tack on 20% already, so don't add another tip unless you're really generous. Plenty of free booze around - each night they gave out sample to taste. Hit them up ! Casino also has a "learn" night with free booze. It was the first night was relatively free from smoke and smell. We just took the drinks and walked :) . The art show also has free champagne. Take some, browse for a bit, and walk if you want. Again, would not use NCL again. Customer service on the front end desk is often contradictory. One person would say one thing. If you come back and talk to another person you'd get a different answer. After the cruise, good luck in getting any response - we're still waiting. Average age of our boat I'g guess was mid 70s as well. Read Less

We wanted to go to Bermuda and this was a different ship for us, so we went. Overall, we had fun and Bermuda is awesome. Our stateroom was a forward balcony and was nice, clean and the room steward was very friendly and good. However, the service in the dining rooms was horrible every night except once. The food was sometimes good sometimes bad. We would have to ask 3 times for a drink and 40 minutes later it would finally come. (Every night). I have never received such poor service in the dining room or mediocre food like this on any other cruise line. The music was So loud everywhere on the ship. In the atrium you couldn’t go to customer service and ask a question and hear the response because the music or whatever was on, was as loud as it could be. In the Orchid restaurant and Sheehan restaurant, you could hear the bands playing from nearby and it was so loud you couldn’t enjoy your meal at either place (so we never ate there) That and the fact that service was so poor in dining room with only so-so food anyway, meant that our dining experience wasn’t that good. We have definitely had better food and service on other cruise lines. The excursion to Clearwater beach was very nice (but expensive for what you got). Horseshoe Bay beach is great. Maybe we just had bad luck with the service in the dining room and the mediocre food. Maybe someone will realize that the amplifiers don’t need to be on FULL blast ALL the time... then maybe we will fell like cruising on the Gem again. Read Less

Heard nothing but Great reviews about Norwegian as the one to go to for a more relaxing yet fun filled cruise. Open choices for dining ,activities ,as well as off shore excursions. Entire staff was welcoming ,attentive and friendly not to mention helpful and had great sense of humor... Major Shout out to Cruise director Luz and Asst.Cruise director Jeffrey... Already In the process of planning our next cruise... Daily food menu changes with multiple options so there's something for everyone as well as dietary and allergy sensitive foods too... Pools were great after a long workout or a stroll around the ship, basketball, rock climbing or just laying back relaxing on the sundeck,there's many activities for various age groups and also for just adults which adds to the ability for everyone to be together yet also have their own time with individuals around their age as well ,playing games making crafts or just meeting and making new friends.... Read Less

Our cruise on the VeenDam was not a pleasant one. The food was terrible and the ship was dirty. We had dinner at our assigned table only 3-4 times. We just could not tolerate the food. After finding a hair in my salad we didn’t go back to the dinning room. Janet almost threw up when I found the hair. One morning we were having an omelets and I discovered a hair in my omelet. (picture attached) Another morning I grabbed a fruit cup and was eating the fruit when I looked down and saw a filthy glass the fruit was in. I took my finger nail and scratched the crud. This was disgusting. I took the cup to the front desk and heard crickets. (picture attached) After this incident we lived on scrambled eggs, yogurt, fruit, salad and pizza for the majority of the cruise. Anything that was prepacked or would be killed in high heat. The fruit juices were watered down just like their cocktail drinks. We went one evening to the Crow’s Nest for happy hour. The Holland America app said happy hour was from 4:00-4:30. This crated a lot of confusion with the bartender. The guy in front of me had a discussion with the bartender about the time. I showed the bartender the H.A. app which clearly said 4:00, but the bartender insisted it was 4:30 as printed in the daily ships guide. The bartender eventually gave the guy his drinks at first one at regular price and the 2nd for $2.00. When it came my turn, he said I had to pay full price or wait until 4:30. I told him this was discrimination and the people behind me agreed. It is obvious some of the ships personnel need to be retrained. It gets more interesting. Every evening at happy hour there was trivia. The cruise director Tom Webber was great as was Eileya who did the trivia in the evening. One evening we ordered Mojitos. The bartender never mulled the lime and mint together, so on this evening I discovered a bug in my drink. (picture attached) There was dust everywhere. No one ever dusted the bases of the fixed table.(picture attached) I called for a meeting and Mr. Bashir met with me in the lobby, outside of the customer service desk. I went through my list of issues and was told “there are 1,350 on board the ship. “We are trying to make everyone happy”. You are the only complaint”, which is a lie. We did excursion with many people who complained about the services and quality aboard the ship. I showed Mr. Bashir my pictures and he didn’t believe me. I told him “I bet you that spinach is still on the wall”. He said “they clean every day”. I took Mr. Bashir up to the Lido deck and showed him the spinach on the wall. He too was unhappy about the quality of the food. I was at breakfast one morning, before I met him, and he was complaining about how his food was cooked. We did a lot of excursion. One had only one excursion that was not good and that was the trip to Corfu. The WORST excursion we EVER had. I complained about this excursion, as did others. We did not get a refund, only crickets. As for Holland America, I will not cruise with them. This was our 3rd cruise. This was our gift to each other for our 45th anniversary. Not a glass of wine, not a glass of Champaign nothing! Holland America’s was all about separating you from you money and if you didn’t like what you got, well that was just too bad. See you later sucker, they just didn’t care because they had their money. We paid high dollar for a low budget, low quality return. Read Less

This was our best cruise ever. We decided to allow NCL to handle our air and pre and post hotel for this cruise. They truly made this an all-inclusive vacation. We sailed out of Boston and spent a day before and a day after the cruise there. We love sailing out of Boston, it is a much better embarkation than New York. NCL air sent us a list of what to expect for the all-inclusive cruise and they delivered exactly what they promised and more. They scheduled great flights both ways that were at appropriate times not too early for departure we arrived a 1:30 and the return flight was at 3:30 which gave us a leisurely morning in Boston. I did the math on the flights and we would have paid just under $800 for the tickets for which we paid $99 each. There seems to be some confusion online about how this works but if you can read and just trust that NCL is going to take care of you it all works fine. You won't get the flights until a few weeks before. But once you do, they are your flights and you have to get into the airlines website and choose a seat. You can then upgrade if you like, which we did. The airlines were Delta and American - one was direct, and one had one stop. Once purchased they are your tickets. It was a good experience on this cruise, but it didn't stop there. When we arrived in Boston, just as the info stated, an NCL representative met us at baggage. She was wonderful lady from Boston wearing an NCL bandana. She was there to meet only us. She loaded our bags on a cart and contacted the hotel van to pick us up. She waited with us until the Sheraton Airport van picked us and our luggage up. (about 15 minutes). While waiting she told us some things we could do while in Boston. It is nice arriving without having to figure out where to go next! Upon arriving at the hotel, we were literally greeted with a red carpet. We were immediately checked in and given access to the hotel. It was early. They gave us a gift bag with treats and water. The check in hostess provided us with info about the shuttle and how to get around. We were a little concerned at first as the Sheraton/Airport is outside of Boston, but there are some perks it is beside a shopping center which we found was a great place to pick up things for the cruise and really just shop if you like. There are several restaurants there as well and one in the hotel as well as a bar. They also provide free service to the subway/train to Boston. We checked in and took the shuttle to the train. It takes about $6 per person to go and return on the train. We went to the Aquarium stop from which there is a lot to see and do. We returned that evening and all we had to do is phone the hotel and they dispatched a van for us - about 15 minutes. They even verify the arrival by text just in case the driver cannot find you. They will also transport you to local restaurants as well. The breakfast at the Sheraton is good as well. Everything was included in our cruise price including tips. We were told at check in to be downstairs at about 11:30 for our transportation to the pier. Which at first concerned us as we usually like to board early. But we decided to just go with the flow. We checked out about 10:30 after breakfast and waited for the "ride" to the ship. While waiting we noticed a limo arrive and thought someone famous must be staying here. Surprise they transported us to the ship by limo. It was the best trip to port ever. A BMW limo with free Wi-Fi, snacks and water. We could’ve actually just driven around for a while. We were dropped off right at the door of the port and never touched a bag. (The tips were already included) For embarkation we processed through security in about 10 minutes and then the line at registration took about another 5 to get to the agent. After the presentation of all the docs and taking pictures the agent said you need to follow me. We followed him behind the priority boarding curtain and met our Concierge, Anoop. We were afforded priority boarding and given access to a concierge for the entire trip. We were in Cagney's eating a great lunch within an hour of arriving at the pier. This was the best embarkation ever! It really could not be better. We were finally on the ship and just had to do what NCL had planned for us all we had to do was get to the local airport on time. 5 stars!!!! This was our first time on the Gem. Though we have spent a lot of time on the Dawn over the past year as well as some of the bigger ships. The Gem is slightly bigger than the Dawn. There is a Great Outdoors much like the Sun and the Sky. The buffet seems to be a bit larger and is only on one side. We stayed in a balcony room 10128 which was a great choice, very near the stairs with easy access up and down. The cabin is slightly bigger than the Dawn, well at least a little more storage. It was clean and always kept that way by our steward. We only had to ask for Ice in the Ice bucket once, which was automatic after that. Dining on the Gem was GREAT!!! The breakfasts in Moderno each morning were really a highlight. We could’ve eaten lunch in Cagney’s each day but wow we were so stuffed! We dined in Le Bistro, Cagney’s, Moderno, The Grand Pacific and Magenta. They all were excellent. In fact, the Grand Pacific had the best wait staff on the whole cruise. This is the free restaurant. Magenta was a little too crowded but was okay, so if you hate crowds sail away the buffet is literally better. The one issue with dining was in La Cucina. It was nice looking facility however the experience was because they booked multiple large parties in too small of a space. It was raucous to say the least. We just skipped dessert and went to the bar. The concierge found us almost immediately and did admit that they knew it was too loud and they were working on it. My suggestion - don’t eat there!!!! Maybe then it could be really fixed! The buffet was good as well as the great outdoors. We did usually stop by the great outdoors before bed for a snack. The coolest dining experience on the Gem was the barbeque they prepared everyday on the pool deck. It was very safe and was awesome. I thought at first, we would never get anything to eat there but it was so fast there really was never a wait. This really was a unique experience. 5 stars!!!! And on the last day at sea they made the largest Black Forest Cake at sea. We found the Whisky Bar to the best, Zoran was a great bartender even when he had to explain to people that a Whisky Bar is not where you go to order a Margarita. He went next door an made them one. Bar service overall was 4 stars. A few times it seemed to be understaffed a little on the pool deck, but a good job. The entertainment on the ship was excellent as we have grown to expect from NCL. There was guitar Karaoke/tracks performer that we really did NOT care for. However, it seemed a lot of people liked tracks and pitchy, so they had something to go listen to. The biggest ISSUE on the whole cruise was in during the “White Hot” or “Glow Party” and yes, I know NCL is trying to rebrand it which is another issue. But, for some reason they had it inside and it was too packed and the allowed the youth to come after they had already had one especially for them. It was literally dangerous on the dance floor. Not sure who is responsible for this --- It was a beautiful night outside at the end of July leaving Bermuda. So, it was not a weather issue. THIS NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF! If they do this again, I will NEVER attend! I do not wish to get into a fight which almost happened as there was so much pushing around! I might mention there was also NO security present. Drinking and an overcrowded dance floor party is really a bad idea. My wife is small I had to shield her from the parents with kids hanging in the air and teenagers jumping into her. Bermuda is a great place to cruise it was 2 nights and three days in port. There is nothing near Bermuda so that is difficult to change. Bermuda is very safe compared to many other ports. The White-Hot Party Sunset Cruise offered by NCL was Superior. The same company did a cruise for snorkeling when we arrived. It is called Rising Son. We did another Sunset Cruise it was okay. It was cloudy and no I don’t blame the company on the weather. The ones from Rising Son are much better!!!! I got to drive the catamaran on the way back to the ship. We did book and off ship Food Tour in Hamilton for lunch. It was good, however too HOT! On the last day we took an NCL tour to Tobacco Bay. This was a great excursion. The snorkeling there is good especially if you have a wife that is not a strong swimmer. We went on a short historical tour and walked there from St. Georges. Probably a mile – though they will transport you if necessary. There was a lunch and we snorkeled for hours. There were so many fish right off the shore. Of course, the feeding of French fries probably contributed to this. I was caught in a true feeding frenzy once, but it was cool. We traveled back to Boston and we had the same treatment in reverse because we decided to stay a day later before going home. Boston is a great place to visit, lots to see and do for everyone. If you want a great local seafood experience check out Salty Girl. You will probably have to wait but it is worth it. We had limo back to hotel and a great time waiting to go home. This was a true all-inclusive cruise. I am not sure how it could really be much better. NCL free air and lodging the day before or after is a great deal and a wonderful experience. Just booked the next 3 with those included. Read Less

Norwegian Gem is a beautiful ship. The itinerary was amazing. The crew exceeded our wants. Patrick or Kevin Street always made sure our mini suite was impeccable and took very good care of us. Nikola Vojovic, Gary Gatoula and Mer Yaday are some of the bartenders throughout the ship but they stood out in our eyes with a great smile and excellent service I definitely go to them anytime I wanted a drink. Just make sure you give them a fist bump whenever they serve you, inside joke . Katherine Montro had the spray sanitizer bottle outside the buffet. She was always there asking how we’re doing and had good conversations with her. Made us feel part of a family. Washy washy, happy happy, clean clean. Reema Chettari and Marie Tenorio gave us a deep tissue couples massage that was totally exhilarating and made us feel like $1 million (we wanted to take them home wit us) Auinash Yaday at Carney’s steak house overheard a conversation about something we live at the Brazilian grill’s that we have at home for dessert and actually brought a couple slices of the roasted pineapple from the Grill next door and just made our meal that much more enjoyable. There are so many more noteworthy crew members that I can’t possibly go on without writing a book but everyone was appreciated and made our honeymoon incredible!!!! The only down side of the cruise was the food in the main dining rooms were lack luster. The service was excellent but it made me feel that ncl is trying to push you to the specialty dining with the lack of “wow” in the dining rooms. Read Less

My Wife and I are a dual income, no kids couple (aka DINKS) and we vacation frequently with the notion of work hard, play hard and have no problems paying for luxury experiences. We had heard great things about the Boston to Bermuda NCL cruise. Being local, we absolutely LOVED the idea of getting dropped off at the ship and hopping right on to start our vacation. We decided to book the Owner's Suite with the large balcony, Hot Tub, King bed, large bathroom, Butler and Concierge service. The Hot Tub did not have a heater and it did not bubble,which caused us to sit and wait for it to be repaired on our first day. We usually book the more luxurious trips because we like the memorable experience it offers along with the pampering we do not receive on a day to day basis. Our summer Boston to Bermuda cruise left quite a bit to be desired and unfortunately, DID NOT meet our expectations. Given that we booked the Blue Diamond Suite on the Gem, our expectations were Extremely HIGH!! Day one of vacation came and embarkation on the ship as a Haven guest was as expected, we were greeted by the very professional MassPort personnel and shown to the Priority boarding area. There were some light refreshments and we met our concierge (Anoop) who was pleasant and provided an excellent vacation experience. He checked in with us at every dinner, helped to switch dinner reservations and provided ideas for a free day that we had in Bermuda. We do not consider ourselves High Maintenance guests and we appreciated Anoop's pleasant demeanor and his daily if not 2-3/day checking in with us to see if we needed anything. That being said, this is Actually the kind of thing one expects when you are spending the money to have the HAVEN experience, furthermore to be guests in the OWNERS Suite. One of the disappointing experiences was being told at dinner we had to pay for the $27 bottle of wine, champagne and cappuccino (it's espresso people) above and beyond what we ALREADY PAID. I understand it costs money to run a ship, overhead, etc, but we did not expect to be able to drink as much wine, champagne and coffee as we want when we went to the bar or in our room and not at dinner. It just doesn't make sense. Our Butler upon our arrival informed us that we are provided with 3 bottles of alcohol which included wine and liquor, and 1 complimentary bottle of champagne which of course makes sense. However, when after hours of sitting in the room waiting for the Hot Tub to be repaired (by very nice mechanics), I asked her if we can get more champagne while the sun is shining and it's 85 degrees and I'd like to start my vacation. There was no suggestion of the bottle being complimentary until I had suggested that some more champagne would alleviate the "inconvenience". I will say our Butler, Josephine, was pleasant, hard working and took good care of us, but if we needed anything we had to summon her. We certainly didn't feel like she was checking in on us and she did stock our fridge with 2 bottles of Prosecco the next day after considering my suggestion. Another rather disconcerting event happened near the end of our cruise in the Haven Courtyard. Apparently only cruisers who booked HAVEN Rooms are allowed in the Haven Courtyard. Given this was our first cruise, I was not aware of this because while hanging out in the Haven Courtyard two days prior, several of us who were staying in the Haven had a impromptu Pool party with buckets of Adult Beverages for everyone, good conversation, laughter etc, While socializing I realized that it was obvious several of my fellow passengers had brought their friends who were NOT HAVEN Guests up to the courtyard, I assumed that this was allowed and it seemed reasonable to me. All the guests at our impromptu pool party were great people, classy and we were all having a really good time. So, when I brought a friend who happened to be on the ship serendipitously, I of course thought it was fine. Hey, rules are rules, I totally understand. However, our concierge (Anoop) sent a younger HAVEN Staff member (Made, the Haven Courtyard Valet) to address this issue with me in front of my Guest and my wife, I was MORTIFIED. Listen, we've all been kicked out of bars or nightclubs when we're in our twenties for too much celebrating etc., but when you pay a pretty hefty sum of cash to stay in a premier room and are scolded and treated with such utter DISRESPECT over a misunderstanding I have a bit of an issue. Anoop, (The Concierge and the BOSS) should've take it upon himself to have a private conversation with me and clarify the rules, not send his subordinate over and embarrass me in front of my wife and friend. This small incident was the final straw in what we thought was going to be a 5-Star White Glove Service. In Summary, this was our fault, we lacked experience cruising and with NCL in particular. We had an EXCELLENT Vacation but We did NOT get the VALUE for the money we spent. The NCL Gem is obviously not a luxury based ship and trying to provide white glove 5 star service with their HAVEN option was not up to par. We would've been better off and less disappointed if we booked a much less expensive option for the experience we had. If NCL wants to provide high level white glove experiences to guests who are willing to pay then they need to stop nickel and diming their guests and offer more 'all inclusive' type packages with attention to detail if they are looking to garner a higher level clientele who are willing to pay. We would definitely go on another Boston to Bermuda NCL cruise, however, we will absolutely book a much more cost effective package. Booking the package we booked along with our disappointment is akin to going to Outback Steakhouse and believing you are going to get the same kind of Filet that one gets at Del Friscos or similar high end steakhouse that in short, is basically the experience we had. I love to have some Kukkaburrow wings while wearing jeans and a t-shirt but you will not catch me ordering a premium steak and at the very least having the expectation that it will be 5 star!! Read Less

We went on a cruise from Boston to Bermuda from July 19 through July 26, 2019. We had an air conditioner leaking on our bed for three days. Customer service tried to say they attempted to fix it but I had to the do not disturb sign on, which was a complete fabrication. While in port in Bermuda they were polyurethanIng. my room through the air-conditioning vent, got flooded with the fumes and woke us up out of a sound sleep having a headache, dizziness and nausea. When we complained and asked for a place that we could go to rest our head until we felt better we were told to wait in the common area in front of customer service where there is a bar and they show movies of prior nights functions and/or just movies in general. Customer service had absolutely no care about the fact that we were complaining and begging for any place just to lay down until our room aired out as both my boyfriend and I felt overwhelmingly sick from falling asleep and having those fumes leak into our room. The treatment by the customer service staff and upwards was absolutely atrocious and I will never ever sail with Norwegian again. when I complained to customer service once we came home, the first time, they lost our claim and said they had no record and then the second time I filed they offered us onboard credits for a future cruise. My boyfriend and I lost one whole entire day of our cruise (while in Bermuda) due us feeling so ill and the next day we still had headaches as even when we went back to the room that night after letting our room air out it’s still had a faint smell of polyurethane. The cruise would have been nice had we not had any issues and had no need for customer service but I feel the true measure of a company is when you do need customer service and they shine showing how much you as a customer means to them. Norwegian does not care about their customers and if you have a problem they do not care, they already have your $’. I will say our maid and the bar service and deck service was phenomenal. Supervisory up, was horrendous Read Less

We went with 4 other adult family members for our 30th anniversary. We had a great time! Cabins were good, food was good and plentiful, we all gained about 5 pounds each! We liked Magenta so much, we ate there our last 4 nights! They treated us very special for our anniversary. The maitre'd Deron and hostess Rhea were awesome. Cruise director Ferdie and his staff were great! We saw them everywhere. We were definitely entertained! Cruise Critic tips used: 2 cheap battery operated candles to light the room, used Downy wrinkle spray that we put on and smoothed out on our hanging clothes when we unpacked, big magnetic clips to hold hats/head scarves, different colored pens to choose what each of the "decision makers" used on one Daily Freestyle itinerary each day so we could see what things we wanted to do together, and what time to eat meals, where family might be. Each family can take a picture of it. But we did do some things on our own, including reading a book and crosstitch brought from home. Also, I brought sealed tea bags and water flavor powder packets, an empty reusable water bottle and a travel mug and every night we went to the buffet beverage station and filled up with what we wanted and brought back snacks. We also filled up the water bottles with water before going ashore. You have to finish the water before you get back on board. We brought 2 kitchen garbage bags for our dirty clothes. We did the laundry in a bag special, which was a pretty good deal but we didn't get it back until 2 and a half days later, our last night on board. If you go to the pool by yourself make sure you can put your key card in a waterproof pouch you can carry. I wanted to go down the slide but didn't have anyone to hold my card, I was willing to risk my towel and cheap shower shoes near a pool, but not my key card. It's always windy on sea days and at may be in Bermuda, if you have crazy hair, make sure you have a hat with a strap (you can buy good inexpensive hat straps on Amazon) or a head scarf. Hats, of course, were also great for the bright sunshine. Wear them while getting on board. You can call people on your room phone, you just need their room number, you can also leave messages. There are also many house phones in the public areas of the ship and at guest services. Much easier than running to their room and better to leave messages. The doors to the cabins have a louvered design, which was impossible to put a big magnetic message board onto, a smaller one could go on the side or the top but it could only be about 4"" wide or length if you put it at the top, the louvered design was in the middle. We ended up using ours to communicate with our room steward on the bathroom door. If you have asthma or breathing problems and can't take the seasick pills, buy the wrist bands before the cruise and bring a ginger product as the wrist bands sold out quickly on the sea day, which I guess, is often rocky. There were no ginger items for sale in the gift shops, but they did have green apples on the buffet. Bermuda was nice, on our second and full day at Bermuda, we took the free NCL ferry to St. George, a nice hour long ride, we got to see a lot of the Bermuda shoreline. At St. George, we watched a "public dunking" and ate at the White Horse Pub. We took a 2 hour public bus back to the Royal Naval Dockyard and got to see alot of Bermuda and its people for $4.50 each! The first and last day we spent near the ship on the Royal Naval Dockyard. There is quite a bit to do there and there's a free "trolley" that will take you around the dockyard. My goals for a future trip would be to have afternoon tea somewhere nice and to walk the Bermuda Railway Trail in the safe off-road trails and fancy walkways closer to (I believe a few miles from) St. George. We did get to see it from the public bus and probably could have gotten off, but we would have had to find out first how to get a ride back. We did have to wait in a line that looped around quite a bit for the 8-9am carry-off only luggage people at disembarkment. It wasn’t terrible but we did have to be extra patient. I think it took us about an hour. Maybe go at the end? Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this midsized ship and would be happy to go again! Read Less

We really enjoyed this cruise, easy to get to and easy to park. The on board entertainment was great and we really enjoyed the shows in the theatre. Our room was always kept neat and clean, and we never had any staff issues. They were all great and pleasant to deal with. No issues with boarding, the food was good, and the piano bar guy was hilarious. We met some very friendly people, and we enjoyed wandering and exploring the ship. Bermuda was great, and the King's Wharf area was clean and easy to navigate. We rented a scooter and took a self-tour of the island on the second day. Swizzle Inn, swagger out! Also did the Gosling's Rum Cruise - it was great, and they certainly were happy to pour more when requested... It was entertaining being on board with 95% Boston Bruins fans during the Stanley Cup Finals... We will likely do this again, and soon. It was a great time, and Bermuda was fantastic. Read Less

Back from the May 24, 2019 sailing of Gem to Bermuda. This was our 19th NCL cruise, and second time on the Gem. All prior reviews are posted on here. We had an obstructed window room on Deck 8 that had two oblong porthole windows. Love these rooms for their value and location. No complaints here and our steward, Fan, was terrific. Customer Service overall was subpar on this sailing which was very unusual for us. We found it particularly so given that CruiseNext told us that there were only about 25 platinum’s and above on board. We requested to dine with officers as part of our platinum plus benefit. The dinner was canceled due to “lack of participation”. This is absurd as nowhere does the fine print state this. If we were the only two who requested it, I still feel we should have been accommodated. We sent out laundry twice and the second time they send us someone else’s underwear and socks and a shirt went missing. All was corrected in the end, but no idea how this happened. It was a first for us. LeBistro was ATROCIOUS. The Escargot (normally the thing I look forward to most) had zero garlic or seasoning. I ordered lamb medium rare, comes out well done. My fiancé ordered his medium, also came out well done. Now this is the best (or worst) part. When we send it back, the Maître D comes out. We indicated that the meat was way over done. He then proceeds to ARGUE with my fiancé. Now I know that some people don’t know meat temps but we do and there is a HUGE difference between medium rare and well done. This guy was the first truly rude staffer we’ve ever met on an NCL ship. He should NOT be assigned to this job particularly in a specialty. To add to the insanity, it took close to 20 minutes for them to refire the lamb. There were literally only 5 other tables seated at this time. No excuse. A refire should never take that long. Moderno was just ok. Salad bar very limited and meats were all well done. LaCucina which is usually the worst restaurant on board was very good this time. Cagneys (ate here twice) was great both nights. No issues with the MDR or O’Sheehans. We rarely went to the buffet but it was ok when we did (we are just not buffet people). Bartenders were great. Gary in Spinnaker was fun as were the gents working the Magnum’s bar. We did always get good strong pours. Activities on board seemed somewhat limited compared to our other cruises. We mostly relaxed. Casino was not kind early in the week, by day 6 I was winning. I have seen this trend before so my new plan is to not start gambling until day 5 or 6. I will say a nice to have was the fact they showed the Stanley Cup playoff games which people loved. They also set up food – wings, dogs, nachos, etc. First one was in Spinnaker, second one in the Theater due to the demand. Shows were fantastic except for Swing! which wasn’t our scene (it was a 1940’s jazz thing). Blazin’ Boots and Get Down Tonight we’d seen before but were still enjoyable (hey, you do this many cruises you’re gonna get repeats). Dan Bennett, the acrobats and the comedian were all good. Bermuda was gorgeous as always. We rented twice from Somerset Bridge Watersports. First time was a Boston Whaler boat and the second time was a jet ski tour. Service pre-cruise right up through the end of the tours was fantastic. Tony Roache and his staff are excellent and I encourage anyone to make the short bus ride out there. Much better tours than the ones offered right at the dockyard. Found some secluded beaches and inlets frequented by locals so it was nice to avoid the crowds. Did some walking on the Rail Trail as well which I always enjoy. Read Less

I sailed on the Norwegian gem on early may and it was amazing. The weather was great it only rained one day but it was just for part of the day. The food on ship was great and the entertainment and staff were excellent. Already have my next Norwegian cruise booked. We did not use any of the speciality dinning just complimentary and it still was amazing. Our cruise director was also the best ! We did book shore excursions through Norwegian next time I probably wont be booking all of them with the cruise line since it is more expensive but still had a good time. We stopped at universal studios when in florida and was able to ride everything in a short period of time and we also went to atlantis water park once docked in Bahamas. Our cabin was an inside being that it was our first cruise and we were not sure what to pick and since we knew we would rarely spend time in the room, but this time we have a balcony for our upcoming cruise Read Less

We wanted to sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome, and Holland America had two choices. We have always liked the Veendam because of its classic design and the quality of the service and the size of the Neptune Suites. There were no glitches on embarkation and disembarkation. The lectures were informative and pleasing; the Kitchen at Sea was great as was the entertainment. We were the first passengers to enjoy the new carpets and the new chairs and the number of renovations on this ship! There will always be a place for these smaller ships in the industry. (1200 Passengers, but about 1000 on our crossing) the captain was all around the ship, available for questions, and very informative about the nuts and bolts of the ship and the navigaion. He was from Scotland and had the sense of humor, understated, and excellent rapport with his staff and of course the passengers! Read Less

We chose this cruise because we had heard positive things. Very disappointed, we took this cruise for out fortieth wedding anniversary. Cold food was served starting the first night and every meal after that except at O’Sheehans. The specialty restaurants weren’t any better than the rest of the dining. We paid all of our fees before we took the cruise and were still charged $30.00 every day. I will not take another Norwegian cruise line cruise. We were charged to play some of the games and the biggest prize that an audience member won during Deal or no Deal was $50.00. The cards cost $25.00 per card. I really was disappointed because you hear so much about how good the food is and you look forward to this. It certainly did not even come close to what I have read. The shows were good. I will give the, that. I enjoyed all the shows that I attended. 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

In some aspects the Dawn excelled, In some she didn't do very well. For the most part I'd say our recent trip on the Dawn was middle of the road mediocre. First of all the cruise was far from full and had just the right amount of people for my liking. There were plenty enough people to have fun without overbearing crowds. There were no lines or waits for anything for the entire 9 days and the one time I had to change a reservation at a specialty restaurant, they were able to accommodate us without a problem. Although she was remodeled in 2016, Dawn is showing signs of her age and hard life. There were considerable maintenance issues from minor cosmetic issues such as paint and rust to more significant issues, such as broken tiles, cracked glass in an elevator windows being inoperable with broken and missing hardware and plumbing malfunctions in many of the public restrooms. With the exception of one nasty female bartender at Gatsby's the staff were happy and helpful all over the ship. Our Cabin Steward got it just right! We start each trip the same by asking for 3 things, that the mini-fridge be emptied, an mattress topper be put on the bed and that robes be brought. He took care of our request promptly and without complaint, unobtrusively while we were out. He wasn't pushy about cleaning several times a day at awkward times. He cleaned while we were away and had the bed turned down in the evening whenever we returned from the evenings events. He never bothered us on days we wanted to sleep in and just "be" and linger over a late brunch served in our cabin. The food was all over the place. We had had fantastic meals in specialty restaurants, especially Cagney's and Moderno. O'Sheehan's was much better than it was on last years cruise The Main dining rooms were pretty good. However a few meals seemed like buffet fare plated nicely and served elegantly. The Buffet was hit or miss, repetitive and lackluster. That being said I didn't turn away from it for snacks and light fare. We enjoyed cocktails all over the ship. Topsider's near the pool seemed to water the drinks down especially the premixed drinks of the day. The beer and wine was always good. Ray a server there, was always upbeat, fun and helpful. The entertainment was great! Shore excursions were hit or miss. An afternoon beach break which should have been low-key and pleasant turned out to be anything but. We ere brought to a beach around 25 minutes ride from the ship. Chairs were provided. We found our spot raised the umbrella, and settled in for a little while before going into the water. Once in the water we saw a man going through our belongings and then take them. We caught up with him and he complained that we hadn't paid for the umbrella. We paid and got out things but were uncomfortable leaving our spots together after that and were not able to freely enjoy the beautiful beach. Now comes the steady stream of panhandlers, a man carrying a bird feeder collecting money for the birds, a woman carrying aloe leaves asking for money to rub you with them. A man selling USB thumb drives with "island music installed," another man approached selling sea shells. In retrospect,$59 per person was a lot for what amounted to a ride to a public beach. For the price charged, I think Norwegian could do a better job, perhaps securing a private beach at a resort would be less menacing. Read Less

We wanted something smaller and more upscale than Royal Caribbean, and with few or no children. Okay, here's the good, the bad and the ugly about Seabourn. Good: Boarding is a BREEZE. We walked straight on after checking in. Debarkation likewise, a breeze. Staterooms: amazing. Best beds I've ever slept on on a cruise. Bathroom roomy. Pillows! Food is mostly good. The Keller Grill is over rated and limited. Caviar is available anywhere on the ship except there. You could stand just outside the door and have it though. Teatime was a blast. Loose tea in little silver pots. Scones. Num. Coffee bar on deck 7 makes killer Irish Coffee. Good selection of in room TV channels. No children were aboard! Just OK: The bars. They close them up as early as 11, and they don't open again until 5. The Patio bar is open all afternoon, but that's rough in 32 degree weather. Sure, you can drink in your room, but I can do that at home. Deck 7, again, makes boozy coffee. Age group: The median age was 75. If you're not ready to sail with folks who were teens in the 50's, this cruise is going to be a bore. Dress codes for dinner: Toward the end of the cruise the "no jeans" rule sort of vanished. I think nice jeans should always be acceptable. Bad: One of the bartenders was overbearing and rude. He closed the bar on a Friday night at 11pm while the show band was still playing, then argued about it when I asked him the next day and denied doing it. Told me that 6 people in the bar wasn't enough to keep it open; I reminded him that each of us paid more than the regular client just to be there. He said that didn't matter. 10 couples walked into the bar while we were arguing, saw the lights on, and walked out. Stability. We had 60 mph gale force winds for 3 days and nights, even the waiters couldn't stand up straight. I was violently seasick 3 days. For queasy travelers, this ship is not a good option. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Several of us who debarked in Montreal ended up at the same hotel, close to port, and historic. Hotel St. Sulpice, right next to Notre Dame Basilica. Roomy suites, good rate. I recommend it. Read Less

We really enjoyed our Maine and Canada cruise! Check in was easy and fast. Our interior cabin was a little cramped with the table that made it hard to get to one side of the bed. The bathroom was slightly better than Carnival with a glass sliding door which was nice! Less counter space than Carnival and not as much rack space. The bed was fine. Closet was fine. Less drawers than Carnival. Maine was fogged in but we tendered in and had the tour of Acadia and lobster lunch. It was very nice! Great shopping at the dock. Halifax was great. We rented a car and drove to Peggy's Cove.The rest of the ports, I just checked out the port. I didn't do any other excursions. There was a float plane in La Baie, but he was booked up when I arrived. That would have been cool. The food on the ship was great! We only ate in the dining room lunch on embarkation day. The buffet was fantastic and the selection was great! They usually had american food on one side and Indian or Asian on the other side. The pastry chef is amazing! Desserts were great! Soft serve ice cream or homemade ice cream next to the pool. The hot tubs were actually hot, which was nice. The pool was a nice temp, not cold at all. The shows were great! We loved the magic and comedy the most. The shops were nice, but nothing that I needed or wanted. The casino was boring. No slots that I liked. The poor dealers were so bored. Our cabin steward was great, but he never introduced himself. We never met him. I got a massage from the spa which was heaven!!! I would definitely go on this cruise ship again! Highly recommend! Read Less

Birthday & celebration The staff on board will exceed your expectations and wow you for every second you are aboard. We were concerned when we booked. Getting help from NCL over the phone was painful. We had help with an outside travel agent who really did the heavy lifting on planning this trip...unfortunately after we booked directly with Norwegian. Once the travel agent from AAA help out....we knew we had a great trip planned. Once aboard...the staff was awesome. Food was excellent and plentiful. Better than the Capital Grill and Legal Seafoods. Loved the entertainment... Julie Barr, Tina Turner Act , Irish comedian show was excellent. We watched the Newly Wed Game with actual guest....very, very funny. JC Sanchez....you had us in stitches!! JC your cruise director had a week of fun, fun and more fun planned 24 / 7 We would book this trip with our friends and family members in a heartbeat. Read Less