My husband and I are big NCL fans. This was our fifth cruise with NCL. We were really looking forward to spending nine days on the Norwegian Gem. Embarkation on December 14 from Manhattan Pier was a breeze. We walked in, went through security, checked in and sat down to wait. To our surprise, we were able to embark before noon. We skipped the buffet and went straight to the Grand Pacific Main Dining Room on Deck 7. Before lunch was even finished, we were informed that our cabins were ready.

We were on Deck 10, port side, in cabin 10660, a balcony stateroom. The room was clean and spacious for it's size. We met our wonderful cabin steward, Max, who really made the cruise special. My complaint in regards to the cabin was the bathroom. Yes, it's just a wee bit bigger than an inside cabin's bathroom. However, it was still way too small for two people to share. I would have traded the "living room" area for a bigger bathroom!

The first two nights of the cruise were rough. We rocked and rolled non-stopped! Most of the passengers, including my husband, and even the crew got sick. By the third night, the ocean settled down and we were able to enjoy the rest of the cruise in warmth and comfort. Read more