We’ve just returned from our cruise on the Norwegian Gem—our fifth time on that ship and our fifth winter sailing out of New York. We were lucky to have fairly quiet seas and our second to last sea day was warm—a bonus day to be outside soaking up some sun before returning to a blast of frigid air. We did some new things, enjoyed our Platinum perks for the first time on a nine-day cruise and that combined for a special experience. I’ll go through the highlights first, then offer some suggestions for improvement.

MEET AND GREET- If you’re new to cruising or have never joined your cruise Roll Call, attending the Meet and Greet on the first sea day is a great start for your vacation. I’ve attended many Meet and Greets but this was the first time that I was the host, a position I inherited after a cruise buddy had to cancel. It was wonderful working with Ana from the Miami office and Claudia, the Group Service Coordinator on the Gem. By the sailing date we had 90+ people sign up and at least 65 to 70 turned out. I decided to use my teacher-training skills to encourage as many as possible to introduce themselves after the officers had left after saying a few words. I think that the personal introductions added more depth to the meeting and let everyone match screen names to faces. Immediately following the gathering, we had a small group who signed up for the “cabin crawl.” In this instance, smaller was better since we got to see the Garden Villa, thanks to V. and Matt, and the Jade Suite, thanks to R.J. and Marsha. What a treat. My house could fit in the Garden Villa and the Jade Suite had incredible charm. We also saw a prized aft balcony and ended up in our own mid-ship balcony. I did have some chocolate strawberries and Godiva chocolates to share, thanks to our Platinum status, and the room had no movement—a plus on a winter cruise, but getting to see those suites in person was incredible. The members of the Roll Call participated that afternoon in a Slot Pull, masterfully organized by Barbara with assistance from Steve. I won’t go into detail, but for me, seeing so much money go into a slot machine with so little payout, was an eye-opener. Later in the cruise, Claudia arranged for bridge tours. Captain Nordberg was so informative and gave us much information about the safety features of the Gem and its advanced technology during our one hour visit.

PLATINUM PERKS- Platinum status provided us with quite a lot. We had free laundry on both days when laundry specials were offered. Everything came back folded and pressed and presented in a wicker basket a day later. We also had two complimentary dinners at Le Bistro with our choice of wines from a vast list (I can’t tell good wine from the cheap stuff) and a bottle of bubbly in our cabin. The best perk though was the Behind the Scenes Tour hosted by George Kassis, the Cruise Consultant. Just like a good tour guide makes for a great excursion, he did a fabulous job escorting us through the galleys, provisions area, crew lounge, laundry, theater and bridge viewing room. I was most impressed with the stage manager of the Stardust Theater. She was very knowledgeable and clearly loved her job. Read more