This was my first time on the Gem or any NCL ship and it was a mixed bag.

Though offerings were plentiful at the buffet as well as in the MDRs, the quality of the food was mediocre as was the taste of most dishes. We had two dinners at Cagney's and one at Le Bistro and found that the quality of the food was a bit better than in the buffet or MDRs, but only slightly better. Foods were often oversalted. One dinner at La Cucina was nothing special or interesting; the menu was not inventive or interesting and the dishes were what you would find in an inexpensive suburban Italian resto. Definitely not worth the extra charge. Self-serve ice tea on the ship was tasteless and appeared to be nothing more than colored water.

The Gem is not a ship for gourmet cooking. Read more