Our family (2 adults with kids aged 6 and 8) went to the Caribbean on the Norwegian Gem. This was our 4th cruise, and our second on the Gem. We had a room on Deck 9 near the midship stairs, which was perfect (3 floors up to buffet/kids club, and 3 floors down to theatre/MDR (main dining room). We recommend bringing your own lanyards (so you can wear your keycard around the ship, you need it for everything, even origami), and someone at the reception desk will punch a hole in the card if you ask. Also bring a highlighter/pen, so you can plan on the Freestyle Daily flyer.

Ship

The Norwegian Gem is a little bit worn down. Many of the public area chairs and tables are in need of replacement. There were repairs going on around the ship every day of our cruise, and the rock wall was completely closed (we were not notified of this prior to the cruise, so my kids were disappointed). We were really glad for the “washy, washy” emphasis as an attempt to keep cruisers healthy while on the ship. We also really liked the welcome we got when we returned to the ship on port days (there were cold towels, fruit punch, and even a dance party). Read more