We did use the Gem one nighter from Rotterdam - Dover just to see the new ship and compare it to the pearl, which we did use in february for 9 nights . Transfer to Port of Rotterdam is very easy .. Just fly into Amsterdam and use the train .. runs every 20 minutes and then it is a short ride by metro. As we did leave the station , the Gem was right in front of us .. only a 2 minutes walk. the Cruise terminal is a little bit older but we did check in in the first group at 11.30 am and were on the ship within 2 minutes. The cabins and layout is a 100% copy of the pearl, which is a good thing .. we booked an inside at Deck 9 which was just fine for the few hours of sleep we wanted to catch . The overall colors on board have been toned down just a little bit compared to the pearl , so it looks very sparkling and animating . It was actually the 2nd night they were running the boat for passengers and we were highly impressed with the service and stuff on board. Everything was running smoothly , bar service, casino , restaurants .. We did choose the Garden Cafe for an early lunch and the food was outstanding and presented very nicely ... We did like the indian dishes and the soup varieties best .... but naturally there were all kinds of salads, burgers, roasts ... pizza/pasta station available .. In the evening we went to Magenta and really liked the atmosphere .. a little bit more light and colors than in the sister restaurant Indigo at the pearl made the difference. The service was immaculate ... food was well prepared, my lamb rack was melting in the mouth .. We were amazed how well everything was working together .. if you did not know you would think this crew was running the boat for at least a couple of months ... not much to improve .. We booked our transfer from Dover to London by bus in advance with NCL and everything worked pretty well .. it is a 3 hours drive so be prepared ..