Three of the four of us have cruised NCL in the past. Dad 78, sister 52, husband 56 and myself 51.

The ships decor is very tastefully done. Bright, but very rich looking. We noticed the casino to be smokey at times and others not. My husband won about $350 at the dollar slots so he was happy. The rest of us lost about $100 at the slots. The Garden Cafe' is nice and open with plenty of great food to pick from. Having no trays didn't bother me as there were plenty of staff waiting to help you if needed. The seating area is small in my opinion and the tables are very close together making it hard to get around. I thought the shopping area was on the small side too with less to offer than on other cruise lines. We really enjoyed the bridge viewing area on deck 11 portside all the way forward. Since it was a cruise to nowhere from Boston in the freezing weather with snow we were unable to enjoy what the outdoors had to offer. The Bliss Lounge is not to be missed! The Star Bar has fantastic views as well as the Spinnaker Lounge. The Gem definitely has something for everyone.

For the most part we thought the service was good. Black Falcon Terminal can be hot or cold as far as checking in. This time I wasn't impressed, especially since we had VIP check in. The "next in line" were literally behind you looking over your shoulder. I think there needs to be a line on the floor for the next person to stand behind until one is finished checking in. We drove to Black Falcon and parked across the street in the parking garage. Read more