Norwegian Gem Review

A Gem of a Cruise

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Gem
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Educators2
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

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Sail Date: Feb 2008
Cabin: Inside

Gem Cruise- February 6-16, 2008 We're getting back to reality after 10 days on the Gem. We chose this cruise to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Since we went to the Caribbean for our honeymoon it was a natural choice and sailing from New York eliminated any thoughts about travel delays due to weather and the premium air fares to Florida during the high season in February. It was our 15th cruise and our second on NCL having sailed on a family cruise this past June on the Dawn. Our reflections may not match those of everyone on this trip but that's what makes the Cruise Critic boards a valuable resource for all cruisers and cruise planners.

DRIVING TO THE PIER AND EMBARKATION We left our house in Queens at 10:45 a.m. knowing that without much traffic it would take 45 minutes to get to the pier. Well, we underestimated the traffic on 12th Avenue. It took us half an hour to reach West 20th Street where we could see the Gem in port with its sparkling stylized gems in bright colors decorating the hull. There was a left turn signal on West 55th Street that slowed the parade of cars in the left lane. So we sat in line and made that final turn at about 12:45 p.m. (No exaggeration here!) There was a long line for the taxis and limos but no line at all for cars driving to the port parking area or passenger drop-offs. It was hard to find a porter but eventually my husband spotted one of the two(!) NCL baggage handlers. The parking area adjacent to the pier has plenty of room, was recently refurbished, and charged a maximum of $180 for a cruise of any length. I'd suggest that if you're driving to the pier, take an avenue other than 12th and turn in at West 55th or come down from the north and proceed directly to the pier. There wasn't a long line to embark; thankfully we didn't get caught up in the power outage that many passengers encountered. Unlike our cruise in June, this time we were greeted with a flute of champagne when we entered the atrium of the ship. By the time we boarded, our rooms were ready for drop off of our carry-ons before proceeding to the welcome buffet. We knew from reading these boards to dial 050 to make reservations for dinner that night and the next night.

CABIN When we booked the cruise in November, there were no balconies available and having had no problems with inside cabins on Holland America and Celebrity, thought nothing of booking an inside cabin. (We had a balcony cabin on the Dawn.) Nothing could have prepared us for the size of the room (cabin 5521). When we opened the door, the bed stood less than 12 inches away! The safe was inside the clothes closet; to access it, one had to push aside the hangers and turn sideways. With sparse lighting, dark furniture, and a forward location that resulted in a lot of motion, there was no incentive to spend any time in the "room." On a positive note, our room steward, Javier, did a superb job. He was an expert at towel animals and delighted us every night with his creations including an alligator, crocodile, monkey, dog, elephant, and mouse among others. He was ready to make up our cabin as soon as we turned the dial to "make up this room." The bathroom, unlike the rest or the cabin, was of adequate size with a strong showerhead and shower door that prevented the floor from getting wet. It's always nice to have a clean, fresh room that seems almost new.

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