Traveled Norwegian Gem June 8-16. Have cruised many times previously with several other cruise lines. In comparison, Norwegian was okay. The food and service didn't come close to other lines; however, since we weren't onboard for those aspects, it didn't affect our overall experience too much.
Cabin-we had an inside cabin. It was a little smaller than those we've had on previous ships; however, we spent very little time in the cabin so it wasn't a problem. We LOVED the larger shower & the shower door! What a great improvement! Unfortunately, the shower wasn't leveled properly and water didn't drain well. Again, a small problem. Our cabin stewards never came and introduced themselves. They were very unavailable; however, when we needed something and called for it, we got it.
Food-fewer choices than on other cruise lines and quality not as good. We chose not to eat at one of the restaurants that had a surcharge. We spoke to people who did and they said the food was pretty good, but there were also surcharges for many of the items on the menu, so in addition to the surcharge per person, you paid for the item. It could get very expensive. We loved the chocoholic buffet! My husband enjoyed the cappuccino machine (& loved the fact that he didn't have to pay for each one). The buffet was very nice; however, the reviews we read about lack of seating were correct. It was usually hard to find a table. We had also read that they do not have trays in the buffet, so you have to carry everything on your own--that is true and quite inconvenient. They do have the silverware wrapped in napkins on each table though. I think they do it to try to reduce the amount of waste (you don't take as much at the beginning and only go back if you really want more). We never experienced having to wait for a table at the Grand Pacific restaurant (the nice-no jeans or shorts restaurant). We had read a lot about having to wait even when there were tables open.