Norwegian Gem Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was my first cruise, it being the first cruise, was a great experience. The only problem was there were so many people at the pool you could hardly ever get a lounge chair because people saved the lounge chairs all day. I read one review that there is a limit as to how long you could save the lounge chairs, but they don't enforce that. The food was great. My husband and I liked that you could go anytime anywhere for any kind of food and also there was not a formal night and you did not have to get dressed in a gown or talk Sedo or soup which was nice it was freestyle cruising at its best. And the entertainment was very good the shows were very good. Dan Dan was an excellent cruise director kept us laughing the whole time, also they had things to do all day the only problem with that was is most of the extra activities are an additional cost, which needless to say anything extra that you purchase goes on your room card and then when you get home you find out that you spent more money than you really wanted to. Patrick who was our room Steward was very accommodating and very pleasant we enjoyed the towel animals in our room every night when we came back at night and our bed was turned down. The weather wasn't the best as we visited Port Canaveral it was very dreary not much sun, then to the cruise ships own Island which is Great Stirrup Cay, needless to say another dreary day and it absolutely poured down in buckets and it took us quite a while to get back to the ship because the waves were so bad, they put you on tender boats to get back-and-forth to the island and it was very very rough. The next day was Nassau which looked like it was going to start out the same way as the Previous two days but I actually turned out not to be such a bad day. Previous two days but I actually turned out not to be such a bad day. And the weather on the way back from Nassau was not so hot one good day and one overall I would take this cruise again but I actually would like to try another one of their ships to go to different ports of call. If you don't want to dress real fancy and just dress somewhat casual this is the cruise for you .
Cabin Review
Inside
Cabin was fine not too much room around the bed but very clean only thing I did not like about the inside cabin was that we knew this, but there were no windows and anytime you're in the room day or night you had no idea what time it was unless you put on the TV in foot on the channel with the bow cam which you can get an idea as to what the weather was like outside.
Port Reviews
New York (Manhattan)
Not the nicest port or cleanest but went through lines quickly. Left from the port at least 45-60 minutes late. There was a lot of marine traffic & kayakers.
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Nothing special here, very industrial, you must take a tour bus to get anywhere. It's worth staying on the ship if the weather isn't great. Which the weather wasn't the best when we visited this port.
Great Stirrup Cay
Probably would have been beautiful if it hadn't poured the whole day. The beach needs a little work, considering the cruise ship owns the island it should be in mint condition.
Nassau
This port is very beat up, the area where the cruise ship docks is a real mess! It really needs some updating, they need to get some paint & do some fixing up.