We sailed on the Gem 6/13/15 - 6/21/15 and had a great time. We were a family of four that had two balconies on deck nine. Embarkation was real easy and smooth. We arrived at the pier around 10:30 and were on the ship by 11:30. Our UBP and soda stickers were on our key cards. Our balcony room was very clean, our stewardess Gabriola did a fantastic job keeping it clean. She was very friendly and knew our names from day one. It was always a pleasure to speak with her. The room itself is smaller than the balcony category on the Breakaway but the balcony itself is larger. The bathroom is really small and it is a real tight squeeze in the toilet area. Your knees hit the wall and you have to sit sideways to keep your legs out. The room is great for two people but I would never put more than that in this room. One night on our deck there was a problem with the toilet plumbing and the next day an issue with the air conditioning but both were resolved in a timely matter. The ship is on the older side but is kept so clean. All day long you see the crew cleaning. When we first walked on to the ship my initial reaction was of disappointment, I think because of the size of the ship. Soon after that I fell in love with the Gem and actually now prefer a smaller ship. It is weird to be waiting for an elevator and to be able to see water from both sides of the ship. Pretty much anywhere you are you see the water from both sides. I loved the Spinnaker Lounge for its forward view and the Great Outdoors for its aft view. The crew is one of the most friendliest crew I have ever met. The feeling on the ship is more family and intimate that larger ships. We got to interact and talk with more crew on this ship than all the other cruises put together. It is so nice when you walk the decks and the crew know your name or you are on the private island and the crew come over to you because they remember you. We were able to join many of the daily activities without having to fight for a seat and got to meet many other cruisers. We had the UBP and we never had to wait for a drink. The food and service in the MDR was very good. This was the first week that NCL was testing their new menus and everything was tasty. Desserts need a little more improvement. The buffet food was just that. Nothing special and not as much variety as on the Breakaway. I felt like it was pretty much the same selection every day. The buffet does not stay open late and the only place you could go for a late snack was O'Sheehan's and the menu was very limited. Coffee was the worst coffee I ever had. Breakfast at O'Sheehan's was very good. There are more offerings for breakfast in the MDR or buffet. We were always able to get a seat at the buffet. It amazes me how some people can be so rude to the crew in the buffet. These people work hard and deserve respect. We ate in the Orchid Garden one night at 5:30 when it first opened up and we did not have to wait to be seated. The food was okay but since it is served family style some food comes out and it takes a while for the rest of the food to be served. People who came in after us were served before we were and left while we were still waiting for the rest of our food. We did not order room service because I refuse to pay $7.95 so we would bring food back if we wanted something to eat in our room or on the balcony. You can takeout from O'Sheehan's or from any restaurant if you don't finish your meal. The fitness center is large and all the machines were working. It is very clean. The entertainment was good. Every night there was something different. We always had a good seat but they were uncomfortable. Embarkation was an absolute nightmare. We did the easy walk off which was not so easy. We docked later than expected and once the ship was cleared we walked down to deck 7 forward. When we got there they told us to get on the line which was no big deal except the line was all the way back to Bliss which was in the aft. My family along with hundreds of others carrying luggage walk all the way back to Bliss to only have to walk all the way back to the front of the ship where we started from then to walk to the mid of the ship to disembark. People were trying to cut the line without walking to the back and verbal fights were breaking out. The crew did not have a handle on this and really did nothing to make the disembarkation easy. Along the way I complained to the cruise director, officers and nothing was changing. It took about 45 minutes to get off the ship. I had never experienced anything like this and it did put a negative mark on such a positive cruise. I would definitely go on the Gem again I just wish that the itinerary was different.