Norwegian Gem Review
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Embarkation was slow (there was an outbreak on the prior sailing so we had to wait as the ship was sanitized) This could not be helped and we were glad that the crew were thorough. The outbreak is evidence of why it is SO IMPORTANT to let the washy washy girls spray you and wash your hands frequently when on a cruise ship. After everything was all clear, the crew did their best to get us all on board quickly.
we booked the 3 bedroom garden villa. The you tube videos did not do the room justice. It was bigger than it appeared online and was really impressive. I highly recommend it. During the dry dock in 2015, the decor was redone (the rugs are no longer those weird 70's colors) and much (not all) of the gaudiness has disappeared. There was no reason to leave the room as we had a private sun deck, indoor and outdoor dining room, full sized hot tub. Our butler provided amazing service and went above and beyond the typical fantastic service we received on past sailings in The Haven. The concierge was wonderful although he had many other guests to tend to. The room stewards were friendly. There was a person who came in every day to set up our deck and break it down in the evening. He was fantastic but most of the time we didn't even know he was there. He would come in quietly, set up/break down and disappear.
The Haven makes traveling on NCL worth it. The ship within a ship concept combined with freestyle dining is one of the reasons we keep going back. In addition, if you cannot get a reservation in a restaurant because they are all booked, the butler will serve you in your room. That came in handy the last night of the cruise.
Cabin Review
Garden Villa
The most amazing room we have booked so far. It was very spacious. Three separate bedrooms and three and a half baths. the master bedroom is really big. The other two bedrooms have private balconies where the master shares the common area balcony. The common area is really large and the butler and room stewards keep it clean pretty much at all times.
Port Reviews
San Juan
I can't give more than an average rating, we exited the ship in Puerto Rico, there is a CVS about a block and a half form the ship. There was a senor frogs that was not open yet. We pretty much picked up what we needed and returned to the ship.
Tortola
There is nothing in the port except overpriced shops. We typically pick up a sandal magnet every place we visit. There was nothing of that sort to be found in the port. Mostly overpriced boutiques that I haven't heard of and jewelry stores.
New York (Manhattan)
For those traveling by cab, or have someone dropping them off, I strongly suggest getting out of the car across the street from the intrepid and walking across the street to the terminal. The traffic can be quite heavy and you can spend a significant amount of time trying to make your way to the luggage drop off otherwise. It is easier to exit the vehicle across the west side. The luggage handlers will take your bags on the first floor and there is an elevator available from there to bring guests to check in.