We sailed on the Norwegian Gem on September 20, 2009. This was an incredible cruise, the staff was first-rate, and we consider it a trip of a lifetime. The shows were great (especially "Second City"), and the piano player in the main area of the ship has an angel's touch on those keys. Our room came with a butler, Andrew. It was like he magically appeared when you had a whim. If anyone made our trip feel special, it was him. He was great!! Our suite steward was Mickle (prounounced Michael). He was very very helpful and seemed to love his job. He is also a towel-animal artisan. Nice touch. The ship is very clean and well kept. I had read the food was terrible, but did not experience that at all. We both thought the food was top-notch at all meals. There are some crowded times at the buffets, but you don't HAVE to eat at those if you lack of patience. We did a couple of times and it was just fine. Of the places on the ship that charge a little extra, we enjoyed Cagney's the most. Teppanyaki's is fun, but probably the priciest of the pay-extra places at 25/ per person plus drinks. Of the "included" eateries, The Grand Pacific is really nice.

Embarkation: Sooooooooo easy. Show up, show your documents, get on the ship. Period. You can go eat as soon as you walk onboard or go look around. It's freestyle... it's up to you.

First day at Sea: We met up with some friends we had contacted on cruise critic before the cruise who were to share our Rome tour with us. They were amazing people and we had tons of fun with them right away. Those two, my wife, and I attended the wine tasting/ food pairing class. We learned a lot, and drank quite a bit as well. I remember the laughter and familiarity we felt in this group of "strangers." I highly recommend this class. The show that night was a magician. He was unique. Some people walked out on this show too soon (no regard for how hard the entertainer is working). It started slow, but ended with a bang! Those who left early missed it! Read more