Cabin clean and well maintained.

It is a hull balcony which means that the side of the ship frames the view of the balcony like a picture.  The enclosure can provide more privacy, wind, sun, and rain protection if conditions are right.

We booked the tour through the cruise line and it cost more.  We went in a long van rather than one of the huge busses.   We had about an hour to hour and twenty minutes at Peggy's Cove.  I quickly purchased a souvenir in the restaurant/shop, snapped a few pictures of the light house, and hurried through a few of the shops in the town and took some pictures as I went.  Then it was time to return to the van for the trip to the cemetery.

We took a ship-booked excursion : the City Tour with Bay of Fundy .  
We rode on a huge excursion bus with lots of other passengers.  The guide gave some information, we stopped to see the river near the paper mill/factory.  Took a few pictures here then had to get on the bus to go to the shopping market.  The view of the water didn't impress me any more than it did the first time I'd seen it years ago.  Would have rather gone to the coast and seen the rocks that can be viewed when the water goes out.  

When we got to the shopping market my traveling companions decided they wanted to leave the tour and continue shopping and seeing other sites on our own, so we told the tour guide we wouldn't be returning to the bus/excursion, tipped him and the driver, and took off on our own.

We booked through the cruise line.   

We rode on a huge passenger bus.  The guide was informative.  The scenery along the drive was good.  Kennebunkport was beautiful!   The three ladies I was on the tour with and I wished we could have had hours there so we could go through more of the shops, gotten something to eat, and had some time just to relax and take in the beautiful town's atmosphere.

We had about an hour or so there, then we had to board the bus.

We were taken past the former President's residence and their children's residences next it on the same property.   It was a beautiful place and very interesting to get a glimpse of.

Then we were taken back to Portland and released from the tour.  We had HOURS here.  Good in that we could shop and lunch at our leisure.   BUT,  we all wish we'd had a two or three less hours here and had those two or three extra in Kennebunkport.  So the excursion only gets an average rating from me.

We arrived at the port, turned our luggage over to a porter, went into the terminal and the two ladies doing their first NCL cruise were directed to go to one maze leading to a check-in desk while the lattitudes ladies were directed to a different maze leading to a check-in desk.There were a large variety of items sold for $10 each during a big sale in the Orchid restaurant one day near the end of the cruise.

Norwegian Gem Review

Good, but could be better

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Balcony

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