I chose this cruise because I'd never been to Canada or Maine before, and I love the fall. I arrived at the pier around 11:00; the line was not too long, and I was checked in and walking onto the Gem at around 11:40. Everything went very smoothly; the cabins, which were originally to be available by 2:00, were ready before 1:00, much to everyone's delight. The staff and crew aboard the Gem are phenomenal, I didn't encounter one unhappy person the whole cruise, and even though I was alone, I never felt alone, and was never made to feel like an oddball (I met lots of other folks who were also travelling alone). I dined mostly in the main dining rooms and O'Sheehan's, the Irish pub; the Garden Cafe (buffet) was my breakfast go-to, but I liked the relaxed atmosphere and table service in the other venues for lunch and dinner. The food was quite good everywhere that I ate. The shows each evening were outstanding, and a big shout out to the Gem's own production cast and house band - they were TERRIFIC! A bunch of very talented singers, dancers and musicians. There was a large variety of activities to be had each day. We had four ports of call - Halifax, St. John, Bar Harbor and Portland. I walked the seaports in Halifax and St. John, both very beautiful, had a tour of Acadia National Park while in Bar Harbor (through the cruise line); the tour guide was quite knowledgeable, and knew just where to stop for the best photos. Took the excursion to the Freeport outlets while the ship was in Portland, and the woman who ran that tour was also very knowledgeable about Maine in general. I have only two small criticisms of my experience - one being that Pepsi has exclusive pouring rights on the ship (I'm a Coca Cola fan) and the other is that I had too many hard-sell encounters with the folks from the Mandara spa - they seemed to be everywhere. I would most definitely take this cruise again, and other cruises with Norwegian as well.