Norwegian Gem Review
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We love sailing from NY, less stress not having to fly, Very windy but sunny. We've sailed on the Gem a few times but this was the best since the renovations made it feel like a new ship to us. We were celebrating everyone's birthday, always a happy occasion. On a whole it was very relaxing but "free to do what we want"! It was myself & DH and my sister & her DH. They booked a balcony since that's what they wanted. We booked a guarantee inside cabin since we sailed on the Breakaway last year and bought the upgrade to a mini suite balcony. The plan was to pay less. We ended up with a mini suite balcony again after winning the bid that NCL offers. This cabin was much bigger than the one on the Breakaway and the balcony too! Need I say more. So much room and storage every where, full length mirror and separate A/C controls,coffee maker,fridge,sofa by the sliders. Bathroom was bigger on the Breakaway no closet for the toilet. This cabin was bigger than my sisters by far.
Our steward was new to the Gem since he was returning from vacation. He kept the room clean and comfortable. We are Gold so we got the free water bottle and sparkling wine. Asked for bathrobes and extra towels and ice bucket was kept full. We never heard noise from the hallway or at night. During the day we could hear some noise above us since we were under the pool area but i like being mid ship. I would take this room again. We had the drink & dining package. All the specialty
restaurants were good . The food in mdr was good and the buffet always had something we liked too. BBQ at the pool was also a favorite. No problem getting drinks at the bars. The shows, shops and bars kept us busy in the evenings. I liked the Western show a lot since it was new, we've seen the others on past cruises. Second city not so funny anymore. We've been to Disney and the KSC and there is a lot to see but not enough time allotted. We took the shuttle to Coco Beach but it was windy and the sand was kicking up. Couldn't sit on the sand.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony
This cabin was much bigger than the one on the Breakaway and the balcony too! So much room and storage every where, full length mirror and separate A/C controls,coffee maker,fridge,sofa by the sliders. Bathroom not very different.
Port Reviews
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
We took the NCL shuttle to Coco Beach to swim and sit on the sand but it was so windy
we couldn't sit without getting sand in our faces (eyes,ears,nose) it hurt too.
We enjoyed the water. It was warm and clean and slightly wavy. Would go again as long
as the weather is warm and its not so windy. There is a building nearby to shower and change clothes. It was too windy to go to the Boardwalk.
Great Stirrup Cay
We love this private island but i always wear water shoes since there are a lot of rocks and blocks of cement in the water. The BBQ is simple but good. They were not finished with the private lake area for the Cabanas but it looked nice. They added a Bacardi hut but the drinks are pre made. It gets very hot here and we always look for a shady spot under the palm trees. The water was cool for this time of year, end of April. The day started with a rain storm but turned out to be a beautiful hot day.
New York (Manhattan)
We live in NY so we didn't do any excursions but love the convenience of being close
to the Pier.
Nassau
We've been to Nassau many times but it is so convenient to walk off the ship and be able to walk around town or go to a nearby beach. There is so much to see but we usually go in and out of the shops. We did walk to the Queens staircase on a past trip but I recommend going as a group and be aware of the surroundings. Its not far from town but seems to be off the beaten path they way we went. I want to go to Atlantis but no one wants to go with me. I would also like to see the different beaches, Hopefully on our next cruise.