We had taken many cruises on the Disney Cruise Line but we hadn't tried any other lines or taken a northern cruise and this one did not disappoint. We did Halifax, St. John, Boston, New Port, and New York City. The Gem is an older ship, but very well maintained and not as big as some of the newer additions. The excursions were good, well organized and worth the money. I especially enjoyed the tours of Acadia National Park and, the one of the Vanderbilt mansions in Long Island. Our guide was super and the houses were exquisite. Our stateroom was good, with adequate space and very hard working staff. I enjoyed the live music, especially the guitarist, Angel. The passengers seemed to be a lot more friendly than on a Disney Cruise and we certainly didn't miss the plethora of children to be endured on the DCL!

. On the other hand, the embarkation and debarkation processes were not handled as well as Disney, and the immigration Process was very poorly executed. The one show we attended was not up to Disney's standard, the food was only fair, except in the specialty restaurants for Italian food and the restaurant, Cagney's for steaks, etc.; and we missed the split bathrooms offered on the DCL. But all in all it was a lovely, if cold, cruise and we were very glad that we took it.