We just sailed on the Norwegian Gem Dec 8-15. We sailed from NYC to Port Canaveral, FL, were supposed to stop at Great Stirrup Cay (their private island) but the sea was too rough, to Nassau, Bahamas and back to NYC. It was our first time on the Gem - we've sailed on Breakaway 3 times and the Escape once. We really liked the smaller ship. The crew was so friendly and hardworking. We were upgraded to an aft-facing balcony and we LOVED it! It was a bit noisy outside, but the room itself was very quiet. When we first got on board we found it hard to get from one place to another. The larger ships seem to have a better flow. At times we felt like we were in a corn maze. We really liked the outdoor barbecue on sea days. The entertainment was great, always a lot of activities going on, and the food very good. We didn't eat in any specialty restaurants, just the complimentary ones. The ship was beautifully decorated for the holidays. We took off amidst snow flurries so we really enjoyed the blue skies and sunshine in the Bahamas. Overall a fantastic holiday!