Norwegian Gem Review
Rating by category
Additional details
embarkation/disembarkation took a long time. disembarkation took almost 3 hours. had to wait around in a bar sitting on the floor with nothing for the kids to do. we have a special needs child so this was really hard.
the kids' club (teenagers) had a really rude coordinator so my son stopped going after the first night. the other kids' club took a long time to sign kids in. had to wait 20 minutes or so just to sign the kids in. then, they ask you where you're going while the kids are in the club? why is that relevant? it's not like you can leave the ship!
not special needs friendly. they sent us an email with names of a bunch of people who was supposed to look after our special needs child's needs and those people weren't on the ship.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Inside
very small. there's a bunked bed that folds down. scary to use as it doesn't look sturdy. tv is tiny and have poor reception. hallway smells like sewage. shower was nice. toilet is hard to use as you hit your knee on the wall.
Port Reviews
San Juan
just walked around to shop. found a few souvenirs. locals were very friendly and not at all aggressive.
St. Maarten
took a water taxi to a beach. the locals were a little aggressive but not that bad. the water taxi was great. sold cheap beer. beach was beautiful.
St. Lucia
took a water taxi to downtown. not much to see. a lot of traffic downtown. locals were a little aggressive but again, not that bad. beaches were all too far so we didn't go to one.
Antigua
took a taxi to dickinson beach and it was fantastic. got a cabana for $20. worth every penny. had free wifi as well. beach was really clean and not at all busy. it was beside a sands resort so there were many places to visit.
St. Thomas
just walked around as there wasn't a lot of time to do anything else. there were a lot of shops on the walk and most were open early (arrived at 8 am). a lot of the jewellery shops were offering free stuff if you try out a jewellery. souvenirs are plentiful but you have to shop around to get the best price. nice place. locals didn't bother you at all.