We loved the Gem and had looked forward to returning, unfortunately, this will likely be one of our last Norwegian cruises due to the following:

1. Boarding/embarkation took about 2 to 2.5 hours. Spoke with other frequent cruisers and confirmed that this was the worse wait time. Our particular agent was grumpy.

2. Quality of food has decreased. Meats were usually overcooked and tough to chew. Fruits were mostly not sweet. At least at the self-serve buffet we were able to get a tiny portion so that we won't waste the food. The exception was Magenta that cooked the daily steak offering just right. Desserts also improved from previous cruises. Read more