Norwegian Gem Review
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This was our first cruise and we booked it sort of at the last minute because it was cheap and some friends were going. We were told it was a weird itinerary - NYC to Bermuda, just a half day in Bermuda, then on to Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay and a long day in Port Canaveral (7 am to 1 am). We were also told it would be cold in Bermuda and the seas would be rough in January. But everything turned out perfectly - the ship rocked quite a bit but I kept my motion sickness under control, and it was in the high 60s in Bermuda, which we thought was lovely (although locals were wearing sweaters). It wasn't swimming weather but I went to the Crystal Caves and the zoo/aquarium and had a great time. The bus driver also took us on an unscheduled 10-minute stop at the beach so we would get a chance to see the ocean too.
I have heard the Great Stirrup Cay is often skipped, but again it worked out perfectly for us. The weather was perfect (calm seas, low 80s, partly cloudy) and we had a great time swimming. Make sure to reapply sunscreen if you're pale like I am - I ended up with quite a sunburn despite using the 85 SPF stuff in the morning.
Overall the cruise was fabulous - a good mix of port days and sea days, fun events, friendly staff, other passengers were great. Embarkation and Debarkation were well run and orderly. The shuttle transfer to Disney gave us 7 full hours in EPCOT, which was enough to see lots of stuff and do 4 or 5 rides.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony
Cabin 11094 was absolutely perfect. It's apparently under the Garden Cafe but we never heard any noise from above. In fact it's so well soundproofed we had a hard time hearing announcements unless we opened the door to the hallway. Lots of storage space, walls and door are metal and will hold magnets, and there are grab bars in the toilet and shower areas. It does have one of those high-walled tub/shower combos that have been removed from some of the other Jewel-class ships, but I thought it was fine - might be difficult if you have mobility issues though. There's a second set of lightswitches by the closet, where you can reach them from the bed, which I only discovered halfway through the cruise. It was handy to be able to turn off all the lights from bed. Layout of the room was very efficient. Couch could have been more comfortable. Note that the position of the handle on the balcony door affects whether it will close easily or not. Overall a great cabin.