Having last sailed Norwegian in August 2007, I was excited to be taking a cruise on the Gem. We were with a group of 13 people.

The things I did like were the shows, staff and Cruise Director and his staff. Sirnan was an excellent Cruise Director, and I have no complaints about him. I loved the Man From Mars show. The ship's own production shows seemed to be suffering from lack of budget, compared to shows I have seen in the past.

My biggest complaint is the food. The main dining rooms, with the free (included) food were lacking in choices, often served cold, and generally uninspired. The food on the every day menu was usually more appealing than the daily specials. Not to worry if you missed something on the daily menu, it often turned up in the buffet. After a few days of the main dining room, we were desperate for change so we started booking the specialty restaurants. It's quite obvious that the ship wants you to pay for food, so they make their free options as unappealing as possible. The specialty restaurants are good, but be prepared to pay more if you want a little lobster tail with your entree. In 2007, your (cheaper) cover charge did not exclude lobster. Read more