Great ship - exceeded expectations!

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

VictoriaI

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 17

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

Norwegian Gem

12 Night Exotic Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 21, 2007

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 14 years ago

Review summary

The NCL Gem was truly just that....a Gem! The crew really went out of their way to ensure quality service! I enjoyed having a person to turn to when we needed a special reservation or to celebrate an event. The crew really went out of their way to make sure we were kept happy. The food was fantastic. I was very surprised as I have been on upper scale cruiselines and my level of expectation on NCL wasn't that high. I was very impressed with the quality and variety of the various menus. I also need to menion the faciltiies at the Spa. The jacuzzis were amazing...and so was the freshly squeezed OJ!

Ports of call

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

3 out of 5

Very nice but it was a Sunday and everything was closed! Too bad a day wasted.

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

3 out of 5

Another great place....couldn't see much though unless you went to Seville which was a two hour drive.

Gibraltar (U.K.)

3 out of 5

Very nice. We did a tour of the rock...lots to see...monkeys, caves, tunnels! Too expensive to shop though.

Don't Miss: The Rock!

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

3 out of 5

This port was incredible. We walked along the beach for hours. It was very pretty.

Don't Miss: The beach

Malaga, Spain

3 out of 5

very nice....siesta made it hard to shop

Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

3 out of 5

Very nice port. Again a siesta. Spain overall is wonderful, but like all other European countries, the siesta doesn't allow for exploring too much on your own.

Agadir, Morocco

1 out of 5

Same as Casablanca but not as cosmopolitan. More povery, kids begging, no middle class. There were some pretty spots but overall wasn't as nice.

Casablanca, Morocco

3 out of 5

I thought this was a very interesting port but the povery level, lack of cleanliness, and no public bathrooms made us uneasy. This port had a lot of culture but if you are looking for the "movie" feel...watch the DVD instead!

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5

This was my favorite of all the ports. What a beautiful city! Very welcoming, the people were friendly. This city really grabbed me. From cobble stone streets to the little bakeries and cafes...I am surely coming back here!

Don't Miss: There is a lot of history here....take a tour (on your own)

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

3 out of 5

This port was incredible. We walked along the beach for hours. It was very pretty.

Don't Miss: The beach

Casablanca, Morocco

3 out of 5

I thought this was a very interesting port but the povery level, lack of cleanliness, and no public bathrooms made us uneasy. This port had a lot of culture but if you are looking for the "movie" feel...watch the DVD instead!

Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

3 out of 5

Very nice port. Again a siesta. Spain overall is wonderful, but like all other European countries, the siesta doesn't allow for exploring too much on your own.

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

3 out of 5

Very nice but it was a Sunday and everything was closed! Too bad a day wasted.

Malaga, Spain

3 out of 5

very nice....siesta made it hard to shop

Gibraltar (U.K.)

3 out of 5

Very nice. We did a tour of the rock...lots to see...monkeys, caves, tunnels! Too expensive to shop though.

Don't Miss: The Rock!

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5

This was my favorite of all the ports. What a beautiful city! Very welcoming, the people were friendly. This city really grabbed me. From cobble stone streets to the little bakeries and cafes...I am surely coming back here!

Don't Miss: There is a lot of history here....take a tour (on your own)

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

3 out of 5

Another great place....couldn't see much though unless you went to Seville which was a two hour drive.

Agadir, Morocco

1 out of 5

Same as Casablanca but not as cosmopolitan. More povery, kids begging, no middle class. There were some pretty spots but overall wasn't as nice.

Pros: Freestyle - really can do whatever and whenever!

Cons: Would have prefered to have more into on onboard activities - found out about events by chance

Recommends Norwegian Gem? Yes!

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