Very Poor Cruise Experience

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 52

Overall rating:

2 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Gem

6 Night Canada & New England (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 21, 2015

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10542

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

This is our 13th cruise, and the 1st cruise on NCL.  I have never written a bad review on a cruise, but I have to on this one.  There were a lot of issues of concern for us, but I will touch on several of them.  The staff was the worse I have ever experienced on a cruise.  If there was a problem, they were not willing to fix the problem, and would not help you if needed.  We had a problem with an excurssion and we needed to contact them because they were to pick us up at 2 and we missed them because they were on Canada time and we were told to use ship time.  We had the phone number and wanted ton contact them in Halifax, and we told the NCL excurssion expert that was in port and was told that he could not help us.  We were able to get someone from Halifax to let us use the phone and they came back to get us.  No help from NCL.  This is also the only cruise that we did not get to eat lobster in the main dining room.  When I found this out, I made plans to go to LaBistro for $20, per person.  When we got in the restuarant they told us that lobster was $10 per person more.  We did not get to eat lobster.  On a cruies, the food should be included, but on this one it is not, even though they advertise that it is included.  We wanted to go bowling, in which they have a bowling alley, and we found out that they charge a fee for bowling.  They do not tell you that on the website.  The shows with the exception of the acrobat show, were very poor quality at best.  Worst shows we have ever seen on a cruise.  There is also nothing to do on the ship during the day, that does not cost money.  We sat around for 2 days while as sea with nothing to do, in which has never happened on a cruise before.  The shops are not what I expected and what I have seen on other cruises.  The only shops they had were Jewelry, Perfume, and Alcohol.  If you wanted keep sakes, you were not getting them on the ship.  We went on this cruise thinking that it would be a step up from Carnival but found out that it was a major step down from Carnival.  We have been on 10 Carnival Cruises.  When we got on the bus to go back to the airport, most of the people on the bus had the same experience that we had, and all said that they would not be cruising with NCL in the future.  I have never seen that response from people over one cruise line.  There are other things, but I will not get into all of the problems.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Cabin was great.

Ports of call

New York, New York

5 out of 5

Halifax, Nova Scotia

5 out of 5

Saint John, New Brunswick

5 out of 5

Portland, Maine

5 out of 5
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5 Comments

Dinolaw    9 years ago

I was on NCL Gem and had the worst cruise experience ever. Never again NCL. Staying with Royal Caribbean.

TitusWoman    9 years ago

read it again she wasvpn ship time but the excursion was on local time.....

ladyd    9 years ago

I thought the getaway was the only NCL w bowling alley!

CrusinTim    9 years ago

The title of the review answers that question........

ladyd    9 years ago

Which NCL ship were u on?

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