Cruised like a Norwegian, and LOVED IT

Although on board for only 7 days, our trip on the Gem felt like twice that long, due to how active we were, and how much fun we had.  There is never a time when you can't find something fun to do - whether gambling, game shows, theater shows, hanging out pool side, relaxing on a lounge chair and feeling the breeze in your hair.  Morning coffee out on deck in The Great Outdoors is a thing of magic.

We ate mostly at the buffet, and loved it.  Food was good, great variety night to night, and let's not even talk about how great the on-board crepe station is.  I mean, come on.  Yes, yes I will have a second helping of crepes, thankyouverymuch.  Should be noted that we are not picky eaters.  We tend to find something tasty wherever we go, so we were good at the 'free' dining halls.  Only reason we didn't do the Churrascurria was we were afraid we wouldn't be able to fit it all!  Food available 24/7, so we were pretty stuffed all the time :-o

Cruise director Dan Dan is worth his weight in gold.  He and assistant cruise director Luz were absolutely amazing.  Their energy, their senses of humor, and also their sweet sweet dance moves made anything they were involved with ten times more fun.  To be honest, I can't imagine cruising again without Dan Dan's adorable infectious giggle filtering through the lounges, haha!

We took it easy with excursions, as we truly wanted to relax.  Did the shuttle to Cocoa Beach & Village (worth it for a nice lunch in town, and some shopping), rented snorkeling equipment on Great Stirrup Cay (so fun! and the rental is for the whole day), and spent our time in Nassau getting our shop on.  It was sweltering that day, so once we made our purchases, we headed back to the ship and took in some entertainment on board.  Tip: Get off the ship early and get your shopping done before noon or 1pm.  This way you can enjoy the Pier Party later on, when everyone from Atlantis is knocked out and heading back to the ship. 

Can't wait to travel on the Gem again.  The crew was absolutely wonderful, and I have been thinking about the trip every moment since we've returned home.  Captain Lars the Swede is the man.  Loved all of his announcements and commentary.