Good Food & Entertainment = Great Cruise!

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 4
Author: Squinter

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Squinter

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 57

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

10 Night Eastern Caribbean (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 09, 2017

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 4551

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

The ship was full - we even tried to bring one more person but they wouldn't let us. Even so the ship didn't seem busy and there were hardly any children on-board - lots of room to be by yourself on deck 7 if you wanted. Outdoor barbeques every sea day that included seafood pasta, chicken, pork and either cherries jubilee or bananas foster for desert. For the most part the staff were awesome less one grumpy bartender in the Spinakker Lounge. The cruise director Mark was a little cheesy but he knew it and played it up - it was entertaining. Comedian Tim Kaminski was on board performing - very funny and personable - we went to all his shows. Magician Greg Gleason performed some amazing card tricks and then followed that up with a boring infomercial on improving your memory - wish i could forget it happened. An awesome juggler Barry Johns also performed. Overall we had a great time!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We purchased three specialty dinners listed in order of preference: #1 Teppanyaki #2 Moderno #3 Le Bistro I have dined at other Le Bistro restaurants on Norwegian that had a much better menu including Swordfish and bigger portions than what we were served. The other two specialty restaurants we thought were great with hearty portions. The Grand Pacific dining room is the place to eat. Far more elegant than Magenta and away from the madness and crudeness of the patrons at the Garden Cafe - why even bother! The food choices were varied and we even had prime rib twice. The deserts were also very good.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Always something to do from wine tasting to towel folding they had it covered.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Awesome! We got to see a juggler, magician, comedian and a acrobatic duo that were all top notch entertainers. If you want good seats in the Stardust Theatre get there at least 15 minutes before the show - bring a drink and relax.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Good layout - this is a smaller ship and was easy to navigate. We used the stairs as much as we could - walked about 10,000 steps a day on board - still gained 5 lbs though - I blame the drink package for that!

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We had an inside stateroom with a king bed (two singles pushed together). The mattresses were firm but comfortable with good bedding and pillows. The bathroom was nicely arranged and the shower was larger than many other ships with great water pressure. Ample closet and drawer storage and all of our suitcases stored under the bed.

Ship tip

Hit the pool deck by 8 am if you want a good spot - bring towel clips and attach to your chair so the towel doesn't blow away.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

New York, New York

5 out of 5

Get there early and enjoy Times Square and a little shopping. You can hit up Carlos Bakery too.

Thumbs Up 7

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5

We did the rain forest hike - wear your swimsuit and bring a towel so you can enjoy a swim at the waterfall.

Thumbs Up 10

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Go snorkeling on a Catamaran and enjoy the painkillers on the ride back.

Thumbs Up 8

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

We went to Maho beach to see the jet planes land and take off - it was a blast! Share a taxi with others - $8 a person

Thumbs Up 22

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

5 out of 5

Rent a Jeep from Avis and tour the island - we had a great tour in 2 hours - $80

Thumbs Up 2

Traveler Photos

4 Comments

ItaVero 7 years ago

Thanks for the review - detailed and thorough. Sounds like they handled the crowds well.

Thumbs Up 0

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glomarrone 7 years ago

Nice to know that you enjoyed your cruise.

Thumbs Up 0

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BAK1061 7 years ago

One of our favourite ships. Been on her 5 times. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

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jleslie48 7 years ago

There is something very unusual about the Gem, You noticed it as well: The Gem seems to magically absorb the people so that no venue is packed and at the same time there are plenty of folks to socialize with. I've been on the Gem fully loaded as well and for the life of me I can't figure out where everybody is.

Thumbs Up 2

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