A Much Needed Cruise Getaway
Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Bermuda
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 95
5 Night Bermuda (New York Roundtrip)
Sail date: November 10, 2018
Ship: Norwegian Gem
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 8526
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Get there as early as you can and start your cruise early. We took Yankee Trails Bus service down from the Albany, NY area. We were down at the port by 10:30am. Since we tagged our luggage, the next time that we saw it was around 1:30pm outside our stateroom door. We were on board and had our first drink in our hand by 11:30am. We had lunch and then took advantage of some to the tours that were offered. Our stateroom (8526) was ready around 1pm. The luggage showed up about 1/2 hour later. We unpacked and were able to get 2 of our large suitcases and one carry on under the bed. I had purchased an over the door shoe holder and it fit nicely over the outside of the bathroom door giving us extra room for toiletries, sunscreen, first aid kit, medications, etc... Loved the PrivaSea balcony which gave us extra protection from the extreme weather conditions we experienced through the cruise. Bed was comfy and much bigger than expected as it was more like a king size rather than a queen. All of our meals were either buffet style or at the complimentary restaurants. All meals were good and you could eat as much as you wanted to. Enjoyed several of the scheduled on board activities. My favorite was The Perfect Couple. The only let down of the cruise was when my husband's 2 tank scuba diving excursion was canceled due to a lack of interest/participation. We had purchased 2 passes for the Mandara SPA VIP Thermal Suite online before the cruise which saved each of us $29. That was one of the main highlights for us. We felt pampered and it was so relaxing. It was perfect because we were not able to take advantage of the outdoor pools and Jacuzzi due to the extreme weather conditions. The spa was not overly crowded. We had towels and bathrobes available along with refreshments. Finally, the view off the spa was amazing. Bermuda was very nice, but the weather played a factor on the first day. On the second day, my husband and I were able to visit Horseshoe Bay Beach and do some shopping at the Dockyard before heading back onto the ship. In all, we had a wonderful time and will definitely cruise again with Norwegian Cruise Line.Embarkation
Having drinks on the ship by 11:30am.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
My husband and I did not eat in any specialty restaurants. We enjoyed the variety of foods on the buffets and found the sit down restaurants to be very good. We especially enjoyed O'Sheehan's Bar on deck 8. It was open the latest serving food and drinks. Plus, it was an easy walk from our stateroom.
Onboard Activities
My husband and I purchase the Thermal Spa Suite passes online before we left and it was definitely worth the money. The weather was inclement the entire cruise and we enjoy all the amenities that the suite had to offer. It was very relaxing and we really loved the ceramic heated loungers. The view from the lounge chairs was amazing. I also enjoyed using the sauna in the separate ladies dressing and lounging area. Again, there were windows surrounding the front and side of it giving you a spectacular view of the ocean.
Entertainment
There was always something to do while on board. We participated in a name that tune competition, watched "The Perfect Couple", participated in the Hot White Party, and other activities. The performances in the Stardust Theater was amazing. We saw Blazing Boots and Get Down Tonight.
Service and Staff
The entire staff aboard the ship were very friendly and helpful. We had Lii P as our room steward. He left us a complementary bottle of champagne and promptly removed the contents of the refrigerator. The room was always made up in a timely manner and at turn down time, he left us a towel animal. We loved the monkey the best. The bartenders at the lounges were excellent and put extra details on the different frosty alcoholic beverages. The waiters and waitress at the buffets and restaurants were very pleasant and removed plates in a timely manner. At the sit down restaurants, food was served hot and did not have to wait long after the food was ordered. The cruise director and other staff were also very pleasant and funny.
Ship Quality
My husband and I found the Gem easy to get around. The carpet in the hallways to the staterooms are in need of replacement as the seams are fraying and separating. The only major complaint my husband and I had was that the carpet wavy design in the Spinnaker Lounge made the floor look uneven; like it had dips in it. Add the rocking of the ship to the carpet and there were many times we felt awkward walking, losing our balance. We saw other guests have the same problem.
Cabin / Stateroom
The bed was already put together for us. We found it to be very comfortable and much bigger than expected. It was more of a king size than a queen. The room size and storage spaces were good and our large suitcases fit nicely under the bed. I had purchased an over the door shoe holder for bathroom door which was a life saver. We loved the PrivaSea balcony. Despite the inclement and cold weather, we were able to sit outside for a bit. Having the extra enclosure kept most of the wind and ocean spray out. The only minor complaint that I had about the stateroom, was that it was a bit dusty and also there were left over birthday decorations left on the ceiling. It appeared that the past guests had blown up latex gloves for balloons and taped them to the ceiling. Although they were taken down, there were a few left over taped finger pieces still attached to the ceiling. The bathroom size was good with the exception of the toilet area which was a bit too small. Shower was fine. It had places to put shampoo/conditioner and I liked the adjustable shower head.
Ship tip
For breakfast, we found an area on deck 12 called the Great Outdoors. It was a smaller buffet that the others, but it had a nice variety of food and was not nearly as crowded as the other breakfast buffets. The eating area was outdoors, but well covered. You could always go back inside and find tables if needed.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Royal Naval Dockyard, West End, Bermuda
My husband was scheduled to do a 2 tank scuba dive excursion and it was canceled due to a lack of participation/interest. He was given the notice 24 hours before the scheduled excursion which was a big let down for him. SUGGESTION: Please note a minimum of participants needed to run the excursion instead of stating sign up early as it fills up fast. Please note, that on the day of the excursion, it probably would have been canceled anyways due to inclement weather conditions. However, my husband would have felt better about it being canceled due to the weather versus a lack of interest. On the first day, we used the public bus transportation to ride around the island due to the inclement weather conditions. We loved Horseshoe Bay Beach and used the 10 passenger vans at the port to get to the beach. The cost was $7 per person each way. It dropped you right off at the beach and there was always one available to get back to the dockyard.
Disembarkation
We chose to carry our luggage off the boat which allowed us to stay longer on the ship. We were assigned to the Bliss Lounge to relax until we chose to get off. There was coffee available and comfy places to sit. Our bus was not scheduled to arrive until 10:30-11:00am. We would have had to stand outside in the cold if this choice was not available for us.