We took this cruise because we enjoy NCL. In the past there weren't too many cruises from the Los Angeles area, so when we saw the opportunity, we took even though we have been to Mexico several times. We love the way we are treated on board and all the offerings. We were on Carnival last year for our daughter's wedding and although Carnival treated us well, they just don't offer the same experience as NCL. We have found a home on Norwegian.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarking was smooth. No problems.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I did not eat in the dining rooms. I enjoyed dinners at Teppanyaki, Le Bistro, La Cucina and Cagney's. We enjoyed sampling the buffet at the Garden Cafe and sat outside in the Great Outdoors with cocktails.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
My wife visited the spa daily. She works a high stress job and looked forward to relaxing in spa.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
What we saw, we enjoyed. We enjoyed the musicals Swing and Blazing Boots.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our staff was outstanding. Our room steward worked around our coming and going to keep our room clean. Our butler was excellent. He had snacks for us daily and served us several meals in our suite. Our bartender in the Great Outdoors was great. I enjoyed Bloody Marys made "his way." We had a great view from the stern of the ship and he was personable but maintained the flow of beverages going out.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This was our second cruise on the Gem so we were familiar with the layout. The ship was clean and well maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had an owners suite with a large balcony. We enjoyed the separate living room area and dining area. We had a guest bathroom and a full bathroom with tub. The king size bed was very comfortable. We had a front balcony and a side balcony. It is great to stand on the front balcony when leaving port and our side balcony had a table so we could eat outside.
Ship tip
Follow the fish. The carpet in the hallways show fish swimming. The fish are always swimming forward or to the front of the ship.
We took a Land's End boat tour. We saw whales and the meeting of the Pacific Ocean with the Sea of Cortez. We spent some time in the marina area of the city afterwards and enjoyed some local cuisine and drinks.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
