Norwegian Gem - Freestyle, but not my style

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 3.7
Author: DougBaptiste

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Bermuda

DougBaptiste

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 82

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Bermuda (Boston Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 12, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 5574

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

My wife and I have cruised for nearly 25 years and cruised on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and now Norwegian. I work in guest relations for a major international hotel chain and I know a thing or two about providing an excellent travel experience. Norwegian does some things well at the expense of other things. Entertainment and live music were among the best of any cruise line. The food is acceptable in variety and quality. The personal pampering that should be the foundation of any cruise is in need of major attention and improvement.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Short lines with assigned arrival times, and less than 5 minutes at the desk.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Food was fresh and plentiful. Dining rooms clean and well decorated. Cookies only provided for upper-tier guests.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Only used the gym, which was clean with an adequate number of machines and free weights.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Best show team on any cruise ship. Comedians sub-par. Lots of music in multiple venues.

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Cruised Celebrity last summer and every crew member from senior staff to restroom attendant always made eye contact and greeted when passing. NCL from senior staff on down would sometimes look at you and then say nothing. Our cabin steward never referred to us by name. Our sheets were not changed, and the duvet only on the last day. No towel animals on our bed in the evening. These were provided for Penthouse level guests and above. Buffet staff passed out juice to tables immediately around us, but skipped our table. Cleaning cart parked outside of our room. Large paper trash bags placed by staff in the hallways are very unsightly. Freestyle dining means that no waiter and/or bus person to greet you each evening - hence no personal service bonds are established. Automatic gratuities means no motivation to provide adequate or exceptional service.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

During my early morning walks, I saw several areas where beer bottles and glasses were left out on the pool deck from the night before.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Plenty of storage. 24-inch TV. Poor access to either side of the bed. Crazy-small bathroom and shower. Can hear neighbor conversations. Good center location with minimum rocking.