Great Cruise but embarkation in Boston was awful

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 4.7
Author: kkgem

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Bermuda

kkgem

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 105

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Bermuda (Boston Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 30, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Great time with great friends. Loved the Bistro. The food on the buffet was great and loved the daily cookout. The pool was okay but too many young kids in the hot tub and adults pool. I loved listening to Nathaniel Reed. All in all a great time!

Embarkation

1 out of 5

As a handicapped traveler I could not believe that the company policy on wheelchairs had changed. No longer can you get a wheelchair at curbside when you arrive at the Black Falcon. Now you cannot get assistance through the TSA check in or the ship check in. Assistance is not available until you have completed your check in to the ship. To add further insult to injury the check in desk for the special needs passengers is at the furthest check in possible. Norweigian should rethink this policy. It will have a definite impact on my choice of future cruises.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Everything was clean and well plated. Some of my fellow travelers did have some problems with breakfast. Eggs over easy resulted in yolks floating in a puddle of runny whites. Not appealing at all.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

I did not participate in onboard activities, however, many seemed to really enjoy them.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Nathaniel Reed on the piano was outstanding. We followed him all over the ship his music was so good. His voice was reminiscent of Nat King Cole and his fingers literally danced over the keyboard.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Every member of the staff was friendly, courteous and willing to assist at any time.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship is a sister ship to the Dawn and having sailed on the Dawn previously I found it easy to get around. I liked the pictures in the dining rooms much better than the ones on the Dawn which are horribly painted over with slashes of paint.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

I stayed in cabin 10144, a handicapped cabin, with a balcony. The access to the balcony was fantastic as it had a mechanized sliding door. The room was well kept and met all my needs.