It was a relaxing two weeks. My wife was totally spoiled by the Gem and its staff. it will be hard to talk her into sailing on any other ship. She's already looking at future cruises on the Gem!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth -- especially considering the massive task of COVID testing everyone. The pre-embarkation sign-up was easy. Having people come at scheduled times made social distancing easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Overall, excellent! Especially the Grand Pacific restaurant -- the best one on the boat! Despite the fact that it was not a specialty restaurant, the service was top notch! Ms. Emilie, the Asst Maitre d' was friendly and accommodating. She keeps the waitstaff on their toes in a kind and gentle manner. She also made us feel like we were royalty - that's the best way I can say it. She always greeted us by name with a Sir or Madam attached to it. My wife commented that she was going to miss being called madam after two weeks of nearly everyone on the ship applying that title to her name.
We did not eat often in the 12th floor buffet. Service there was so-so. Even with COVID, guests used the serving utensils which I admit is convenient, but not as sanitary as the service we had at resorts in Mexico since the pandemic. They had buffets as well, but the staff put servings on the plates. No serving utensils were put in reach of the guests and that would have been nice to see on this cruise ship.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We're not much for the onboard activities -- we rest a lot. Some of the activities we look forward to, like the painting for example, were not available due to COVID. :(
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows were high energy and really well done! The only complaint we had about the entertainment was the ridiculously loud volume of the piano player/singer on deck 6 with the open atrium up to the Orchid Garden Restaurant. I have hearing difficulty and wear a hearing aid. We tried to eat in the Orchid Garden one evening and had to leave after our appetizer. I could not find a way to make the volume bearable. Ms. Emilie invited us back the following night, allowing us to come a little early before the music started. What a great restaurant, but that loud music just ruined the whole vibe.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Top of the line! Our Cabin Steward, Ray, was just great. Sometimes he was able to anticipate our needs before we even asked! Of course, the Grand Pacific was number one for waitstaff and food! Everyone we encountered was happy with a great attitude while being very accommodating!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
My wife particularly loved the ship's design and layout. She liked the simplicity with not a whole lot of "bells and whistles," i.e. no zipline, waterslides, go-carts. We go on cruises to rest and this one was the most restful ever!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Let's face it, the bathrooms could be bigger, but you kind of sign up for that when you cruise. I liked the way the closet space, drawers, and cubbies were designed. Lots of space - and of course, even our big suitcases fit neatly under the bed. My wife loves cabins in the aft and this was no exception. Our balcony way great and private. Everything was pretty perfect.
Ship tip
Prepare to spend extra money on the wi-fi if you want a chance of streaming and consistent service. The wi-fi was the only real disappointment of the trip. Hats off to the gentlemen who deals with the internet problems people experience. I wish I could remember his name. He was unflappable. No matter how many people were in line, he focused his attention on the person in front of him and never sent them off without a solution. he is possibly the most patient man I've ever met. You want to talk about the perfect person for the job!
As easy as anyone could ever want. So organized and efficient. We did back to back cruises with the same cabin -- they never caused any undue stress. We just signed out of the ship, walked around the promenade a bit, and re-entered. Easy breezy!
Your wife's opinion is the same as my wife's. We have been on 4 different ships cruising but now we only go back to the Gem. There is something special about that ship. Its just the right size, It's layout absorbs the people so it never feels crowded. It also is an order of magnitude higher in elegance than the other ships we have been on: where they have las vegas plastic and glitter, the Gem has Mahogany and etched glass.
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