A great trip on probably the best ship I have ever cruised on.

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 4.8
Author: jleslie48

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

jleslie48

Contributor Level: Cruise Director

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 7

Helpful Votes: 312

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night Eastern Caribbean (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 29, 2022

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 8578

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

I cannot stress how well designed the Gem is. It just absorbs the guests and it doesn't feel crowded wherever you go. I have neve been on another ship that handles the number of guests on the ship better.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

easy even with the extra step of the Covid test in the next building over.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

never ate at the buffet. the main dining room is a quality restaurant why would you want a buffet. the specialty dinners were even a step above that. I had 5 meals in the specialty restaurants complimentary.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

A little cold this time of year, but the staff kept us entertained.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

top notch comedians, magicians and dance shows. I only wish the dancers had more appearances.

Children's Programs

I really couldn't judge as we had no kids, but there was a kids staff, and they were very visible entertaining the kids.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Absolutely the best part of the trip. We felt like we were members of the family on 'Downton Abbey' If we dropped a fork I think a staff member caught it before it hit the ground.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The Gem is singularly the best designed ship I have ever sailed on. It is both elegant and functional. I have been on this ship with as little as 600 guests and as much as 2900, and either way the ship handles the crowds. It is also the most elegant ship I have ever sailed on The ship is done out in wood and glass, with views of the Ocean wherever you go, Even the elevators are etched with artwork. I have never been on a ship that has come close.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

My cabin was upgraded to an 11th floor balcony suite which really is special. The obstructed view ocean view is ok, but we really like to be able to open the door and listen to the ocean at night.

Ship tip

The spinnaker lounge is my favorite hangout place indoors.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

New York, New York

5 out of 5

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

4 out of 5

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

5 out of 5

do not miss the baths at virgin gorda.

Thumbs Up 0

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

4 out of 5

we went to the beach resort excursion. is was beautiful.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

do yourself a favor, schedule your disembarkation for the last, enjoy a good breakfast on the ship, then when you get off its easy to find your bags, and the line is gone at customs.

Traveler Photos

spinnaker lounge with 180 degree view forward

the magnificent entranceway to the main dining room

9 Comments

jleslie48 2 years ago

On leaving from NY: This is my own spin on it based on my work/life take it for what its worth. I have a very high stress job. Leaving from NY serves two functions for me: 1) its an hour from my house. I get up by 9:30am, get to the ship terminal leisurely, and I'm having my first meal in the dining room by 12:30pm, I nice sit down lunch with drink in hand. Any cruise that involves flying to another city requires a minimum of 5 hours of travel time vs the max 1 hour drive to the ship terminal. Flying is actually a deal breaker for me. 2) Sailing from NY in the winter does mean the first 2 days (at sea) the weather is not great for outdoors (actually the sauna's are BEST in the cold weather.) But its two days I am forced to to just slow down and do nothing. I need that time to de-compress from work. I actually enjoy those days as much if not more than the snorkeling and excursions when we get to the islands. On the way back, its the same thing, I rest up and relax so I'm ready to get back to work.

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kierwill 2 years ago

I couldn't agree with you anymore. The Gem has been and always will be my favorite. The Jade is exactly identical and I love that ship as well. The Escape would be my next choice.

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iamkates 2 years ago

Yay! I'm so happy you had an awesome cruise, thank you for writing a review! Looking forward to sailing on the Gem next month!

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izrgreen 2 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write a review.

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ToddN1XHR 2 years ago

I agree... I love the Gem for about all the same reasons you described. The beauty of the ship, the attentiveness of the staff and it's just layed out good.

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javawoody 2 years ago

Appreciate you sharing your experience

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AuntPinkie 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Leaving out of NY in the winter sounds risky with the possibility of snow. The main reason we like to cruise in the winter is to get out of the cold/snow. Glad you enjoyed your cruise and sailed away from it.

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jleslie48 2 years ago

I should also note, this cruise left NY during a Blizzard! lots of folks never got to NY even though the cruise ship waited until 9:30pm to leav port, some 5 hours later than it was scheduled for. We sailed with around 600 passengers.

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Curt34 2 years ago

Glad you had a great cruise. Thanks for the review.

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