Fantastic Cruise!

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 4.9
Author: karenmichel

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

karenmichel

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 12

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night Eastern Caribbean (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 28, 2022

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 5588

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

This was a wonderful cruise experience. We have traveled on the Gem many times and enjoy the smaller more intimate atmosphere on this ship. The cruise staff was great and we met many fun and friendly people, during the course of our cruise. In fact, we are planning to cruise again in January, aboard the Getaway, with some friends that we made while onboard. Can't wait!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Magnums bar is a great spot for specialty martinis and live entertainment. Don't miss the chicken wings at O'Sheehans. Great spot open all day and night! It is perfect for a late night snack after closing the Spinnaker lounge or the Bliss. If you enjoy dancing the Bliss is a fun place. They have a DJ who plays great tunes and they are open much later than any other venue. There is outdoor dining available behind the Garden Buffet at "The Great Outdoors". (access through the rear of the buffet). They serve food during the hours when the buffet and restaurants have closed, in between meals. It's a great spot to sit outside and enjoy a morning coffee or an afternoon cocktail while you watch the sun set and the ship pulling out of port. If the Chernov Brothers are on board, don't miss their show. They are absolutely amazing! Also, any shows involving the Norwegian cast members are always entertaining.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

New York, New York Did not visit port

N.Y. was our port of embarkation. Being from Ct., we have visited the city many times and didn't need to spend any time before or after our cruise exploring

Thumbs Up 0

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Did not visit port

This port of call was cancelled and replaced by a visit to Puerto Rico

Thumbs Up 0

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

We have always enjoyed St. Thomas and that was no different this trip. Sadly, there were quite a few businesses that had either closed up for good, or simply hadn't reopened yet since the pandemic. One thing that there was no change to was the amount of jewelry stores on the island. I was very happy to see that my favorite small family run store had survived (Liberty Jewelers in Drakes Passage). Hopefully, as cruising begins to pick up speed again, we will see more shops reopening.

Thumbs Up 1

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

Love St. Maarten. Again, many stores and businesses were either gone or had not yet reopened. Our favorite beach side bar, the Blue Bitch, was up and running. It was great to be back there enjoying their specialty cocktails and relaxing near the water. It's good to note that a portion of the profits from their "Blue Bitch" clothing sales go toward aiding the St. Maarten animal shelter and assisting in their spay and neuter programs.

Thumbs Up 2

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

5 out of 5

Tortola has always been a favorite. Unfortunately, very many businesses near the cruise dock have been shuttered. We also arrived on a national holiday which meant that several of the surviving shops were closed in observance of the holiday. For now, I would recommend a tour while in port.

Thumbs Up 0

Grand Turk Island Did not visit port

This stop was cancelled and replaced by Antigua.

Thumbs Up 0