Overall we loved this cruise. The ports were great, people on ship very nice. Our big complaint is the embarkation location listed as Venice (trieste) with pictures of gondolas. Venice and Trieste are over 2 hours apart.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Unfortunately, the location to embark is NOT Venice.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was good. Drinks were ok. Bar/lounge locations were odd.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pool area was nice. However, the reggae music didn’t fit with Mediterranean locale.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Stage shows were just average. Nothing outstanding this trip.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Staff was very helpful.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Common areas were very clean and well maintained. The layout of this ship was odd. One needed to go way inside the buffet room to get coffee, tea or water. Other ships have these items outside the dining area or at the very front. Unfortunately the Gem did not.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The size was incredibly small. By far the smallest balcony stateroom we’ve ever been in. The couch opened while sitting on it if you lounged whatsoever. The bathroom was also very chopped up. The toilet area had a door which in theory is good, however, the space was so small an average sized person could barely fit in. The room was kept very clean.
Ship tip
Cabins are smaller and laid out oddly versus other ships.
Did the “Ultimate Santorini” excursion. Spent time hitting all key locations. Meal was underwhelming. Hoped for a typical Greek meal, instead had chicken leg with potatoes and salad.
Port was nice. Able to get on and off ship easily. Did the Beach excursion which was a waste of money. It was just a bus ride to/from the beach for $55/person. Taxi would be much more reasonable. After beach, changed clothes on the ship and walked ti the town to eat and shop.
Did not do an NCL excursion, nor purchased tickets for shuttle bus. At $15/person the cost was significantly more than taxis available in abundance at dock. Old town was fantastic to walk through, shop and eat.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
