Not a great experience

Item: Norwegian Gem
Rating: 3.5
Author: jimdelisle

Norwegian Gem Cruise Review to Bermuda

jimdelisle

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 28

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Bermuda (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 11, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Gem

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 11568

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

If you are expecting anything that resembles luxury, this is not the cruise line for you. We found that the entire experience seemed catered toward a crowd that thinks heavy drinking is the highlight of the day. While the ship itself is very nice, the on-board experiences left much to be desired.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The buffet was the worst we've seen on our 30+ cruises, and the layout of the Garden Cafe makes movement difficult and crowded. Specialty dining was below par, although Le Bistro provided a good experience. For main dining, skip the Magenta Room--it's a crowded circus of activity--the Grand Pacific is much more sedate.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Our room steward was never to be found during much of our stay. A few of the bartenders were great, although there were so few of them that it took a log time to get srved.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Other than the aforementioned Garden Cafe, the ship is quite nice.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Well-designed and plenty of storage.

Ports of call

Royal Naval Dockyard, West End, Bermuda

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

7 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 6 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Ship2Shora 1 year ago

NCL is a value for it's price point but on special occasions we are willing to spend in some cases 4 times as much on Celebrity or Disney for a 5⭐ experience.

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Jerrec 1 year ago

Not sure what you were expecting. Research is your friend. NCL is not and never has been a luxury cruise line. There are a number out there, but expect to pay way more than you did on NCL.

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

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1960cruiser 1 year ago

Maybe cruising isn't for you, or like another mentioned, try the overly expensive cruise lines for the more upscale cruising experience.

Thumbs Up 5

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bubbles60 1 year ago

Sea days on any cruise not as much fun as port days. My least favorite cruise ever was on a 7days eastern carribbean cruise with 3 sea days. We have been on the Gem or Gem class cruise to Europe and Alaska and the experience was wonderful.

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CruzeFan 1 year ago

Try the Haven on NCL or Oceania if you prefer a more upscale experience.

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Other reviews of this sailing

worst cruise ever

Nothing Special.

As a relaxing vacation 3 stars as a cruise 1 star