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: 22

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.