I absolutely loved this cruise, even with 4 sea days to start because of the cancellation of the port of Bermuda due to severe sea conditions. Everyone on board was walking around bouncing off walls because of the waves but the staff kept everyone happy and busy which was great. The ports were excellent, food and drinks were abundant and were served with a smile and quality service. The staff were the best I have seen and they all were excellent they even made the buffet (which I am not a fan of) seem like a great place to be. The crew of the Gem are a top notch team
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was fast and easy, I used a new car service “Revel” to get to the port and was very pleased with the service. The entire process took only about 15 minutes, I walk with a cane and was quickly escorted to the line for passengers with special needs, there was only one person ahead of me so I didn’t have to wait long.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The service and food in the Grand Pacific dining room was excellent, there was absolutely nothing to complain about, the restaurant manager was always there stopping by to ensure that everything was up to standard. the Atrium bar had the most delightful bartender Putu who had the most amazing ability to serve a full crowd of people while being pleasant and entertaining he was really quite amazing. I generally don’t like going to the Garden Cafe but the Gem’s had some really amazing staff, the breakfast crew were not only great but entertaining, they had a group of about four who would serve coffee and danish’s and would also sing to you. I did something I had never done before, I sought out the manager to let her know what a great crew she had.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The activities crew were really a great bunch, I don’t usually get to involved in a lot of the activities because of my disability but they made a point of inviting me to get involved and helping me to do so
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The B-52 band was fabulous! They had the most amazing repertoire of music, I think I only heard them repeat a song once or twice in a 12 day cruise and that was because the songs were requested. A truly talented group of musicians
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All in all the service was excellent, the only venue where it was less than a 10 was the Spinniker Lounge where you did have to wait a little longer for service
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I never saw any sign of anything on the ship but perfect cleanliness, any empty glasses were cleared quickly, nothing was left undone
The port area is dirty and very unappealing, but once you get into the rural areas you see a beautiful place. I did an excursion where we went on a boat ride through the forest and it was amazing! I saw crocodiles, macaws, sloths, monkeys and the most beautiful birds and trees it was like being in another world.
This is a beautiful island I highly suggest seeing more than just the port area of the island, the butterfly house was amazing the north side of the island is like another island it is so different from the port area.
The best way to see this port is to walk out of the terminal to the taxi cab area and negotiate a price for a tour. The driver will take you wherever you want to go and you pay when you return to the port, just be careful they will take you to the shops they want you to shop at which aren’t necessarily the cheapest
There are so many things to do in NYC, I don’t think it’s worth the time for me to go into it. I do think it is a good idea to use the “hop on hop off” buses, you catch them by the M & M store, the Staten Island ferry is free so doing that is a good idea and booking your own hotel near Time Square is a good idea. The one thing that surprised me about the city was the constant honking! I couldn’t believe the nonstop honking, it must be the way the people of the city communicate with each other
Transiting the canal was so much more than I expected and I expected it to be amazing, this truly is a journey that I will remember for the rest of my life
Disembarkation was different than what I have seen before because of the construction of the port in Panama but it went smoothly and without any issues
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