Norwegian Gem Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Room was nice , drink package was worthwhile. Very disappointing and feel we were deceived about the stop at their private island and they refused to do anything about it.

This was our first and last cruise with and NCL. The ship itself was dark, dingy, and far too crowded. It was overrun with very, very rude Asian passangers. Food and staff was mediocre at best. Same bland, cold food every day at the buffets... if you could even get to the food. Missed a port of call that we were very much looking forward to… Something we found out later that NCL is known to do! Disembarking was a nightmare! Royal Caribbean and Carnival will have my business from now on.

This was a great cruise. The ship was clean and the food was above average for Norwegian. We had some issues disembarking with long lines,but other than that I really can’t complain. Love the jewel class ships!

This was my first experience with ncl and I had heard great things. When my husband and I booked the New England cruise in October 2018 for our honeymoon I knew that this would be a “more mature crowd” Traditionally I cruise on carnival which has more “ party vibe” but with this being our honeymoon and my husbands first cruise I figured Norwegian was the way to go. Embarking in New York City was a breeze.. The easiest I’ve ever experience in any terminal! The safety drill was also a pleasant experience. Positives: The room was a good size and clean (I never met my Stewart though) The spa was amazing (and the reason I’m giving this ship four stars instead of three) The specialty restaurants were very good, magician was impressive, they also played the Texans on the big screen in the atrium which was a pleasant surprise! We were not hounded by photographers or bartenders pushing booze every five minutes which is very refreshing! The Karaoke was fun but only an hour or so a night and The ports were very enjoyable! Negative: the self setting for dinner is horrible! We got stuck eating buffet most of the time because you can’t make reservations for dining unless it’s a restaurant, Most of the entertainment was dated very 70s theme, The staff was not very friendly... nor very rude.. mostly indifferent, The famous white dance party Norwegian has was a joke actually the whole night life was a joke! the ship was asleep by 10 PM! I even packed a Halloween costume just in case they would have a Halloween theme night...but no...Drinks were very pricey (but hey it’s a cruise), there was little communication on which ports would be a “taxi port” and what the process was for coming back into the states and lastly there are no giveaways on the ship! at least with carnival you have an option to earn free drink tickets or a prize if you win a trivia game...nada on this ship (oh one last thing the trivia game, A lot of the staff is foreign and did not understand the Questions or answers to the trivia) I understand that a ships crew is diverse but for the role of assistant cruise director who’s job it is to entertain guests a better grasp of communicative English language would help. Overall it was enjoyable cruise but I Think that fact Norwegian has very little to do with it... the 4 stars are because the spa was awesome, the port sights were beautiful and I was on my honeymoon... could’ve been princess, carnival or any other cruise line.

Only my 2nd Norwegian Cruise , May try another cruise line next time. But want to commend the staff they are exceptionally friendly and a lot of my complaints are not the staffs fault

i sailed on a B2b as a solo female, i met other nice ladies and enjoyed the upscale dining in the specialty restaurants. I loved all of the excursions and most of the staff were kind and helpful.

This was a very enjoyable cruise and was 12 days with only two sea days so really got to see many ports of call. Norwegian is a very accommodating line and many staff were very pleasant and helpful during the entire cruise.

NCL beware cruise gone bad Bed Bugs!!!!!!! We were looking forward to a relaxing cruise bitten from head to toe by bed bugs NCL refusing to replace the cruise with another. itched the entire cruise both my wife and myself. They gave a dinner and offered a small dollar amount. this does not even compare to the money put out by ourselves. Damaged clothing from laundering all our items,Airfare, accommodation, gratuities and cruise costs. did not ask for the entire costs involved but a reasonable replacement but no was the answer. Why do they not care about customer relations I guess we along as others are just nobodies. If everyone told 2 people and they told 2 people it would go on and on then maybe they would change there customer service and start to care about there customers. this was decided by head office so there current attitude reflects on all of there sailing mishaps. check there reviews!!!! 

I will never cruise NCL again. I have sailed on carnival, princess and celebrity and all three were so much better than NCL. Food was very generic and cold. Went to the suite lounge for food and was not impressed at all. Took forever to get my beverage that ordered. Ordered room service twice and both times. cold. and incomplete (no condiments. etc) Fries but not ketchup. fish but no tartar sauce. The room was not as described and much smaller than pictures and description. Very small balcony and no tables to sit at on patio or in room. Pre-ordered items for the room but did not receive them. On board activities very limited and do not keep you busy. No indoor pool/spa for guests (it was rainy most of the trip) so could not relax in spa/pool. Overall, poor value for the money and would never sail with NCL again. Would go back to princess or celebrity in a heartbeat. I did not choose NCL as my family chose it and I went along with them. I think they could have gotten a better deal on another cruise line. Their so-called specials are very limited. hotel (they give you only one choice and you can get better deals plus it is not entirely free, it is discounted). the airfare is booked 90 days out and again, you get a discount. we got cheaper airfare by booking it ourselves. the dinner package gives you 4 specialty dinners. and the unlimited drinks are not truly unlimited we were told $25 shore excursion per person but they only gave us $25 per room. Very misleading ad. When we cruised celebrity they truly treated the suites special. Afternoon tea and sandwiches. treats at night turn down service with chocolates. breakfast in room we sat at a table on the balcony and food was hot and tasty. Never had any issues on the cruise and wish we had taken this trip on celebrity instead. Even princess would have been a great choice. My friend warned me about NCL when she had taken the panama cruise earlier in the year and warned me that she was disappointed, but it was too late to change cruise lines.

Cabin thermostates not working, sounds above of water or similar running, they nickel n dime you and no free at anytime room service balcony windows dirty. Docked too far from town without complimentary shuttles. Paid fare for two as a single then cause they couldnt fill ship substantially reduced across the board fares and removed single supplement charge. Refused to adjust my expensive fare n supplement charge so upgraded somewhat. Would have preferred cabin with working items and clean balcony windows. Any free room service should come with this cabin. No organized single meet or mingle program. Just come to a bar then guess who is single

We weren’t prepared for the unfriendliness of staff. They weren’t organized for the disembarking at any port. Your guess as to where and what deck you could exit ship. Don’t ask questions, they either bark at you or give you the run around. We joked about Captain being at home robotically steering ship because never, ever heard or saw him. Friendliest were steward and washi washi girls.

The Gem main dining room service was horrible, some times we were at dinner for 4 hrs. Missed a lot of 7pm show due to slow/bad service. One night I did not get my wine glass until desert showed up...I had ordered it with dinner. The kept the dining room very Dark, wonder what they were trying to hide!

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST CRUISES FROM A SERVICE STANDPOINT. THE STAFF WAS AMAZING AND THE AMENTIES ASSOCAITED WITH THE PENTHOUSE SUITE MADE US FEEL LIKE VIP GUESTS.

This was my first cruise experience. I booked a 7 day cruise and unfortunately I only lasted 2 days. I was very seasick and I was forced to leave the ship at the first port. I also had taken out travelers insurance just in case anything went wrong. Norwegian never told me to see a Doc before I get off the ship so I would be compensated for the $1300 I had spent. When I contacted the insurance company they told me to ask Norwegian to write a letter on my behalf to back up my story. Guess what? Norwegian refused to write a letter and support me. I also called them numerous times and they would leave me on hold sometimes for 30min! They have no loyalty and did nothing to help me to get my money back from the insurance company. All I wanted was a letter backing up that I was too sick to continue the cruise and they could not even do that. Shame on you Norwegaian. I expect more from your company and I am bitter to them for not helping someone who paid 7 days for a cruise that lasted 2 days. Furthermore when I was leaving the ship they should have notified me to see a MD if I intended to be compensated for my trip with the travelers insurance.

Perhaps I remember the days of full Buffets and ice carvings and pride in the presentation of food, but the shift to extremely bland, poor quality food is very disappointing. The restaurants on the ship rate a solid F. Cold, slow, tough, bland and small portions. Last Norwegian Cruise.

First Norwegian Cruise and the only complaint we had is there isn’t any self serve laundry. Now I know a lot of people will say, why do you want to do laundry on vacation. Well we were taking a 2 week vacation, but did not want to pack for 2weeks. So we had to pay to have someone else do our laundry. We were so happy with this cruise, we booked another one within a week of being home.

Nice ship but unpractical layout! The Great Outdoors at aft is the best for panoramic views Food ok Sad water slides Excellent value for money Captain was silent the whole cruise and did not blow horn once even when other cruise ships did!

We have had 5 cruises with NCL and all of them have been enjoyable. We research heavily and know just what to expect on each trip. This coupled with the attitude that we intend to enjoy ourselves has worked for us. We are friendly to all of the staff and it is usually reciprocated. This cruise did not offer the wow factor in excursions like Hawaii or Alaska but it was relaxing, pretty scenery, and we learned a lot!!

We picked this cruise for the itinerary and were pleased with the ports. We have never sailed on NCL and will never again.

Gem is a beautiful ship which is kept clean and well maintained by an excellent crew. Staff is extremely attentive and friendly, always greeting you with a smile. Room was big and spacious with amazing service from Teresa (butler) and Andy (Room Steward). Dining was always great with many delicious options always available. Recommend trying Moderno. Would definitely sail on the Gem again.