Norwegian Gem Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My favorite part of the cruise was to be able to go to the specialty restaurants, what could be improved was if there is a dress code for certain places then it should be followed and persons not properly dressed should not be allowed in.  If the code is not going to be enforced then don't have one.  It is not fair to persons who follow the rules and bring proper clothing.

This was our first cruise and we brought our 3 yr old son with us. The cruise by far exceeded our expectations, with the weekly spa pass as our favorite portion of the trip. The only negative was the childcare. Our son needs a minute to warm up to new places and people. They would make us stand there in front of him as he cried (like torture) instead of letting him go off with the other kids and forget about us. If he continued to cry (which of course he did) he wouldn't be allowed to stay. Needless to say, he only went once. But it turned out well as we spent time at the pool and the free evening shows :)

The best part of the cruise in my opinion was all the shows from the Stardust theater. I made sure I went to every single one. The only thing that could have been better, was the wifi, considering the price they charged for it, it was incredibly slow and practically useless. Aside from that, everything was basically perfect and I look forward to taking my next cruise with Norwegian.

Our cruise was full of fun and our family had tons to celebrate.  Birthday....40th wedding anniversary (ours)...first communion....retirement....and we did not stop all week long.  So much to do...Highly recommend this itinerary and ship...

Do not book with Norwegian Gem. It is a ship full of foreigners that hardly speak any English. You will be charged extra hidden fees. $14/day per person just to be on the boat. Everything on the boat is too expensive. The Bahamas are nasty and not worth it. Blue Lagoon is a joke and it's over $80/person EXTRA just to go there for 5 hours! No. We will NEVER go on a cruise again especially not with Norwegian Gem!

This was my families first cruise and its the only way to vacation. Stress free!! Everything is taken care of for you. All you have to decide is what to eat and where. Entertainment was phenomenal. Staff were all very pleseant. About the only thing I would get rid of were the Chinese travellers, they we're all rude to passengers and disrespectful to the staff who were just doing there job. Other than that it was an awesome  vacation!! 

My partner and I were not thrilled with the cruise. The activities the cruise has aligned for were of no interest to us with the exception of the gym, art auction, theater, and the bar/lounges.

The disembarkation on the last day was a nightmare as people packed the area to exit. There was lack of coordination and organization to direct people to lines in order to exit in an orderly fashion. We were very disappointed about this as tension felt among passengers from different ethnic backgrounds that could have easily started a fight/insults. It felt more like "you took our money so what do you care now."

We found more rewarding the "Resort for a Day" promotion as we were able to get away from the crowd and enjoy peace and quiet at the resort beach.

I see a lot of horrible things written on their page so here is a real critique of my week long stay on the Gem

Just got back from our week long Bahamas cruise.  I am going to start with the negative BUT PLEASE KEEP READING....there are WAY more positives than negatives.  

Negatives

We missed the private island.  There were ship issues which kept us in Florida for an extra several hours (we didn't leave until 1am).  - the plus side of this they have everyone on board a $50 credit.

The buffet-  if you are use to higher class food or food with flavor pass on the buffet unless ur starving!  

The spa-  just avoid at all costs - way over priced and hard sells at the end of your supposedly relaxing time to buy extra services and products.... If you do decide to go to the spa wait til a port day things are deeply discounted.  

Port taxes- when in any US port there will be a tax 

Getting on and off the ship in New York to board and disembark - no fault of ncl its customs but it SUCKS.  Be prepared 

Canceling of activities/changing scheduled activities-  it happens which isn't the bad part - they do not communicate it when it does happen and you may be sitting waiting for an activity that isn't happening 

Positives

The included sit down restaurants - they offer a daily changing menu - staff are beyond accommodating and helpful- oh did I mention if you can't decide what you want you can order it all or order seconds!  If on the Gem which we were go to grand pacific it's amazing!

The casino-  if you are a Texas Holdem player- read here:  poker tables open at 5pm but cakes typically start 10p-11p until 3am.  They only run 2-5 tables and rake 10% but it's vacation lol.  They run 2 $80 tournaments but the blind structure kinda sucks 

Other cruisers:  there is a mix of old young kids a bit of everything and for he most part everyone is super nice and polite!  

The bar-  get the unlimited beverage package you will thank me later-  oh and order mango meltdowns and mudslides every chance you get yummmm!  

The staff-  everyone is super friendly and helpful when your lost lol.  Dorothy our housekeeper knew our names from day one- was super helpful- and made sure to greet us and tell us a good day multiple times a day.  

Cruise next-  if you place a deposit while on board you will get some serious on board credit - did it worth it

Daily freestyle-  this is the guide that tells you what's going on for the day- try and attend as many group activities like trivia as possible because you earn signatures that are redeemable for prizes at the end for your cruise - 40 signatures = a shirt 

Most importantly this was a vacation we had a blast and are signed up to go again :-).

This is a great ship for first time cruisers, but did not have nearly as much to do as larger ships like the Breakaway.  The entertainment was AWESOME!  We also very much enjoyed the art auctions!  We are always able to find something we like that is in our price range and it is a lot of fun.

I always felt NCL was the best cruise line but this trip was very disappointing. 7 of us paid almost $1500 to take an excursion to Disney World, we got there over 2 1/2 hours late and we had time for 2 rides and then had to leave. Not worth the money. Rushed back to the ship to find out we would not be leaving port until 1 am due to a seal leak and we would not have our day at the private island. On top of that staff did not show up to run some activities and we waited an hour between appetizers and our entree, I will think twice before I book another Norwegian Cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line was wonderful, as usual!  The staff were very friendly and helpful; the food was delicious, and the accommodations very comfortable.  If I cruise again, it will definitely be on NCL.

The buffet food was the same nasty taste for breakfast the security guard grab my 15 year old son and push him around the teen club finishes at 1:00 pm and the kids were not allowed to eat late night snack in the restaurant. The worst was when a gentleman fell of the bike in the gym and died because help was not there fast enough it took nearly 20 min before the AED was used I think his life would have been saved if help would have arrived much sooner over all the experience was very bad and try calling Ncl you can't get anybody to answer your call

Everything on the GEM was great, the food, service, entertainment, etc. However just be wary to stay away from the casino. It was really a downer. Everyone I spoke to lost mega bucks and after playing there for several days with absolutely no payback, I found their renovations of this part of the ship to  be less than satisfactory. There wasn't even one taker for a hold em cash game.

It was so enjoyable,restful and exciting. I spent quality time with my son's family, especially my grandchildren.   Who had a great time. I think the word they used was awesome. My grandson said who wouldn't have a good time on a cruise. I enjoyed the lay back style.

My husband and I went on your cruise as a late honeymoon for us. We had an amazing time.  The staff on the Norwegian Gem were excellent and all very friendly, especially 2 main bar runners Julian and Albert on deck 13. Not positive of the name of the bar but they were always right there when needed. Definitely looking forward to another fun adventure with the crew and staff.

We loved our 10 night cruise on NCL. Highlights: Ramona and Salvador at the Atrium Bar-the best bartenders for those of you who require attentive bartending while on vacation. Omar the Assistant Maitre'd, lovely make friends at start of cruise-he'll get you an ocean view in the Grand Pacific-or anything you want or need. Joy-our room attendant-outstanding, cheerful! did not once infer how long or hard she worked (uncommon at times with staff), jumped into our room the minute we vacated and then left it spotless every time. Shore excursion: Norman Island in Tortola snorkel trip-amazing. Crew brought us directly to the most beautiful spot to snorkel in caves and see an abundance of tropical fish and sea life. Try to make it to all the shows they are EXCELLENT. And we are not typically into going to shows. What would I do different? I would not do the specialty restaurants, the restaurants on the ship that are included are more than fancy and good. That being said-I do recommend Moderno. Worth every penny but make sure you come on an EMPTY stomach. I would have sprung for a balcony cabin, 10 days inside cabin is a bit too long. I would have snorkeled in St Thomas and skipped Magen's Beach.  

We had a wonderful time thought the staff was excellent as well as the food. It was a fun trip. We went with friends that had cruised before so they could show us the ropes as to what to expect and what to do. They went for a graduation present for their daughter's and we were celebrating 40 years of marriage. So it was a very special cruise for all. The islands we visited were beautiful and the shopping was awesome.

My husband and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.  Going for 10 days was a great decision on our part, because 7 days comes too fast and before you know its time to come home.  We had plenty of time to unwind and we had the time of our lives.  We had a lot of at sea days but kept so busy with game shows, trivia, name that tune games, listening to music, and, of course, watching the talented individuals perform each night in the Stardust Theater.  We thoroughly enjoy cruising with NCL and can't wait to book our next cruise in another 5 years --  Boston to Bermuda cruise.  Deans, Massachusetts

This trip was truly a dream come true. The staff made us feel very welcomed. Everyone was happy and ready for a good time. We didn't want to come home! The entertainment was world-class and the food to die for. Our only beef was the surprise $27. a day no one told us about. 

Even with that, we plan to take another cruise with Noregian eventually.

S.M.

The buffet eating area was small and it seemed like people were walking around trying to find seating when the weather wasn't favorable outside. The excursion was pricey it was 90.00 pp to tour Tortolla.

Otherwise everything was excellent.