Norwegian Gem Cruise Reviews - Reviews

great time, met great people which i now call friends! awesome food great activities great time, met great people which i now call friends! awesome food great activities 

This was my first cruise which I took with my twin sister and two aunts.  There was never a time that we were without anything to do.  From the moment we got on the boat - it was smooth sailing all the way from the stewards to the entertainment crew, the hospitality staff, food and beverage staff.  If there was something you needed - all you had to do was ask and Norwegian made it happen!!!  The cruise director DanDan was FABULOUS!!!!  Loved "The Quest" - I never laughed so hard!!!!!  We dined in Cagney's, Le Bistro and Moderno the specialty restaurants and also the Magenta, O'Shennigan's and Grand Pacific - all top notch - the food was fab in all!!  Took a tour in St Maartens - Da Party Bus - what a blast....loads of fun!!!   Will definitely do this again and I signed up for a future cruise!!!!

This was our first Norwegian cruise. The food on the ship was not more than okay (at best) any day. There are a lot of fun activities for people of all ages, but there is something they are trying to sell you almost everywhere on-board. The staff was pretty rude for the most part—with a few exceptions... The exceptions were very kind and helpful!

Embarkation and disembarkation from New York were a breeze when you get to the pier after 1:30 p.m.  The ports of San Juan and Tortola were the greatest.  Of course Tortola is a tendering port and unless you can walk, one cannot get off the ship.  The couple of hours in San Juan were a waste of time.  The ship itself needs a lot to be done to make it up to par. Carpets are old, there was a smell of sewer in my cabin and hallway on the 8th deck, entertainments for 4 days at sea were lacking although the Cruise Director, DanDan was fantastic. Cabin steward and the dining room Maitre d's were very helpful in accommodating our party of 10, especially Karina in the Pacific Dining Room. The rock climbing wall is still not in use.  The food was MOSTLY SALTY and one could barely eat some of the dishes, because of the excess of salt, being witnessed by more than us. This is not my first time in Norwegian, certainly my last.

I will return to RCL and Princess definitely and soon.

The 9 day cruise was gear more towards the older crowd. Although I had fun because I was with my family I wish that they would have told us that this particular cruise was about 60%-70% over 65 years of age. I viewed a passenger go down and "faint" or was having some kind of cardiac issue and as a nurse I could not just walk away so I stayed with the patient and the dermatologist until help came. I asked the Spa people (incident happened outside the Spa) if they had a code cart because clearly the passenger needed oxygen. And also if they had called a code. A code was called and then I saw personnel running to help the patient. I did not hear any code being called prior. There should be some kind of procedure in case something like this happens (ex: Don't think twice call a code right away!) especially in a cruise with so many older people. You need more medical assistance with a cruise that has as many older people as this one had. Otherwise, I had a good time and enjoyed myself but not like the past cruise I had taken with Norweigen.

My husband and I took this cruise as our honeymoon and it was affordable, and the staff was mostly friendly and attentive. We felt that the entertainment was more geared toward an older crowd. The food was very much like a cafeteria, though. There was alot of rocking and we got pretty seasick. I would not recommend an interior stateroom. The excursions were great, it was a great time in all

I enjoyed getting away to the warm Caribbean.  Adian, in the spa was fantastic - she made me feel like royalty.  Dan Dan the cruise director was hilarious.  The North Atlantic was a bit choppy and the day we came back was colder than the day we left so it was harsh.

Enjoyed weather, ship, crew, food, entertainment, etc., not necessarily in that order.

Wud recommend the trip to others.

Just an enjoyable 9 days , a very nice getting away from the weather here.

Don't recommend Best of Tortola shore excursion.

Unfortunately haVing been on other cruise lines this one fell extremely short of my expectations. The food was sub-par and never felt like "fine dining". The service for the most part was horrible... the only thing included for drinks for meals was water or iced tea.... The activities on the boat were very repetitive and definitely cheesy, I found myself bored when other cruises there's been too much to do. Overall Norwegian just didn't ddo it for me the boat was small and everything felt on top of each other. I think there are def. Better cruises out there.

Everything was great other than first night dinner with a rude server. Entertainment was great, mini suite nice and roomy. Excursion not too well organized.

Crew was very friendly other than person above.

Let me say first of all that we loved the ship, and found the entire crew to be kind, polite, and accommodating.  

The weather was great--I heard that the trip the week before us was very rough, and there were at least two days where most of the passengers stayed in their rooms.  Not so on our trip.  (Of course, that wouldn't be their fault, anyway.)  

Food was excellent, but we only had dinner in the specialty restaurants.  Whenever we cruise, we always purchase the beverage and dining packages--we'd prefer to pay up front, rather than having to worry about what will be charged to our stateroom by the end of the week!  

I love the beverage package!  This year, they changed it--instead of having different price points for wine, beer, and liquor, they had a flat $10 level under which every alcoholic beverage was included.  It was easier to remember, and included more things.  The downside: the wine selection and the drink menus weren't as varied as other times we've cruised.  Before, there were different drink menus in each restaurant--this time, it was the same in every restaurant and bar throughout the ship. I preferred the variety, especially where wine was concerned.  I had a hard time finding a wine I really wanted to drink all the time.

The dining package is a great value.  We calculated it all at the end of the trip, and found that we saved about $140 per person by purchasing the dining package--and also ate a lot more steak, lobster, and fancy dessert (I love tiramasu and creme brulee) than we would have had without the package.  Highly recommend it!

If I have an (in my opinion) BIG criticism, it's that there are no where near enough healthy options in the buffet and free restaurants.  I wanted yogurt, granola, and better fresh fruit (the fruit on board was pretty lackluster)--but all they had was yogurt in little cups.  I'd prefer a plain Greek or vanilla--and I'm sure I'm not the only one!  There was oatmeal and eggs, so that was good--but a few more healthy options would be nice.  At lunchtime, the salad bar was pretty boring--needed more protein options, fruits, nuts, seeds, and varied veggie toppings.  It was pretty basic.

I always found things to eat, of course, but I would prefer more healthy options.  I know, I know--most people aren't trying to eat healthy on vacation.  Still, I love my yogurt and salads, and I doubt I'm the only one.  

We had a great time, and we'll definitely cruise Norwegian again.  The ship was great, the amenities were nice, and the onboard entertainment was pretty stellar.  Loved it!

The ship is smaller than others we have been on. Less things to do compared to Royal Carribean  The staterooms were kept exceptionally clean.  Excellent stateroom attendant. The service at the bars and the Grand Pacific restaurant were average to poor.  Extremely slow. We really enjoyed the ports of call though. That is why we chose this cruise.  Overall I would rate it 3 out of 5

My experience on the gem was ok. I feel like they should have more upbeat activities and more variety of food, while on Royal Carribean last year they had plenty of jacuzzis, Great food and plenty of fun for all ages.

We booked a 9-day cruise to relax and to feel no pressure to explore and/or sightsee... in fact we got off the ship exactly once, in Tortola. Overall, we were quite happy with our experience. We had no expectations of an epicurean experience, but overall our dining expectations were more than met. Staff were unfailingly friendly and polite; it was virtually impossible to encounter one without being greeted! We were addressed several times by Capt. Benigssen, I believed that we his name, where he introduced his staff, and displayed a wry sense of humor. The seas were disgustingly calm, I personally enjoy a bit of rolling and pitching, just to remind me that we're at sea, however I am aware that my sentiments are not universally shared! On-board entertainment was especially good, there was a world-class juggler, a couple who had performed with Cirque de Soleil, a Second-City troupe, a stand-up comedian, as well as the regular ship production company. Aside from on-and off rain showers in St. Thomas, weather was quite nice. All in all, the cruise was relaxing and we consider it money well-spent!

It was very enjoyable cruise most of all because we did't have to fly.  All activities during the sea days are excellent.  I will recommend to our friends.

WE FOUND THE STAFF ON THE GEM TO BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.

THE DINING ROOM AND GARDEN CAFE STAFF WERE EVER PRESENT

AND WERE EXCEPTIONALLY FRIENDLY.  THE CONVENIENCE OF DEPARTING

AND RETURNING FROM NYC WAS GREAT.

This cruise was a great time. first of all the entertainment was amazing.. they had a great cruise director name Dan Dan who was so very funny. the ports were really nice. we did four different excursions and one on each. we had a balcony stateroom. the room was very small. but in a central location. getting on the ship and off the ship was a breeze. the nightly shows were almost always different. the food on the ship if you're not a vegetarian like I am is plentiful my husband was able to enjoy everything. if you are a vegetarian again which I am. the option weren't as plentiful. I would like to see more vegetarian based dishes. we ended up eating mostly in the buffet. that seem to have the most options for me. the breakfast in a buffet was amazing great spread. The complimentary restaurant were okay. but I would not recommend them. the only restaurant we did go to that you would pay for was the Italian restaurant. the service was far better and the food was really nice. we also did a spa package for 10 nights it was a hundred eighty nine dollars for a ten day stay. which was okay the spa packages they had were kinda crazy. I think that if they were little bit more affordable more people would have been able to do them. overall the trip was is really nice. I definitely would consider cruising Norwegian again. especially because the entertainment was amazing.

Ship still in good condition.    Being a platinum member the benefits are great.  The food quality has gone downhill though.  No Captain dinner, no lobster, no shrimp cocktail.  Meat dry lacking sufficient gravy.  Desserts good.  Had a significant amount of activities to participate in,.  If one has any physical incapacities would avoid as on alternate weeks in St. Thomas they tender and use lead lifeboat and the same for Tortola.  On this trip there was one broken leg, one ankle and lacerations from the above.  There was also a multitude of guests from Canada aboard and it was difficult getting in dining rooms.  They should rename the cruise freestyle when available as these very large groups  had advance reservations and tied up all the dining rooms.  O'Sheehans pub was very good to eat in though.  So I would recommend with limitations.  

My wife and I had a great trip, saw some really cool things, and met some really nice people.  The flaws included being left standing on the dock in San Juan i the sun with infants and the elderly due to the San Juan Port Authority. Wednesdays in St Thomas are very crowded as multiple ships are docked which led to a shortened excursion to Turtle Cove (not really a cove so much as a divot in Buck Island) and overcrowding which meant snorkeling was frustrating. Also, be aware the pictures of the Virgin Gorda Baths are of the caves not the beach they are of the caves. The beach is rocky with moderate currents and the caves are for the physically fit. I repeat if you have any infirmaties do not enter the caves! If you are not a strong swimmer and plan on doing more than sunbathing do not book the baths. I stress again, this was a great experience I am only offering these points as guidance.  As a first time cruiser I will certatinly say your mileage may very.

 We drove 9 hours to Jersey City to the Sip Avenue Parking garage.  I have been parking there for over 25 years and it is the safest and cheapest garage in town. A normal 4 1/2 hour drive took double that because of a thermostat that blew along the way.  This caused us to stop every half hour and let the car cool down.  What else could we do?  It was snowing and there was no heat, so my Father gets a lot of credit for being a tough guy. The day of the embarkation we arrived at the Jersey City garage at 9 am instead of 4:30 am, we rested until noon.  The Ships terminal did not open until then so there was no reason to get there early and freeze outside.  A taxi there 5 years ago cost $30-40 now it is $60 PLUS the $14 Holland Tunnel toll!  How can people survive there? The embarkation process was smooth except for the rude passengers that got annoyed about my Father being bumped ahead of them.  There were over 65% French Canadians on the ship, not all of them rude, but a group was not happy with us.'  What is so hard to understand that a 96 year old in a wheelchair is giving priority.  We literally had to ask over 15 people all in one, one at a time, who were in line to move over and got some very nasty looks.  Well after we reached the front of the line, everything went smooth, sort of. It was Spring Break from Canada and that is fine with me, but please people respect others.  Later on on the ship and during excursions, when announcements were made in English, no courtesy was made by being silent.  In other words, they kept talking.  Not all French were like that but I would like to hear what the announcements are about. It also seemed whenever we had to maneuver the wheelchair people were oblivious to the fact that there needed to be a pathway for others to walk through.  We have never had that sort of problem before on any cruise.  We did meet some very pleasant Canadians and I learned some history and a few men bought my Father drinks. When we got to the room, I remembered why it was better to drive to New Jersey rather than fly.  We can each take 2 bags on a domestic flight before they charge $100 and up for more.  We took 12 bags with us, 10 of them filled with beads.  We left with exactly 2.'  We gave the room attendant 2 bags of clothes and some fine Sport jackets.  They work hard and are not thanked enough.  They appreciate the clothes as at the ports the clothes cost a lot and they are away from home 6-9 monhts of the year. The muster drill was wisely done inside. After it was over we were able to sail by the Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island.  We saw large frozen chunks of ice on the Hudson river. A nice man from Vermont snapped a photo of me and my Father by the Statue Of Liberty and it is a nice souvenir. Our room was easy to find as I plastered my Fathers cards and broken beads all over our door. We got many comments from this and even scored some new friends on Facebook as well as in person. We like the freestyle dining as we do not have to sit at the same table each night. We meet more people that way and enjoy sharing our table. Nice way for folks to meet and share stories. We enjoyed the Grand Pacific dining room for many nights. The first night the manager told us that when we came, regardless of the line he would help. We went each night up to the front of the line, I pointed to my Father in his wheelchair and they got to us first. We strolled through the Art Gallery and while we missed the auction due to my Father being too ill, the staff there was courteous and professional. They were not pushy in any way to buy art. The first night I ordered room service and like the Norwegian Sun, they need a lot of improvement. The coffee is not as fresh as the buffet. Each night the chicken soup had absolutely no flavor and the carrots were rock hard. The cookies each night were hard. About the only thing good was the fruit plates. Norwegian Gem Day 2 At Sea 2-28-15 The buffet is not a place to mingle in the aisles or walk from side to side without looking out for others.  Another French Canadian lady turned around a little too sudden and without looking tripped over my Fathers wheelchair. She spilled her food everywhere including on him. I do not understand why it is so difficult to stop and look before you walk. Later that same day I was getting coffee and another smart lady stopped dead in her tracks and turned around without looking and slammed right into my coffee. I am sure it did not feel good, if she was careful, this would not have happened. Each day I would go to the dining room and I cannot understand the rush people have for food. The food is there 24 hours a day, why rush and injure others? I met 4 nice people from New Jersey and one couple is moving to West Virginia to become Missionaries! One of the gentleman had some incredible tattoos showing his love of the Lord. One complaint against the Gem, the sauna is not free. I was offered a package of nearly $200 for the use of the sauna, I opted out of that. Too much money for something I sparsely use. In the casino I was amazed that they would not only let me give the dealers beads, but I was able to take their photo. I like this as although I do not gamble it shows that you can appreciate a persons hard work giving them a gift. On deck eight, there was a lot of Celtic art and I loved that. Each night the wait staff got a new set of nice beads. It is easy to see where the beadman has been, just look around at the servers who wear their beads. The staff that took care of the "Wee Ones" was fantastic. We saw kiddie parades throughout the cruise having pirate parades. After dinner and the show, each night after I tucked Pops into bed, I journeyed to the buffet. I gave out as many beads as I could. No one got tired of me giving them beads. One lady said that they kept her up at night because they rattled. She hung them on her wall and they scraped the walls with every twist and turn the ship made. Each night Kalut Resitka (Indonesia) my Stateroom Steward not only made an animals out of towels, but he adorned them with beads. I loved that because he was a character and I admired his creativity. On the last day of the cruise I gave him 7 empty suitcases and two full of clothes. I also gave him 3 fine sport jackets as a tip. When these hard workers come aboard, it is for 6-9 months. The only clothes they have are what they bring or what they buy at ports. The port are notorious for gouging and it is my way of saying thanks. Try that next time, give them some clothes. Norwegian Gem Day 3 At Sea 3-1-15 A Veterans Get together was done at 10:30 and all who attended got a free copy of my Fathers book as well as Patriotic beads. Also unlike the Norwegian Sun, they had coffee and pastries for the Vets as well as a rep who moderated for a short time. I forgot her name but she was incredibly Nice! After the get together we had an invitation to The Spinnaker lounge and met the captain and his staff. Free champagne and drinks as well as snacks were a nice touch. After Captain Lars from Sweden shook my Fathers hand, he asked me to bring him to the Bridge near the end of the cruise. I did that and it was an awesome honor. More on that later. After the Champagne reception, we met a nice couple in the dining room. She lost her entire family except her Father in the holocaust and he was an Iranian Jew who can never return to Iran. An interesting talk we had. At dinner that night upon giving out more beads, I realized something. The entire wait staff were very nice and appreciated my gesture. They were not snotty waiters none of them nor their bosses. The Showtime that night was Scotty Cavanaugh, juggler was amazing we saw him on the Norwegian Sun a month earlier and his show does not disappoint. Norwegian Gem Day 4 At Sea 3-2-15 The weather was warmer so we went poolside and gave out beads to everyone that wanted them. We do not usually go around and annoy people but if people spot us with beads we hold them up and give them some. It is easier for my father to give them to children because of his age. Some folks did not want me giving them to their children, but did not mind my Father doing so. What a society we have now. A stranger bought us a bucket of Heinekens! Another man bought us a Heineken and a soft drink. We do not give beads out for that reason, but it was nice gestures on their behalf. There was a band outside near the pool playing some great Dixieland jazz. I think 5 of the 6 were from Poland and they played great. Later on in the cruise they played Glenn Miller for an hour and that was a fantastic show! My Father could have won the sexy leg contest, but we opted out of that because we did not want to hurt anyones little feelings. LOL Whomever trained the ships staff, the Gem, did a fine job as nearly everyone was friendly. They often cleared the way from the hungry ravenous throngs helping my Father find his way to his dining room seat. They would assist in seating him and get us coffee and at times dessert and ice cream. One complaint about the shows, people would always arrive late. They should shut the doors or at least tell the people there to be quiet. Upon arriving late, they spoke very loud and would walk in front of others up to 15 minutes and later after the show started. Talking is annoying and so is taking photos and videos. Since when did it become fashionable to video with a large ipad? Is that cool that annoying light that interrupts my viewing area watching the show? The first 5 nights no one did anything. That is until Alison Derek from Australia Cruise Staff who helped tell the annoying people snapping videos to stop. Norwegian Gem Day 5 San Juan Puerto Rico 3-3-15 Showtime: The Second City comedy show was funny but my father without his hearing aid did not really enjoy it. Then again, he NEVER wears his hearing aid anyway. Another French kid got injured today by the wheelchair. I ask everyone... why do people have to congregate in front of the elevators when people need to get on and off. A group of 10-20 French Canadian teenagers seemed to congregate in places that should have been cleared for others. They simply did not seem to care. This one teenager was showing off to his friends and kept walking backwards, twisted his foot under the wheelchair and I know he hurt himself. But his friends asked him to stop and be careful but he did not. The weight of a man and the wheelchair are no match for toe less sandals. The young lad cringed in pain after his big toe got ran over. Of course this and the eventual falling off of his now bloody toe could have been prevented by some common sense. After dinner and the usual dining room bead giveaway we enjoyed an hour of Glenn Miller music in the Spinnaker lounge. Norwegian Gem Day 6 St. Thomas British Virgin Islands 3-4-15 Showtime: Variety Act was really nice. Lots of singing and dancing. Coming back from dinner, turning a corner, another French Canadian lady with a glass of white wine did not look ahead and fell into my Father's lap. He was hurt a little but not enough to make an issue of. I could not back up as there were elderly people behind me and I could not avoid her because their people were beside me, and people did yell in English and French for her to stop, but she just did not listen. What annoys me the most was her total lack of manners as she did see the need to apologize to us. Upon entering our room however, my bad day became better as the Restaurant Manager, Loredana Moldovan had dropped off some nice chocolates. I gave beads out to the Italian restaurant to end my evening. Norwegian Gem Day 7 St. Maarten 3-5-15 Showtime: World Beat was a very good show with a lot of dancing and international music. Norwegian Gem Day 8 Tortola 3-6-15 I took a 2 hour and 45 minute tour for $20 outside the ship with Michael. Just call it a 3 hour tour for crying out loud! The best part of this trip was an all too short 45 minute beach break at Cane Garden Bay. The Beach Bar at Cane Garden Bay is run by a lady named Angie. I had 2 "Painkillers" for $10 and it was worth it. It is a very strong drink and Angie is a very nice and personable lady who works hard to make everyone happy. I want to clarify something to all out there especially my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. That is I have a pinched nerve in my back, suffer from sciatica and "Yobamacare" does NOT cover an operation for me. In addition to that, I suffer from 2 feet operations. So sometimes when walking a long time or just in general it is difficult to sleep or relax, so a coule of drinks help me. You wil not find me drunk and I cannot afford narcotics for my back damage. It is something I suffer with. So if you want to judge me and lecture me, feel free. Showtime: Duo Balskatt I have been on a lot of cruises now and by far, this was the most entertaining and beautiful show I have ever seen. This married duo do amazing things. A unique husband and wife duo. Witness breathtaking hand to hand balancing. From England and France, Rebecca and Philippe combine strength lifts with the beauty of classical ballet. In addition to their beautiful adagio act they can also perform an exquisite flying or static silk act. This gifted duo can also perform some dazzling acts on their own such as a sensational lyra act for Rebecca or a head spinning cyr wheel act for Philippe. Norwegian Gem Day 9 At Sea 3-7-15 We had a private tour in the Captain's Bridge at 10 am. At the Champagne reception on the Third Day, Captain Lars Bengtsson from Sweden invited my Father and me to his bridge. We were joined by one other VIP and given a nice tour of how the ship operates. My Father had the controls of the ship for a few minutes and that was enough. Any longer, he might have hit an iceberg, even in the Caribbean Sea, he would have found one. TRUST ME! At the pool deck that day, we gave out hundreds of beads. There was no place to sit at so we enjoyed the warm Caribbean Sun near a jacuzzi owned by kids. There must have been a dozen kids in one jacuzzi. Each one of them took home several strands of beads. As I sat behind my Father eating a cheeseburger, the Restaurant Manager, Loredana Moldovan came over and asked me if I anted to sit somewhere. There were no seats but she was getting ready to help us get one and I said it was ok, we were fine. My Father wears long sleeve shirts even in the summer due to his frostbite. I assured her that he was warm and fine and I was ok squatting behind his chair. She must have felt bad because she comped us a dinner that night at Moderno Churrascaria Restaurant Christopher Davis (St. Vincent & The Grenardines) Assistant Waiter was fantastic as were all the staff that served us every 5 minutes it seemed. Showtime: Get Down Tonight was a 70's themed show and a great tie was had by all. Thanks to Loredana Moldovan Restaurant Manager for the comp meal at Moderno Churrascaria They came over and fed us from skewers every 5 minutes. They even comped me with a bottle of wine. I normally do not opt for the "Specialty" dining packages, but I can see it is worth it. Norwegian Gem Day 10 Final Day At Sea 3-8-15 At 10:30 am, there was a second Veterans get Together. A gentleman from Canada who is active in the Infantry gave my Father a pin from his unit. His unit being "22 Regiment Canadian Francais". A very nice gift indeed. He is a sniper and his family were very kind to him. He apologized at the Veteran's Get together for not doing what my Father and others had done. He did not have to do that as he serves with pride and honor. At the get together, all Vets got an autographed copy of my Fathers book and special Patriotic beads. That afternoon not wanting to fight the madness of the buffet, we at at O'Sheehan's. I like this place as it is quieter than the buffet room and the food good. The place is loaded with neat Irish and Sports memorabilia. We were joined by another couple and ended up staying there nearly 2 hours. Again, people are so nice to my father. I enjoyed watching several soccer matches there. After that not wanting to go back to the room and watch the "Bridge Cam", MSNBC, The Fox Channel or 2 sports channels, we stayed at the buffet area. We gave out the last of the Red White and Blue beads to everyone's delight. A couple of ladies from Montreal gave my Father a Canada pin for his collection. When I snapped their photo, my Father got a kiss from one of them! Later that afternoon we went to the Spinnaker lounge and did not win the Grand Prize cruise for 2. Oh well. Instead I got to see Barcelona FC and Lionel Messi destroy Rayo 6-1. Too bad he did not win the cup for Argentina last year. My Father met a couple from Massachusetts and he spoke to them for over an hour. Again an honor for strangers to honor him. Showtime: Farewell Variety Show Thanks to Mohmad Hasan Food & Beverage Director for the Comp dinner at Le Bistro. I have been to a lot of restaurants before, but this one was very elegant. They sat us at a table in the middle but my Father asked them for the ocean view table and Eden Tolentinno our server obliged! The Filipino staff on the ship were awesome! It was a very beautiful setting seeing the sea waves turn to foam. My Father mentioned he saw little birds skipping on the water. I told him I saw Jimmy Hoffa! He had lobster and chocolate ice cream. I had the 32 ounce steak for two which I ate all of it. The peppercorn sauce was superb, the best I have ever had. Eden even carved it up for me. Shame on me! I did not feel bad as I skipped the dessert. And they comped us with a bottle of fine white wine. I normally eat at one of the restaurants but never one of the "specialty" restaurants, but I have changed my mind now. The restaurants that cost money are really worth every penny. Not being a hypocrite but in the future I will go to these more often. Billy Pando played all week long on his piano and it was really cool he being from El Paso Texas. De-embarkation We got a Red tag for our 2 bags and was told we could leave at 10, it was later than that however and a lot of people were not happy. It went smoothly as far as I was concerned. Once again the French Canadians irked us with their lack of manners. In the lobby a lady had 5 different bags on the plush seats making it impossible for anyone to sit down. Chairs are for people not bags, especially when crowded. RECOGNITION A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to all the people who came up and recognized my 96 year old Father. He is a WWII Korea & Vietnam Veteran and it is very heartwarming for total strangers to tell my Father "Thank You" as well as speak to him with kindness. The Norwegian Gem staff were by far the kindest to us. Thanks to whomever trained this fine staff, not one person was rude and all were very friendly. Ayu Anggi Dewi (Indonesia) the BEST Server in The Pacific Garden Dining Room Bayesh Baikar (India), Coletta Seraphin and Sharlene Lopez (Nicaragua). Loredana Moldovan Restaurant Manager for the chocolate covered strawberries and other assorted chocolates nd the comp dinner at Vicenta Lumonted & Dwen Alfamivano (Nicaragua). My favorite twins Sherlyn Emmanuel and Sheryl Emmanuel (St. Lucia). Alison Derek (Australia) Cruise Staff who helped tell the annoying people snapping videos. Bodan Kjurchinski (Macedonia) at the Magenta Dining room Server Jerry Fernandes (India) works at Garden Cafe. Kalut Resitka (Indonesia) our Stateroom Steward Mohmad Hasan Food & Beverage Director Jeff Harms comedian David Butler Beverage Manager Sallan Castello (St. Lucia) is a very nice waitress who always brought us our "Diet water". Jalyme Castro, Jacinth Tan, Ritchie Rondario, Michael Lna all from the Philippines. WAKI WAKI!!! Over 50% of the staff is from there or Indonesia. they were ALL friendly! All the "washy washy" girls from the Philippines. They are there to make sure your hands are sanitized. Nehemiah Hooks is an amazing dancer. Eden Tolentinno our server at El Bistro Riyaz Barmare Assistant Manager El Bistro The art department staff of Ashley Waterhouse (UK), Rick Rubin (USA and NOT "THAT" Rick Rubin), Andre (Romania) and Ian Blunt (South Africa & UK) Christopher Davis (St. Vincent & The Grenardines) Assistant Waiter at Moderno Restaurant