Norwegian Gem Cruise Reviews - Reviews

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

The cruise was a good overall experience.  I have been on NCL  Jewel a couple of years ago and was surprised how the food experience has changed.  I was on the NCL Gem which is supporse to be the sister ship, however it was quite different.  The buffet was just ok and the dining room was not much better.  I guess that now NCL has so many specialty resturants, they don't need to put anything special on the dining room food.  Don't get me wrong; the food was decent but taking a cruise to me was all about the food and it was very ordinary.  Nice presentation on the food but come on, it was chicken and steak most nights.  The desserts were blah.   I had a balcony which was on the front of the ship.  The room was nice but alot of movement.  So much so that we spent very little time in there.  Going to sleep was the only thing to do with so much movement.  Take my advice and make sure you get a stateroom in the middle of the ship.  Entertainment was very good, however I think they need more activities in the atrium.  Come on, it was a movie of the islands over and over with no noice.  After ten days, it was just monotnous.  What happened to music there or games or something.   I'm not sure I really want to cruise on NCL again.

Overall a good cruise but far from a great one.

Pros: kids program was spectacular! I've been on 5 prior cruises and did not see anything close. Age groups go from 0-3, 3-6, 6-9 and other ages up to 17. My kids were 5 and 7, and had a blast, begging to come back. The activities were active and very age appropriate, with a (spoiler) surprise show presented by the kids in the main theater on the last day. Times ran 9am-12, 2pm-5, and 7-10pm with additional hour after that at $6 per child. Staff was extremely pleasant and friendly.

Cruise director (Dan Dan), was really engaging without being over the top.

Cons:

Cabin size was the smallest of my past 5 cruises. I took the inside cabin option. 1 bunk bed and 2 twin beds is what you are given for 4 people. Turns out if you want to fit the 4th person , you get a pullout bed between the 2 twin beds. Not something I expected from a quality cruise line. What most ships do is two bunk beds. This was a huge letdown for me.

No inside pool. Weak fitness area - not enough machines, size really small and I was pissed that I couldn't use the facilities on the last day.

Food was good but not enough variety for the buffet (in comparison to other cruises), practically same exact breakfast food everyday, and little variety throughout the days. Restaurants that were included were great but required a big time commitment, 1-1.5 hours. I chose to stick with the buffet to save time.

Evening theater show was excellent with good variety for different tastes (Broadway, comedy, aerobics, theater, magic shows). But the programs throughout the day were nothing to write home about. More professional acts would have been great in place of the non ending money hungry bingo and deal or no deal.

Prices for additional services, ie drinks, spa stuff, bingo, photos, were way over priced and we personally chose to skip those.

Excursion options were plentiful and we were very pleased with the service for the ones we chose.

We loved our trip!  The entire staff and crew were super friendly, they never stopped smiling.  The entertainment was wonderful.  We always had music to listen to or a show to enjoy.  My only complaint was the pool should have been warmer, too cold for me.   We would recommend it to everyone, and the food was great!

The cruise was good.  We enjoyed the food and met some new friends.  The room not so good we were on the 5th deck and there was this loud annyoing banging over us and it appears that it only happened at night between midnight and 5am.  All the people in our area complained about it and they appoligized because work was being done.  The crew was nive except the bar tenders they were not rude but they were not very personable.  One bar tender was great her name was Ramona in the Jave Cafe.  The excursions could have been a little longer but is was still very nice.

We loved our cruise!!!! Our room was beautiful.  The view of the ocean from our balcony was majestic.  The food was delicious and the service fantastic!!  The one and only "fly in the ointment" was the fact that our room 11580 was directly under "Splash Academy".  The noise and vibration level was horrible.  We did tell the guest relations and they were wonderful.  They tried to resolve the situation in several ways.  They talked to the operators of "Splash Academy" and the volume of extreme noise subsided a bit.  They offered us another room which was not as beautiful as the room we had (we loved our room).  They then offered us a complementary dinner at Cagney's Steakhouse which was wonderful.  The fact that they took our problem seriously and tried to the best of their ability certainly made us feel that we were important guests to them.  Overall, this was a wonderful cruise.  Our captain, Lars, was also fantastic!!  In closing, the cruise was a wonderful and beautiful experience.  We would certainly recommend this vacation to anyone!!!

Great! This is our first cruise.we book a interior room, it is a little small,but it is very comfortable. all the staff are very nice. it is a great experience.

My brother and niece, who live in South America planned this trip, and invited me and my husband to join them. We had cruised once before (on Carnival) and were not sure we wanted to go on any more cruises, but thought it would be a good opportunity to have a family reunion. We are also celebrating our 65th birthdays this year and wanted to do something special, so we tried NCL--it was much better than we expected. Even though our cabin was small, we had no problems (put our empty suicases under the bed). Bed was comfortable, everthing was clean. The food was better than we expected, but I was surprised that there was no mango or avocado. We really enjoyed the evening entertainment, but didn't participate in the daily activites since we just wanted to hang out together. Did use the walking track and got lots of exercise, so didn't gain any weight! I tend to suffer from motion sickness, and dealt with the rough 1st and last days by taking Dramamine. The only other issue was that the stop at Tortola was not accessible for my brother who is in a wheelchair, but there is major construction going on at the dock and it looks like maybe it will be accessible by the end of 2015. We're thinking about taking the NCL cruise to Alaska sometime....would upgrade to a window or balcony room, since our interior cabin was very dark--great for sleeping!

You won't be disappointed with the staff. They all seem very happy and willing to help despite the long hours they all work. The ship is very clean. The food is all delicious. We had the dining package. All the food was very good. Le Bistro was our least favorite and it is touted as the best. To each his own. The food in La Cucina  is just OK.  Pizza on board needs some work, we are NY/NJ pizza lovers. No other pizza comes close. Pizza on board is not pizza.  We stayed in a mini suite on the 11th floor. It should be a discounted room, as it was very noisey due to waste plumbing. If you are staying in room 11020 take ear plugs. Tortola is not really ready for cruise ships. No real shopping for the shoppers and not enough time to go to the beach and enjoy it. Maybe in 5-10 years. Enjoy the Gem.

We throughly enjoyed our trip on the NCL.GEM.

This was not our first cruise on the GEM but it was our most relaxing,enjoyable trip ever

We didn't have to be anywhere at any time.  There was no schedule to follow, we were truly

on vacation.

.

We had a great time.....great food, great entertainment, great ship.....great ports....great excursions.

I loved it!   Love the "freestyle" aspect of Norwegian.

Overall, the cruise was nice but a few issues. The "kids" pool was too full. The depth ranged from 4'11"-5'9". Most kids on the cruise were shorter than that. There was also not enough activities for ages 18-20. Some of the wait staff had poor attitudes and did not know basic serving etiquette. I actually saw a waiter reach across a table to pour a glass of wine. This same waiter had their guests remove their own drinks from the tray instead of placing the glasses on the table.

Our first cruise, and we had so much fun!  The staff was attentive, helpful and always upbeat.  The entertainment was fun, and there was always something to do.

We have cruised on the Norwegian Breakaway a few weeks ago and were quite disappointed with the feeling of overcrowding, the policy in terms of evening shows, the cabin sizes, among other things. Nothing of that sort on the Gem. Cabins and balconies are quite spacious, we could attend a show on two different times, the service quite personalized, the entertainment very enjoyable. But above, the quality of the service was exceptional on this ship. Always trying to anticipate one's needs, with a smile, all personnel on board was truly great. A speical mention to Dan Dan, the cruise director, with such a sens of humor, talent, professionalism. We will come back to that ship.

Although I have always been a Norwegian fan, cruising every year for over 7 years, this cruise was very disappointing.

I noticed several "cut backs" that affected the quality of Norwegian.  Also there I no acknowledgement for dedicated cruisers.  The latitudes program is a joke 

I noticed a lack in cleanliness in the cabins, discontinuing of the lobster/captains' dinner as well as the quality  and variety of food offered.

We are planning our 2016 cruise now and we are comparing NCL along with the other competition.  In the past I would NEVER consider another cruiseline...after this cruise. I am ready to try other cruise lines

Do know, there is always a gamble on the Atlantic Ocean being a bit rough compared to sailing from Florida.  But we always figure the "fly to FL and stay in hotel for a day" plus the airport crap back and forth is worse than relaxing with food and drinks on the ship from NY, regardless of the ocean issues.  This was a high seas trip, and yet we still did not need Bonine (though I am sure new cruisers would want some). That said, the itinerary is fine (though not much time in Tortola) with great beaches and shopping in St. Thomas and St Maarten.  Puerto Rico has a lot of history and options.  The ship isgreat shape for its age.  The crew is very friendly and helpful.  I like the crew better than Breakaway.  Breakaway has a few more entertainment options, though the main theater options on the Gem are better.  So, explore both ships options when deciding!  Easy boarding for both out of NYC once you get to the port.  Do know you can review the menus each morning in the main dining venues before deciding if you wish to pay for specialty dining.  Also know, if you wait too long to get a reservation to popular specialties (Cagney's Steak House, for instance) your choice of when to eat diminishes.  Specialty restaurants are worth the price if you want every bit of service and food available.  Main restaurants generally have pretty good choices so skip the specialties unless you want the royal treatment!  Final note about casinos, they allow smoking.  The Breakaway is big enough to have a "no smoking" section, whereas the Gem does not.  The Gem has added or improved ventilation (or less smokers than last trip on her) so it was not overwhelming but you will smell smoke, though not as bad as in years past.  It is tolerable to this ex-smoker, and only noting in case it is important to you.  Also know the "no smoking section" of the Breakaway is not smoke free, just no smokers present but since it is adjacent to the smoking casino area, it is not entirely smoke free.  I'd say it is barely better than the Gem that is less populated and well ventilated.  I hope that helps those wondering.  :-)