Norwegian Gem Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This was my first cruise. I am glad I picked this boat. It was a very good experence.

Beautiful ship, staff was wonderful, helpful and friendly - this trip is a wonderful way to de-stress around the holidays.

I've been on 3 other cruises. This was my first with NCL. Their "freestyle cruising" certainly has appeal in the advertisements, but it doesn't work out so well in practice. So you'd like to eat dinner whenever you choose, and sit wherever you want? Ok, but the restaurant is full when you want to do that because everybody else wants the same thing. If you have an assigned time and table, at least you know you won't have to wait. Oh, you can make a reservation ahead of time, but exactly how is that freestyle? The poor experience started at the terminal, where people were milling about with no NCL staff to guide them or even answer questions such as "how much longer will this take?" There wasn't even any indication of where and how to check luggage, so I toted my own onboard. That was certainly "freestyle" and there was no offer to pick up the luggage on departure either. Yes, I was "free" to leave at will and not wait for the bags, but I was also "free" to carry them on a long tour of the ship because they had blocked off certain stairwells to make the exit line longer.

The ship is beautiful. Very stable even with the rough seas of December. The staff were always friendly and available to help if needed. Cabin was comfortable enough for the two of us. The balcony is definately a must. The food and service was great. Embarkation and debarkation went very smoothly.

THE SHIP WAS BEAUTIFUL THE WAVES AND WIND WERE NOT.

This being my first cruise I wasn't sure what to expect. I do know now that I would never even attempt a cruise during a Nor Eastor. That was insane, very rocky. It actually ruined the second day of the cruise. We made the best of the situation, but it seemed to be a bit much by Sunday night. We did enjoy the entertainment on the ship, that also helped to get our minds off the constant rocking. I definitely couldn't wait to get off the ship.

The service was great. All our needs were met immediatly upon request. The mini-suite was beautiful and had enough room for two people without being in each other's way. Food was delicious and plentiful. There was always something to do on the ship, or you could just relax. I would recommend it to anyone looking for relaxation, great food, and excellent service.

The NCL Gem was truly just that....a Gem! The crew really went out of their way to ensure quality service! I enjoyed having a person to turn to when we needed a special reservation or to celebrate an event. The crew really went out of their way to make sure we were kept happy. The food was fantastic. I was very surprised as I have been on upper scale cruiselines and my level of expectation on NCL wasn't that high. I was very impressed with the quality and variety of the various menus. I also need to menion the faciltiies at the Spa. The jacuzzis were amazing...and so was the freshly squeezed OJ!

The ship was beautiful. Staff was abundant and always pleasant. The Freestyle dining was a big hit with our group.

disappointing after previous NCL ships (Norway and Norwegian Sun). no Captain's party, plastic flowers, no ice sculptures, disorganized in the dining rooms, cabin very small, layout not nearly as good as previous ships and colour scheme garish. entertainment is excellent. staff friendly. La Cucina restaurant was excellent and no additional charge. coffee machines in Garden Cafe serve espresso, cappuchino at no charge, a nice touch. food very good overall particularly in the specialty restaurants. Barcelona cruise terminal best ever, quick, efficient, clean and smart. embarkation and debarkation a "breeze".

This was the most awesome cruise I ever was on. To be able to see so much and do so much in 7 days was incredible.The ship was brand new (only 19 days old) and I was impressed with the crew who did everything to please you. Any concerns were addressed immediately and quickly rectified.The Freestyle dining is the best but reservations are needed.There was such a great variety of activities onboard that one would never be bored.

My overall impressions of the Norwegian Gem were absolutely amazing and stunning. I couldn't believe how big the ship was. I have never been on a cruise before, this was such an amazing adventure. We did have some bad weather, waves or something the first night there, it was really rocky or wavy, it was the only day traveling East, (from Barcelona to Italy), other than that it was a very smooth cruise. Overall, it was a vacation to beat by far, it was the most amazing vacation i have ever taken, I have never been on a cruise before nor have ever been to Europe before. very very nice.

This was the most luxurious cruise ship we've been on with lovely entertainment every night. The ports were exciting but if we choose to stay in there was something to look forward to on the ship with organized entertainment for all. The casual dining is the only way to travel. We enjoyed it so much more than having a set schedule all day.

Well layed out.. easy to find specific locations.. elevators were very timely, the hot tubs could have been hotter. They were at 98 degrees F.. that is prettey cool.. should be at leat at 102 F.

What an amazing ship with an unforgettable itinerary. We loved every minute of it!!

Overall was good , when I Booking You said FREE WiFi , But actually only 150min ,My wife was disappointed. We think at least need 45min/day .

Amazing time! Loved seeing the Greek isles. Full of culture and beautiful views.

There was so much to see and do. We loved all our excursions and saw things we have never seen before. Loved getting to see a different part of God’s creation.

Despite the embarkation/disembarkation process and location, overall this trip was absolutely wonderful. From the crew to the ship to the ports, I would not hesitate to do this itinerary over again more than once. I do wish some of the times in port were a bit longer, but for my first time doing Greek Isles itinerary I was more than pleased and enjoyed every minute of the cruise. As a solo traveler, NCL handles 'freestyle' wonderfully and I never feel isolated or alone unless I want to be. I met so many wonderful people on this cruise, and despite being in my early 30s I felt the general age range to be evenly spread out and did not skew to the older crowd as many tend to think when they think of cruising. There were fewer kids on this cruise, which suited me well; this could have been due to either the itinerary or the time of year, I'm not sure. The vibe on the ship was fun and lively and it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves watching the live music each night. This was my 10th NCL cruise (8th solo!) and only reinforced my loyalty and desire to return.

Terrible experience getting to the ship and home. Staff very friendly on board, food really mediocre (Worst of the 12 cruises I have been on, except for the last day, the food was good on the last day). The three ports we got to see were pretty great. Too much stress to make it a great experience though.