My wife and 12-year-old daughter sailed 10 nights on the Norwegian Gem from Jan. 22-Feb. 1. We booked this cruise last February when NCL came out with its promotions, offering either the Ultimate Dining Package, Ultimate Beverage Package, OBC or gratuities paid if you reserved an Oceanview or higher cabin.
We had sailed NCL once before in 2008 on the Pearl and had a great experience, so we decided to choose the Gem out of New York City. We live in New Jersey and thought it would be nice to do a cruise where we could drive to the port instead of flying.
The Gem, by the way, is just like the Pearl in terms of its deck plans, although some upgrades have been made, including the addition of Moderno, the Brazilian steakhouse.
For starters, this was my 12th cruise and my wife’s 11th. It was the fifth cruise for our daughter. We are not loyal to any particular line, having cruised on Royal Caribbean, NCL, Princess and Carnival. All lines have their pros and cons. We look for a great itinerary and value first before choosing the line.
We were also very fortunate, given the time of our cruise, that we didn’t have to fly this year, as Winter Storm Jonas socked the Northeast the day after we left. Had we booked a cruise out of Florida or elsewhere, we might have missed it due to all the airports being shut down that weekend.
But the storm also made for some interesting sailing the first two days aboard the GEM, as a lot of passengers and some crew members got sick from all the bouncing around. Give the captain credit, he chose a slightly different sailing pattern at the outset to avoid really bad seas, but once he had to turn eastward and into the wind, the ship rocked pretty hard. Our tables and chairs in La Cucina were literally moving back and forth during our dinner the second night onboard.
There were also hundreds of kids on board. Apparently, a certain group of kids had the week off from their private schools and those families, many of them large, chose to cruise. I don’t have any issues with kids, but some of these children were downright disrespectful. And they refused to obey posted rules such as being unsupervised in the hot tubs, running up and down stairs and hallways, touching food in the buffet. I saw one kid dunking his head in the hot tub.
And the parents obviously didn’t care about supervising them.
NCL probably should have had extra security personnel in the pool area for this particular week. We did see some security people on the stairwells toward the end of the cruise.
And while the crew and staff were wonderful, I can’t say the same for some of the passengers. One night while we were waiting for the Magenta Dining Room to open, I saw a woman go up and bang on the door because it was 5:10 and she wanted to eat. The dining room was scheduled to open at 5 p.m.
Another woman in the same dining room was absolutely berating the crew member about the fish offering for the evening. While flounder was on the menu, this woman was demanding to have salmon. “I know you have it! I know you have it!” she uttered.
We also heard a family was removed from the ship in St. Maarten for repeatedly using profanity with crew members. Another person said two kids got in a fight in the Bliss Lounge.
Apparently, some people aboard cruise ships feel entitled because they paid their money for a cruise. Well, so have the remaining 2500 passengers. It doesn’t give people the right to act belligerent toward the staff or break posted rules. My motto is: Treat the Crew like you would want to be treated.
You feel sympathetic for the hard-working crew. They don’t deserve to be treated like that. If there is an issue, do it politely. When I had an issue with my stateroom safe, I called up and complained about the problem and it was resolved.
One item that many will be interested in is the slide now being operational. The crew repaired the issue midway through the cruise, much to the delight of a lot of kids onboard. It’s a bit slow for my taste, but for kids, it’s great and one way to keep them entertained.
We also had an excellent Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, get-together dinner and slot pull. Most of us had been chatting via Cruise Critic for the past 8-9 months and it was great to finally match faces with names, especially Don, Rob and Joe. Jennifer did an excellent job organizing the M&G (more than 50 people showed up!!) through NCL, although the senior officers did not stick around to answer questions. They instead provided cards with their email addresses. I thought that was a bit of a cop-out, as staff on previous cruises stuck around to answer our questions.
We also did a gift exchange (gifts were between $10-$15).
The slot pull was some of the best fun I’ve had on a cruise, even though we didn’t win any big jackpots. We were all cheering and hollering on every pull and it was a great way to meet people.
Now onto the review. I’ll break it down in different parts and if there are any questions, I will be happy to take them via email or through this thread:
EMBARKATION
Given that we had to drive to Manhattan from western New Jersey, I checked several options. Using a car service would have cost nearly $600 and parking at the port was going to run us $400. Then I found Valet Anywhere, which was a godsend. At the time, they were running a holiday special for $149 (paid on site) or $139 (paid in advance). The regular price is $300. One of their valets meets you at the port and takes your vehicle to a nearby garage. The company sends you a text ahead of time to let you know the name of the driver and a code word to ensure he/she is the right individual. Our valet even called us as we neared the port. When we returned 10 days later, we received another text and a location to meet the valet with our car.
I HIGHLY recommend this service. We could not have been happier with the service or the convenience. I know other people parked at nearby garage, but then you have to have someone take you to the port or grab a taxi. With two large suitcases and two carry-ons, plus backpacks, going this route was much simpler and easier for our family.
The line inside the terminal was long (we arrived at 1 p.m.) because there were only four security machines. Once we got through that mess, registering with the NCL folks was quick and painless. We had our cards and were on the ship in about 15-20 minutes. The whole process took about 45 minutes, but that was mainly due to the security line. And our luggage arrived well before dinner, giving us time to unpack and unwind.
STATEROOM
We booked a balcony on Deck 9 (9048) on the Starboard side. The room was about what I expected. Having cruised many times before, I know rooms on ships are small, unless you have a suite. There was ample room for us to store our belongings and we always make sure to bring extra hangars. Our steward also took out the contents from the mini-bar, so we could store our water, Gatorade, sodas and my wife’s medical supplies. We always bring water, soda and Gatorade. Keep in mind, the Ultimate Beverage Package does NOT INCLUDE bottled water. More on that later. The balcony itself was small, but there was ample room for us to put a few belongings outside such as our snorkel gear, water shoes, etc.
One improvement NCL could make is with its TV selections. You get four news channels (FOX, MSNBC, CNBC and BBC) and one sports channel (I24). On other cruises, we’ve gotten ESPN International in our stateroom. But this is just a minor gripe and not a deal-breaker.
DINING
Contrary to what I had previously read about the quality of the food, we found it to be outstanding, both in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. We purchased the 5-night Specialty Dining Package, which proved to be a bargain at about $21.85 a dinner (including 18% gratuity). All of the specialty restaurants, except Moderno and Teppanyaki, are now a la carte. Had we not purchased the package, our first trip to Cagneys would have run us $125. Instead it was around $65.
If you plan to eat in specialty restaurants and don’t have a plan included, definitely buy a SDP. There is a minimum of three nights, but it is worth it. Cagneys and Teppanyaki were our two favorites. You can also get a whole lobster (1¼-1½ pounds) and the chefs cut it up to give you the claws and tail. Teppanyaki and Moderno are not a la carte as it is a fixed price. You have several choices at both restaurants.
We also booked our reservations 90 days out when they became available to non-suite guests.
We also enjoyed the two main dining rooms. We never waited to get a table as we tried to avoid the crowds by going to dinner between 5 p.m. and 5:45, and there were plenty of selections for all types of eaters. I am very finicky and I found something every night. NCL also has about five dishes that it serves every night if you don’t like the nightly selections on the right-hand side of the menu.
All of the restaurants have a casual dress code, but you have to wear slacks and a collared shirt (men) in Le Bistro and the Grand Pacific dining rooms. But it also was nice not to have to pack my tux, dress shirts, ties and sport jackets for a cruise, although I don’t mind dressing up for dinner.
The main dining rooms do not have a lobster night, but you can pay extra for a whole lobster or surf and turf. We did have prime rib the last night of the cruise.
The buffet was an absolute madhouse the first day of the cruise given the poor weather. We tried to avoid it during heavy breakfast times and chose to eat in the Grand Pacific Dining Room. One day, the buffet ran out of Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops. Lots of kids!
The dining room was quieter and less chaotic, but it took a little longer to enjoy breakfast. If you want to devote 45 minutes for breakfast without the madness of the buffet, go to the Grand Pacific.
BTW: We never ate in the buffet for dinner.
We also enjoyed O’Sheehans for lunch. My wife loved the chicken pot pie. And the service was excellent in all venues.
I wish the sushi bar opened for lunch. We never made it there, but would have sat there for lunch.
BARS and PUBLIC AREAS
Having the Ultimate Beverage Package was a godsend. Who knows what our bill would have been if we didn’t have it. NCL also no longer prints out receipts so you just hand the bar staff your card and they swipe it. At dinner, they only needed one card for our family. Our daughter had the soda package. Sometimes the bar staff got a little overwhelmed, especially when these areas were crowded. But the wait was never too long for a drink.
My only beef was that a few drinks were not included in the UBP. I love single-malt Highland scotch and the only two Highlands NCL had were under the ultimate premier category and thus over the $15 maximum for the UBP. NCL needs to have a better variety of single-malt scotches. This is one area where Princess definitely trumps NCL.
Arturo, who served the cigar bar all week, was terrific. And I loved meeting people there as well. The room seats 20, and is one of two places on the ship where you can enjoy a stogie; the other is the Bali Hai Bar on Deck 13 above the pool. That’s a nice place on warm days, but when it was cold and windy, it wasn’t ideal.
One suggested improvement: Put TVs in the cigar bar. On the Grand Princess last year, the cigar bar was an actual bar, complete with TVs, tables and chairs and a bar staff in the room.
But these are not deal-breakers.
After all, my wife has never had as many margaritas over a 10-day period as she did on this cruise.
ENTERTAINMENT
Some of the best I’ve seen aboard a ship. The Tenors of Rock and Duo Balskett (cirque de soleil) were just outstanding. The Magika and Second City performances were also very good.
Leo, the nightly guitar player/singer in Magnums was outstanding. One night, he did a tribute to Elton John. Another night, he performed James Taylor songs. NCL scored major points here. There is a reason this area was always mobbed with people at night. People congregate around good entertainment.
We also never had trouble finding a seat in the Stardust Theater, although a few people ignored the rules about kids not sitting in the first two rows. Hint: it was the same group of kids causing problems in other areas of the ship. And there are always the few individuals who have to walk in after the show begins.
ACTIVITIES
A little disappointed here. I love trivia, but it always seemed like the times didn’t match our schedule. And the one day Sports Trivia was on the Freestyle Daily, it was at 1 p.m. the day we were in San Juan. Why not have trivia in the late afternoon around 4 or 5? Or have a session at night?
The staff member running the Family Feud show was terrible. She constantly was screwing up with her computer and just wasn’t very entertaining. Would have liked to have seen more than on Live Jeopardy Show. Deal or No Deal is a waste of money, unless you get picked. Both participants in the session we attended lost out on more money than they walked away with. But at $19.95 a card, it’s not worth it.
We did not attend any of the Bingo sessions.
I also wish they had not removed the bowling alleys from the Bliss Lounge. We enjoyed bowling on the Pearl. But they replaced the alleys with slot machines. Guess NCL makes more money on those. And maybe it was a good thing the alleys were removed in November when the Gem went to drydock. Just think of the damage those kids might have done.
CASINO
The Gem has a nice casino, but you are officially warned: it is smoky inside. I wish they had 25-cent Wheel of Fortune machines (only $1 ones). My wife enjoyed the casino more than me. I preferred to spend more of my free time enjoying cigars in the Corona Lounge, where I met a lot of nice people.
PORTS/EXCURSIONS
The Gem docks in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Tortola (British Virgin Islands). It’s too bad it can’t do the itinerary in reverse. We only stayed in Tortola from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. I wish we had a full day there and a half-day or no days in San Juan.
While Puerto Rico has a lot of nice places, many of them you can’t experience in the short time you’re in port. Plus, we had been there before and had seen the Old City.
In San Juan, we chose to do a Resort for the Day at the Marriott. Being a platinum member, I got points for this trip. It cost us about $150 for the three of us. You get full use of the pool, towels and a $20 voucher to use for lunch/drinks. The hotel also has a nice beach, although the surf was rough the day we were there, and a casino. It is a short taxi ride from the port ($15 each way).
In St. Thomas, we chose NCL’s Catamaran Shipwreck Snorkel tour, mainly because this was a tender port. There were 6 other ships in port that day and for some reason, NCL got the short straw. Our tour was also changed from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. While the catamaran and crew were very nice, the tour itself didn’t deliver what the brochure said. I thought we would also see a shipwreck as well as turtles, coral reefs and other sea life. We never saw the Shipwreck.
The boat was also 20 minutes late getting to the dock and then we had to sail to the other side of the pier to pick up Carnival Sunshine passengers. That added another 45 minutes to the tour. By the time we got out to Buck Island for the snorkeling, we only had about 30 minutes to enjoy scenery. We got back to the port at 4:30 and got one of the last tenders to the ship. Because it was an NCL tour, the ship could not leave without us. My suggestion, go book this excursion privately.
In St. Maarten, we booked a two-beach excursion through Viator (local tour company was Amigo Tours). This was a terrific excursion. We first went to Orient Beach on the French side of the island for two hours. We purchased beach chairs and an umbrella for $10 (two people) and that included two drink tickets.
Then we were off to Maho Beach, the spot where the airplanes land right over your head. I saw an Airbus-340 Air France jet land, which was impressive. The beach was packed because there were 6 ships in port and it’s one of the most popular spots on the island. Plus, the plans mainly land in the afternoon. Eddie, our driver, was terrific, and explained a lot about the history and culture of St. Maarten. I highly recommend this tour.
Given our short time in Tortola, we booked another NCL tour (Virgin Gorda and The Baths). This was one of the best excursions I’ve ever done. It is about a 45-minute ferry ride to the Virgin Gorda. The Baths are spectacular. The rock formations and caves will blow your mind away, and the water was crystal clear.
One point, this excursion is not for everyone. There is a lot of walking and traversing over difficult terrain, especially at The Baths. One guy broke his foot jumping off a ladder, thinking there was soft sand below. NCL rates it as a Level 3 excursion, but I would say it is a Level 4 excursion.
Friends we met aboard went to Jost Van Dyk for the day and said it was equally a great experience. Others went to a beach and had a great time.
Almost everyone I talked to said the stay in Tortola was much too short. I would agree. Hopefully the next time we go to Tortola, we stay a full day.
SPA
I purchased the Thermal Spa Package for $199. While the area is nice and quiet, I certainly wouldn’t buy this again, at least for the full cruise. The pools were shut down the first two days due to rough seas and I didn’t use the spa on port days. It would be nice if NCL offered this perk on a daily basis ahead of time. Maybe I would enjoy the Spa on a bigger ship as well. I know the Breakaway and Escape both have more amenities in their Thermal Spa.
My wife did enjoy a bamboo message as I bought her a $100 Mandara Spa gift certificate for her birthday.
DEBARKATION
Although we had Light Blue tags and supposed to depart the ship at 9:10 a.m., we didn’t get off until around 9:40. Once off, it was a breeze going through customs. We were in our car and on our way back to New Jersey by 10:10.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although there were issues with many of the kids onboard, this was a tremendous vacation. Our family thoroughly enjoyed the Gem. I am not sure I’d do another cruise out of NYC due to the number of sea days. I prefer ports over sea days, and I also like getting on the ship when the temperatures are warm. We couldn’t enjoy many of the amenities until our third sea day. But given the right price and itinerary, I would certainly sail the Gem and/or NCL again.
Feel free to email me with questions at dshefter@usga.org.