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    Norwegian Gem

    3.2 (126 reviews)

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    Booked a Venice to Athens 10 day cruise. Last two weeks of July 2023. Been on about 10 cruises with the family. I would say the staff is nice and helpful in general. Main complains: 1 was no where near venice with in port. 2.5 hour buss ride each way from Trieste. 2 The little Irish pub was nice. Plantains and wings, fish and chips were good. The Asian restaurant is so bad even the white rice was wrong. The Cagney steakhouse is ok. Nothing especial. The tomahawk 32 oz steak was no bigger than my 16oz prime rib unless they include the bone. 3 what put me off was all the sick people coughing without covering their mouths or into their hands. The group I was with included. As the cruise went along more and more people got sick. I avoided the buffet as much as possible, same with the elevator. Hell one time I was in the buffet and some inconsiderate virus spreader coughed while I was walking past and I put my plate on and empty table and left. 4. Did I mention the food was so-so. The food looked good but the taste was missing. Nachos were just a little better then Del taco. Had to ask for coffee at every sit down dinner. 5. The ac crapped out one night from around 6-7 pm till midnight. It was hotter than hades the whole trip so the ac was needed. 6. I ordered Moscow mules all week multiple times a day. Half of them were without ginger beer. 7. One time at the buffet we were trying to get a fast breakfast cause of an early tour, I was trying to keep ahead on a snotty nosed virus sneezing kid. He was just tall enough to be above the counter but below the sneeze guard. His parents didn't give a rats hair about him. 8. The entertainment was good. 9. First tour we meet in the stardust theater for the bus. There was a 7:30 bus and we had the 8:15 bus. We arrived about 7:30. Sat in the middle of the theater. The NCL coordinator talked about having sections of the theater go to the bus to keep the crown under control. She said the first section to our left her right was to stand up and go to the bus. Half the theater stood up. No one listened to her instructions. Finally we figured out the 7:30 bus people had not gone yet. The last of the 7:30 bus left around 8:15. So now she started explaining the 8:15 bus tour order. Starting of the first section to our left, where people sho just came in sat. Others like us who were waiting in the center and right sections started complaining. If you know the acronym that starts with an f and ends with an r, and has a u, b and a; that's how that experience went. 9. The bus service at each stop and to hotels were good in general. Same with the tender service. 10. No fault of NCL , but it was hot at every stop. Athens even cancelled their tours due to the heat. Anyway not really going to plan a ncl trip in the future. Better wants to spend my money.

    Prior to boarding
    Matthew S.

    I just used this cruise ship on a cruise with my family for a week from August 5th to August 12th. We took this boat as it set out of New York, with the ports of call being Port Canaveral, FL, Great Stirrup Cay (GSC), and Nassau, Bahamas. To make this review easy for you, I will just list out the pros and cons for this boat (this was my 4th cruise on as many cruise ship companies). Pros -The food was pretty good. One of the better ones I have enjoyed. Orchid House, their Asian Fusion restaurant, was the one that really stood out. -Very clean. Not one dirty bathroom. -Decent crowd. Nobody really disgusting. I've been on cruises where the people are just flat out terrible. They weren't here. -The cabin was relatively big for cruise ship standards. Plus the beds were comfortable. -Lines for the bar were not terribly long. -The ports of call were really enjoyable. -Good crews, well the housekeeping at least. Kitchen staff was hit or miss. Cons -Even though the food was great, the entertainment was okay. Just okay. I went to the evening show 5 of the 6 nights on the cruise, and nothing really stood out. -There's no real snack bar. Some cruise lines I've been to have pretzel stands or something where you can grab something quick. I didn't want to have to go to the buffet just to get a piece of cake or a cookie. -Some of their sales were not cheap. In general, I felt they were a bit pricey for some of the things they were running. -TV's were small and didn't have the best channels. -The pillows were extremely plush. -The boat is not very soundproof. I could hear the toilets flush in every direction. Honestly, compared to Carnival and Royal Caribbean, this was a pretty nice cruise line. If you want something not crazy, without all the formalities, this is the one to go with.

    Nearby the water seat!
    Lisa G.

    Took the 7 day trip to the Bahamas with my boyfriend during September 2014. Honestly we kept sleeping in as we decided to get the room with no windows - that was a mistake as majority of the time we slept in. So note to all of you - definitely try to get something with a window! They do have chargers on the boat though service was usually never there - so just left the phone on airplane mode. Boarding at Manhattan was not as bad - so much faster than the airport. Me and my boyfriend had just wore a duffel bag and a luggage to pull on and it was a lot faster than having to load it. Night time was definitely chilly so bring a sweater if you decide to venture out during the fall. We wandered around the boat at night as we slept so much. Most of the time we got absorbed in watching the shows that they had - some movies, some being the game shows that they did on the boat. The beginning was quite a festival with the food. It was awesome having a selection to eat. Though after 7 days - we ended up going to the restaurant a lot which had specials every day. The buffet was endless. Staff was very accommodating and nice. Always greeted us with a washy washy - with the hand sanitizer that they sprayed on our hands. We had did the stingray excursion at the Great Stirrup Cay. Totally wished we brought a Gopro camera like another couple. It was a amazing experience walking among the stingray and even holding one up. Their tails are poisonous so try not to step on them! On the day we got to the Bahamas...it rained. Had originally signed up for the dolphin excursion and we ended up being refunded as it was raining quite hard! Due to a bad fall I had when we were attempting to find out if it was cancelled we retired back into the room for most of the day. And only ventured out near the afternoon to explore what was nearby. The best place to buy anything is in the market wihtin the church though it was a bit alarming to wander in there as almost everyone there tries to sell you what they have that looks identical to their neighbors. I was a fan of the the wood figures. They were beautiful but do not know if someone crafted them by hand. Though it rained on our trip, we did wander around the boat and took quite a series of funny pictures near the end. The sunsets were the most beautiful. It is probably a better idea to go on the cruise with another couple so someone could take the pictures but ours still came out pretty well! Overall fun experience. Bring more clothing! It gets so cold at night if you are on the outside of the ship. Oh and a side note, maybe bring a cage. Another night we explored, a giant dragonfly got caught on my shirt when we were trying to enter back into the ship. Should have not been freaked out as it was the size of a small child. And that I wrung my hand in panic and it disappeared into the darkness.

    Papaya cream at moderno
    Allie C.

    Long review ahead . CLIFF NOTES: worst cruise I've been on, and not sure I would use Norwegian cruise line again Full Review It pains me to write a negative review for NCL cruise line, but I was steeply disappointed by my experience on the Gem. I traveled on a 5 day Bremuda cruise from NY on November 10th, 2018. This was the last cruise of it's kind for the season leaving from the New York City pier 88. The ship itself is Beautiful, but the service, food, and staff made for a sub par experience. TOWEL ANIMALS My boyfriend felt that it was important for me to note that we did not get a single towel animal in our stateroom, although other passengers told us they received them in their room. BOARDING PROCESS Getting onto the ship was a very simple process, and as soon as we were onboard, we had access to the stateroom. It was tiny, clean, modern looking, and relatively comfortable. BUFFET The selection at the buffet was decent, but The quality of the food was Not great and nothing ever seem to be warm enough. ROOM SERVICE The room service Was pretty atrocious. They would forget to give us washcloths, as an example... And then when we had the "do not disturb" sign on the door, they would come in anyway. Even when I was hiding in the bed in my underwear, asking them not to come in. Yeah. Not nice or cool. O'SHEEHANS This service in the Irish pub (complimentary restaurant called O'Sheehans) Was horrific. It was painfully slow, and the maître d' had very threatening body language when our ship cards were declined due to a administrative error. They refused to serve us the (free) food until it was resolved. Not cool or welcoming. SPA (Thermal suite) I highly recommend purchasing a pass to the thermal spa. It was $138 (plus 20% mandatory gratuity of course) for the entire duration of the cruise . It It provides access to a jet and shower filled large therapy pool, sauna with ocean views, eucalyptus steam room, infused waters and a selection of teas plus fresh oranges. AND heated therapy beds. I was a huge fan. Excursions were pretty good, the onboard shopping was especially lame, and my overall feeling was it was a nice vacation, but Norwegian could have made it a lot better

    Our boat!
    Linda T.

    This was my first cruise taken in America and honestly it was full of a bunch of activities to do every single day so it's rare to ever get bored while on board. The game shows are hilarious!!! Even the days at sea weren't all that bad as you can swim and lay up all day in the sun + grab food at the Garden Café (buffet) whenever you get hungry. ALL of the crew members are the nicest people I've ever met 10/10!!! They always greet you and make sure all your needs are met. Cagney's Steakhouse is an à la carte restaurant but it's totally worth it. Their rib eye is out of this world and they even offered shrimp cocktail on the house! They were so awesome and sucks how their restaraunt is only available on board because I would love to go to that restaurant again. We went to Great Stirrup Cay which is an island in the Bahamas that's owned by Norwegian and they had a bunch of activities such as snorkeling and parasailing. The beach is absolutely beautiful but one of the workers told me that honestly, you're better off doing all the activities on the official islands such as Nassau because they're CHEAPER by a long shot (same with the souvenirs)!!!!!! Parasailing was going to be $320 for the both of us in GSC but in Nassau, it was only $140 (WTF) Other than that, the people are great, the food is awesome (especially the desserts), and the vibe is nice. The only thing that bothered me was the REALLY bad rocking of the ship (which i know probably isn't their fault). i tried to ignore it but some days were just impossible to even stand still while brushing your teeth/showering haha. They kept advertising this new boat called the Norwegian Bliss and maybe some day in the near future that will be my next cruise trip!!!!

    Bon Voyage. Sailing out of NYC, & not dealing with airport stress woohoo!
    Jalitza G.

    My BFF and I sailed this past week out of NYC on the Norwegian Gem for 7 nights to Orlando & the Bahamas. Embarkation was very efficient (I feel this is determined by timing), we arrived at the pier by 11am and within 15 minutes we were checked in & eating our hearts content upstairs at the buffet. The Dining options were plentiful. The main dinning rooms were great, but we just couldn't get enough of the buffets because of the different cultural varieties, Italian, American, Chinese, Indian, Thai, etc. Impossible to become bored. Our cabin 8074 was nicely appointed & perfect for two people. With the combination of the comfortable beds, the gentle rocking of the ship and the sweet sounds of the ocean, we slept like babies. Overall this was a wonderful vacation & I do recommend this itinerary for first timers or even experienced cruisers. The service was outstanding, fabulous food and the condition/ comfort of the ship was classy & well maintained. The following are some suggestions and advise for the ports: Orlando: We hopped on a public taxi shuttle to the Cocoa Beach area ($14 round trip,a few $ less then reserving with the cruise line). There, we perused and took pics at the famous Ron Surf Shop, we continued looking at the shops and stopped at the Shark Pit bar & grill, where they have an all day happy hour including $1 & $2 margaritas (woohoo they were great!) We then walked to Cocoa Beach, not to swim but to experience it. It was very beautiful and we had a blast. Overall we created our own excursion and spent less then $20. Nassau Bahamas: We decided to take a taxi to Atlantis and buy the Aqua park package on our own. We spent $129 compared to the $199 that the cruise line was charging. The Aqua Park package includes the aquarium, water slides, pools and private beach. The grounds were breathtaking, however it seemed that many areas, pools and main water attractions were closed off or restricted due to renovations, so we felt a bit cheated after paying $129 & not being able to get the full experience.

    Elaine C.

    I recently sailed the Gem from New York to the Bahamas for 7 days. Price per person was actually great at only $499 per person, after tax and the mandatory gratuity total came out to roughly $1,600 for two people. This was my first cruise and I was on a budget so I didn't want to spend additional on extras such as room upgrades, drinks or excursions. This was a decent first cruise but I probably wouldn't do Norwegian again. Important Things to note: - Free drinks. There are non alcoholic beverages that are COMPLIMENTARY! I searched all over and could not find this information on their site so figured I could save someone from buying the crazy overpriced bottled water or drink packages. Drinks available daily include: water, apple juice, orange juice, lemonade, tea, flavored waters, coffee, hot chocolate and milk. You could also hit up the art auction for free champagne and then leave. - Park West Art Auctions. This is a complete SCAM. Google their name and read the Bloomberg article on them, "Ever Bought Art on a Cruise? Prepare to Be Seasick". Feel free to go and get the freebies but make it known if you're not interested. I also wrote a review on them: https://goo.gl/8oLG7m - Mandatory gratuity per day was $13.99 per person. At the end of the trip it added to about $200. I'm almost positive this doesn't actually go to the staff so bring small bills to tip. PROS: - Nice staff that are accommodating and decent food options daily. - Favorite restaurants were O'Sheehans Bar & Grill, Magenta and the Garden Cafe (buffet). If you go to O'Sheehans, try to go late night because service tends to be faster and the food is actually more fresh. I ordered the salmon caesar salad and it was made better at 10PM than at 2PM. Fish and chips was also excellent here. We went to Magenta on our last night and I got the prime rib, fiance got the lamb shank and we split 3 desserts. Entrees were excellent but the desserts not so much. Garden Cafe was our most visited place to eat during our cruise, it was quick and simple and had a decent selection such as empanadas, pasta, salads, ect. A lot of the time food options overlapped at the different restaurants and sometimes the same food can be made too salty or dry depending on when you have it - hit or miss. - Suites were clean and bathrooms were actually a decent size! CONS: - Towels and sheets provided were over bleached but managed to have stains lol. Towels were stiff and both of them smelled of bleach. - There is no communication between the different staffs, for example, no one at the front desk knows what anyone in the excursions desk is doing. I asked front desk about the shuttle taxi service Gem used at Port Canaveral and they had no clue what I was talking about, they told me it was probably the excursion team who booked them so I asked the excursion people and they also had no idea lol - Activities were only so so, there was a rock climbing wall available for a few hours of the day, a small exercise court, an even smaller golfing area, pay to play arcade, smoky tiny casino, a few variety shows and sales pitches. TIPS: - Bring an umbrella for Great Stirrup Cay, the sun here is INTENSE and the shade shifts throughout the day so protect yourself from getting burnt. - Bring a reusable bottle for water so you don't have to pay for water when you get off the boat at the various ports. - Port Canaveral retail shopping at the Mall or Cocoa Beach - use an Uber and try to get some passengers to go in on it with you, the cost per person on the taxi shuttle was $16 per person round trip while the cost of an Uber one way is $12-$16. I suggest you try Thai Fuku for lunch, they have a fantastic happy hour menu for food!

    Teppanyaki; $29.96 hibachi style restaurant.
    Michelle S.

    Solid five stars! Good job Norwegian! Having returned from a 10 day cruise to the Eastern Carribeans my Fiancee and I have already started to plan our next cruise with NCL. Service- Everyone was friendly and kind. Always willing to help and answer questions. Especially loved Zach and his "Ouuuuus"! Stateroom steward Wilfredo was helpful and made the best towel animals! Food- The buffet and complimentary restaurants were tasty although at the beginning of the cruise service was extremely slow. I highly recommend o'sheehans for 24/7 dining and orchid garden for authentic Asian food. I paid for teppanyaki for the hibachi experience and it was worth it! $29.95 for two appetizers, a entree and dessert as well as a show for a life time! Garden Cafe aka the buffet was always stocked with food from different cuisines and desserts were changed every day! There was also a different dinner theme every night. Furthermore, there is both soft serve and hard serve ice cream! Cleanliness- Washy washy happy happy! Hand sanitizer machines were EVERYWHERE. Also there would be workers with spritzer bottles at the buffet ready to clean your hands before you ate. Events- Shows were every night at the theatre at around 7pm and 9pm. I saw a comedian, piano player, the play BOOTS, aerialists from cirque. Also Zach the cruise director hosts game shows that cruisers can participate in! Just check the ships newsletter "free style daily" Accommodations- I stayed in a balcony room that was roomy and did not feel cramped. My bed was a king size and I had plenty of room to roll around in. Sheets and pillow cases were washed daily. Overall, if you're looking for a budget friendly cruise and the friendliest people you'll ever meet.. pick Norwegian!

    Prime Rib from the buffet
    Ian L.

    Absolutely wonderful, never had any doubt about my time on this ship. Short and simple: - Food was great, very consistent and good quality at every restaurant on board. There was also plenty of great options, - Staff was even better, my housekeeper Pipul was like family by the end of my stay. Always called me by name as soon as I met him. Other staff members always acknowledged me and never gave me any problem at all. Wait staff is amazing as well, extremely hard working and professional. They treat you with the best of care. - Shore excursion options are great as well. Everything was well organized, waiting times for me were short, and coming back to the ship with the red carpet, cold towels being handed out, a shaded area under a tent to cool down as you wait for others, and ice water station was outstanding. - On board entertainment whether it be live music, pool parties, karaoke, chef demonstrations, Wii, game shows, casino, live shows in the theatre and many more are all amazing especially the theatre shows. There's always something to do which is great. - They have a sports court that can do soccer, basketball, I think volleyball (not sure) and tennis. They also have shuffle board, rock climbing, jogging track and walking track. - Fitness room has high quality equipment, very clean and their aerobics room has plenty of yoga mats, punching bags for a boxing session they offer once a day I believe. Works like any other gym, busy in the morning but at night it's a breeze, no issue getting a machine. - Private Island in The Great Stirrup Cay is beautiful, food their is very good and there's plenty of excursions for you as well as a beach that has plenty of lifeguards who are ready for anything (there's jet skis on standby, if you're far out in the water there's even another lifeguard far out on these rocks) I barely covered half the entertainment and things about this cruise but that's for you to find out. But let me say that the closing show on the last day is one you do not want to miss. One thing that made my experience stand out is well, they seriously made me feel at home on another level on the last day. Here's what I mean: Well I'm a Filipino-American, my parents are Filipino. A solid 70% of the staff is Filipino so this makes me feel like I'm surrounded by family but that's not a fair reason to everyone as not everyone is Filipino but we talked to the staff and befriended many of them during our vacation. They were able to get us a table and serve us Filipino dishes special order just for my family and a couple other Filipino families on board. Thanks to the Filipino chefs and hospitable staff this was able to happen. It can't happen to everyone as most people already have lots of food from their culture elsewhere on the ship but what I'm getting at is their staff isn't just brainwashed friendly, but it comes from their heart. Not once was I bored on this ship, being young my options tend to be limited but the view from outside on the sundecks or outside eating area save me from boredom every single time. The only time I had to wait in a line more than 20 minutes was boarding the ship, but it's like that for every cruise so I think it's safe to say they are extremely organized to avoid congestion. Restaurants seat me quickly, no more than a 20 minute wait at peak, tender boat process is quick and easy, discharging from the ship on the final day surprisingly fluent as well. But yeah, I feel like I missed a lot of things because there was so much to review but for me, the cons list was nearly non-existent. Very laid back and well they like to refer to this cruise as a "freestyle". The Norwegian Gem is a beautiful ship and I can't see myself cruising with any other cruise line at this price range.

    Only place it's ok to have a piña colada
    Ben L.

    Best way to describe a cruise, it's a hotel on water. My trip was to the Bahamas with a stop at Port Canaveral, their private island Great Stirrup Cay and then the Bahamas. This was my second Norwegian cruise and I remember liking the Norwegian Dawn more, but this was forever ago and it was my very first cruise so my opinion may be biased. Cruises are very convient for a specific type of clientele, it's great for seniors and great for families with younger kids. Seniors enjoy the cruise because they can roam freely on the boat and then enjoy so so food that their taste buds won't mind. Families like the cruise because they can let their younger kids run around the boat and not have to worry about them going anywhere because where they gonna go? As someone in their thirties, I didn't feel this cruise was catered towards my age group, I felt sandwiched between the youngins and the farts and kinda forgotten. White people made up most of the boat and the boat definitely cateres towards them. And damn do white people love their sun. Food: -Cagney's steakhouse, which is a specialty meal, was the best meal on the boat. Bone in ribeye and lobster and shrimp linguine were excellent. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PouYg4DNoQYyUY-R4izrGQ&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA -Teppanyaki was my second fav specialty meal but it is super popular so book very early or even before boarding the ship. It was actually really worth going. Land and sea was great, lobster was salty and scallops so so. Beware of the little screaming kids -The unlimited dining package at $119 is worth the investment esp for the two above restaurants -Moderno, the Brazilian restaurant was terrible, all the skewers were dry and flavorless -I heard the Chinese restaurant was terrible from Chinese people and even white people, bad sign -Breakfast buffet has rush of people but a table at La Cucina is always open, so grab your food at the buffet and find seating at La Cucina -All the included meals have the same food in every restaurant just different decor, the menu changes every night -Grand Pacific dining room is usually the better option but you have to dress classier especially for men at dinner time. Waits are less because people don't want to dress up. -Magenta had really slow service -The best consistent items for the included meals were the burgers and dogs -Overall, food was just OK, nothing really outstanding Entertainment: -Shows for the most part at Stardust were good, my favs were the 70's and Duo Balskatt which was like a Cirque show -Shows at Spinnaker lounge were good, Dan Dan was a great host -Wifi is crazy expensive $25/day for unlimited daily, .95 per minute, 100 mins for $75. 250 mins for $125 -Casino is worse than reg casinos. Poker is 10% rake with $25 cap. Slots are less likely to payout. The blackjack table pays out 6-5 for blackjack Final notes: -Last day before disembarkation sucks, there is nothing to do -Self checkout when disembarking, carry your own suitcase since it will be quicker -Bring a walkie talkie -Middle of the boat and the higher you are are less rocky. The front and the back sway -Great Stirrup Cay was nice to get nice beatifiul blue water and the nice beach -"What the heck?" -"Happy happy, washy washy"

    Crystal Atrium on Deck 7
    Mandy L.

    Sailed near the end of June, 2013 with my family. It was our first cruise so we didn't go in with a lot of expectations. Embarkation - if you set up your personal information online, the wait time is close to none on the day of embarkation - so sign up online, you will avoid the long lines! Also, you can print your luggage tags so you can just drop off your suitcase once you arrive outside the pier. They will deliver it to the front of your cabin. Going early never sucks, they let you go aboard the ship once you check in. They also have an area where you can take a group picture preceding boarding the ship. Once we got on the ship, we went to our cabins and unpacked. We got a balcony cabin and a windowless cabin across the room. Both rooms were very nice. Then we made our way up to deck 12 where they had a BBQ going. Food - They have a buffet on deck 12. The food here isn't bad. The chocolate buffet near the end of the cruise was amazing! Remember to bring your cameras! I will post some pictures. The Magenta (included) was really nice, had some awesome steaks. The Blue Lagoon (included) is a nice place for a late snack since it's open 24 hours. For a fancier option, the Grand Pacific (included) requires formal clothing before entering. My family really liked the Magenta because it's kind of casual and kind of formal - a good mixture Crew - so friendly! One of the best services I've ever encountered. If you need anything they will help you. Also, they always smile! :) The stewards/stewardess were friendly. Entertainment - They give a pamphlet with the next day's iteneary on it. They really try hard to keep you entertained. During the second to last day, you can tell that there is going to be a White Party because people start wearing white early on in the morning. They also have a theme song here that will stick in your head even after the cruise - other words, very catchy. Excursions - We didn't get off in Port Canaveral because my family wanted to relax on the ship. In addition, it was too much of a hassle to get to the tourist area. We did get off at Great Stirrup Cay. We had to board a smaller ship before arriving on the island. The water was so blue, so beautiful. Once you get there, there's barely any shade. So the best option is to get a cool drink and then JUMP into the water. There are some rocks near the shore but when you swim/walk in more, there's none left. And we went snorkeling in Nassau! It was our first time and it was AWESOME! We went with the seahorse company and it took around an hr to get to the spot. The ride there wasn't bad because of the view and the breeze. There were three sailing boats in total so it was extremely helpful in on getting back on the ship. The waves look so small from the ship but it will carry you out if you're not careful. So wear a safety vest (small green ones). If you don't know how to swim and still want to go snorkeling, don't worry! The non-swimmers were given huge orange vests before they went to the water. Just don't go too far from the ships. The fishes and corals were such a sight. Definitely go snorkeling! Back on the island, shops range from low-end to high-end prices (brand names). To buy a memorable gift, I brought some handmade soap from the brand My Ocean. It was pricey but the soaps in there were so nicely packaged! I'm a sucker for pretty things. Disembarkation - Done in less than 10 mins.

    12th floor pool deck in the evening.
    Christopher C.

    For a middle priced cruise experiene you really can't ask for much more. A few points to note as follows. - Service and staff amongst the best I've ever experienced on a cruise and they were like Ninjas fast efficenct and gone like the wind. - Food, was the classic strap on your food bag and eat away, but was actually very good and well thought out. The sit down restaurants were great, and required no reservations the longest I had to wait for a table was less than 2 minutes. - Entertainment, which I usually can't stand... It was actually great, they offered a comedian about 4 nights ( An actual real comedian that was on HBO and Comedy Central, not a cruise ship hack) There was a Improv Comedy Troupe from the Second City in Chicago, that was hilarious. Also an act called 2 to Fly excellent. There was more but you get the point. - The ship was CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN and well maintained. -The rooms were new, well furnished and well kept with a full sized shower! - Their private island was very clean, great beach, plenty of food and excursions too. - Overall ship staff was fantastic and again like ninjas. - The only slightly negative thing I need to point out was the amount of kids based on the time I went, but but but the staff did a tremendous job at hiding them away and giving them their own places to go to. Overall value and time was tremendous absolutely a trip I would do over and over! And the ease of travel out of NYC was so stress free, highly recommend.

    Meradyth F.

    As a first time cruiser, I went in to the cruise with no standards or expectations. I've heard great and not so great things about every cruise line, but I heard that Norwegian was the most clean and that the staff was great. After a few days on the boat, we found our favorite bartenders. We tried to only go to them because they made our time so much better. They always talked to us like we were family. Also, the staff in the buffet was better than the staff in BOTH the main dining rooms. I was not impressed with the main dining rooms service or food and each time we were in there it took over 2 hours. The shows they offered were great. They handed out a paper each night that showed all of the activities for the next day. There was something for everyone and they started at 7:00am and went until midnight. They had hypnosis shows, broadway type shows, singing, karaoke, bingo, dance parties and much more. We stayed in an inside cabin and I was very impressed even with it being the cheapest type of room. It was big enough for 2 people and the bathroom was also a good size. We didn't spend too much time in the room, so why pay a lot for it? We met so many awesome people from all over and also very close to us. Be open and friendly while on the cruise, you will meet some awesome people. We ended up spending most of the cruise with people we had just met. Downsides!! The entire embarkation and disembarkation process was EXTREMELY lengthy. We arrived at New York cruise terminal approximately at 8:00am to beat traffic and crowds. We ended up not getting on to the boat until 11:30am. On top of that, our rooms weren't ready until 1:30pm!!!! We had to carry around our carry on bags and no one could go to their rooms yet. Every place was crowded including staircases where people were just sitting on waiting for their rooms to be ready. We were originally supposed to go to Port Canaveral, The Great Stirrup Cay (GSC) and Nassau. When we arrived at the port for embarkation, they told us that the days of GSC and Nassau were being switched due to Election Day in Bahamas. No big deal. Well, we woke up on the day we were docking at GSC just to find out that we weren't stopping due to "rough seas". The seas were not rough and we ended up circling the island and saw another cruise ship at the island parasailing and on the beach. They messed up and didn't cover their bases when switching the days of the islands. So we ended up having 3 days at sea back to New York and it was just lengthy. The cruise director and captain didn't care that we didn't stop. We spoke to fellow passengers and they said out of 5 cruises they had taken that were supposed to stop at GSC, They have only been there 2x. Everyone was disappointed and ended up going to guest services to get port taxes refunded for GSC. Turns out some people got up to $700 back. When we went there, they told us we were getting $19 per person back. Seriously? We ended up not even trying to argue with guest services and go straight to corporate. Overall, it was a nice cruise and I was happy we met the people we did and were able to relax and have fun. Too many days at sea and I was so happy to get off the ship. I may cruise again but I would try a different cruise line prior to going back to Norwegian.

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    Norwegian Gem Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - Norwegian Gem

    We made three stops Port Canaveral, Fl, Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas and Nassau, Bahamas.

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    OurBus

    OurBus

    2.5(414 reviews)
    2.4 miTheater District, Midtown West

    didn't end up travelling with them because my travel plans changed but I did enjoy their customer…read moreservice with cancelling my trip. I forgot to cancel more than 24 hours before so I was able to get a credit of my trip and will be able to use that credit for the next time I want to travel which I appreciate.

    We picked up OurBus right across from the Javits Center, in the middle of the street…read more The storage bins were labeled, one for Baltimore, the other for DC. He scanned our ticket and we boarded. The bus was pretty full, so we ended up sitting separately. The above head storage bins are kind of tight, so I had to take something out of my over stuffed backpack to manage to wiggle it in. While my purse sat on my lap. I liked the foot rest and the hook on the handle on the seat in front of me. Trash bags were hung here and there. Looks like they also provided small bottles of water for us, though we had to grab those ourselves. The electric plugs didn't seem to work, but perhaps the ubs plugs in the ceiling did. Our driver was a great communicator. He set expectations so we knew that we had a 20 min rest stop before arriving at Baltimore, and pointed out things to help us to pay attention and to get back to the right bus. He warned us that given current construction that we were sure to arrive later than what our tickets said, and gave us his best eta given the circumstances. Another passenger later commented that the bus bathroom was clean. We kind of ended up being dropped off on a brightly painted bridge in the middle of no where - perhaps on Maryland Ave?, by a bus stop. A short walk from Penn Station.

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    OurBus - About to board the bus with a mobile boarding pass

    About to board the bus with a mobile boarding pass

    OurBus - Premium, modern coaches.

    Premium, modern coaches.

    OurBus

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    CIRE Travel

    CIRE Travel

    4.9(42 reviews)
    2.7 miMidtown East

    I had the immense privilege of working with Esther to plan my dream vacation to Thailand alongside…read moremy sister. Not only was Esther one of the most personable, understanding and patient people I've worked with, but her knowledge knows no bounds! Any/all questions will always be answered--no matter how silly they may seem--and Esther's attention to detail is astounding. There was even a situation halfway through our trip where we needed to pivot and leave one location earlier than expected and Esther was there for us, solving our problem almost immediately. She's a true lifesaver. I cannot thank her enough for helping make this trip come to fruition and crafting it to be a once in a lifetime experience! For all your leisure travel needs, CIRE is the ONLY way to go!

    I absolutely loved working with Melissa and Eric with Cire Travel! Our family of 16 wanted to…read moretravel to Boston and then "somewhere in Maine" and their recommendation of Kennebunkport for our Maine portion was fantastic! Very easy to work with and very communicative. Loved their recommendations and appreciated them letting me know which items to take off our list :). Make sure you ask them about the "The Black Book Kennebunkport" for all the hidden gems! Everything was thought of and planned without a hitch, even when we had flight delays or change of schedule. Thanks again for a busy but easy breezy family vacation!!!!

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    CIRE Travel
    CIRE Travel
    CIRE Travel

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    Travendly - Plitvice lakes

    Travendly

    4.8(116 reviews)
    1.4 miChelsea

    500 reviews! Woo! I…read morewould like to dedicate my 500th review to a travel company for young professionals, a small business that truly did handle itself with fairness and grace during times of uncertainty and fear. I booked not 1, but 2 trips with Travendly at the beginning of the year before COVID took the world by storm. I was SO looking forward to my travels and meeting new people. Unfortunately, my first trip got cancelled due to the virus but I learned a few things about this company during these trying times, so I'd like to shine a spotlight on them. 1. Their itineraries are EXTREMELY organized, and all of the details of your trip are made available to you in an app. There's also a WhatsApp group where you can communicate with other solo travelers who will be joining you. 2. The coordinator was extremely helpful in consolidating all of my info - arrival and departure flights, travel insurance, other forms. I also found her to be very responsive to emails which was very reassuring. 3. You get to virtually "meet" the group you are traveling with beforehand so that when you do meet up, it's like seeing an old friend vs. meeting someone for the first time. Even though my trip was cancelled, I was able to make a friend to travel with in the future. A little silver lining to these uncertain times. 4. Travel credits with the company are valid for a long time and transferrable to any of their trips, so I don't feel like my $ is lost. I also don't feel locked in to 2020 which is still basically up in the air. So no, I have not yet traveled with the company just yet, but I will in the future, and I'd like to give them a solid shoutout for being awesome during this whole thing. If you want a seamless "solo" travel experience, I'd highly recommend booking with Travendly.

    I am usually not one for group travel because it often comes with long amounts of time waiting…read morearound and subpar planning. I often felt like I need to travel alone to ensure that I experience everything. Travendly's Morocco trip completely changed my perception of this! Travendly is for people who truest love to travel and want as much adventure as possible, rather than just resting in the hotel room. Every part of the Travendly trip was impeccably planned and amazing. The tour guide Ali G was unbelievably knowledgeable and willing to answer any question we have. He also was committed to providing us with an amazing experience and kept great track of timing to make sure we always saw everything planned for the day. The schedule for Morocco was also perfect. It is planned so well from the places we see to the places we stop for lunch and restroom in between. No one leaf was left unturned. Even the often long bus trips between stops were stunning and majestic in Morocco's very diverse landscape. Travendly also attracts a great crowd of co-travelers. My Morocco trip had 7 girls and I definitely see myself having long friendships with every one of them. The crowd that Travendly attracts is super professional and kind and committed to making the trip as positive as it can get. If you use Travendly for the Morocco trip, you will definitely have the experience of a lifetime. This trip has been my most memorable travel experience so far and I am hoping to have many more with this company. From camel rides in the Sahara desert to exploration of Roman ruins to eating delicious tajine, this trip is a MUST GO!!!!

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    Travendly - Half of the group on excursion

    Half of the group on excursion

    Travendly - History tour of Dubrovnik

    History tour of Dubrovnik

    Travendly - The Iceland group in February

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    The Iceland group in February

    Norwegian Cruise Line - Slot pull event

    Norwegian Cruise Line

    1.9(113 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    Just came back from a week long cruise to Bermuda from New York on the Getaway. The odious business…read moreof getting checked in and in our rooms wasn't so bad. On a previous cruise I was a big fan of the buffet - this time, not so much. It is frenetic, and the food offerings are more tilted to fast foods than they were on my last cruise. The meat carving station overwhelmingly features chicken. The macaroni looks like Kraft instant. On the first evening, we ate at the Bistro for French, and that was a far different story. Another food high point was the O'Sheehans bar, open 24 hours. Oatmeal there on the first morning was just the ticket. The shows were excellent. Bermuda was fantastic. The ship was generally well run, and easy to navigate. Drinks were excellent and cheerfully given. A week of being pampered for the most part. Already gave money ahead for next year's cruise.

    Part of my problem is after this I have found that I'm not a cruise person and that I picked the…read morewrong boat. There was almost nothing to do. Awful, awful and corny game show entertainment (selling you tickets to play along of course), really bad singers and auctions for art for people who buy art on boats!?!?! Firstly though, the staff on board were all wonderful. No complaints there. But, the wifi was terrible, simply terrible. Even worse it's from Starlink. Not at all worth the insane amount they charge for it. If it's going to spotty, and barely work much of the time then charge approrpriately. The excursions were ALL over priced, very over priced. I thought Disney had the market cornered on over charging and nickle and diming people but they have nothing on curise lines. Good was pretty good, the added charges for the "fancy" restaurants were hit or miss with the food generally being only very slightly better than the free options. Room was decent, bed felt cheap though and after 7 nights I'm very happy to be back on my own mattress. If you do want to do this kind of a trip, save up to get the room with a balcony. I couldn't imagine having been trapped within the ship without some air. If you're your younger, do NOT pick the Jade boat. It's for older people, much older people and don't bring the kids.

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    Norwegian Cruise Line - Best food I had on the ship

    Best food I had on the ship

    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Norwegian Cruise Line

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    Norwegian Gem - travelservices - Updated May 2026

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