Bartfast

I get straws are a hot topic and trash in the ocean is part of that. I have to say that I never use straws, even for Pina Coladas, so I am good. Out of curiosity, I have tried a paper straw once or twice before, and from that limited experience, those seem to change the taste of the liquid and they get soggy quickly. I also tried a metal straw once, again curiosity, but it didn't feel right ... not sure what I mean. Just drinking out of the glass seems to work for me, but I s'pose I am relying on the glass to be clean or the alcohol in the drink will take care of things for me. 😉 Anyway, can't we all just get along? 😄 

Things are up in the air because of Covid, differing customer expectations, differing port and country requirements, and probably uncertainties in who is booked and who is going to cancel. Port and day-at-sea changes are a thing, probably for a while. Unfortunately.

NCL is rather laid back in my opinion, but it is Covid times.

So my concern is flights to Europe. If I book with NCL and there's a cancellation or port change, NCL rebooks the flights. If I book them, I am SOL and fly into the wrong airport.

I thought that it would just be easier if I arranged the hotel through NCL, too.

Piazza Navone looks like a decent location. Thank you!

Hi all. Which hotels does NCL use in Rome? I am thinking of using the air/hotel package. I don't really care about the hotel other than to know which one it might be, because I'll only be there a short while to sleep.

I was told the Gem was 60% when we sailed on it last August, and that number felt right. I am also told the plan is for 75% on the Epic upcoming cruises. I am also told that they try to keep an entire floor open for possible Covid patients.

I know we think of cruise ships sometimes as "petri dishes," but they do more than regular hotels and other vacation spots to offset the chance of Covid infection.

Wow. Comprehensive review of the Gem. I posted mine from our August trip on the Gem, first NCL cruise out of Port Miami after the Covid layoff and my first time on the GEM (previously I have cruised NCL twice). The ship is a good size for me. I think I really appreciated the layout and the third staircase/elevator tower in the middle of the ship.

From the Gem in August 2021

1. Le Bistro -- Excellent appetizers, wonderful variety main course, desert, service

2. Moderno -- Best main course, excellent service, grilled pineapple is fantastic

2.5 Cagney's -- Very good, but Moderno has better meats. 🙂 Not quite the service as Le Bistro and less satisfying selection.

4. Teppanyaki -- Very entertaining and enjoyable atmosphere.

I didn't try La Cucina. We have lots of Italian near us at home (but also hibachi, so ....) I didn't see Ocean Blue on the Gem and it doesn't seem an option on the Epic (my next cruise). I think I'd like it.

Not sure where you are cruising from. We were advised that, if boarding in Europe, pier tests are the equivalent of 100 USD per passenger so get one in advance. Last autumn, boarding in Miami, tests on the pier were free.

I recommend just calling NCL and asking. But, I'd want to test before the pier anyway so that I was confident of a negative test at the pier and not surprised by a positive one. Omicron symptoms can be mild, like a cold.

I expect the mask dates are going to evolve with the level of infection globally. Also, masking is subject to local rules, such as EU rules for ships in the Med are different than rules for ships in the Caribbean, for example.

A friend of ours is crew, not Covid positive, got transferred from the Gem to the Star. That friend said a fair number of Covid+ crew members on the Gem before that. I dunno why they transferred non-Covid+ crew.

9 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

Anyone know if other lines are seeing this many cancellations? I haven’t been following the other lines lately, 

You can find this information with a Google search, such as this: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-cancelled-cruises-2022.

Just a heads up. I have a cruise booked for May, so fingers crossed....

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/norwegian-cruise-line-cancellations-covid/index.html

3 hours ago, mma__leanne said:

 

Oh bummer!  My favorites are the White Hot / GLOW parties.  Thanks for the info 🙂

Oh, it helps to know what the themed events are called. There was a "glow party" on day 6. "White hot diamond night" on day 5. Several Latin dance and karaoke events. "80s dance party" and "Thriller flash mob" on day 2. 

23 hours ago, mma__leanne said:

Thanks for the review!  I'm going in a few weeks and the outlet situation is always good to know.  My buddy uses a CPAP, so it looks like I may need to bring an extension cord.  Would you happen to have the Freestyle Dailies by any chance?  Or at least the party themes, so I can bring appropriate attire 🙂

I rereviewed the newsletters and there is nothing in there about themes. I don't recall any, either. 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This was the kind of handwashing I meant, "she did have hand sanitizer dispensers as well as crew squirting folks with hand sanitizers." That's what the Gem has at the entrance to all venues and also every port has on the pier before you can enter the port. As for brilliant, I lived in the UK for a bit, so I picked up that bloody annoying phrase. 😉

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Just an off topic question... if NCL's policy requires masking by the time you sail will you cancel? 

No.

I work in the medical field. The mask is for your protection more than mine. If NCL has to go that way, no big deal. After all, there is a dress code already, so this is just more of that (and helps you not become ill, for the win).

I put the card around my neck and a credit card and ID next to it with a couple of bills. Safer than my pocket.

I have the newsletters somewhere. Will see what I can find and get back to you. Yeah, in my cabin, you'd need an extension cord to get power next to the bed.

Hi, I sailed on the first Gem cruise in only a year to the Western Caribbean. Here's my review. I am interested to read other reviews from my cruise and subsequent Gem cruises.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=682226&et_cid=3449005&et_rid=279154561&et_referrer=

8 hours ago, complawyer said:

if they still have it, it's also an upcharge item

It was an upcharge. I forget how much, maybe $20.

I was just on that itinerary on the Gem. None of those were tender ports. Our only tender port was Belize City. This  might depend on whether there are other cruise ships ahead of us at the same port, though, so I guess YMMV.

Also, we purchased priority access, but Norwegian cancelled it and refunded us before the cruise as they decided not to offer it. In part, that might have to do with the way they are scheduling embarkation at Port of Miami, but am not sure. 

Thanks to home-mom for sharing. I was on the Gem the previous week. Stay healthy; when in doubt, mask-up!

This is an old thread. However, Cagney's on the Gem has lobster tail as part of its surf-and-turf entree.