coldhendricksmartini

Hi everyone, I recently booked this cruise for Thanksgiving 2024. Checking to see who else will be on board.  Cheers 🍸

On 9/27/2023 at 7:10 PM, greg_atlanta said:

 

Hope it's still there.  I see it on the deck plan.  But general trend as ships get renovated is to get rid of the free amenities and move it to the thermal suite.  I was on Pearl (same family) about 10 years ago and it had a small steam room which worked pretty well.

I was on the Jade at the beginning of September.  The steam room in the gym locker room is still there. It's small, and can fit maybe 3 people comfortably.  I believe there is only 1 or 2 showers there, too.  The thermal suite has a much more spacious layout with gender segregated sauna, steam and hot tubs.  

On 4/9/2023 at 6:18 PM, natefish95 said:

Just got back from the Norwegian Jewel and the thermal suite was excellent! It's so nice having such a large men's only area to relax in. There was a steam room (can comfortably fit 4-5), a large sauna, a cold plunge, a large jacuzzi, a couple cold rainfall showers, and about 7 comfortable chairs for lounging. The coed areas has the heated tiled loungers and a thalasso pool. For a 7 day cruise, it cost $199 and was well worth it for me. The ship was packed, so it was nice to have a quiet spot to escape to. 

 

Most guys seemed to wear bathing suits, but there was a small group who just went in towels. 

Thanks for the report. I love the Jewel class ships.  I was on the Gem last summer and had a great conversation with the spa attendance. I'll be sailing the Jade this summer, and hoping for a similar experience to relax. 

Hey everyone.  I'll be traveling solo on this 7 night itinerary.  Checking to see who else will be on board. 

Thanks for your input.  I'd prefer going without a swim suit, but don't want to deal with strange looks or make people feel uncomfortable.

Hi, 

I'm booked on the NCL Jade later this year. I hear there's a large hot tub in the male section of the thermal suite.  Is it acceptable to go into the hot tub without a swim suit, or would that be weird?  Feedback from anyone who's been on the Jade is appreciated. 

Hi everyone. I'm recently back from NCL Gem's Med cruise.  The week's thermal suite pass was definitely worth it. The sweeping views sailing into and out of those ports while relaxing in the sauna were amazing.  Plus, there wasn't too much traffic so I was able to enjoy the facilities without a suit without any problems.  

I've now booked NCL Jade for November 2023 out of Tampa.  It'll be interesting to see how similar the Jade's thermal suite is to the Gem, as well as the company.  :-)

Thanks for the update. I'm looking forward to letting off some steam. 

I'm boarding the NCL Gem on Sunday.  I'm curious of the ship's capacity for that sailing and if I'll have much company in the thermal suite.  

Not for nothing, I wouldn't mind setting sail on the love boat.  😉

hmm still the only gay on board?

Hi. I'm in NY, and monkey pox is spreading fast here, too.  I think it's only a matter of time until we see cases being reported after a cruise. Though I don't know that we'll see a lot of cases on a cruise since incubation is 1-2 weeks before the onset of symptoms. Congratulations on getting your first dose of the vaccine!  I got mine last week. It seems like in the short term having just the first dose offers fast protection.  The 2nd dose is to maintain long term protection after 2 years. 

https://www.science.org/content/article/there-s-shortage-monkeypox-vaccine-could-one-dose-instead-two-suffice

My bits will be jiggly on the Gem in August. :0)  The Gem was last in dry dock in 2015, so the thermal suite hasn't been updated.  

14 hours ago, dman07 said:

I recently sailed Breakaway May 8-15 and it was my first cruise ever. I did not know what to expect when it came to sailing as a gay man. I was pleasantly surprised. Each night there was a LGBTQIA+ Get Together at Shakers Martini lounge. I was able to meet a lot of people and hangout with them for the duration of the cruise. It was awesome being able to walk into Bliss or Spice H20 and see familiar faces and party with people I made friends with earlier in the week. I still keep in touch with some of the people I met too. 

 

NCL will definitely be my go to for my next trip which looks to possibly be the Encore in January 2023. 

 

Happy PRIDE! everyone!! 

 

 

Thanks for sharing.  I'll be cruising solo on the Gem this summer.  It'll be my first time cruising on my own, so I'm a bit apprehensive.  It's reassuring to hear you've been able to meet up with folk easily.

On 5/29/2022 at 7:13 PM, natefish95 said:

I was on the Gem in February and really enjoyed it. It has a really nice setup with a central co-ed area with a thalassotherapy pool, jacuzzi, and heated loungers. The men's area has a sauna, steam room, single size jacuzzi and some padded loungers (plus the normal lockers and showers). Most people wore bathing suits, but maybe Europe will be different for you. 

Thanks for your update. I'm glad to hear the thermal suite is open. I usually go without a suit in the sauna and steam. I think it's just more comfortable that way. Plus with the views of the open seas, no better way to relax. 

I'm sailing on the NCL Gem at the end of August for a Greek Isles cruise, and purchased a pass for the thermal suite.  I'm looking forward to a relaxing soak and steam each night after a busy day of exploring. Has anyone been on the Gem recently?

Hey everyone. I'll be travelling solo on this cruise, and wondering if there'll be any family on board.  I'll also be spending a few days beforehand in Trieste. Any thoughts on where a gay can get a drink in this town? Thanks in advance. :-)