BritChickBN1

Just wondering is the OP has any feedback after their cruise. I will be in the same position in 2018 with a 9 mo old on his first cruise. Thanks.

I think the Gem handles indoor crowds better. We live close to NYC, so the ease of travel makes colder days worth it.

Agree.

You will lose a day and a half there and back. But so worth it not to deal with airports.

Does anyone know if these MB mini-suites have the connecting door between them? NCL says yes over the phone but deck plan says no. Thanks.

This all seems like a whole lot of pearl-clutching. The couple next door had a violent domestic dispute, you called security, NCL accommodated you with a new cabin. It could have and has no doubt already happened on every cruise line in existence. Time to move on.

What's funny is that mexican is leading the poll and guess what they took out of many ships to put in Modernos? Mexican. LOL

Last cruise on the Gem (4-29 - 5-6-17) an older couple showed up to breakfast and lunch everyday at Cagney's dressed in what looked like homemade matching Dashiki like outfits. Apparently they cruise the Gem every couple of weeks.

I was going to mention them!!! We have sailed on the Gem with them at least 3 times already. They can always be found in bar city dancing every night. Every day a new matching dashiki outfit for the two of them. You can't miss them.

And yes, I have been caught by the husband and danced with him for a quick minute.

The weirdest thing was we docked back in NY after a Gem cruise and the Breakaway happened to be there as well ( this was Feb 2014 maybe, super bowl weekend for sure). I went out on the balcony and saw a very large completely naked man reading the newspaper on his BA balcony. Apparently many people saw him that morning as he was the talk of the ship at breakfast.

I cancelled our cruises as soon as we passed the 3 month mark of my pregnancy. Not worth it. Good luck.

What a wonderful cruise. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you both. I will try as suggested.

Hello,

Does anyone have a pdf of the Hawaii excursions? The Princess website will not cooperate with me.

It's for the 15 day LA round trip. Thanks in advance.

I have been sailing gluten free on NCL since 2010. I do remember filling out the form for the access desk years ago. I haven't filled it out in so long I forgot that I used to do it.

For the last several years my PCC (who remembers without me telling her!) marks my booking gluten free. We have never had an issue. If you don'[t have a PCC call NCL or your travel agent and let them know you require a gluten free diet.

New member here and this was my first cruise. We live in upstate Ny and did not want to fly so the NCL gem seemed perfect. Getting on the ship wasn't to bad of a wait. Once on the ship forget about getting any food. We could not find a seat anywhere in the "cafeteria" ( the same food quality as a high school cafeteria). Finally after the safety meeting we had to go to we found a seat at osheenas pub on the ship. Just when I thought the garden cafes food was bad we tried osheenas food and it was equally terrible. On top of the terrible food the service was just as bad. In the 7 or 8 times we ate there not 1 time was our order correct. Also the grille at the Tahitian bar was not open for the entire cruise. Food on the ship gets a 1 outta 5 stars only because the orchid gardens food was decent. We brought our 2 yr old daughter with us on the cruise and of course why would the nice slide going to the pool work? So now on of the main things for her to enjoy is no longer working. Now back to the food. On day 6 me and my brother in law both got sick from the undercooked chicken grilled by the pool. We both threw up during the night and felt better by morning. I can say I did not gain any weight on this cruise because the food was out of my system within a few mins after every meal. After thr food sickness I could not eat anymore meat on this ship the last 4 days. The thought of it made me sick and I love eating grilled food. So I managed eating pasta and pizza the remainder of cruise. I can only hope not all cruises are like this. I will never return on a NCL ship after this cruise. We may have to drive to Baltimore and try a Royal carribean next time. I give this cruise a .5 outta 5 stars. The reason for the half star is because the ultimate beverage package was a great bargin. Also our room cleaning guy was great as well and very friendly. Ship was very clean also.

If you would have done your research before the cruise you would have known that the main dining room was open after embarkation. You would have also known about the issues with the slide. Sounds like cruising might not be for you.

Btw, I'll do the research for you and let you know you can also cruise from Bayonne NJ with Royal. No need to go all the way to Baltimore.

YES! For the heated tile loungers alone. You just melt into them.

When we cruise which is t until March 17, when dining at these restaurants, we will be able to order off the menu and not be charged?

 

Thanks for any help

 

Dominic

Yes.

Thanks all. I appreciate the info.

Hi does a 20 mo old toddler pay the full 3rd passenger fare or is there a reduced fare for young children? Thanks in advance.

Loving your review. Thanks for sharing.

Agree with DMH15. Changes are really no big deal in the grand scheme and they are communicated. Although to be fair very poorly.

IMHO Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have much better food and buffets. NCL and the other mass market lines are very similar, more alike then different. NCL is greedy and deceptive with their new fees because if you believe they are going to the staff you're nieve.

 

NCL is nothing special, just a mass market cruise line. If the price, time frame and cost work then I'l book a suite. I always check other cruises too. You cannot compare NCL to all inclusive like Azamara or Xpedition which are very different ( I've sailed on both).

And you think RCI and Celebrity are NOT mass market?!

And it's naive,btw. [emoji5]️

I think this statement may be exactly what NCL is going for. It seems to me like they are trying to drive people to the new dining plans.

Even so, sign me up! We have found the UDP to be well worth it for us. YMMV.

Obviously, from your perspective it doesn't make sense. But, for others it does. If it doesn't work for you, then don't buy it. It's something I enjoy and it doesn't take me anywhere near an hour or two to get dressed in order to go. Different strokes. Just do what works for you. :)

I agree 100%. OP, why do you have to get it? It doesn't work for you so why expend the mental energy? I don't get that.

We love the UDP, it works for us. We haven't eaten in a main dining room in 2 years and we get to have our favorite dishes on NCL, sometimes more than once. :)

I for one will be making sure we have the UDP from now on. I have no interest in a la carte dining while on a cruise and I have no intention of missing out on my favorite restaurants on NCL.

No problem here. You can always book a non-haven suite on the older ships if you are looking for perks & flexibility.

Mid ship deck 5. Look for the sideways cabins.

Ship - Gem

Deck - 14

Stateroom # - 14010

Stateroom Category – H4 Haven 2 bedroom suite

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – No obstructions, does not look directly down on the water but onto the canopy on deck 13.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -

Any specific problems with this cabin? - None

Any other comments? - Wonderful location midship