The not-so-suite life: Gem aft penthouse badly in need of refresh

My spouse and I have just returned from the Gem's Feb. 1 ten-day Caribbean sailing. We were in an SF aft-facing penthouse suite on Deck 10, only our second suite in 14 cruises (the first was also a Deck 10 SF aft-facing suite, on the Jade six years ago). It's a splurge for us to cruise in a suite, and we decided to book a suite this time primarily because of the length of the trip and because my spouse is about to enter a very intense period of work and we wanted this cruise to be special, and we really enjoyed that SF on the Jade.

I will preface everything I say below by recognizing that we are fortunate to have been able to sail in a suite. I do know that. Still, this suite was a real disappointment.

There had been some discussion in various threads here on CC about whether the Gem's suites were updated during the November dry dock. The answer most emphatically is NO. The Captain mentioned during a reception that the plan had been to update them, but there was so much that Frank Del Rio wanted to get done during the dry dock that there was no time to do anything in the suites but replace the carpet.

So . . . what we had was a pretty shabby suite with a new carpet. The garish green and fuschia drapes were still there, along with the garish green and fuschia throw pillows on the bed and the garish fuschia chair and ottoman. The really tacky card table and ugly chairs and old desk were still there, complete with gouges and scratches and laminate totally worn off in many places. The desk had a big hole in it; it looked as though a drawer had fallen out. We were told that's where a DVD player used to be, but since it no longer worked with the new TV, NCL removed it (but left the hole).

What seemed nice six years ago on the Jade was now dated, worn, and shabby. And then we had physical problems with the cabin as well.

When I got into bed the first night and pulled up the covers, I smelled a very strong chemical, something pungent and acrid like Ben Gay (but it wasn't Ben Gay). It was gross, and too late at night to do anything about it. (Oddly, the smell was only on one side of the bed.) The next morning, our steward replaced all the sheets and the duvet cover, but the smell was still there. The very wonderful Executive Housekeeper came up to our suite and immediately ordered a new mattress and had everything else on the bed replaced as well. That did the trick.

The next night, we were disturbed by a banging closet door, and discovered that the door closer had become detached from the inside of the door. This clearly was not the first time, as the inside of the door was full of holes where the closer had previously been attached; the holes could no longer hold the screws.

In the morning, we had to have Housekeeping repair the closer. Given all the old and unusable screw holes, they had to put a large plate inside the door to create a surface on which to attach the closer.

The next night, more banging from the closet. My spouse slept through it, but I got up to discover that the mirror (on the outside of the door where the closer had been repaired) had shattered. (Our guess is that the pounding/screwing started a crack in the glass.) It was now 2AM and there pieces of glass on the carpet, right outside the bathroom. Trying not to wake my spouse, I used a flashlight and picked up all the glass I could find, and then put a bathrobe over the affected area.

The next morning, the Excecutive Housekeeper, fast becoming our new best friend, had the mirror replaced.

By this time, we did not even want to mention the slightly fishy smell that greeted us every time we entered the suite, as we didn't smell it after a few minutes inside and my spouse was really worried that the cleaners might make things worse, since there was no clear source of the odor and we were concerned that we might be left with more chemical smells in the cabin. And we don't like to be complainers, even though none of these things were our fault.

The weather in the Caribbean was wonderful and we had a great time in the ports. We also enjoyed the larger balcony of this suite. But in terms of the "suite life" on NCL, the value just was not there for us on this cruise. The stateroom needs a major upgrade.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your cabin.

How disappointing that must have been, especially when you chose this higher end cabin in order to make your cruise special. I'm glad you did not let all this ruin the enjoyment of the rest of your holiday. Just a thought , perhaps if you shared exactly which cabin this was you could possibly save someone else from the same disappointment.

Welcome home.

Rochelle

Wow, really sorry your wonderful suite wasn't so wonderful. Thanks for sharing this disappointing experience and yet, your ability to still enjoy your cruise is a testament to your positive outlook.

Hopefully your next adventure will be a better.

Kudos to you for seeing past the negatives.

How disappointing. And as has been said above - good for you to see past the negative and get the most out of your cruise.

I can't imagine why they would update parts of the ship and not ALL of the ship, especially the suites.

Another dumbass decision of NCL, I guess.

Not to happy to hear this since I have a sf suite on deck 9. Not to complain but had to work some extra OT to splurge on this, just wanted to experience the suite life just once.

I am glad you had a nice cruise but sorry about your suite experience. I agree it is a joyful experience to splurge on a suite. Thanks you for sharing your experience as the DH and I are talking about a possible anniversary cruise 2017 and the Gem was on our list for Canada. Since we enjoy an aft suite now I am thinking we should rethink this ship.

My spouse and I have just returned from the Gem's Feb. 1 ten-day Caribbean sailing. We were in an SF aft-facing penthouse suite on Deck 10, only our second suite in 14 cruises (the first was also a Deck 10 SF aft-facing suite, on the Jade six years ago). It's a splurge for us to cruise in a suite, and we decided to book a suite this time primarily because of the length of the trip and because my spouse is about to enter a very intense period of work and we wanted this cruise to be special, and we really enjoyed that SF on the Jade.

 

I will preface everything I say below by recognizing that we are fortunate to have been able to sail in a suite. I do know that. Still, this suite was a real disappointment.

 

There had been some discussion in various threads here on CC about whether the Gem's suites were updated during the November dry dock. The answer most emphatically is NO. The Captain mentioned during a reception that the plan had been to update them, but there was so much that Frank Del Rio wanted to get done during the dry dock that there was no time to do anything in the suites but replace the carpet.

 

So . . . what we had was a pretty shabby suite with a new carpet. The garish green and fuschia drapes were still there, along with the garish green and fuschia throw pillows on the bed and the garish fuschia chair and ottoman. The really tacky card table and ugly chairs and old desk were still there, complete with gouges and scratches and laminate totally worn off in many places. The desk had a big hole in it; it looked as though a drawer had fallen out. We were told that's where a DVD player used to be, but since it no longer worked with the new TV, NCL removed it (but left the hole).

 

What seemed nice six years ago on the Jade was now dated, worn, and shabby. And then we had physical problems with the cabin as well.

 

When I got into bed the first night and pulled up the covers, I smelled a very strong chemical, something pungent and acrid like Ben Gay (but it wasn't Ben Gay). It was gross, and too late at night to do anything about it. (Oddly, the smell was only on one side of the bed.) The next morning, our steward replaced all the sheets and the duvet cover, but the smell was still there. The very wonderful Executive Housekeeper came up to our suite and immediately ordered a new mattress and had everything else on the bed replaced as well. That did the trick.

 

The next night, we were disturbed by a banging closet door, and discovered that the door closer had become detached from the inside of the door. This clearly was not the first time, as the inside of the door was full of holes where the closer had previously been attached; the holes could no longer hold the screws.

 

In the morning, we had to have Housekeeping repair the closer. Given all the old and unusable screw holes, they had to put a large plate inside the door to create a surface on which to attach the closer.

 

The next night, more banging from the closet. My spouse slept through it, but I got up to discover that the mirror (on the outside of the door where the closer had been repaired) had shattered. (Our guess is that the pounding/screwing started a crack in the glass.) It was now 2AM and there pieces of glass on the carpet, right outside the bathroom. Trying not to wake my spouse, I used a flashlight and picked up all the glass I could find, and then put a bathrobe over the affected area.

 

The next morning, the Excecutive Housekeeper, fast becoming our new best friend, had the mirror replaced.

 

By this time, we did not even want to mention the slightly fishy smell that greeted us every time we entered the suite, as we didn't smell it after a few minutes inside and my spouse was really worried that the cleaners might make things worse, since there was no clear source of the odor and we were concerned that we might be left with more chemical smells in the cabin. And we don't like to be complainers, even though none of these things were our fault.

 

The weather in the Caribbean was wonderful and we had a great time in the ports. We also enjoyed the larger balcony of this suite. But in terms of the "suite life" on NCL, the value just was not there for us on this cruise. The stateroom needs a major upgrade.

I must say that I agree with many of the things what you have described (

not the odors) having had an aft-facing suite on both the STAR and the GEM.

Other suites on these ships in other locations are certainly nicer.

That being said, they cannot compare to the view in our aft suites.

I loved both of my cruises and with the STAR going through the Panama Canal, it presented the greatest view and comfort one could ever have. In the heat of the day (over 100 degrees) while going through the Canal, we enjoyed a delicious lunch served by my Butler in my air conditioned cabin and not missing a thing while traveling through the Canal. It does not get much better than that. :)

The one thing I appreciate about the "Suite Life" on NCL are all the perks that go with it.

Hard to go back to a regular balcony cabin after my last two cruises. :D

Don

Sorry to hear that -- we would have been disappointed as well. What I find so odd is that some of these things would have been relatively quick fixes in the dry dock. I get it, they had a lot of things they wanted to get done, but things like... changing the curtains, swapping out a few pieces of furniture... that's something I believe they could have done in the suites without taking too much time.

I must say that I agree with many of the things what you have described (

not the odors) having had an aft-facing suite on both the STAR and the GEM.

Other suites on these ships in other locations are certainly nicer.

That being said, they cannot compare to the view in our aft suites.

I loved both of my cruises and with the STAR going through the Panama Canal, it presented the greatest view and comfort one could ever have. In the heat of the day (over 100 degrees) while going through the Canal, we enjoyed a delicious lunch served by my Butler in my air conditioned cabin and not missing a thing while traveling through the Canal. It does not get much better than that. :)

 

The one thing I appreciate about the "Suite Life" on NCL are all the perks that go with it.

 

Hard to go back to a regular balcony cabin after my last two cruises. :D

 

Don

I think Turtles understands about the perks, as do I, however, this seems to be a little over the top as far as issues with a SUITE stateroom. We've been fortunate to be in suites on 2 cruises, and they've been in great shape... although the Star seemed to have a bit of an issue but nothing to compare with this experience.

I applaud Turtles and her DH for getting past the negatives and enjoying their cruise.

It really is too bad they did nothing besides replace the carpet and remove that fabulous Lavazza machine and put in a Nespresso. I remember the furniture was nicked and chipped, the bathroom sink was totally cracked, etc. I was so looking forward to seeing those aft suites refurbished and looking new in every way.

So it was really a partial refurb. They skipped the little things that would make this ship more luxurious and refreshed. I suppose it was all in the name of saving $ on NCL's part. It really is disappointing for sure when you've spent the $ on a suite!

It really is too bad they did nothing besides replace the carpet and remove that fabulous Lavazza machine and put in a Nespresso. I remember the furniture was nicked and chipped, the bathroom sink was totally cracked, etc. I was so looking forward to seeing those aft suites refurbished and looking new in every way.

 

So it was really a partial refurb. They skipped the little things that would make this ship more luxurious and refreshed. I suppose it was all in the name of saving $ on NCL's part. It really is disappointing for sure when you've spent the $ on a suite!

Ah yes, not being a coffee drinker, I forgot to mention that they swapped out the Lavazza for the Nespresso. My spouse IS a coffee drinker, and she's with you: she loved the Lavazza, and is not a big Nespresso fan. So yes, put that on the list with the new carpet. :rolleyes:

And I guess I could have mentioned that one of the old arm chairs from the Great Outdoors is now on the balcony, along with a very different arm chair, and two loungers that don't match either of the arm chairs. It looks as though NCL went to a flea market and just picked up some random furniture. (BTW, the Great Outdoors itself, always one of our favorite places, did get a big makeover with new furniture and decking, and looks fabulous.)

I have high expectations from my suite cabin. I've worked for some hotel chains and have set requirements - at the top of my list is that no matter what the condition or age of the suite is that it must be ultra clean. I found that NCL were lacking in my first two suites. There were marks on the toilet wall, splashes around the bottom of the room, dust in the corners. The room was clearly being cleaned but not deep cleaned. I now put a request in that the room must be deep cleaned before I board, this has done the trick and in some cases I drop my bag off early and find a team of people in there. It's a little sad that this isn't the norm but I understand the pressures of everyone embarking and disembarking on the same day.

I think they can be forgiven for the decor of the suites and removing the DVD player - it's not a new ship and give me those on demand movies any day rather than having to call the butler for a DVD.

You pay more and expect more, but that's up to NCL to deal with. That being said, like you, always have a good time.

Pictures?

So sad to hear this about the Gem..:(

My spouse and I have just returned from the Gem's Feb. 1 ten-day Caribbean sailing. We were in an SF aft-facing penthouse suite on Deck 10, only our second suite in 14 cruises (the first was also a Deck 10 SF aft-facing suite, on the Jade six years ago). It's a splurge for us to cruise in a suite, and we decided to book a suite this time primarily because of the length of the trip and because my spouse is about to enter a very intense period of work and we wanted this cruise to be special, and we really enjoyed that SF on the Jade.

 

I will preface everything I say below by recognizing that we are fortunate to have been able to sail in a suite. I do know that. Still, this suite was a real disappointment.

 

There had been some discussion in various threads here on CC about whether the Gem's suites were updated during the November dry dock. The answer most emphatically is NO. The Captain mentioned during a reception that the plan had been to update them, but there was so much that Frank Del Rio wanted to get done during the dry dock that there was no time to do anything in the suites but replace the carpet.

 

So . . . what we had was a pretty shabby suite with a new carpet. The garish green and fuschia drapes were still there, along with the garish green and fuschia throw pillows on the bed and the garish fuschia chair and ottoman. The really tacky card table and ugly chairs and old desk were still there, complete with gouges and scratches and laminate totally worn off in many places. The desk had a big hole in it; it looked as though a drawer had fallen out. We were told that's where a DVD player used to be, but since it no longer worked with the new TV, NCL removed it (but left the hole).

 

What seemed nice six years ago on the Jade was now dated, worn, and shabby. And then we had physical problems with the cabin as well.

 

When I got into bed the first night and pulled up the covers, I smelled a very strong chemical, something pungent and acrid like Ben Gay (but it wasn't Ben Gay). It was gross, and too late at night to do anything about it. (Oddly, the smell was only on one side of the bed.) The next morning, our steward replaced all the sheets and the duvet cover, but the smell was still there. The very wonderful Executive Housekeeper came up to our suite and immediately ordered a new mattress and had everything else on the bed replaced as well. That did the trick.

 

The next night, we were disturbed by a banging closet door, and discovered that the door closer had become detached from the inside of the door. This clearly was not the first time, as the inside of the door was full of holes where the closer had previously been attached; the holes could no longer hold the screws.

 

In the morning, we had to have Housekeeping repair the closer. Given all the old and unusable screw holes, they had to put a large plate inside the door to create a surface on which to attach the closer.

 

The next night, more banging from the closet. My spouse slept through it, but I got up to discover that the mirror (on the outside of the door where the closer had been repaired) had shattered. (Our guess is that the pounding/screwing started a crack in the glass.) It was now 2AM and there pieces of glass on the carpet, right outside the bathroom. Trying not to wake my spouse, I used a flashlight and picked up all the glass I could find, and then put a bathrobe over the affected area.

 

The next morning, the Excecutive Housekeeper, fast becoming our new best friend, had the mirror replaced.

 

By this time, we did not even want to mention the slightly fishy smell that greeted us every time we entered the suite, as we didn't smell it after a few minutes inside and my spouse was really worried that the cleaners might make things worse, since there was no clear source of the odor and we were concerned that we might be left with more chemical smells in the cabin. And we don't like to be complainers, even though none of these things were our fault.

 

The weather in the Caribbean was wonderful and we had a great time in the ports. We also enjoyed the larger balcony of this suite. But in terms of the "suite life" on NCL, the value just was not there for us on this cruise. The stateroom needs a major upgrade.

Turtles, Which suite were you in on deck 10? We were in Suite 10666 on the cruise previous to yours and agree with you on the furniture and the Nespresso machine. We did not find any weird odors or smells in our Suite. Everything worked, but us like you were hoping for more than just new carpet.

When the ship first came out of drydock a lady posted from the ship about the Aft Suites. I was pretty disappointed that the furniture was not replaced and basically they did nothing. The table and chairs are a total joke. It was our 2nd time in an Aft Suite and after the first time 2 years ago we thought all that stuff should have been replaced.

Naturally one of the best things the Lavazza machine was replaced with a much cheaper and inferior Nespresso machine.

We enjoyed our cruise very much, but I can't agree with you more that those Aft Suites need to be redone.

I priced it out for next year and they are totally crazy. For 2 people, my wife and myself for the exact same cruise they want $7200 with taxes and port fees. That is the same cruise on the Gem, 10 day same route. CRAZY

All the Best

Rob

Turtles, Which suite were you in on deck 10? We were in Suite 10666 on the cruise previous to yours and agree with you on the furniture and the Nespresso machine. We did not find any weird odors or smells in our Suite. Everything worked, but us like you were hoping for more than just new carpet.

 

When the ship first came out of drydock a lady posted from the ship about the Aft Suites. I was pretty disappointed that the furniture was not replaced and basically they did nothing. The table and chairs are a total joke. It was our 2nd time in an Aft Suite and after the first time 2 years ago we thought all that stuff should have been replaced.

 

We were in 10164 (the starboard corner).

For those unfamiliar with the table and chairs, which were always pretty ugly and are now old, worn, and ugly, here they are (as well as the desk, with the hole NCL left in it, and a glimpse of the bordello-worthy curtain):

(photos by turtles06)

Unfortunately, the suite furniture and linens on my NCL cruises were not as luxourious as I would have expected. So, I focused on the positives such as a very comfy bed and extra square footage.

That hole in the drawer... Well, just no excuse for that. In any category room.

I always pack duct tape to help with doors opening and shutting. In fact, on the Sun we taped the shower door closed when not in use.

It is frustrating to see the suite prices escalate without them being top notch.

Time will tell.

That table would be great for snacks like pistachios. Keep a can under it and just slide the shells into the slot. :D

Sorry, not meaning to jump in with a pun, but couldn't help it. I would gladly stay in that cabin.

Most of the time we book OVs and insides since we spend a lot of time enjoying the other parts of the ship.

Now if cruising in the summer, we definitely would want a penthouse/OS to avoid the noise especially on sea days.

I've seen worse looking cabins, forward penthouses with the "sea door" with rust and salt creep. It's the nature of the beast.

Certainly beats painted steel bulkheads and oil coated bilge strakes one sees for months as a crewmember. ;)

Oh and the comment about duct (or duck!) tape! I recommend gaffer's tape as its adhesive comes off clean leaving no residue. Yes it's more expensive than duct tape but worth it IMO.

http://www.amazon.com/ProTapes-Pro-Premium-Gaffers-Adhesive/dp/B00J4I9GNG/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1455293015&sr=1-4&keywords=gaffer+tape

turtles06 Your pictures are worth a thousand words! :eek:

Those issues aren't just related to the Gem and aft suites. We were on the Dawn a couple years back in an OS and within one year of the prior drydock. It had new carpet and a new tv and that is all that looked like got done.

There was a 2" hole in the wall where the old tv was mounted, lots of dents/scrapes in the wood, the light switches had the sliver worn off them. The new dvd player and tv were basically plopped down where the old one was.

We still had a great time but it left the impression that the best rooms on the ship really needed some TLC. Obviously it is hard to do everything in a drydock and some things are hard to replace but the people who work in the room each day you think would put in work orders if they saw it. I did see some pictures of the same room on the Star after the recent Star drydock and it looked like they actually did some improvements to that room. So who knows - some of the info posted about the focus on improving the current ships with drydocks may actually be more extensive than in the past.

We were in 10164 (the starboard corner).

 

For those unfamiliar with the table and chairs, which were always pretty ugly and are now old, worn, and ugly, here they are (as well as the desk, with the hole NCL left in it, and a glimpse of the bordello-worthy curtain):

 

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

WOW, My wife and I had that same cabin in June 2011. What the hell did you people do to it LOL:eek::D

OP, I would be upset as well. Really sad to hear this, We were in 10666 on the Jewel in November and they had replaced the carpet but nothing else. But truthfully it did not bother me, kind of use to the gaudy 70's College Dorm look :D I would have been upset if the LaVazza Coffee maker was gone. It really saddens me to see them replacing with Nespresso. The LaVazza is great and have not heard goo things about it.

turtles06 Your pictures are worth a thousand words! :eek:

Agree with all of the above.

The conditions of the room seen in those pictures is unacceptable. It looks like the room was furnished from a thrift store on a college budget. That whole desk area below the TV is a joke.

I don't even want to think about all the naked ass that has rubbed against that curtain on the way to the bathroom. :eek:

Shame NCL... shame.

Very bummed to read this. We are in that suite beginning 2/21 and I have been looking forward to a 10th deck penthouse forever. We had one booked on the Jewel a few years ago but had to cancel when DH got pneumonia. We have had aft penthouses on the 9th deck but the 10th was my dream - with the bigger balcony and the one we visited a couple years ago was much better layed out than ours. Oh well, guess I'll just have to hang on the balcony and ignore the room issues but I sure hope the smell is gone for good. Sounds like you had some maintenance done so hopefully we won't have to. ;)

ROFL, my bad, that pic is of a chair not a table! :D

Yes definitely worn around the edges.

One of the drawer pulls is purple, did you notice that! :P

OK the missing space is pretty bad.

I have to laugh though but then again I'm definitely a glass half full kind of guy.

I try not to think about what previous cruisers do in between the sheets. Same can be said for hotel rooms. That stuff will drive you insane.

Leave the UV lights at home! :eek: