Different Entertainment/Food onboard different ships? (GEM/Jewel)

[pikabu]

Hello everyone :)

 

Our first ever cruise was this may on the Jewel and we had a blast. We're now booked in January on the Gem and I'm aware that they're sister ships and therefore nearly identical (with the exception of a couple of things: climbing wall, bowling alley).

 

I had a couple of questions:

 

I am wondering if the entertainment would be the same on the Gem as on the Jewel? I know we'll be seeing Second City again on the Gem, but will it pretty much be the same act or do they differ by boat? On the Jewel, we enjoyed JP (Magician), Cirque Bijou, Fountains show... is it the same kind of lineup on Gem?

 

Also, I'm wondering if the MDR and specialty restaurant menus are the same? I never found any GEM menus online, but I still have pictures of the ones from Jewel.

 

Would appreciate any answers or insight.

Thank yoU!!

[CruisinMaterial]

The menus in the MDR and specialty restaurants will generally be the same. To the best of my knowledge neither of these two ships are trying any new menus. The Dawn for the longest time was the experiment ship.

 

As for entertainment... the main production shows will vary as will the entertainers in between onboard. Each ship has their own productions running on them. I don't know if Cirque Bijoux is aboard the Gem but I do know the production company is the Jean Ann Ryan. The Dawn has Bollywood which is different than the Jewel as well but it's also JAR. Every NCL ship I've been on has different productions. As for JP, I think he's back home in Canada at the moment after a stint in Vegas. :cool:

[Richpontone]

I understand that while they are sister ships, the Gem has a bowling alley and a rock climbing wall, the Jewel does not.

[Ship Crew Member]

but I do know the production company is the Jean Ann Ryan.

 

As of September of this year, the entire NCL fleet entertainment is managed in house as NCL Productions. They no longer use Gary Musick or Jean Ann Ryan to produce their shows.

 

The "productions shows" on the Gem are "Colorz", "Get Down Tonight", and "World Beat".

 

"Fountains" is a fleetwide skit performed by the Cruise Directors staff, it is usually part of the crew show, not its own performance.

[Tomct]

As of September of this year, the entire NCL fleet entertainment is managed in house as NCL Productions. They no longer use Gary Musick or Jean Ann Ryan to produce their shows.

 

The "productions shows" on the Gem are "Colorz", "Get Down Tonight", and "World Beat".

 

"Fountains" is a fleetwide skit performed by the Cruise Directors staff, it is usually part of the crew show, not its own performance.

 

On the Epic we thought we recognized the lead singer in the Cirque Dream show from the Jean Ann Ryan Company, and when we asked someone in the show if it was her, they also indicated that JAR was no longer involved with any of the ships. I never did get my question answered. She stood out in the early production shows on the Dawn, as she was older than all the girls who sang and danced.

[pikabu]

Great, thanks for your answers! Just trying to get a sense of what's to come ;)

[JerseyGem]

The productions shows on the Pearl (this month) were with the Jean Ann Ryan company- that was clearly announced before each show. And we didn't like any of the shows! (One- the Geisha show- was horrible!).

[arielmurphy]

My daughter is on the Gem as we speak, she is a dancer working for Gary Musick, this is her 1st month of a 6 month contract. This is one of GMP's last NCL productions as all entertainment is going in house to NCL productions. They do 3 different shows on the Gem, but only 2 shows in a week, Colorz, World Beat and Get Down Tonight. According to her the best shows are Colorz and World Beat. Also they do a "show" for White Hot Nights. I haven't been able to talk to her about the other acts on the ship since she is in Europe. Jean Ann Ryan no longer has any production shows on NCL. GMP has production shows on the Jade, Spirit and Gem.

[pikabu]

My daughter is on the Gem as we speak, she is a dancer working for Gary Musick, this is her 1st month of a 6 month contract. This is one of GMP's last NCL productions as all entertainment is going in house to NCL productions. They do 3 different shows on the Gem, but only 2 shows in a week, Colorz, World Beat and Get Down Tonight. According to her the best shows are Colorz and World Beat. Also they do a "show" for White Hot Nights. I haven't been able to talk to her about the other acts on the ship since she is in Europe. Jean Ann Ryan no longer has any production shows on NCL. GMP has production shows on the Jade, Spirit and Gem.

 

Sounds like we'll be treated to something different than on our last cruise on the Jewel. I was just kind of worried that it would be the same shows all over again. Looking forward to this, and we'll catch your daughter on our cruise in January!

[Ship Crew Member]

The productions shows on the Pearl (this month) were with the Jean Ann Ryan company- that was clearly announced before each show. And we didn't like any of the shows! (One- the Geisha show- was horrible!).

 

Sorry you didnt like it. Working for the company and specifically recently on the Pearl, I can say that Garden of the Geisha receives consistently high ratings. Maybe your tastes are different from everyone elses...

 

You are, however, correct. The shows on the Pearl WERE produced by Jean Ann Ryan, but they are all now staffed by NCL Productions. Any future casts will be staffed as such.

[CPT Trips]

Sorry you didnt like it. Working for the company and specifically recently on the Pearl, I can say that Garden of the Geisha receives consistently high ratings. Maybe your tastes are different from everyone elses...

 

You are, however, correct. The shows on the Pearl WERE produced by Jean Ann Ryan, but they are all now staffed by NCL Productions. Any future casts will be staffed as such.

 

Thanks for explaining how JAR and NCL Productions relate.

 

The gymnasts were good.

 

But canned music in cruise line production shows? And, only two singers in the troupe? Not what I expect from a main stream cruise line and was very disappointing. This was a first for us on NCL (gold Latitudes, so we have been on a few different ships) and a first for us on any line. I like singing along with the T&A.

[Birdnutty]

We've been on 17 or more NCL cruises, and I have to say that the roving entertainment became a little bit of an issue for us. We were traveling once a year at first, usually switching ships for some variation. Well, it didn't always work out that way. SOOOO many times, we'd find that the entertainment we'd seen on the last ship turned up on our current cruise as a new performer! We have seen - and I kid you not - the Bob and Sarah Trunell show no less than 5 times, on different ships. He is a fantastic entertainer, and his show is top notch. HOWEVER - the show each time, on each ship is EXACTLY the same. My hubby and I are techies ourselves, so we appreciate every show for its technical difficulty and costumes as well as the actual show, but I mean, c'mon.... The last time we just left the theater because we were discouraged that it was once again the same show. (Trunell, that is) We were ready to leave NCL because we'd seen all the entertainment, and it was all the same. Even the JAR co shows were so similar, altho I appreciate how those kids knock themselves out providing a high energy, dynamic show to an audience that is sometimes semi-comatose and under-appreciative.

 

However - I have to say that Fountains was and is my all-time favorite show, ever. I laughed till my sides split, and altho I saw it 3 times on different ships with different CD's, and numerous times on Youtube, it's a show I could watch forever. SO funny. I understand they're not doing it anymore, though, due to problems with the water on the stage. I wish they would figure out a way to keep it. It was GREAT!

 

Second City is also one of my fav's , but once again, some of the canned skits that they do are the same, from ship to ship. The improv is usually pretty fresh, but the others are not always. Except on the Epic - the entertainment was fantastic.

 

So it's hard to say whether or not the entertainment will be similar. For us, having been on almost all the NCL ships at one time or another,(usually 2 a year) the shows, with the exception of the Epic, are becoming a little too similar to each other. Not that we don't still enjoy them , but the "fresh" quality is being lost. Perhaps NCL Productions will be different. We shall see. Just MHO.

 

As to the specialty restaurants and menus, to my knowledge, they're pretty much the same, except, once again, the Epic, which has some completely different restaurants from other ships.