NCL Gem - Nov 20 - 27, 2010 Review

[Geri168]

I was on the Gem for Nov 20 - 27. First time with NCL.

 

The ship is very nice. We (my husband and I) loved our cabin (mini-suite on Deck 11). The stewards were great. Rooms were clean and maintained through out our trip.

 

Food was OK. We are usually not picky, but the sameness of the food each day made it a bit boring. We ate breakfast and lunch at the Garden Cafe. Dinners were at Cagneys, Teppanyaki, MDR and occasionally at the Garden Cafe. We had late night snacks at Blue Lagoon.

 

We had Ribeye at Cagneys and it was excellent. Teppanyaki was also excellent (Seafood Diablo). Both worth the extra $25 pp. MDR was OK most of the time, but nothing great. Garden Cafe had the same food from Lunch. (at least it seemed the same to me). We did have Sushi one day for lunch and that was very good. (very slow service).

 

I wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner in the MDR because they had "traditional turkey dinner" on the menu. When I went to make the reservation they were completely booked. We ate at the buffet and they had turkey, ham, mash, cranberry sauce and the works, so it was OK.

 

There was no special event for Thanksgiving (they put up some decorations).

 

The ship was very crowded. Everywhere we went there was a line and waiting. I guess it was because of Thanksgiving week and the parents didn't mind taking the kids out of school for 3 days. (the only reason we went that particular week was because it was my birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary).

 

I found the service to be good but a little slow. Some of the staff did not seem happy to be there while others put in a lot of effort and energy. I found some of the other passengers a little rude especially when it came to waiting on line for anything. They were always trying to cut in front some how.

 

Pools were freezing and the hot tubs on the adult side was just warm while the tubs on the other side (with all the kids) were very hot.

 

The shows were OK. We loved Rootberry. They are funny and talented jugglers. The crews talent show (the last night) was nice and the "Fountain" was hysterical.

 

Overall we enjoyed the cruise, but probably would not do this one again.

[zonap]

I have to concur with most of what Geri168 posted. We sailed on the Gem Thanksgiving week too and after sailing on the Dawn in 2009, were disappointed with our experience on the Gem this time.

 

It seemed that management just didn't have their act together in some cases, such as Friday night dinnertime at Cagney's. I mean, people in line with reservations (including us) were literally told by the hostess that it wasn't 5:30PM yet (when they open for dinner) when it was getting close to 5:40PM. Also, meals in many cases took way too long, supposedly due to the sheer number of people and large groups/families on board (per Filippo, the Hotel Director, during our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet).

 

The Under 2 Zoo room was nice, but the toys were quite worn and most didn't have working batteries in them (or maybe they don't work at all?).

 

We also found the MDR to be ok, and were glad we spent the extra $ to eat at the specialty restaurants most evenings. Like Geri168 said, Teppanyaki was great, as was Cagney's for dinner. Le Bistro was also quite good. Sushi and Orchid Garden were ok.

 

Oh yes, and another weird management issue - according to multiple crew members, some pretty common items were not available and wouldn't be procured until we reached Florida. These included bananas - I mean really, they couldn't get bananas in NYC???

 

All in all, like others have said, it was nice to be away on vacation, not cooking, not cleaning, etc. But will we sail w/ NCL again? Honestly, we're not sure (and we paid for a penthouse suite to get the perks and are still saying we're not sure) and accordingly, did NOT buy a future cruise reward while on board (like we did on the Dawn last year).

[Birdnutty]

Thank you for your reviews. I am booked to go on the Gem in a few months, and really hope they get their issues taken care of. I was on her in Jan 2008, and it was one of the best cruises ever (of my 28 cruises) I wonder what has changed.

 

Dining seems to be a very personal experience. It's impossible to please everyone. Fortunately, if I don't have to shop for it, prepare it, serve it, or clean up after it, I love anything.

 

The OP said she met the HD at the meet & greet. By any chance were any of your concerns brought up to him? Was the HD highly visible after your M&G experience?

 

I guess traveling during a holiday might be more problematic than during other times. I've never done it. I do know that having a whole bunch of kids, families and large groups can change the ships dynamics, and I wonder if this is a factor.

 

I am so glad they are still doing Fountains. It's my favorite crew show. I laugh so hard my sides feel like they may split. Hope they're still doing it when I get on.

[ljrfrm]

We were also on this sailing and had a fantastic time. That being said, we had quite a few unfortunate food issues, including waiting excessive times in the MDR (1 hour for breakfast to arrive for 4 of us and an additional 30 min. later until my son got french toast), almost 1.5 hours for room service (for 1 grilled cheese which turned out to be two pieces of overdone cold toast with one slice of process unmelted cheese slapped in the middle) etc. We also had a broken phone and toilet (mini-suite, deck 11) and other frustrations. That being said, we had amazing cabin stewards, had a blast each night and my son loved the kids club.

 

I was on the Gem two years ago - and it's not the same ship. Food quality, quantity and service has gone down. We are not picky people at all (never dreamed I'd be complaining about anything on this cruise) - but to wait for hours on a daily basis for food that's just average was frustrating. Despite the food issues, we still had a great time - and I wish we were still on the ship. Hopefully they'll get their act together again and there won't be ongoing issues.

[ljrfrm]

Thank you for your reviews. I am booked to go on the Gem in a few months, and really hope they get their issues taken care of. I was on her in Jan 2008, and it was one of the best cruises ever (of my 28 cruises) I wonder what has changed.

 

Dining seems to be a very personal experience. It's impossible to please everyone. Fortunately, if I don't have to shop for it, prepare it, serve it, or clean up after it, I love anything.

 

The OP said she met the HD at the meet & greet. By any chance were any of your concerns brought up to him? Was the HD highly visible after your M&G experience?

 

I guess traveling during a holiday might be more problematic than during other times. I've never done it. I do know that having a whole bunch of kids, families and large groups can change the ships dynamics, and I wonder if this is a factor.

 

I am so glad they are still doing Fountains. It's my favorite crew show. I laugh so hard my sides feel like they may split. Hope they're still doing it when I get on.

 

Just saw your response. The HD was at the Meet and Greet and I actually spent quite a long time talking to him about several specific issues. He was very responsive and I appreciate his listening to our concerns. He chalked the concerns up to the large groups traveling for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, it seems there's more to it than that. I am like you though - not picky, if I don't have to cook it I'm happy. But, to have ongoing issues day after day was draining. This isn't the same Gem we were on in 2008 - not even close.

[runnerandme]

I am so sorry to hear of these problems. I am taking my best friend on a "treat". We have looked at GEM and JEWEL. I wanted PEARL but the time frame does not work. I was leaning towards GEM and now am wondering if I should reconsider. This is going to be a pricey cruise ( booking a CV) and certainly do not want to be sorry in the choice of ship.

 

Thanks for the review.

[Geri168]

Don't get me wrong about this trip. My husband and I had a great time. We kind of chalk up the waiting and other issues due to the amount of people on the cruise. Especially the amount of children.

 

We still enjoyed Spinnaker and Bliss each night. We had plenty of good food (just a bit boring because of the sameness). And like the others stated ... I didn't have to cook, clean or prepare anything but myself everyday :).

 

It was all good :)

[tdcjerry]

I am so sorry to hear of these problems. I am taking my best friend on a "treat". We have looked at GEM and JEWEL. I wanted PEARL but the time frame does not work. I was leaning towards GEM and now am wondering if I should reconsider. This is going to be a pricey cruise ( booking a CV) and certainly do not want to be sorry in the choice of ship.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

It's not the same in the CV, you get butler service for everything and anything you need. You also get the perks, like Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, the courtyard use is the best, and if your at port you have the 15th deck. This is just a few things, we did the TA in early Nov. in the CV and loved it.

[Birdnutty]

I am so sorry to hear of these problems. I am taking my best friend on a "treat". We have looked at GEM and JEWEL. I wanted PEARL but the time frame does not work. I was leaning towards GEM and now am wondering if I should reconsider. This is going to be a pricey cruise ( booking a CV) and certainly do not want to be sorry in the choice of ship.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

I think after being on the Gem and Pearl (we loved both of them) and the Jewel also, and after hearing the reports of the problems on the Gem, I'd consider booking the Jewel instead. It's the same itinerary. I don't know if the CV situation is the same, tho. Never sailed in one.

 

However, if NCL heeds these boards and hears all the bad press the Gem is getting, they may try to fix the situation sometime in the future. So if your cruise is far enough out, it might be worth the gamble to book it, if the Gem is the ship of choice. Or, if you're really gutsy and have the available cash, you can book on both ships, and when you come closer to final payment, see how the reviews are for both ships and cancel the worse one. Keep in mind, of course, that the cancellation policies for suites is different than lower category cabins.

 

I'm locked into it now, final payment has been paid. If I'd known then what I know now, I'd probably switch to the Jewel. I'm hoping management hears the cries and does something soon.

 

And something that makes me wonder.... I have never heard a hotel director make any excuse for bad service, regardless of large parties, or any other related reason. They usually just get on the phone and fix it immediately. Sometimes before they even finish talking to you. One good reason that I would accept would be that a big percentage of the staff was sick, which is a possibility, but they probably don't mention that to anyone.

[zonap]

It's not the same in the CV, you get butler service for everything and anything you need. You also get the perks, like Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, the courtyard use is the best, and if your at port you have the 15th deck. This is just a few things, we did the TA in early Nov. in the CV and loved it.

 

The suite perks do make a difference. However, based on our experience, the service issues were more pervasive and so just having the suite perks like the butler and concierge didn't prevent us from experiencing some of the same issues others did, and also some uniquely suite perk-related service issues.

 

For example, dining at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch wasn't up to the same level as on the Dawn last year. At our last lunch on the Friday before leaving, we all got our favorite lunch entrees (which we'd ordered several times over the course of the week). Surprisingly, they were prepared differently than the rest of the week, and when we asked about that, we were told that this was how it always was. Clearly, something was amiss - not sure what, but definitely something!

[clear2cruise]

However, if NCL heeds these boards and hears all the bad press the Gem is getting, they may try to fix the situation sometime in the future.

 

I'm locked into it now, final payment has been paid. If I'd known then what I know now, I'd probably switch to the Jewel. I'm hoping management hears the cries and does something soon.

 

How long have these ships in service? Thought service should be uphill NOT downhill. This industry is fears competition, don't think there is a 2nd chance. :cool:

 

Btw, RCI has much better service. :D

[ljrfrm]

The suite perks do make a difference. However, based on our experience, the service issues were more pervasive and so just having the suite perks like the butler and concierge didn't prevent us from experiencing some of the same issues others did, and also some uniquely suite perk-related service issues.

 

For example, dining at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch wasn't up to the same level as on the Dawn last year. At our last lunch on the Friday before leaving, we all got our favorite lunch entrees (which we'd ordered several times over the course of the week). Surprisingly, they were prepared differently than the rest of the week, and when we asked about that, we were told that this was how it always was. Clearly, something was amiss - not sure what, but definitely something!

 

Interesting you mention about things being prepared differently - my kids had been eating wings at Blue Lagoon all week and the last day they ordered them and they were prepared totally different - almost a tomato type sauce on them. A bit weird.

 

Anyhoo - I will state again too......we had a fun vacation - how can you not when you're cruising. I just hope they fix these issues soon for the rest of you all.

[OceanDreaming2]

Surprisingly, they were prepared differently than the rest of the week, and when we asked about that, we were told that this was how it always was. Clearly, something was amiss - not sure what, but definitely something!

 

We had breakfast and lunch in Cagney's for our recent 3 week cruise on the Gem. When I ordered the shrimp appetizer, I was so disappointed they came drenched in oil! It was never that way on other ships, but they insisted that's the way it's always been prepared. :confused: One waiter took the time to rinse them off for me; never ordered it again.

 

Same with the grilled asparagus. On other ships it's warm; on the Gem it was cold and limp. Yucky!

[bragstarr]

You guys are scaring me. I'm going on Gem in 10 days and I don't even get breakfast and lunch in Cagney's. I hope the F&B director is at the CC Meet & Greet we have--I'm curious to hear what he has to say. Been on Dawn twice, last time 2 years ago, and NCL Crown to Bermuda before they retired her. Food and service was good. A pity if it went so downhill.

[Birdnutty]

Please write back as soon as you return. We'll be very interested in what you have to say.

 

I wonder if there will be a difference because of the nature of the cruise. TA's are very different from 7 day Bahamas, which are again different from 10 day cruises. Ours is in Feb - the 10 day variety. One would think there shouldn't be a difference, but maybe there will be. Since we don't see the Big Picture, we have no way of knowing what makes things the way they are, but there are so many factors which affect each cruise.

 

I have trouble imagining that so many things went down THAT far on the Gem - it just doesn't sound right. Not that I don't believe all the folks that write in - I do believe them.

 

It just doesn't sound like NCL to leave them that way. It's counterproductive, and very bad business.

[OceanDreaming2]

Our cruise on the Gem originated in Europe. Could be the reason why the food was different than what we've experienced in the past.

[bob brown]

The mention of differences in food preparation on the same cruise has me wondering. In a good restaurant, no matter who is cooking a particular meal, it will be done consistantly. In a poor restaurant, who the chef is may cause a significant difference. That could be the case here. Perhaps regular chef was off sick or whatever, and substitute was not up to par?

[KyleClark]

I was on the Gem 11/13-11/20. I was not happy with all the lapses in service. I expect things to take time sometimes, but not more often than not. I hope they get this straightened out as I will check these boards for updates as I am condsidering cancelling my 3 cabins for May.

[barbyj]

I just hope that People aren't still getting sick from being on the Gem. I was told about 80 % of the passengers were ill on the TA cruise.

 

I have been very ill for almost 1 month now (got sick the 6th day of a 14day TA cruise) and can barely get out of bed. My Doctor has no diagnosis, except for Bronchitis. He put me on antibiotics but they haven't helped.

[zonap]

Our cruise on the Gem originated in Europe. Could be the reason why the food was different than what we've experienced in the past.

 

Unfortunately, this was not because the Gem started in Europe I don't believe. I was on the Gem last week and the shrimp cocktail were still drenched in that oil (dripping off the tails of the shrimp onto the plate below - pale yellow pools of oil - how unappetizing) and the grilled asparagus were very cold and limp. We even had the asparagus without the mushrooms once.

[tarap2480]

You guys are scaring me. I'm going on Gem in 10 days and I don't even get breakfast and lunch in Cagney's. I hope the F&B director is at the CC Meet & Greet we have--I'm curious to hear what he has to say. Been on Dawn twice, last time 2 years ago, and NCL Crown to Bermuda before they retired her. Food and service was good. A pity if it went so downhill.

 

 

Fillippo- the hotel director's extension is 8888. I hope you won't need it. Good luck.

[Mommy40]

I was on this sailing as well. I only had been on NCL one other time and did not like it due to service issues. This time seemed so much better. I thought the ship was beautiful and even though there were 600 kids it did not seem that crowded. The areas I noticed crowding was the whole tender process and always in front of the kids club with sign in. I had teenagers with me and they never ended up going there because they didnt want to wait to sign up. What we did on thanksgiving was go to the MDR at 5:15 and got a beeper, we were seated by 6:00 (party of 5) I guess people got discouraged when they tried to make a reservation but please remember so many tables are available for non-reservation as well. We did this most nights and the beepers had on them two for one drinks while waiting woo hoo!! We did eat at Teppynaki which was very good but we have several places like that at home so it wasn't that special for me. I thought the food some nights were very good and others mediocre.

A few things that I was disappointed with was they no longer included Shirley Temples with the soda cards and I got a Pina Colada on the private Island that cost me $12- yikes! I mean I thought that was a little outrageous. Also IMO the large screen in the atrium area is such a waste. It is so beautiful and they use it to sell services. How about showing a movie on a sea day on it when you have 600 kids on board? Or maybe the Giants/Eagles game when you depart out of NYC? Just a thought. All in all I would sail NCL again, it would not be my first choice but I would. I normally choose cruises for logistical reasons and not the specific line.

[PurpleLaurie55]

I just got back from cruising on the Gem and had quite a few unsatisfactory experiences... no high chairs available, incorrect room service orders delivered (or not delivered at all :eek:), lack of activities while in port, poor food quality, bowling not free - despite the website saying it is [http://www2.ncl.com/cruise-ship/gem/overview] etc..etc... I sent in a letter to NCL today detailing our experiences. I also filled out a few comment cards for those few great crew members, and sent in a letter to NCL complimenting them as well. The cruise was okay, but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

[Birdnutty]

I'm curious to know when you sailed (was it on the same ill-fated cruise that others had problems on?). And who was the CD and HD when you were on?

[bragstarr]

By any chance, can you take a look at your daily newsletter and see what night the White Hot Party was?