Just off the Gem...Happy, Happy :)

[SailBabySail]

Arrived home from a fabulous cruise on the Gem this morning. When I get my notes in order (hopefully tonight or early tomorrow) I will post a quick review. I will try to touch on stuff that I don't think others have. If I knew how to post photos I would do that but I have no clue how to post them. Stay tuned :D

[jimswims]

I am looking forward to hearing about the cruise. We go in 55 days.

[BigEd]

Looking forward to your review, we are leaving next Sunday 6/19. Still looking for a complete set of dailies.

[Hikini]

Glad you had a great time!

[Lovely_Star]

Looking forward to your review, we are leaving next Sunday 6/19. Still looking for a complete set of dailies.

 

Ditto what she said...welcome back :D

[SailBabySail]

I am looking forward to hearing about the cruise. We go in 55 days.

 

This is my first review ever and I won’t go into detail about embarkation. I will say that this cruise was wonderful. The Gem is a beautiful ship and spotless. The crew was attentive, polite and we couldn’t ask for anything more. The muster drill was the easiest we have ever had. No life jackets and we were assigned to the Magenta Restaurant. The drill was over in 5 minutes.

We did not do any of the restaurants so I cannot comment but the buffet food in the Garden Café wasn’t bad and in some cases pretty good. The food needs to be taken from the bottom or you will get lukewarm food. Inform the staff behind the counter if your food is cold. What I did have an issue with was the location of the silverware. Personally I think the silverware should accompany every dish station but it is located separately at the end of the buffet line. Coffee stations are likewise located at the end of the buffet area. It would be convenient to have a coffee/tea station as you enter the Garden Café for those who just want a cup or two as there are tables in that area. There are no trays so trying to juggle a plate of food, silverware and a cup of coffee or tea is very tricky. Don’t miss the poolside BBQs around lunch time except when in port. They were really good and different from your typical burgers and hot dogs. With that said there is no midnight buffet or snacks in the Garden Café but you can get a quick bite in the Blue Lagoon on Deck 8. It is open all night. Just a personal note here: The kitchen staff is preparing a wide variety of 3 plus meals a day plus desserts for close to 3,000 people. They do their very best and always with a smile and ready to please attitude but they are not a 5 star gourmet restaurant. I wish folks would keep an open mind and if you don't like something you can always try something else. Just please don't be overly critical as they deserve better for all they do.

In my opinion these are not to be missed: Man from Mars show in the Stardust (hopefully they will be doing this show on the next few cruises), Jeffrey on piano in Magnums Bar on Deck 6. Jeffrey is from New Orleans and is quite good. They will be doing Deal or No Deal so this is a good thing for all you game show folks. Also, not to be missed is the Chocoholic buffet on day 6 from 10-11 pm in the Garden Café on the lido deck. Be sure to bring your camera and sweet tooth.

A little about Bermuda: Transportation is excellent in Bermuda and fairly easy to navigate even for someone who has never been there before. A combo ferry/bus ticket for 2 people for 2 days was only $40 which you can use multiple times. There is plenty to do at the Dockyard which is an easy walk from the ship. The Clock Tower Mall has decent souvenirs at reasonable prices. At the Dockyard you will also find the Glassworks Gallery and Rum Cake (free samples) Factory, The Bermuda Clay Works and, there is also a Pharmacy which carries your typical drug store stuff but some inexpensive souvenirs. Stop by the Frog and Onion for a rum swizzel. It is a nice place and they has a good guitarist and you can go to Snorkel Park which is there too and if you go at night there is a bar, Hammerheads I believe, which has a cover charge of $10 and you will be patted down before going inside. Hamilton is okay but there is not too much there. You can take a horse and buggy ride for $50 for a half hour or you can catch the bus to Horseshoe Bay Beach which has a concession stand and restrooms. We did a lot of walking around Hamilton and found the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity which is a beautiful church and a historic site. Unfortunately, we missed the last ferry to St. George and did not go making it a necessity to take another cruise to Bermuda We did a relaxed disembarkation and was off the ship by 9:30 am which was fine for us. All in all it was a happy, happy cruise as the staff would say.

 

PS: I do have the Dailies so if you need to know something special I can look it up for you. Bon Voyage to all you future cruisers :D

 

[SailBabySail]

One more thing. A lot of people want to rent mopeds but if you are not experienced you are putting yourself and others in danger. We saw two moped accidents. Both were caused by cruise ship passengers who rented and did not know how to navigate the road where driving is on the left. If you rent please be aware of your own safety and that of others.

[SailBabySail]

Looking forward to your review, we are leaving next Sunday 6/19. Still looking for a complete set of dailies.

 

I do have the dailies...what is it you want to know?

[andychris]

thank you so much for your review

sounds like you had a great time

[Richpontone]

Took the Bermuda Gem cruise from 6/5/2011 to 6/12 and can honestly say that Sailbabysail's cruise review was right on the mark. I could not say it any better.

Sinan, the cruise director, is the hardest working CD in the fleet

[sparks1093]

Thanks for the review, we are hoping to sail the Gem next year on the Bahamas itinerary.

[camz]

Nice review. I have been to Bermuda 3x and believe it is the most beautiful place on earth. I also have been on the Gem, for a New Year's Eve cruise, and the ship is beautiful. Welcome Back to Reality! :)

[barbienj]

I will just add that the cruise was great, the ship was beautiful. The only down side for us was the service in the main dining rooms was terrible. I think because they understaff it. We were rarely asked if we wanted to get a drink and getting tea and coffee was a struggle (one night we weren't even asked). Other than that, great ship, great entertainment.

[Chloe's mom]

I was also on the June 5 sailing. The Gem itself is a beautiful ship, and well made. No creaking noises like I've experienced on other ships. The seas were absolutely calm, both to and from Bermuda.

The staff is absolutely amazing. A number of senior staff were at the Meet and Greet, and throughout the rest of the cruise they greeted us by name, something I found extraordinary considering the number of people they meet each week. They also made it a point to greet passengers as they returned to the ship each day while in port.

The entertainment was the best I've experienced on the 20-some cruises I've taken. The comedian, Jeff, was extremely clever; rather than using set written jokes, he used information from passengers and then made funny comments based on it. I thought he was actually better than the Second City improv. And the Man in the Moon acrobatics show was quite astounding.

My major negative was the food, which was hit or miss. Nothing I had in the "free" venues was something one would rave about. I don't mean to suggest that the food was inedible or that I couldn't find good things to eat, it was just not special (although there were some terrific dishes in Le Bistro). But if having terrific food experiences on a cruise is important to the passenger, NCL might not be the right line for you. I also don't understand why, on sea days, Grand Pacific, the only sit-down restaurant other than Blue Lagoon, offered the same menu for four days. And I think it's a problem that on sea days the only sit-down restaurant that is available for lunch is Blue Lagoon. There are some people who have difficulty using the buffet, and the limited choices of Blue Lagoon make it a problem if that is the only sit-down venue for three days in a row.

Our sailing had a varied demographic, from extended families with grandparents, parents and young children, to 20 somethings and honeymooners, to middle aged and older passengers. I thought it was very nice to have the variety, and indicates that cruisers of all ages will find congenial people to hang out with on the Bermuda sailings. There were some of the younger crowd who did a lot of drinking, and at the first show a couple in particular were very disruptive, so that I was concerned that it was going to affect the cruise. But Sinan the cruise director and Jeff the comedian did a great job handling them, and except for seeing them doing some drinking games at the pool or being loud in the dining room, they weren't a problem. I should add that because they weren't interested in dressing well, they didn't eat in the Grand Pacific, which requires collared shirts and long pants, so if you find this type of crowd you can avoid them by eating in Grand Pacific in the evening.

There's some other stuff where NCL lacks amenities that I've found on other mass market lines. For example, there's no daily newspaper printout available, no hair conditioner or face soap in the cabin bathrooms unless you're in a suite, no free movie channel on the TV, no non-drinking enrichment lectures, no chocolates with turn-down service, and no movies shown in a theater on sea days. None of these is a big deal, and certainly wouldn't prevent me from sailing NCL again. In fact, I think the benefits of freestyle dining far outweigh any of these negatives.

The one negative that would at least give me pause about sailing with NCL again (and I've sailed with them 4 times), is the smoking policy. I'm becoming more affected by cigarette smoke, and was bothered by the smell coming from other cabins as I walked down the hall. Even walking through the casino bothered me, and I soon learned to walk up or down a flight just to avoid the casino. Needless to say, I wasn't able to do any gambling.

I'm afraid that my listing these negatives makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the cruise, and that is certainly not correct. I really had a great time, and would not hesitate to recommend the cruise to others, as long as they were aware of what they were getting.

[cookmg40]

Can you tell me if the port or starboard side was facing the dockyard? I am making final payment today and may change rooms. Thanks for any help.

[SailBabySail]

Took the Bermuda Gem cruise from 6/5/2011 to 6/12 and can honestly say that Sailbabysail's cruise review was right on the mark. I could not say it any better.

Sinan, the cruise director, is the hardest working CD in the fleet

 

Thank you Richpontone and for reminding me of my negligence in mentioning Sinan. That man never sleeps :D He is the most insanely crazy CD I have ever seen and I mean that in a good way. I took a photo of him with his superman costume on but sad to say I missed getting him in that wig. He sang to us with every group disembark too....Sinan is a real gem ;)

[SailBabySail]

Can you tell me if the port or starboard side was facing the dockyard? I am making final payment today and may change rooms. Thanks for any help.

 

Starboard side faces the dockyard. Hope that helps.

[sparks1093]

I do have the dailies...what is it you want to know?

 

Okay, thought of a question for the dailies- do they have a wine tasting and if so how much is it and when do they offer it? Thanks!

[pdteneyck]

Saying hello! My wife and i are sailing on the Gem Aug 7th also!

[My Lady Sydney]

Okay I asked this on another thread--so forgive the repetition--but could u look at the dailies and tell me which nights are dress up--we will be on the Gem in Sept.

Thanks

[GSLMOM]

Took the Bermuda Gem cruise from 6/5/2011 to 6/12 and can honestly say that Sailbabysail's cruise review was right on the mark. I could not say it any better.

Sinan, the cruise director, is the hardest working CD in the fleet

 

 

I've said this before, but can't help myself, WE LOVE SINAN!!!!

[LocalTracks]

My major negative was the food' date=' which was hit or miss. Nothing I had in the "free" venues was something one would rave about. I don't mean to suggest that the food was inedible or that I couldn't find good things to eat, it was just not special (although there were some terrific dishes in Le Bistro). But if having terrific food experiences on a cruise is important to the passenger, NCL might not be the right line for you. I also don't understand why, on sea days, Grand Pacific, the only sit-down restaurant other than Blue Lagoon, offered the same menu for four days. And I think it's a problem that on sea days the only sit-down restaurant that is available for lunch is Blue Lagoon. There are some people who have difficulty using the buffet, and the limited choices of Blue Lagoon make it a problem if that is the only sit-down venue for three days in a row.

[/quote']

 

I found the food in the MDR and buffet to be quite good. The lobster and snapper dish, the roast loin, and the mahi-mahi were, in fact, excellent!

 

And I have to point out a few errors in your review - There IS another free main dining room in addition to the Grand Pacific - the Magenta! We found that the service was overall much better there - perhaps because it is a bit smaller.

 

On sea days either the Grand Pacific or the Magenta IS AVAILABLE for lunch. I'm not sure what time you checked, but I believe the lunch hours were approx. 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.

 

Also, the lunch and dinner menus CHANGE EVERY DAY! Were you looking only at the "always available" section?

[LocalTracks]

I found the food in the MDR and buffet to be quite good. The lobster and snapper dish, the roast loin, and the mahi-mahi were, in fact, excellent!

 

And I have to point out a few errors in your review - There IS another free main dining room in addition to the Grand Pacific - the Magenta! We found that the service was overall much better there - perhaps because it is a bit smaller.

 

On sea days either the Grand Pacific or the Magenta IS AVAILABLE for lunch. I'm not sure what time you checked, but I believe the lunch hours were approx. 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.

 

Also, the lunch and dinner menus CHANGE EVERY DAY! Were you looking only at the "always available" section?

 

Here's a link to the Freestyle Dailies from a Gem sailing in May. You can check the breakfast, lunch, and dinner times on the last page for each day:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1420453&page=4

[LocalTracks]

Starboard side faces the dockyard. Hope that helps.

 

 

Not always. It actually depends on a number of circumstances. On the June 12 sailing, port side faced the Dockyard.

[jimswims]

Saying hello! My wife and i are sailing on the Gem Aug 7th also!

 

Come over to the roll call if you have not done so already. There are a few of us on the 8/7 sailing.