Gem foward balcony cabin questions

[UandMe4Ever]

 

Good Morning Cruisers,

 

We have booked the Gem for November 11 Night Eastern from NYC...We took a guarantee balcony, as the price had just dropped $110. p/p. Good deal. However, NCL immediately assigned us Balcony cabin 8518!! :mad: We've never get a forward balcony, and I'm a bit concerned about the motion, especially if the seas get a little 'rough'.

 

If anyone has any information about that location, we would greatly appreciate your honest opinions....It could be a 'make it or break it' deal. We've said NCL 3x previously and usually take a cabin near mid elevator area... Hope the Gem is nice and food/entertainment is good as well.

 

We appreciate any and all HONEST input. I look forward to your replies and thanks very much in advance.:)

 

Safe sails always.

[CarlsDad]

 

Good Morning Cruisers,

 

We have booked the Gem for November 11 Night Eastern from NYC...We took a guarantee balcony, as the price had just dropped $110. p/p. Good deal. However, NCL immediately assigned us Balcony cabin 8518!! :mad: We've never get a forward balcony, and I'm a bit concerned about the motion, especially if the seas get a little 'rough'.

 

If anyone has any information about that location, we would greatly appreciate your honest opinions....It could be a 'make it or break it' deal. We've said NCL 3x previously and usually take a cabin near mid elevator area... Hope the Gem is nice and food/entertainment is good as well.

 

We appreciate any and all HONEST input. I look forward to your replies and thanks very much in advance.:)

 

Safe sails always.

Motion hasn't been a problem for us (with the exception of 2 "wild" nights when everyone was keeping one hand on a wall while walking...kinda fun though :) We're usually at the very front of the ship...here's a thread with a photo: "Dawn Forward or Aft Penthouse?".

 

It's very subjective...we're not inclined towards motion sickness & some folks are extremely sensitive. Good luck on your decision and have a GREAT cruise :)

[UandMe4Ever]

Thanks for the quick response!! You make the forward cabins sound 'positive'...Will wait for more replies.

 

Safe sails.

[sparks1093]

We've been in forward cabins before and while there might be a little more motion it's not too bad. Most theaters are located up forward, do you have problems sitting through a show? We'll be in that area on our upcoming cruise (cabin 8530) and I'll try to make a note of any motion issues.

[UandMe4Ever]

Thanks so much for your reply. Sometimes I get a little "queasy" even mid-ship, just depends....I'm usually OK in the theatre unless it's very bad and then lots of folks feel the same way...Looking forward to more news after your cruise. I check back here.

 

Have a great cruise and safe sails :-)

[Orleanscruiser]

 

Good Morning Cruisers,

 

We have booked the Gem for November 11 Night Eastern from NYC...We took a guarantee balcony, as the price had just dropped $110. p/p. Good deal. However, NCL immediately assigned us Balcony cabin 8518!! :mad: We've never get a forward balcony, and I'm a bit concerned about the motion, especially if the seas get a little 'rough'.

 

If anyone has any information about that location, we would greatly appreciate your honest opinions....It could be a 'make it or break it' deal. We've said NCL 3x previously and usually take a cabin near mid elevator area... Hope the Gem is nice and food/entertainment is good as well.

 

We appreciate any and all HONEST input. I look forward to your replies and thanks very much in advance.:)

 

Safe sails always.

 

Hello UandMe4Ever

 

Are sure you are booked for Novmeber 11 this year. If so you may have a problem , Norwegian Gem's 9-Day Eastern Caribbean sailings from New York on November 5 and November 15, 2014 have been

cancelled as Norwegian Gem will enter a dry dock for maintenance and enhancements from November 9, 2014 to November

22, 2014 in Grand Bahama Island. Make sure you have the proper dates,

[UandMe4Ever]

Hello UandMe4Ever

 

Are sure you are booked for Novmeber 11 this year. If so you may have a problem , Norwegian Gem's 9-Day Eastern Caribbean sailings from New York on November 5 and November 15, 2014 have been

cancelled as Norwegian Gem will enter a dry dock for maintenance and enhancements from November 9, 2014 to November

22, 2014 in Grand Bahama Island. Make sure you have the proper dates,

 

 

 

Apologies...It's Oct. 27th, 11 Night Gem....We were thinking of November for a repo on RCI, but that didn't work out.....Yes I see that the Gem w/ be DD in November...

 

Thanks for paying attention!!

[Turtles06]

 

Good Morning Cruisers,

 

We have booked the Gem for November 11 Night Eastern from NYC...We took a guarantee balcony, as the price had just dropped $110. p/p. Good deal. However, NCL immediately assigned us Balcony cabin 8518!! :mad: We've never get a forward balcony, and I'm a bit concerned about the motion, especially if the seas get a little 'rough'.

 

If anyone has any information about that location, we would greatly appreciate your honest opinions....It could be a 'make it or break it' deal. We've said NCL 3x previously and usually take a cabin near mid elevator area... Hope the Gem is nice and food/entertainment is good as well.

 

We appreciate any and all HONEST input. I look forward to your replies and thanks very much in advance.:)

 

Safe sails always.

 

OP: something you may want to know about 8518 -- I'm pretty sure it is what folks call a "hull" balcony -- it's not totally open, but rather, it has a steel frame around it, if you will. (Look at some photos of the exterior of the Gem and you can see the difference between the two balcony types. Do a search here on CC and you will eventually find some actual photos taken on these balconies.) Some people don't mind these [more wind blocked], some do [not the same open feeling].

 

In terms of the location, you are very far forward as you know. When the ship is pitching (going up and down from bow to stern), that motion will be felt the most in the fore and aft. It is what it is. I enjoy it. :)

 

If either of these issues is a "deal breaker," perhaps you can switch cabins. I don't know how NCL handles guarantees once assigned, but I have read that on Celebrity, for example, once you actually get assigned a cabin on a guarantee, you can switch it for any other open one in the same category.

 

I hope you have a great trip!

Edited May 8, 2014 by Turtles06

[UandMe4Ever]

Hi and thanks for the info...I will need to find out where to see good pictures of the balconies in that front area....I'm not sure we're too happy right now. More to follow.

[sparks1093]

Here's a picture of them if it comes out large enough when you click on it. The hull balconies are the big square ones under the regular balconies. The circled one is cabin 8530, yours is six cabins forward of that.

Edited May 8, 2014 by sparks1093

[Turtles06]

Here's a picture of them if it comes out large enough when you click on it. The hull balconies are the big square ones under the regular balconies. The circled one is cabin 8530, yours is six cabins forward of that.

 

Thanks. I also think what the OP particularly needs to see is a pic taken on the balcony itself, showing the framing. I will keep looking; I know there are a few buried on this board somewhere, as I was looking into this several years ago when we had a balcony that was pretty far forward on the Jewel. In fact, were it not for CC, I wouldn't have even known these balconies existed. The deck plans don't identify them as such.

[sparks1093]

Thanks. I also think what the OP particularly needs to see is a pic taken on the balcony itself, showing the framing. I will keep looking; I know there are a few buried on this board somewhere, as I was looking into this several years ago when we had a balcony that was pretty far forward on the Jewel. In fact, were it not for CC, I wouldn't have even known these balconies existed. The deck plans don't identify them as such.

 

You mean like this::)

[Turtles06]

You mean like this::)

 

Yes, thanks, that's one of the ones I've seen before. It will help give the OP a sense of what these balconies are. I think it's a shame the deck plans don't point them out. Even worse, from my personal experience, at least as of several years ago, the PCCs don't even know precisely which cabins have these balconies, because NCL doesn't give them the info.

[CarlsDad]

OP. Here are a few photos of cabin 8518 and balcony. Hope they help.

[Turtles06]

Hi and thanks for the info...I will need to find out where to see good pictures of the balconies in that front area....I'm not sure we're too happy right now. More to follow.

 

We've never booked a guarantee, but the advice I've read on here is that, before you take the step of booking a guarantee, to know that you'd be comfortable with getting *any* cabin in that category (or a higher category), wherever located. That's the trade off for the lower price.

 

I hope everything works out for you.

[UandMe4Ever]

Thanks to you guys for the pictures and info.........Good job!!! Not going to be happy there...Will have to look for other options in different categories.....Maybe those prices will drop.

 

Have a great day and safe sails always :-)

[UandMe4Ever]

Thanks. I also think what the OP particularly needs to see is a pic taken on the balcony itself, showing the framing. I will keep looking; I know there are a few buried on this board somewhere, as I was looking into this several years ago when we had a balcony that was pretty far forward on the Jewel. In fact, were it not for CC, I wouldn't have even known these balconies existed. The deck plans don't identify them as such.

HI Turtles and Sparks!! Thanks to you both for your input and pictures, we have changed to a BA Mid-Ship Balcony:D....We knew after seeing the pix we would not be "happy campers"....Thanks ever so much. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get a little price drop on that category. It is the ONLY one that did not go down in price.

 

Safe sails always:)

Edited May 9, 2014 by UandMe4Ever

[sparks1093]

HI Turtles and Sparks!! Thanks to you both for your input and pictures, we have changed to a BA Mid-Ship Balcony:D....We knew after seeing the pix we would not be "happy campers"....Thanks ever so much. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get a little price drop on that category. It is the ONLY one that did not go down in price.

 

Safe sails always:)

 

You are welcome and glad you were able to switch. Life is too short to be unhappy with one's cabin.

[Turtles06]

HI Turtles and Sparks!! Thanks to you both for your input and pictures, we have changed to a BA Mid-Ship Balcony:D....We knew after seeing the pix we would not be "happy campers"....Thanks ever so much. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get a little price drop on that category. It is the ONLY one that did not go down in price.

 

Safe sails always:)

 

You're very welcome! I think the most useful thing about CC is being able to share information. I've learned so much on here (including about those hull balconies! :) ).

 

Very glad you now have a cabin that you like. I too am "picky" about our location, so I understand.

 

I hope you have a very wonderful cruise!

[UandMe4Ever]

Have a great cruise on the Gem, Sparks...Write and tell us all about it when you are back. Safe sails and thanks again.

[Orleanscruiser]

Apologies...It's Oct. 27th, 11 Night Gem....We were thinking of November for a repo on RCI, but that didn't work out.....Yes I see that the Gem w/ be DD in November...

 

Thanks for paying attention!!

 

Hello UandME4EVER

 

We are also booked for that cruise , you should join our M&G

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1773378