Gem in November

[maggie cruises]

Wish St. Marteen was a full day and St. Thomas:eek:

 

 

 

My guess is ncl is getting favorable docking rates to come back to these islands

 

They obviously aren't porting there so their pax can enjoy a beautiful Long Beach day that's for sure

 

That said..for st. Martin I'd suggest just going to the beach you can see from the ship. Dh wasn't feeling great on our last st Martin stop and we almost stayed on the ship but he noticed that beach and said let's go It was a perfect simp,e easy cheap beach day with loungers and umbrellas for dirt cheap

 

 

St Thomas...well no sense in stressing the timing at this port. My thoughts would be either take a 3 1/2 hour snorkel boat type tour or just buy a nice piece of larimar jewelry in the shops. Lol

 

 

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[amygutman]

Love the Gem, and we took this same cruise last year - loved the itinerary and staff so much that we booked it again for this cruise so we will be joining you!

 

There are a lot of families - Thanksgiving and / or Christmas on a cruise ship is how many families celebrate, and for us it is perfect. 1 holiday with extended family, one holiday just for us and our 9 yo son. Missing only a few days of school, and what he learns from the travels is worth so much more than a pre-holiday grammar school week.

 

The Gem is a perfect size and the layout is so much more sensible than the mega-ships - which we love as well...but the Gem is hands-down the friendliest, best run, and most efficient ship we have been on in our travels. The added bonus of holiday decorations and a fantastic holiday dinner without having to clean up is fantastic!

 

Getting on the Escape in 2.5 days - the biggest NCL ship we have been on, and looking forward to the comparison.

 

Happy travels! Amy