Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #51 Share Posted May 11, 2018 We're here..... IMG_0254 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0251 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0256 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #52 Share Posted May 11, 2018 For those of you who've never been to Atlantis, it's huge...and from what I understand, extremely expensive to stay there. But, no denying it's a pretty resort. IMG_0244 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0248 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0252 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0253 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #53 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) Significant only if you've been to Paradise Island docked via ship. Whenever a tour guide, or taxi driver, or any entre into or out of the island, things begin and/or end at the tall, yellow tower.... IMG_0245 by D J, on Flickr A note about shopping.....once you venture out into the "downtown" area from this tower, you'll find ALL the requisite shops.....Diamonds International, Tanzanite International (who knew Tanzanite needed its own store), Pandora, etc. Plenty of souvenir shops, too. If you've been to one Caribbean/Bahamas tourist shopping area, you've seen them all. Only the locale changes. I've been asked if you get some "deals" at these sorts of shops. Deal? I dunno. Seems to me they are all priced about the same. I know just enough about jewelry and precious stones to know what I don't know. Yeah, you'll save a little in tax, and if you only pay retail at home, you'll save a bit. But, what you give up is the ability to return something that breaks, or something that might be counterfeit (although I doubt a place like Diamonds International has counterfeit goods, some of the smaller shops might). Bottom line, regardless of the "guarantee" they give you, once you sail away, you're not going to be able to hit up the mall to return something that's not quite right. If you want a memento of the trip, or see something you can't find anywhere else (really?), then go for it. Don't expect to get much of a "deal", though. Edited May 11, 2018 by graphicguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #54 Share Posted May 11, 2018 View of the GEM while docked. She's a pretty ship. IMG_0242 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandi7240 Posted May 11, 2018 #55 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thanks for all the photos and info...much appreciated......we board tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #56 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thanks for all the photos and info...much appreciated......we board tomorrow. Great! Glad I could help. Have a wonderful time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zencruisers Posted May 11, 2018 #57 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I am enjoying your review. The pictures are awesome. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #58 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I am enjoying your review. The pictures are awesome. Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it. More to come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathubia Posted May 11, 2018 #59 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Hey there!! This is Patty from the cabin crawl !! Was great meeting and talking to you!! Sent from my SM-G930P using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #60 Share Posted May 11, 2018 IMG_0268 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #61 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Frankly, with "only" two ports made on a 7 day cruise, with one of them being Canaveral and the other being Paradise Island, there isn't much more to show from the ports. That's not a bad thing. We spent a lot of time on the water. That's a good thing in it's own right. As such, I'll post some pics that are miscellaneous and sum up my thoughts of the NCL GEM. ENTERTAINMENT I pretty much adhere to the "no photos-no videos" admonishments when seeing the ship's shows. So, I really don't have any pics of the main shows. They were good. One, the BIG BAND themed show was excellent. Coming from someone who isn't a Big Band aficionado, that's saying something. The Comedienne was good, too. But, for the most part, I spent the vast majority of my time seeing/listening to the entertainment in the Atrium or by Magnums. I stayed away from the pool bands, as those areas were usually crowded. IMG_0281 by D J, on Flickr Spent quite a bit of time at the Spinnaker Lounge. It was never crowded when I was there, which I could never understand. It gave a great, wide open view of the cruise. IMG_0262 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0263 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0273 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #62 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Back on board after touring Atlantis... IMG_0275 by D J, on Flickr IMG_0278 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #63 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Window looking into the bridge... IMG_0282 by D J, on Flickr Chandelier IMG_0286 by D J, on Flickr Spent many evenings between dinner and shows at the Atrium Bar....fun to people watch and catch whatever entertainment is going on....... IMG_0287 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #64 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Sweets available at the Atrium Bar... IMG_0290 by D J, on Flickr Crew from different departments (outside of the performance artists) showing off their chops. They were quite good.... IMG_0291 by D J, on Flickr Fond Farewells...... IMG_0298 by D J, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #65 Share Posted May 11, 2018 One final ship sunset...... IMG_0296 by D J, on Flickr Docked before FORCING ME off the ship, and one last breakfast..... IMG_0299 by D J, on Flickr AND.......back to reality... IMG_0300 by D J, on Flickr Linked this pic earlier, but Bliss on the left, GEM on the right.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 11, 2018 Author #66 Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) At the outset, I said it was a great cruise. Going through all of the pics and posting here makes me remember it even more fondly. The food (excepting Orchids restaurant, which does need some serious help, and quickly) ranged from very good (Garden Cafe Buffet) to exceptional (Cagneys, which served a surf and turf that matched the best I've had in places like Ruth's Cris). The service was probably better than any I've had on other cruise lines. Everyone smiled. Everyone greeted me when they saw many (many did it by remembering my name, which was great). Not one request was denied and always handled promptly and cheerfully. There were no lines to speak of. There was no shoulder to shoulder bumping into each other (like I had on the Allure of the Seas). The bed was comfy. The ship was extraordinarily well cared for and spotless. Certainly the people, the crew, entertainers, wait staff, cabin steward, concierge, butler, and most of all, the wonderful new friends I made with fellow CC members....all of it made for a great time. As I said, the Gem was the smallest ship I've sailed in a while. It gave me the chance to interface more with people and crew. I liked that. I came to the conclusion I'm not a rock climbing person. Nor am I a "hang out at the pool and do nothing" kind of person, either. So, maybe this is the ideal size ship for me. Still, seeing the Bliss, the curiosity is killing me. I want to be on it, racing cars, playing laser tag. There is no "right size" cruise ship for me. They all have their pluses and minuses. I found a new love in the GEM. I think I'll sail her again. Edited May 11, 2018 by graphicguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanBlueWaters Posted May 11, 2018 #67 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Nicely done!(y)(y)(y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 12, 2018 Author #68 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Nicely done!(y)(y)(y) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 12, 2018 Author #69 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Hey there!! This is Patty from the cabin crawl !! Was great meeting and talking to you!! Sent from my SM-G930P using Forums mobile app Hey Patty.....good to hear from you. Enjoyed meeting and chatting with you, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesea777 Posted May 12, 2018 #70 Share Posted May 12, 2018 There is no "right size" cruise ship for me. They all have their pluses and minuses. I found a new love in the GEM. I think I'll sail her again. I dare you to try the Spirit - the oldest and smallest. We have been on all NCL ships except for Sky, Jewel (going in Nov this year) and of course the Bliss. We liked them but we do not have a favourite ship - each ship has its own pros and cons. We went on the Spirit last month on a port intensive cruise and we loved the Spirit, so we have booked on her again for another port intensive cruise in Aug 2019. Just the right size ship for these kind of cruises. We prefer to be on bigger ships for cruises with many sea days as the ship is the destination, like the TAs. P.S. great review and photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 12, 2018 Author #71 Share Posted May 12, 2018 I dare you to try the Spirit - the oldest and smallest. We have been on all NCL ships except for Sky, Jewel (going in Nov this year) and of course the Bliss. We liked them but we do not have a favourite ship - each ship has its own pros and cons. We went on the Spirit last month on a port intensive cruise and we loved the Spirit, so we have booked on her again for another port intensive cruise in Aug 2019. Just the right size ship for these kind of cruises. We prefer to be on bigger ships for cruises with many sea days as the ship is the destination, like the TAs. P.S. great review and photos! Thanks....glad you liked it. The GEM has really realigned my thinking about ships, their age and size. I used to be one who wanted all the latest/greatest ship features at my disposal. That meant sailing the largest ships in a cruise line’s fleet. The GEM showed me that NCL does an excellent job of keeping their older ships in great shape. And, they offer something the larger ships don’t. That is, a less hectic sailing experience. There were a few passengers who seemed to be on edge whenever I ran into them (none of them CC members, BTW). Nothing seemed to please them. I never understand that. You’re on a ship, with a staff that’s willing to cater to any reasonable want, and you’re upset? No matter.....the vast, vast majority of the passengers and crew were wonderful. I saw that more on the GEM than any of the mega ships I’ve sailed. I think I’m going to look at different itineraries this next go round like Alaska and the Panama Canal. Those usually involve older and smaller ships. That said, I am quite curious about the BLISS, as I’ve read a couple of the travel logs regarding her maiden voyage and like them. Makes sense to look at smaller ships for port intensive itineraries and the mega ships for lots of sea days. That said, we were at sea 4 out of 7 days on the GEM, and I still wasn’t able to do everything on board that I wanted to do. Thanks for the recommendations! Greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabug Posted May 12, 2018 #72 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Thank you very much for your detailed review! we are excited to sail on the GEM next month!:hearteyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 13, 2018 Author #73 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Thank you very much for your detailed review! we are excited to sail on the GEM next month!:hearteyes: Thanks....glad you liked it. The GEM is a great ship. You’ll love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucinarei Posted May 13, 2018 #74 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Great review! We did this itinerary on the Gem two summers back and it was a great trip- loved every minute! Your pictures brought back all those memories- thanks! I'd also recommend the Spirit- she is fantastic! I find I like the smaller ships best, although I haven't been on the bigger ones yet. But that's about to change as we just booked the Breakaway for summer '19. I know it'll be great (it's a cruise!), but I wonder if I'll be overwhelmed. But there's no way to know unless I go! :) PS: I feel for your Delta woes- I just went to Iceland last month and they delayed my flight from Boston to JFK so much that I wouldn't have made my connection. I ended up just hopping on a train out of Providence to Penn Station and connecting to JFK from there. I made it, but it was a harrowing few hours until I walked into JFK. I did get a whopping $35 refund for my unused BOS-JFK portion, though, so thanks, Delta. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare graphicguy Posted May 13, 2018 Author #75 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Delta forgot about customer service a long time ago. I stay away from them these days as much as I can....even being a Milion Miler. Thanks for the recommendation of the Spirit. You’re the 2nd person who has recommended I sail her. That peaks my curiosity, too. I like the Breakaway a lot. I’ve sailed her twice. It’s my very favorite Mega-ship....and I’ve sailed some really nice ones. She has a different vibe than the GEM. Lots more on board to keep you busy. But, you’ll note it’s not as intimate as the GEM or the Spirit. Glad you liked the review and happy to bring back fond memories. Great review! We did this itinerary on the Gem two summers back and it was a great trip- loved every minute! Your pictures brought back all those memories- thanks! I'd also recommend the Spirit- she is fantastic! I find I like the smaller ships best, although I haven't been on the bigger ones yet. But that's about to change as we just booked the Breakaway for summer '19. I know it'll be great (it's a cruise!), but I wonder if I'll be overwhelmed. But there's no way to know unless I go! :) PS: I feel for your Delta woes- I just went to Iceland last month and they delayed my flight from Boston to JFK so much that I wouldn't have made my connection. I ended up just hopping on a train out of Providence to Penn Station and connecting to JFK from there. I made it, but it was a harrowing few hours until I walked into JFK. I did get a whopping $35 refund for my unused BOS-JFK portion, though, so thanks, Delta. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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