"Downgrading" to Gem after nothing but away ships, what are the cons?

[perditax]

Still have a couple of unused Cruisenext certs and have been trying to decide what to do with them. I was looking at the Escape out of NY. I've been on Escape many times. I've never been on the older ships. Gem seems to have decent reviews. I'm just curious about the main differences one might notice, in terms of crowds, service, food, ship cleanliness, adequate staffing levels, etc. For example, I like that the buffet is open all day on the away ships, versus limited/set hours on other lines (like RC). Does Gem have that? The thermal suite also looks comparatively tiny, I assume the passes don't cost as much?

Edited June 3, 2019 by perditax

[Vyhanek]

I've been on both the Escape and Gem and I much prefer the Gem.   A bigger ship doesn't mean better.    

 

On the Away ships, NCL learned how much more profit they can make by squeezing a lot more people on the ships.   You notice this everywhere.   Especially on the ships decks but even in the theater, lounges, etc.  There's just always a lot more people everywhere on the Away ships.   

 

The decor is the same.   The Gem doesn't look older or feel older.   Its well decorated, just noticeably more room for everyone.   When a piano player is in the Atrium, you probably could even get a seat on the Gem, on the Away ships you're standing 3 or 4 people deep to listen to the entertainment.     I love the Spinikar Lounge on the Gem, its tastefully decorated and during the day makes a great place for the view or to take a book and read, and at night there's always something going on and the thing is, you can always go in and get a seat.    On the Escape, I never felt like there was anything like that.   No where to take your book and go sit.    There is no extra space like that on the Escape.   Any extra space is made into a cabin, more people, more revenue, less public space.    

 

The food is the same.   The restaurants are the same with the exception of Food Republic on the Escape which is A la carte.    I love that restaurant but it isn't a part of any dining program, lots of people never get there for that reason.   But as far as Cagney's, Le Bistro, La Cucina, sushi bar, Teppenaki, main dining room, it's all the same.

 

As far as comparing cabin size, you could find that out pretty easily.   

 

The Gem doesn't have the water slides or the ropes course but once you've done that a time or two, most people don't need to do that again.    I did like the outdoor dining from the Specialty restaurants on the Escape but it was so hard to get an outdoor table reservation unless you're booked in the Haven anyways.   

 

The bigger ships, the Away ships, mean bigger and more people, a lot more people comparitively.   You'll notice the difference if you get a chance to get back to a smaller ship.    

Edited June 3, 2019 by Vyhanek

[perditax]

2 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

I've been on both the Escape and Gem and I much prefer the Gem.   A bigger ship doesn't mean better.    

 

On the Away ships, NCL learned how much more profit they can make by squeezing a lot more people on the ships.   You notice this everywhere.   Especially on the ships decks but even in the theater, lounges, etc.

 

The decor is the same.   The Gem doesn't look older or feel older.   Its well decorated, just noticeably more room for everyone.   When a piano player is in the Atrium, you probably could even get a seat on the Gem, on the Away ships you're standing 3 or 4 people deep to listen to the entertainment.

 

The food is the same.   The restaurants are the same with the exception of Food Republic on the Escape which is A la carte.    I love that restaurant but it isn't a part of any dining program, lots of people never get there for that reason.   But as far as Cagney's, Le Bistro, La Cucina, sushi bar, Teppenaki, main dining room, it's all the same.

 

As far as comparing cabin size, you could find that out pretty easily.   

 

The Gem doesn't have the water slides or the ropes course but once you've done that a time or two, most people don't need to do that again.    I did like the outdoor dining from the Specialty restaurants on the Escape but it was so hard to get an outdoor table reservation unless you're booked in the Haven anyways.   

 

The bigger ships, the Away ships, mean bigger and more people, a lot more people comparitively.   You'll notice the difference if you get a chance to get back to a smaller ship.    

 

Thanks, I really appreciate your input. 

[mjkacmom]

The Gem also has the Great Outdoors with outdoor seating and a variety of food options that they change up throughout the day. No reservations for shows, you can show up right before they start and get a seat. I prefer it over the Breakaway.

[dznymom]

Vyhanek is spot on.  I've done Breakaway, Getaway, and Epic and I much prefer the Jewel class for a more relaxing personal experience.  They don't have all the bells and whistles, but for us, we don't partake of most of them anyway.  The only things I miss on the Jewel class are Howling at the Moon (but honestly that has been hit or miss on some ships anyway) and the Waterfront.   

 

Now, if you have have teenagers/young adults, or are more of a party type person, you might prefer the bigger ships with the hustle and bustle and crowds.  For me, I'll be back on the Gem this month, and I can hardly wait!

[dongordon]

29 minutes ago, Vyhanek said:

I've been on both the Escape and Gem and I much prefer the Gem.   A bigger ship doesn't mean better.    

 

On the Away ships, NCL learned how much more profit they can make by squeezing a lot more people on the ships.   You notice this everywhere.   Especially on the ships decks but even in the theater, lounges, etc.  There's just always a lot more people everywhere on the Away ships.   

 

The decor is the same.   The Gem doesn't look older or feel older.   Its well decorated, just noticeably more room for everyone.   When a piano player is in the Atrium, you probably could even get a seat on the Gem, on the Away ships you're standing 3 or 4 people deep to listen to the entertainment.     I love the Spinikar Lounge on the Gem, its tastefully decorated and during the day makes a great place for the view or to take a book and read, and at night there's always something going on and the thing is, you can always go in and get a seat.    On the Escape, I never felt like there was anything like that.   No where to take your book and go sit.    There is no extra space like that on the Escape.   Any extra space is made into a cabin, more people, more revenue, less public space.    

 

The food is the same.   The restaurants are the same with the exception of Food Republic on the Escape which is A la carte.    I love that restaurant but it isn't a part of any dining program, lots of people never get there for that reason.   But as far as Cagney's, Le Bistro, La Cucina, sushi bar, Teppenaki, main dining room, it's all the same.

 

As far as comparing cabin size, you could find that out pretty easily.   

 

The Gem doesn't have the water slides or the ropes course but once you've done that a time or two, most people don't need to do that again.    I did like the outdoor dining from the Specialty restaurants on the Escape but it was so hard to get an outdoor table reservation unless you're booked in the Haven anyways.   

 

The bigger ships, the Away ships, mean bigger and more people, a lot more people comparitively.   You'll notice the difference if you get a chance to get back to a smaller ship.    

 

9 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

The Gem also has the Great Outdoors with outdoor seating and a variety of food options that they change up throughout the day. No reservations for shows, you can show up right before they start and get a seat. I prefer it over the Breakaway.

Both of you nailed it in your comparison.  The Spinnaker Lounge and the Great Outdoors are the best!!

After doing my annual 14 day winter cruise out of NYC for the last several years on the Breakaway, Escape and 2020 -  Bliss, in the Winter of 2021 I'm doing the NYC 14 day cruise on the GEM....one of my favorite cruise ships. 

 

Don  

[Sand and Seas]

It's been a few years since we were on the Gem, but I remember loving the Great Outdoors and Spinnaker.

Do they still have the late afternoon light buffet at the Great Outdoors? 

I recall finding things like quiche, salads and scones that I loved. 

 

Looking forward to our Gem cruise to Bermuda in a couple of months😎 

[mking8288]

Ditto on what's been said, and in sum, we - after nearly 20 years sailing with NCL mostly but also on other lines - still, prefer the mid-sized ships and we just got off the Dawn last month (missed the Spinnaker Lounge on Deck 13 Fwd ... on the Gem) ... small ships were the Crown & the Sea, and we had no problems on those. 

 

Key elements for us - better staffing ratio as a whole, less over-crowding on sea days epspecially when all the Outdoors are on full lockdown mode, and, ding-ding-ding, minimal needs to make reservations everywhere, still have to queue up at the back of the line to make it to the host/ess podium, to get the cards swiped & table assigned (to keep track of who ate how many times where ??  still, when lobster tails are no longer served, duh)   The Stardust (main) theater is a better looking one, unlike the *Away/Plus ones that resembled more of an auditorium. 

 

It has a simplistic layout & design and the Dawn has a "not-so-secret" hideaway lounge above the atrium/O'Sheehan's - a quiet oasis that replaced the Spinnaker observation lounge as our "staging" & hangout - the iCafe was there 10 years ago & got booted out (hush.)  

 

The atrium/lobby area are put to good use these days and packed full of folks on sea days, just like the *Away/+ ships but we saw that the new Bliss Lounge are put to good use for a variety of shows, presentations & events on the Dawn.  

 

Embarkation, disembarkation & tendering are easier on the mid-size ships, just pure numbers.  It's not like boarding an A380 with 4 jetbridges (gangways) - limited to one or two at most ... here in NYC, at least. 

 

Millenials and families with teens will probably prefer the mega ships for the extra bells & whistles, when it is open & there isn't a long line for the rope course and to walk the planks or the water slides - it isn't always open, especially when seas/sailing conditions are deemed not safe.  Meals on the menu are the same; and, services & the pace are identical, if not faster on the mid-size ships ... think about the staffing ratio, even if there are cutbacks & there is a shortage with crew's vacation or rotation.  

 

The area that's probably a plus on the *Away/+ class ships is the full Haven experience - in terms of the "exclusive" dining, lounge, pool & sundeck space ... otherwise, you still have access to the butler & concierge's services plus the room steward.  

 

As for premium dining onboard, it's not important to us at all - fortunate & luxury/advantage of living in NY with world class & Michelin-rated dining options at our disposal ... just picked up a pound of tiger prawn at $10 at the grocery.  Bigger ships will yield more revenue for stockholder's ROI ... after Frank & Andy get their cuts.  

Edited June 3, 2019 by mking8288

[graphicguy]

I enjoy both the Away and Escape.  They tended to have the better (and more) entertainment.  That said, I'm not a rock wall climber, nor a water slide "slider".  So, those activities don't appeal to me.  I would like to try the laser tag and/or race car driving.  But, you have to hit up the Bliss for those activities.

 

I sailed the GEM on the same sailing as @mking8288 .  Loved it.  Got to know my fellow passengers and ship crew much better.  It was also a much more "laid back" cruise, too.  Spinnaker and the Great Outdoors were highlights most days.  I do prefer "The WaterFront" on the mega-NCL ships, though.

 

Overall, a different vibe on the GEM than the other ships.  Not better or worse, just different.

 

The ship was impeccably maintained, and as clean as some newer ships I've been on.

 

Another benefit, at least at the time, I was able to score an Aft Suite for the cost of a regular Balcony cabin.  That was quite nice.

[perditax]

I appreciate (and have read) all the replies, thanks!

[njhorseman]

Add us to the list of people who prefer the Gem to the big ships. We like it well enough that we spent about a month and a half on the Gem this past winter, and will be spending  three months on her this coming winter. We wouldn't think of doing that on the Escape, which we find barely tolerable because of the size and crowding.

[Greenpea2]

3 hours ago, perditax said:

Still have a couple of unused Cruisenext certs and have been trying to decide what to do with them. I was looking at the Escape out of NY. I've been on Escape many times. I've never been on the older ships. Gem seems to have decent reviews. I'm just curious about the main differences one might notice, in terms of crowds, service, food, ship cleanliness, adequate staffing levels, etc. For example, I like that the buffet is open all day on the away ships, versus limited/set hours on other lines (like RC). Does Gem have that? The thermal suite also looks comparatively tiny, I assume the passes don't cost as much?

In my opinion, there are no cons. I love the Gem. That’s my favorite ship, much as I enjoy the larger ones. 

[kochleffel]

The Gem last fall had the best cabin and dining stewards of any I've encountered on NCL, and also the best solo host. Crews rotate and the crew could be mostly different by now, but I thought that it showed better management than on some of the other ships.

 

Much, much less crowding for everything, and no reservations needed or taken for shows. One drawback was that the more formal dining room, Grand Pacific, had more tables for six than were needed and not enough for two or four, given the passenger breakdown of a cruise when school was in session, so parties of 1-3 were asked to share tables at breakfast. I had no problems with that.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

I have been on the Escape and the Gem (will and on the Dawn and the Star and the Jade, but that is neither here nor there).

 

Bars:  I love all the extra places to stop and have a drink on the Escape:  the wine bar, the out door 5 O'clock somewhere, the huge Atrium and O'Sheeans bars, and my favorite, the Mojito Bar.   On the Gem, we drank at the Atrium and O'Sheeans, but the bars were much smaller and a little less social...and I missed the different feeling of the different bars on the Escape.

 

Entertainment: I loved Howlin' at the Moon on the Escape, and missed it on the Gem.  But I love the more traditional set up of the entertainment in the main theater on the Gem more than the Escape:  same show, twice a night, show up if you feel like when you feel like it.   I don't like how on the Escape I had two chances to see a certain show and if that time didn't work for me too bad.

 

Common spaces:  I loved the Great Outdoors and relaxing in a sofa and people watching, but the Gem's Spinnaker lounge is a much better choice when the weather is icky.   Only downside is when they use the space for Bingo or Line Dancing Lessons it gets a little hard to just read.

 

Dining:  not a big difference here except there are a few more choices on the Escape if you want to pay for food.  In terms of food included with your fare, it is pretty much the same.  On a warm weather cruise, the Great Outdoors beats any equivalent space on the Escape.

 

I don't know if it was time of year/destination, but the late night entertainment scene on my Gem cruise (Canada New England) vs. my Escape cruises (Carribean out of Miami) was much more sedate.  I missed my Spice H2O dance parties.  However, one of my Escape cruises was much more active that way than the other, so I don't know if that is the ship or the itinerary/crowd/cruise director.

 

Staff:  on the Gem, probably because of the smaller size, more staff seemed to know who we were faster.  Bar tenders remembering our orders and our names, stewards (not just ours, but the ones we walked by in the hall) remembering my mom and asking about her if she wasn't with us.

 

Misc:  the bridge observation lounge on the Gem is a great little free to do thing you should take in that the Escape doesn't have.   The Gem has recently been upgraded so that most of the ship feels very modern and has a nice color pallet.  Our room (an aft facing suite) had new furniture, but the carpet was still bright green and fuchsia.   

 

I was worried about going to the Gem after two cruises on the Escape, but the things Norwegian does well they do well on both ships.   It was good enough that our next cruise is on the Gem, too.

 

 

 

 

[zqvol]

3 hours ago, Vyhanek said:

I've been on both the Escape and Gem and I much prefer the Gem.   A bigger ship doesn't mean better.    

 

On the Away ships, NCL learned how much more profit they can make by squeezing a lot more people on the ships.   You notice this everywhere.   Especially on the ships decks but even in the theater, lounges, etc.  There's just always a lot more people everywhere on the Away ships.   

 

The decor is the same.   The Gem doesn't look older or feel older.   Its well decorated, just noticeably more room for everyone.   When a piano player is in the Atrium, you probably could even get a seat on the Gem, on the Away ships you're standing 3 or 4 people deep to listen to the entertainment.     I love the Spinikar Lounge on the Gem, its tastefully decorated and during the day makes a great place for the view or to take a book and read, and at night there's always something going on and the thing is, you can always go in and get a seat.    On the Escape, I never felt like there was anything like that.   No where to take your book and go sit.    There is no extra space like that on the Escape.   Any extra space is made into a cabin, more people, more revenue, less public space.    

 

The food is the same.   The restaurants are the same with the exception of Food Republic on the Escape which is A la carte.    I love that restaurant but it isn't a part of any dining program, lots of people never get there for that reason.   But as far as Cagney's, Le Bistro, La Cucina, sushi bar, Teppenaki, main dining room, it's all the same.

 

As far as comparing cabin size, you could find that out pretty easily.   

 

The Gem doesn't have the water slides or the ropes course but once you've done that a time or two, most people don't need to do that again.    I did like the outdoor dining from the Specialty restaurants on the Escape but it was so hard to get an outdoor table reservation unless you're booked in the Haven anyways.   

 

The bigger ships, the Away ships, mean bigger and more people, a lot more people comparitively.   You'll notice the difference if you get a chance to get back to a smaller ship.    

 

I haven't been on the Gem, but the above is very accurate for the Dawn and the Pearl and the Getaway.

[Turtles06]

We've sailed three times on the Gem (fourth coming up next year) as well as twice on the Jewel and once on the Jade.  We really like these ships -- they are a comfortable size, with some terrific public spaces, including the Spinnaker Lounge and the Great Outdoors, as well as a promenade deck.   I can't compare them with NCL's mega-ships, because we haven't sailed on them and really don't have a huge desire to.  (Doesn't mean we won't some day, but we've sailed on Anthem of the Seas, and we prefer ships that are just more "connected" to the water than are the newer mega-ships).

[amygutman]

I echo the above comments - Though we have loved all of our NCL cruises (Breakaway twice, Escape once, Gem four times, Dawn coming up in 2 weeks), the Gem is our favorite ship.

 

Smaller = less crowded, more freestyle, friendlier and more "present" staff. The great outdoors is a fantastic place to eat in good weather, and the Spinnaker lounge is, hands down, the best place to observe the world and just relax - wonderful venue for events as well. 

 

Can't say it any better than those commenting above, other than to say as the mom of a 10 year old who has been on the gem for the past 4 years - he loves it, loves the activities, and loves not being 1 of a thousand kids on a ship. 

 

Amy

[perditax]

OP here. I am really grateful for everyone’s comments, but I’m running into a few sticking points, one of which I touched on in the original post.

 

I travel solo, and I really enjoy my solitude on these trips and being able to follow my own schedule. That makes the all-day buffet on the away classes very appealing to me. It sounds like Gem closes down the buffet for a few hours before meal times.

 

I usually avoid MDRs because they take so long, but it also sounds like the dining rooms on Gem don’t have a lot of two tops, and thus solo passengers will often be asked to share a table. (Again, have a high stress job, and cruises are a way for me to be alone with my own thoughts for a precious few days.)

 

Anyway, still mulling it over (and roundtrip airfare to Boston is much cheaper for me right now that NY), thanks again.

[don't-use-real-name]

4 hours ago, perditax said:

OP here. I am really grateful for everyone’s comments, but I’m running into a few sticking points, one of which I touched on in the original post.

 

I travel solo, and I really enjoy my solitude on these trips and being able to follow my own schedule. That makes the all-day buffet on the away classes very appealing to me. It sounds like Gem closes down the buffet for a few hours before meal times.

 

I usually avoid MDRs because they take so long, but it also sounds like the dining rooms on Gem don’t have a lot of two tops, and thus solo passengers will often be asked to share a table. (Again, have a high stress job, and cruises are a way for me to be alone with my own thoughts for a precious few days.)

 

Anyway, still mulling it over (and roundtrip airfare to Boston is much cheaper for me right now that NY), thanks again.

 

Regarding the Buffet closing down for a few hours - if your ship has an O'Sheehan's that is open 24/7 !

 

And the airfare maybe competitive but getting to and from the airport to the pier Boston wins without an effort - the airport

is just 20 minutes away - tunnel under the back bay ! Even Amtrak metro service is close by for an alternative to flying.

 

[njhorseman]

8 hours ago, perditax said:

That makes the all-day buffet on the away classes very appealing to me. It sounds like Gem closes down the buffet for a few hours before meal times.

 

8 hours ago, perditax said:

it also sounds like the dining rooms on Gem don’t have a lot of two tops, and thus solo passengers will often be asked to share a table.

Your impressions above are mistaken.

 

When you include the hours that the Great Outdoors is open on the Gem the buffet is open just as many hours as on the large ships. If the prevents the Great Outdoors from being open they will open part of the indoor buffet to compensate.

 

We never have had to share a table on the Gem unless we wished to. There are plenty of two tops on the Gem.

[njhorseman]

11 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

If the prevents

I meant to say  "If the weather prevents"

[AlexandNessa]

While I love the Gem, I hope your idea of entertainment is singing along to Sweet Caroline. There are usually 3 singing acts that play around the ship, and they all love that $&! #? song. Been on the Gem 3x and can't get away from it there. 

 

Night time is definitely more sedate. Entertainment more limited. O'Sheehan's has like 5 bar stools so not a really fun place to hang out like on the larger ships. 

 

What's better? Poolside BBQs and the Great Outdoors. 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

We never have had to share a table on the Gem unless we wished to. There are plenty of two tops on the Gem.

 

Same here.  Never had to share a table on the Gem, nor on any of her sister ships.

[jaja]

9 hours ago, perditax said:

OP here. I am really grateful for everyone’s comments, but I’m running into a few sticking points, one of which I touched on in the original post.

 

I travel solo, and I really enjoy my solitude on these trips and being able to follow my own schedule. That makes the all-day buffet on the away classes very appealing to me. It sounds like Gem closes down the buffet for a few hours before meal times.

 

I usually avoid MDRs because they take so long, but it also sounds like the dining rooms on Gem don’t have a lot of two tops, and thus solo passengers will often be asked to share a table. (Again, have a high stress job, and cruises are a way for me to be alone with my own thoughts for a precious few days.)

 

Anyway, still mulling it over (and roundtrip airfare to Boston is much cheaper for me right now that NY), thanks again.

I have been on the Gem as a solo a few times...and NEVER  had a problem getting a table alone in the MDR for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  😃  I love the Gem ..and always found the staff GREAT...and very accomodating to solo Pax. 

[raitch]

53 minutes ago, AlexandNessa said:

While I love the Gem, I hope your idea of entertainment is singing along to Sweet Caroline. There are usually 3 singing acts that play around the ship, and they all love that $&! #? song. Been on the Gem 3x and can't get away from it there. 

 

That's gonna be the case for ANY cruise out of Boston, for better or for worse.  We're simple people and Sweet Caroline is the ace in the hole for every musical act.