Help me pick a cruise!?

[resjes]

So I sailed on RCL's Anthem of the Seas for a 10 day cruise to the Western Carribbean/Bermuda but now I want to cruise to Eastern Caribbean. I found the Norwegian Gem, that offers an intinerary I like but I'm hoping this forum can assist with the following:

 

1. The biggest issue unfortunately..I came back from my cruise and got diagnosed with a rare form of strep! I had terrible fever for days. Is NCL good about cleanliness? I literally used hand sanitizer every 5 mins and was happy it was all over the ship...but still got sick.

 

2. The Gem's rooms are SMALL. A "mini suite" was the size of my balcony room on Anthem. Do many of you suck it up on fees to get a larger room?

 

3. I have dietary restrictions. Anthem was phenomenal and met with me every evening to figure out my dinner the following evening. How is NCL with these issues?

 

4. The Anthem had way too many people and a lot of kids! I know the Gem is half that size but I'm worried there aren't as many activites to keep busy on sea days ??

 

5. I am a solo traveler! Anthem didn't really cater to me in that regard..they were more interested in mutli generational families. I'm looking for a cruise that is a bit friendlier to us solos.

 

6. Finally...I'm mostly leaning towards the Gem as it goes out of Bayonne. However, due to work restrictions on time allowed off, I'd be open to flying to Miami and doing like a 5-7 day cruise instead of 11 days like it would require if embarking from Bayonne.

 

Thanks for your help!! If you guys think of another cruise that can suit my needs better than Gem, let me know your thoughts! Happy New Year!! 

[George C]

I am not a ncl fan, have you looked at celebrity which also cruises out of New Jersey they seem to have less children. If it’s in your budget celebrity suites have really great perks like a great suite dinning room and a suite lounge with free drinks all day. 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, resjes said:

5. I am a solo traveler! Anthem didn't really cater to me in that regard..they were more interested in mutli generational families. I'm looking for a cruise that is a bit friendlier to us solos.

 

6. Finally...I'm mostly leaning towards the Gem as it goes out of Bayonne. However, due to work restrictions on time allowed off, I'd be open to flying to Miami and doing like a 5-7 day cruise instead of 11 days like it would require if embarking from Bayonne.

I am not an NCL fan, but I know they do have solo rooms and a solo lounge on at least some of their ships.

 

Go to the NCL board and ascertain that Gem is one that has those amenities!

 

Find the time to sail from Bayonne and enjoy those extra days of cruising (if at all possible). A 5 or even 7 day cruise is not a similar experience to a 10-11 day one.

[resjes]

9 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I am not an NCL fan, but I know they do have solo rooms and a solo lounge on at least some of their ships.

 

Find the time to sail from Bayonne and enjoy those extra days of cruising (if at all possible). A 5 or even 7 day cruise is not a similar experience to a 10-11 day one.

 

That's one of the main reasons I was looking at NCL - I heard from others that it was solo friendly.

 

My job freaks out if I take off 2 weeks. I'm trying to find itineraries that leave on a Thursday and return the following Sunday or Monday on the next week. Obviously with Bayonne, there are more sea days so if I have to fly somewhere I guess I will. I live in NJ and Bayonne is sooo convenient.

[mjkacmom]

We loved the Gem, prefer the smaller ships over the mega ships (NCL Jewel and Gem over the Breakaway). The Gem does not have solo cabins or the lounge, we are a family of 7 so I don’t know how traveling solo is. We’ve had great experiences with dietary needs, I have one child with celiac, most of her meals were preordered and prepared in a separate area. We live 10 miles from Manhattan, warning, once you experience the ease of driving to and from the cruise port, you will never want to fly to one again. We are usually putting in our first load of laundry by 8:30 am.

[1025cruise]

Just a note, NCL does NOT sail from Bayonne, it sails from Manhattan. Not sure if that will change your thinking.

 

There's no way to predict whether or not you get sick after a cruise. I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor. It can happen on any ship. 

 

For the most part, all cruise lines will handle dietary restrictions.

 

Not sure what you are looking for in terms of "catering for a solo traveler". Most lines cater to families, but have some stuff for solos. NCL might do solo a little better, but again, I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor.

 

If there is an itinerary you want to do, go for it.