Was it a GEM? Boston to Bermuda and Bar Harbor 5/31/24 - 6/8/24

[ggTexasGal]

In February, DH decided “I want to go to Bermuda, again.”

He booked the Norwegian Gem, from Boston, May 31 through June 7.

We have traveled from Boston to Bermuda previously, once on Gem, and twice on Dawn.  It has been six years since our previous cruise from Boston to Bermuda. Happily, we are comfortable with the ship and the itinerary. In fact, we excitedly looked forward to cruising on the Gem again!

He selected an Oceanview room (Forward/Port).

Because the booking date was already within the 120 days until embarkation, NCL required Payment in Full. We had no problems completing the reservation quickly with our PCC.

We booked flights to/from Boston via SWA. We also booked our stay (near the port) at Homewood Suites Seaport.

The only truly foreseeable hick-up in our plans was the scheduled visit to Bar Harbor, Maine. We knew that NCL (at any time) might cancel that port stop ... Que sera, sera!

…

February to May felt like an extremely LONG time for our IAH to BOS and to NCL Gem travels to begin!  In the meantime, we celebrated two anniversaries, one baby shower, seven birthdays, one engagement, and Mother’s Day!  And a huge number of very bad storms that created mayhem across the states!!!

On day 21 prior to the cruise, we made certain that we completed our port check-in.

“Cruise Bug” really hit around 4 days prior to our trip. Translated, that means we packed our luggage and printed our luggage tags.  (The Gem tags are GREEN!)

May 30^th finally arrived with an early morning hustle and bustle for us to get to the airport in a timely manner for our early morning SWA flight.

…

Our SWA flights were on time from IAH to BNA to BOS.  Once off the flight we headed to the Silver Line (SL1), traveling from Terminal C to Congress St @ World Trade Center and walked to the Hampton/Homewood Suites Seaport (they are in the same building!)  For us, it was an easy walk, since we each had only 2 small pieces of luggage.  The hotel is nice, the room had a decent view of the city.  From the hotel it is an easy walk to find plenty of selection of food and beverages.   (DH logged 10,540 steps this day.)

…

Early on Friday morning, we walked from the hotel to the cruise terminal. Again, we were very glad that we had small suitcases, since many people were struggling to deal with their larger luggage.  The lines were already beginning to build-up for embarkation.  Getting into the correct line can get confusing while the previous cruisers are still being disembarked. However, since we had been there before we knew to head to the escalator area.

Around 10am the congestion had grown enough that they decided to allow us into the terminal area. As usual, only if you are in a HAVEN or SUITE, will they recognize any “status” you have. Once inside the terminal, it was still a bit more obvious, yet not all the workers are familiar with Latitudes “status”. 

We gave up trying to explain that Ambassador and Diamond are significantly higher status than Platinum! (Apparently, it is not important to NCL to fix.)

(DH logged 10540 steps this day.)

…

Once onboard, we went to our Muster Station, which was outside on deck 7. They repeated information from the Muster Drill video (which, pre-cruise, we were reminded six times to watch. (that number is down from 15 - 16 on some previous NCL cruises!)

We then visited the Latitudes desk.  We decided against going to “Wines around the World,” and going on the ship tour.  We did not purchase Cruise Next.

Next, we headed to O’Sheehans for lunch. Despite what seemed like mayhem, our food was delivered quickly enough, and was hot and fresh.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur for me due to adult beverage consumption!

We went to Cagney’s for dinner.  I asked for my Petite Fillet to be unseasoned and medium well done …it was excellent!!!  DH enjoyed a medium Ribeye. Our salads and the sides were good. We skipped dessert!

We went to the theater for the Tom Franek Show.  He is extremely talented and very humorous!  We enjoyed his performance enough to go to two more of his evenings in the theater! Two Thumbs up!!!  (DH logged 12,348 steps this day.)

…

Day 2 = Sea Day June 1

We played Bingo, then attended the Latitudes event in the Spinnaker Lounge. Otherwise, we walked around the ship (a lot) and stopped at assorted bars throughout the entire day.  DH tends to drink straight Whiskeys/Bourbons, and I try assorted drinks (usually trying something new).  Therefore, we had plenty of “taste testing” during our entire week!  Lunch and dinner were both at the Garden Café.  No complaints!

We went to the Military event in the Spinnaker Lounge. It was well attended! They served canapes and drinks. The staff left after a brief introduction and short mingling. DH received a folder containing a photo taken with the captain, delivered to our stateroom. We returned to our room early.  Sorry, no comments on this day’s entertainment.  (DH logged 11,240 steps this day.)

Day 3 = Bermuda June 2

We got off the ship and walked around the dockyard for the entire morning. After purchasing a 2-day transportation pass, we returned to the ship. We ate dinner at Le Bistro, which was very good. Early to bed!  (DH logged 16,470 steps this day.)

 

Day 4 = Bermuda June 3

We were awake early, so we got off the ship ASAP and headed to the NCL provided ferry to St George. In St George, we walked to the Unfinished Church, we then walked Church Folly Lane, to Queen Street, to Secretary Road, to Government Hill Road. After stopping to drink some water, we then turned around at Barry Road and went back via Government Hill Road to Secretary Rd, to Queen Street into town. We wandered around town for a while, stopping at Kings Square briefly.  We then walked to Sir George Somers statue and Bob Burns Memorial Park (garden area), on Ordinance Island. From there, we walked past the Towne Hall to Duke of York Street, where we caught the number 11 Bus to Hamilton Central Bus Terminal.

In Hamilton, we walked west to Church Street (past City Hall) and headed south on Queen Street to Queen Elizabeth Par-La-Ville Sculpture Park, and Bermuda’s oldest Moon gate.  We then headed south, and then west, to Barr’s Bay Park (just to kill some time). We then walked East along the waterfront to where the Hamilton Ferry docks, so we could review the schedule. We had plenty of time, so we walked up Front St for some shopping. With plenty of time to spare, we returned to the Ferry Dock and waited for “The Spirit of St George” (which is NCL’s ferry) and rode back to the Royal Naval Dockyard and walked back to the ship.  (DH logged 13,980 steps this day.)

 

Day 5 = Bermuda June 4

We took the first available #7 bus to Horseshoe Bay. There, we walked down the hill to the beach to wiggle our toes in the sand and write the date in the sand and take a photo of it. From Horseshoe Bay Cove, we headed East to Horseshoe Bay (more photos). Then continued to Butts Beach, Middle Beach, Water Rocks Beach, to Angel Beach, to Hidden Beach (with photos stops along the way).  We turned around and somewhat retraced our path. At Horseshoe Bay there are restrooms with showers. There is also a restaurant/bar. I believe some equipment is available to rent. (I can’t provide more information, since we only rinsed our feet and used the bathroom.)

We then walked along Horseshoe Road (up the hill) to turn Left on South Road.  We continued to walk East past the Henry VIII Restaurant & Pub, where we turned right on Lighthouse Road to visit Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. (We did not climb up the lighthouse stairs!) We walked back down the hill to South Road and walked to a bus stop near Sonesta Drive. The ride back to the dockyard seemed very long, since there were many locals getting on and off.

Back on the ship we showered and changed, then headed to La Cucina for dinner.  I did not enjoy dinner… the restaurant was extremely noisy, and service was exceedingly slow!  To be fair; I was tired, & the restaurant filled quickly and had large tables nearby.

(DH logged 21,415 steps this day.)

 

Day 6 = Sea Day June 5

 

In the Stardust Theater tonight was Whitney Houston – Everlasting. I liked it very much! DH was just not into it.  We ended up leaving early because a couple who came in late to the show sat nearby and started arguing loudly. (Not cool folks!)

We hustled our way to the Spinnaker Lounge for “Perfect Couple Gameshow.” Over the years we’ve seen it many times, but this one was one of our favorites because the participants were fun!  When the show ended, we grabbed some drinks and headed to our room.

(DH logged 13,945 steps this day.)

 

Day 7 = Bar Harbor June 6

MANDATORY USCBP INSPECTION!!!  After lengthy lines that snaked around the ship, we finally got through facial recognition quickly. Yet, the whole process wasn’t fun!  The positive was that we got our tender tickets (since we did not book any excursion) to go ashore. The temperature was cool (for us… compared to Houston). We had a pleasant time walking through the town, seeing some sights, and doing a little shopping. We decided to return to the ship and enjoy the rest of the day with some quiet ship time.  We went to Magenta for dinner. I had been looking forward to my meal, but unfortunately, I did not care for the pasta dish that I had ordered. So, we left and went to the buffet for some veggies and fruit.  Following that we ordered a couple of drinks and returned to our room to unwind and sleep.

Disembarkation Day

We were awakened during the night by a fussy baby in the next-door stateroom. DH was like a cranky baby himself, so I put the pillow over my head and went back to sleep for a few hours. Around 4:45 am, we got dressed and went to the buffet for our last breakfast onboard.  We each had an omelet and some fruit, which were very good!  Then we headed back to our room, grabbed all our stuff, and headed down to deck seven to get into the “Easy Walk-Off” line. It was a bit of a wait, but we finally got the “Go ahead” and were off the ship, through the terminal, in a Taxi, and heading to the airport in fewer than 45 minutes.

(DH logged 15,220 steps this day.)

 

LIST of OFFICERS: 

Master - Roger Berlund

Chief Engineer - Marin Solc

Cruise Director - Isha Nirban

Executive Housekeeper - Cesar Hapa

Guest Service Manager - KitKat Reyes

General Manager - Joao Gigante

Food & Bev Director - Roland Shrock

Executive Chef - Alister Fonseca

Restaurant Manager – Isaac Martin

Beverage Manager - Junior Wallace.

 

NOTES:

Not just at the port of Boston, but also on the ship, our Latitudes experiences for the entire week, from beginning to end, did NOT shine. Despite being 2 of 17 total Ambassadors or Diamonds. That just does not reflect a good sense of valued “Norwegian Family.”

[FLAHAM]

 No lobster lunch in Bar Harbor?  No Latitudes dinner with officers?  No free Latitudes laundry bag?  

[ggTexasGal]

2 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

 No lobster lunch in Bar Harbor?  No Latitudes dinner with officers?  No free Latitudes laundry bag?  

No lunch consumed in Bar Harbor!

We have not had dinner with officers for many years.

Yes, we did send laundry on two separate days.  Both came back nicely folded and wrapped in clean white tissue paper in a wicker basket!  We love that Latitudes perk for free laundry!!!

[Buford T Justiice]

Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience.

[cruiseny4life]

Wow! I had no idea how high your status was with NCL. That's a lot of fun cruises along the way - sorry you didn't receive all the perks you should have received (I'd go so far as say entitled to, but that has a negative connotation). 

I really enjoyed seeing your review - thanks so much for sharing! Isn't Bar Harbor just such a quirky little tourist town? It reminds me of what Storybrooke would be if it were real (Once Upon a Time). 

Will you continue cruising on NCL given the pluses and minuses you outlined so well above?

[ggTexasGal]

13 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Wow! I had no idea how high your status was with NCL. That's a lot of fun cruises along the way - sorry you didn't receive all the perks you should have received (I'd go so far as say entitled to, but that has a negative connotation). 

I really enjoyed seeing your review - thanks so much for sharing! Isn't Bar Harbor just such a quirky little tourist town? It reminds me of what Storybrooke would be if it were real (Once Upon a Time). 

Will you continue cruising on NCL given the pluses and minuses you outlined so well above?

We had a great time in Bermuda and Bar Harbor! 

Bar Harbor is a somewhat "quirky little tourist town"!  Happily, the US is filled with charming and quirky towns.😍

We're not writing-off NCL!  We currently have several future cruises booked. I just wish that a few things had gone more smoothly.

 

What I had not posted previously: We were both very upset/stressed because DH's phone was lost or stolen the last day at Bermuda.  I imagine that had a HUGE effect on my overall outlook.

 

Yesterday we got a replacement phone and HUGE sighs of relief!

[ggTexasGal]

Perhaps I should explain our aversions to "Dinner with Officers"...

DH spent (too many) years in the US Army (long story) as a Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major.  Which means we went to MANY "formal dinners" with Generals!

 

 

[Laszlo]

Nice review, we are leaving on the 28th. What time did easy walk off start? Sorry to hear about husbands phone, was it lost / stolen at the beach?

Edited June 10 by Laszlo

[havoc315]

How was the WiFi? Has the Gem been upgraded to Starlink yet?

[ggTexasGal]

3 hours ago, havoc315 said:

How was the WiFi? Has the Gem been upgraded to Starlink yet?

Great question!  However, I cannot answer because we never used it. Sorry, no experience with Starlink!

[ggTexasGal]

4 hours ago, Laszlo said:

What time did easy walk off start? 

Easy walk-off started at 8:01 and we were off by VERY quickly!

[ggTexasGal]

4 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Nice review, we are leaving on the 28th. What time did easy walk off start? Sorry to hear about husbands phone, was it lost / stolen at the beach?

Thank you @Laszlo!

I believe he likely left it on a bus we had ridden back to the port, on our last day in Bermuda.  However, he said he lost it after we reboarding the ship in Bermuda.

Classic "He said, She said!" isn't it?!

[cruiserbear55]

On 6/9/2024 at 4:26 PM, ggTexasGal said:

DH logged 15,220 steps this day.)

You must have walked the same amount of steps as the hubby. Nice job!! We did the same cruise, sans Bar Harbor, 4/5-4/12. ( The first three or four cruises this year didn't go to Maine.) Which is just as well,as living in NH we've been there too many times. It's too bad you left St.George too early and didn't stay to see the "Ducking of the Wench". Or maybe you've seen it previously. It's hilarious, and for those who have an upcoming cruise, well worth the trip to St.George. (1:00 PM on Monday) Thanks for the review!!

[disneynan]

Thank you so much for this trip report! I am sailing on the Gem this Friday and soooo excited. 

Can you tell me if there were any theme nights? We are a group of 17 and most of us would love to dress up for them. I find it odd that NCL doesn’t let you know ahead of time because how can you pack for them if you don’t know what they will be?

Also, how did you find the ocean temperature in Bermuda? We’re also doing St Georges by ferry and then Horseshoe Bay by bus. We plan to walk to some of the other Southern beaches as well and are bringing our snorkel gear. 

[The Traveling Man]

On 6/9/2024 at 3:26 PM, ggTexasGal said:

Not just at the port of Boston, but also on the ship, our Latitudes experiences for the entire week, from beginning to end, did NOT shine. Despite being 2 of 17 total Ambassadors or Diamonds. That just does not reflect a good sense of valued “Norwegian Family.”

Thank you for your report.  Sorry to hear that you got the cold shoulder on board.  Our experience has been quite different.  You said that you haven't had dinner with an officer in several years.  We always make a point of signing up for this Latitudes perk.  We frequently have the opportunity to get to know the GM and almost always are paired up with one or another of the senior officers.  On our last three cruises there have been no Ambassadors on board, so we were the senior Latitudes members.  As a result, they usually treat us like royalty. 

[slidemaster5]

I was on this cruise and will add the following:

 

(1) The Wi-Fi was very slow

(2) The officers were not the mingling type. We were invited to the Officers' VIP party and they lined up to greet us when we entered the venue and then they left. Only a couple stayed more than a few minutes and actually mingled. Perhaps due to his duties we saw Roland Schrock around the restaurants over the course of the trip.

(3) We enjoyed the music/comedian act (Tom Franek) and found Whitney and Blazing Boots good. Get down tonight we thought was trash. 

(4) We went to Horseshoe Beach on Day 2 (Sunday) since a lot of the shops in Hamilton are closed on Sunday. Also, the Vision of the Seas was leaving on Sunday, so we were the only ship in dock.  The water was probably about 75 along with the air temp and was very enjoyable. We prefer to walk past the main beach and swim in the coves which are very scenic and quiet. The main beach wasn't busy, but you literally can have your own swimming area in the coves. 

 

Edited June 11 by slidemaster5

[Laszlo]

13 hours ago, disneynan said:

Thank you so much for this trip report! I am sailing on the Gem this Friday and soooo excited. 

Can you tell me if there were any theme nights? We are a group of 17 and most of us would love to dress up for them. I find it odd that NCL doesn’t let you know ahead of time because how can you pack for them if you don’t know what they will be?

Also, how did you find the ocean temperature in Bermuda? We’re also doing St Georges by ferry and then Horseshoe Bay by bus. We plan to walk to some of the other Southern beaches as well and are bringing our snorkel gear. 

Current sea temps are about 77, use the Windy App  https://www.windy.com/-Menu/menu?sst,31.885,-65.138,8

 

Hopefully when we arrive in three weeks it will be 80 or better

[slidemaster5]

1 hour ago, Laszlo said:

Current sea temps are about 77, use the Windy App  https://www.windy.com/-Menu/menu?sst,31.885,-65.138,8

 

Hopefully when we arrive in three weeks it will be 80 or better

 

Should be. You should have a great time. Bar Harbor was 60 and misty so we did not go ashore (We have a land trip there this summer, so we didn't care). 

[Seas2mountains]

On 6/9/2024 at 2:26 PM, ggTexasGal said:

 

NOTES:

Not just at the port of Boston, but also on the ship, our Latitudes experiences for the entire week, from beginning to end, did NOT shine. Despite being 2 of 17 total Ambassadors or Diamonds. That just does not reflect a good sense of valued “Norwegian Family.”

Thank you for your review. I'm sorry to hear about the lost/stolen phone and understand how that had to be so frustrating at the end of the cruise while also having a few disappointments with dinner at La Cucina and with the  entertainment. We also love going to the veterans reception and never know what to expect since each cruise director seems to run it differently. Thank you to your DH for his service.

 

Which latitudes experiences did not shine besides the poor embarkation process?

 

Did you do the sail and sustain mixology experience on this cruise? We experienced it for the first time on the Breakaway and really found it interesting and fun to chat with the other Diamond passengers. We tend to skip the latitudes party, the wines of the world tasting and the behind the scenes tour for ship classes we have already toured.

 

When and what ship is your next cruise?

[ggTexasGal]

46 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

Thank you for your review. I'm sorry to hear about the lost/stolen phone and understand how that had to be so frustrating at the end of the cruise while also having a few disappointments with dinner at La Cucina and with the  entertainment. We also love going to the veterans reception and never know what to expect since each cruise director seems to run it differently. Thank you to your DH for his service.

 

Which latitudes experiences did not shine besides the poor embarkation process?

 

Did you do the sail and sustain mixology experience on this cruise? We experienced it for the first time on the Breakaway and really found it interesting and fun to chat with the other Diamond passengers. We tend to skip the latitudes party, the wines of the world tasting and the behind the scenes tour for ship classes we have already toured.

 

When and what ship is your next cruise?

Not that Latitudes status guarantees preferences in restaurants, but on the Gem we were disappointed with where we were seated in restaurants (without being allowed our preference when requested). My point being that they definitely should know your status when using the Latitudes Dining Package, and we were some of the first diners in line when the restaurant opened.  It was odd and disappointing that they weren't more open to changing our table location, without a reasonable explanation.  If we had been in a suite, I imagine things would have been very different, but we weren't!

We did NOT attend Mixology on this cruise.  DH does not care for those very sugary drinks, and I didn't want to go alone.  Funny thing about our previous mixology classes... first time cancelled by NCL.  Second time only DH and I attended. Third time, in February 2024, on the PRIMA, we were joined by the singular Diamond member on that cruise (and were very happily surprised -- we had met her originally back in 2017).

The Latitudes party was typical neither great, nor bad!  We had Wines Around the World booked, but missed it (don't recall the reason).  We have toured the Gem before a few times, so, we also skipped that.

Right now, we have the PRIMA booked in January 2025.

[ggTexasGal]

6 hours ago, slidemaster5 said:

I was on this cruise and will add the following:

 

(1) The Wi-Fi was very slow

(2) The officers were not the mingling type. We were invited to the Officers' VIP party and they lined up to greet us when we entered the venue and then they left. Only a couple stayed more than a few minutes and actually mingled. Perhaps due to his duties we saw Roland Schrock around the restaurants over the course of the trip.

(3) We enjoyed the music/comedian act (Tom Franek) and found Whitney and Blazing Boots good. Get down tonight we thought was trash. 

(4) We went to Horseshoe Beach on Day 2 (Sunday) since a lot of the shops in Hamilton are closed on Sunday. Also, the Vision of the Seas was leaving on Sunday, so we were the only ship in dock.  The water was probably about 75 along with the air temp and was very enjoyable. We prefer to walk past the main beach and swim in the coves which are very scenic and quiet. The main beach wasn't busy, but you literally can have your own swimming area in the coves. 

Great remarks!  We only walked along the shorelines in Bermuda (no swimming).

[ggTexasGal]

17 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

You must have walked the same amount of steps as the hubby. Nice job!! We did the same cruise, sans Bar Harbor, 4/5-4/12. ( The first three or four cruises this year didn't go to Maine.) Which is just as well,as living in NH we've been there too many times. It's too bad you left St.George too early and didn't stay to see the "Ducking of the Wench". Or maybe you've seen it previously. It's hilarious, and for those who have an upcoming cruise, well worth the trip to St.George. (1:00 PM on Monday) Thanks for the review!!

LoL... I walk more steps in a mile than DH does, because I'm 5'1" and wear a size 5 shoe!

He made up the difference by fetching coffee every morning!

It is a shame we missed the ducking!

[ggTexasGal]

17 hours ago, disneynan said:

Thank you so much for this trip report! I am sailing on the Gem this Friday and soooo excited. 

Can you tell me if there were any theme nights? We are a group of 17 and most of us would love to dress up for them. I find it odd that NCL doesn’t let you know ahead of time because how can you pack for them if you don’t know what they will be?

Also, how did you find the ocean temperature in Bermuda? We’re also doing St Georges by ferry and then Horseshoe Bay by bus. We plan to walk to some of the other Southern beaches as well and are bringing our snorkel gear. 

I can't help much with Theme Nights.

They had things like "Country Party", "Awesome 80's", and a "Glow Party" (poolside) was 10pm - 11pm on Tuesday, 70's Disco Groove Party.  I hope that helps a little!

[ggTexasGal]

16 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Thank you for your report.  Sorry to hear that you got the cold shoulder on board.  Our experience has been quite different.  You said that you haven't had dinner with an officer in several years.  We always make a point of signing up for this Latitudes perk.  We frequently have the opportunity to get to know the GM and almost always are paired up with one or another of the senior officers.  On our last three cruises there have been no Ambassadors on board, so we were the senior Latitudes members.  As a result, they usually treat us like royalty. 

Perhaps the other Diamonds were more actively assertive than we were.

But, I believe it was much more likely that since we were not in a suite, nor mini-suite, and don't live near Boston (so, unlikely to be cruising the Gem again anytime soon) we were not on their special guests list. 🤣

[The Traveling Man]

44 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

Perhaps the other Diamonds were more actively assertive than we were.

But, I believe it was much more likely that since we were not in a suite, nor mini-suite, and don't live near Boston (so, unlikely to be cruising the Gem again anytime soon) we were not on their special guests list. 🤣

On each of our recent cruises, when we stopped by the Cruise Next desk on embarkation day to sign up for Latitudes benefits, we were told that they would not be offering the Sail and Sustain Mixology Experience because there were only two Diamond Latitudes members on the ship's manifest and no Ambassadors.  We were the two Diamonds, hence the senior Latitudes members on board those cruises.  We usually travel in a Balcony stateroom.  We haven't sailed in a Suite or the Haven since before COVID.  I also have volunteered to coordinate the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet on several of our recent cruises, so the GM and the Group Coordinator usually look me up on embarkation day to check on arrangements for the M&G.