Sailing out of NYC is so easy.
Booked an inside cabin on Deck 9 close to elevators as a single @ a great rate. The downside of this cruise were the ports: Cape Canaveral, private island & Nassau.
Upside was the fantastic staff; a plethora of specialty restaurants & constant daily Staff activities w/1 main show each evening shown twice plus 1 or 2 other evening activities.
For parents, the kids program was very good & children were quite happy from what we observed.
Weather was balmy once we were out of NY area w/constant music entertainment poolside. Plus the usual contests, ice-carving demo, etc. Casino was always packed.
Bingo is quite expensive.
Schedule was changed so we overnighted in Nassau. One can take the $4 ferry over to Paradise island & @ Atlantis pay $39 to view the Dig, Shark pool etc avoiding the $119 ship excursion OR go after 6 p.m. when there is no fee. However ferry stops at 5:30 p.m. so one has to take a cab.
We had a CruiseCritic Meet & greet which was attended by all top officers w/refreshments offered & had a chance to chat w/the Captain, Chef, Hotel Director, etc.
Events Coordinator instrumental in helping me chair this.
Loved the French restaurant cusine. 2 Main Dining rooms w/the Pacific much more pleasant. One side of menu never changes; other side has daily specialty w/about 4 other choices in apps, entrees & desserts. The topside buffet always packed w/many many choices including soft-serve & regular ice cream offerings.
We embarked @ noon; and I self-disemarked @ 8:10 w/plenty of cabs waiting.
The staff was very organized in every way.
Ask away for more details.
NCL's GEM - So Aptly named
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I've sailed on the Gem twice, and I liked it both times. My big problems are that I felt the crowd is becoming a little too casual. I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I just prefer not to see jeans, shorts, and T-shirts in the main dining room, and no one really enforces any kind of dress code. And I completely agree with you about the ports. Boring and not very inviting. Did you go to Freeport in the Bahamas? My cruise to the Bahamas stopped there. Or perhaps the overnight in Nassau meant missing Freeport.
I'd love to hear what you think about the private island. I haven't been since it was renovated, and I was none too impressed the last time I stopped there.
Hi Doug (we met @ a NYC Meet & Greet).
Re your queries: Unfortunately, you are quite correct re the pax attire. Rather sloppy & no dress code enforced. In fact,
@ captain's dinner table I was appalled @ one guest, while every other male was appropriately clad in suit & tie. The ladies were all lovely.
The private island still under construction & the bbq so uninviting I went back to ship to the buffet! I assume management wants folks to shop at all the kiosks set up which are spread out. Also, construction machines were loud...In short, I was quite underwhelmed.
Did not stop in Freeport.
Did suggest to a cute cruise staffer to add a Singles Luncheon (as HAL does) which costs the line nothing which she did & will be added to future cruises.
I was greeted everywhere by name a few days into the trip.
I suspect it was my tie to CruiseCritic & the very efficient events coordinator but it certainly made for a better experience. So much so that I pre-paid a deposit for a future cruise to be taken in 4 years.
anything else???