Norwegian Gem would you recommend this ship?

It is my husbands 60th birthday in January & our 35th wedding anniversary next year, so combining both to do special cruise. Have found fabulous stay & cruise taking in : Niagra Falls, trip on Amtrak train to New York, then a Caribbean cruise leaving from New York. Only concerns are , what is New York weather like in February, & is ship special enough? Have cruised on Royal Caribbean before & loved it, but the itinerary on this cruise is fantastic. We need help.

Thanks in advance.

Special enough????

I would read the reviews on the ship, located here:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=385

And do some research on the NCL board, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

Niagra Falls in February -- cold!! This past year much of the falls were frozen -- we had a lot of bad weather here on the east coast.

Same thing for New York -- snow and colder then usual.

I'll probably get flamed, but.....I orchestrate our "Friends and Family Annual Winter Caribbean Cruise" which we all have been going on for a number of years. Last year we were 28 and we went on NCL out of NY. At least 20 said to me afterwards, "We will NOT come again if you go on NCL!" Seems most folks either love it or hate it and our group, having mostly sailed on Princess, Celebrity and HAL, fell into the later. What appealed to us was not having to fly to Fla to take the cruise.

I'll probably get flamed, but.....I orchestrate our "Friends and Family Annual Winter Caribbean Cruise" which we all have been going on for a number of years. Last year we were 28 and we went on NCL out of NY. At least 20 said to me afterwards, "We will NOT come again if you go on NCL!" Seems most folks either love it or hate it and our group, having mostly sailed on Princess, Celebrity and HAL, fell into the later. What appealed to us was not having to fly to Fla to take the cruise.

For first time cruisers NCL is fine, nothing to compare to. But if you sailed on Princes, it is a step down, I agree.

For first time cruisers NCL is fine, nothing to compare to. But if you sailed on Princes, it is a step down, I agree.

I would disagree. We sailed X, Princess, & Carnival before NCL, HAL & RCCL after. As long as you don't expect the lines to all be alike. My least favorite line is HAL, followed by Princess. DH's least favorite is Carnival, followed by Princess. Our favorite lines are NCL and X.

It is my husbands 60th birthday in January & our 35th wedding anniversary next year, so combining both to do special cruise. Have found fabulous stay & cruise taking in : Niagra Falls, trip on Amtrak train to New York, then a Caribbean cruise leaving from New York. Only concerns are , what is New York weather like in February, & is ship special enough? Have cruised on Royal Caribbean before & loved it, but the itinerary on this cruise is fantastic. We need help.

Thanks in advance.

As others have stated you will either love NCL or hate it. I have not desire to cruise this line as I have read some very negative reports.

It is a nice itinerary to the Caribbean and Puerto Rico though.

There are two other Royal Caribbean ship I think you should consider that in my opinion would be nicer than the Gem.

Quantum of the Seas is sailing out of nearby Cape Liberty, New Jersey on a terrific 12-night Caribbean cruise with stops in Labadee, Haiti (Private Island), St. Maarten - Barbados - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Kitts - Martinique.

This would be a special cruise on a brand new ship, pricey but, a great cruise kids will be in school and it should be quiet aboard.

Grandeur of the Seas does a lovely 10-day Caribbean out of Baltimore with stops in Haiti - St. Thomas - St. Maarten and Puerto Rico. Grandeur is an older ship 1996, but, just completely refurbished in 2012 with many new lounges, upgraded staterooms, new restaurants and more.

The prices on Grandeur are quite reasonable and you can book a suite to commemorate your special occasion. The Grand Suites are amazing and include a multitude of special incentives including a Concierge Lounge.

I think Grandeur is your best option.

Jonathan

We tried the NCL Gem last year...never again! It was dirty....morning strolls on deck were past the drink glasses lined up everywhere from the night before, while ships crew walked right past them! We had the greatest little lady in the dining room & requested her at every meal so we would have the same person. The Guest Services desk worker was outright rude! We reported her. Lost a large smoky topaz stone out of my ring. We have yet to get as much as a note or email from NCL apologizing.

Lost a large smoky topaz stone out of my ring. We have yet to get as much as a note or email from NCL apologizing.

You expect a cruise line to apologize for you losing something? WOW!

We enjoyed our cruise on the Gem. We have cruised NCL many times and have learned how to make "freestyle" work for us when we travel alone or with one or two other couples.

That said, I wouldn't choose any NCL ship for a group cruise. They just aren't set up to have a large group dine together except early or late in the opening times. Much better to choose a line with traditional dining.

OP, if you are planning on a suite, NCL provides great perqs.

Thanks everyone who took time to reply. It was very helpful.

We have now booked a cruise aboard MSC Fantasia taking in the canaries,

North Africa & Madeira. Roll on February.

Thanks Again

Hi Sparklymoet,

Sorry to say, No I would not. We cruised with family & found the ship to be very dirty. The Crew/Staff were very rude & neglectful. We are spoiled on Carnival with cleanliness, and true care & concern by the Crew/Staff...many of them have become like family. We are about to cruise our 26th & 27th cruise on Carnival & booked for more! Good Luck!

It happens on Carnival, as well as a follow up call & letter letting you know the results of their search.

Thanks everyone who took time to reply. It was very helpful.

We have now booked a cruise aboard MSC Fantasia taking in the canaries,

North Africa & Madeira. Roll on February.

 

Thanks Again

Good choice. Based on my NCL experiences, I would not have recommended Gem.

We were on the GEM twice .The first time we hated the ship and said never again ,The second time we loved the ship .We met some very nice people and enjoyed the entertainment.