Gem Info....

Hi guys. Just booked the Gem for 4/12 .I have sailed on 2 other ncl ships .Dawn x2 Spirit x2 .Got a little nervis when i saw some reviews of the Gem but booked it hoping for the best.

Just wanted alittle help with the better bars and resturants ,happy hour deals etc... you know fun stuff....

We just cruised on the Gem 3/1-3/8 and had a wonderful time!

We ate at each specialty restaurant with the exception of Teppanyaki and I can honestly say that we enjoyed each one. However for overall service and food the tie goes to Cagney's and Le Bistro (hubby votes for Cagney's, I vote for Le Bistro). The only place we had bad service was the Blue Lagoon, and the evening we had dinner at Ochid Garden the service was less than spectacular.

We are not big drinkers/partiers but we enjoyed going to the Spinnaker Lounge for drinks before dinner (and sometimes after!) since there was often some type of show/entertainment going on in there. We also found ourselves in the Star Bar before our dinner at Cagney's and enjoyed the nice quiet atmosphere.

Have a great cruise!

Loved it!!!!!!!!

I have posted a review on this board.....

If you are a beer drinker the Malt and Whiskey bar has great choices. Have never seen so many different beers offered on a ship...awesome! Liked the champagne bar too. Hubby found a nice bar near Cagney's...can't remember the name but it is a little off the beaten path.

We didn't have great luck in the Spinnaker Lounge. We found others that we liked better.

We did La Cucina which was fine. Did Tequila and must have hit it on an off night. On other NCL restaurants, Mexican restaurant has been our favorite. Did not do Le Bistro on this one but experience on other NCL ships at this restaurant has been good.

Otherwise, food in regular restaurants is good. We loved the Garden Cafe too with the food stations. You'll have a good time. It's a nice ship.

Be sure to read ALL the reviews. There are many more positive reviews of the Gem here than negative. (I posted a lengthy 3 part review.) You want to be sure you get balanced view and what decide what is important to you. I highly recommend the Martini bar. If you enjoy martinis and a fun, relaxed atmosphere, be sure to participate in at least one Martini Clinic - usually 4:30 on sea days, but check your Freestyle Daily. They are given by Armando. If you don't get to a clinic, you can still visit the bar and ask for Armando. You might even want to ask him to make you his famous Sexy Alligator. He is very friendly, charming and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the Grand Pacific (main dining room), Cagneys and Tequila the best. I love the outdoor buffet at the back of the ship for breakfast (espcially in Nassau for the view). We also enjoyed breakfast at Teppanyaki which included unlimited cocktails. They had 2 for 1 special for the specialty restaurants 9pm to 10pm one of the first days of the cruise (the hostess called this "happy hour" and that was the first time we had heard that term for the 2 for 1). We took advantage of it at Cagneys, and then ate there again later in the cruise.