Gem- what are the tips and tricks? TIA

I was surprised not to find the tips and tricks to getting the most out of this lovely ship. Can you fill me in on your hard won insider secrets?

Hi Gerrimom,

Have you sailed yet? Did you find any tips or tricks?

Get up real early and bag yourself a table at the Great Outdoors and enjoy a coffee and breakfast. That's my tip.

The great outdoor is a good place and if there are no seats, you can go into La Cucina to seat for breakfast. They opened up La Cucina for more tables and seats. It is so quiet and you can just exit to the great outdoor to get juices and some breakfast items rather than walk all the way back to the garden cafe.

At the show, you can use the exit near the stage rather than walk all the way up.

Find the couches and large "beds" up front

Get up real early and bag yourself a table at the Great Outdoors and enjoy a coffee and breakfast. That's my tip.

I am really looking forward to this!

* Pay attention to the musicians that are playing in the Atrium, or in the lounges on Deck 6, or Spinnaker Lounge. This ship is loaded with talent, and there is a tremendous range of musical styles for you to enjoy. The main shows were top-notch, too.

* While the food was quite good in the buffet, finding seating is a challenge, and going to La Cucina for over-flow is the way to go. When we had dinner there later in the week, I was so happy to feel a transformation in the space.

* I *loved* that we splurged on the Thermal spa passes. It was a treat to visit almost every day.

Find the couches and large "beds" up front

I was surprised not to find the tips and tricks to getting the most out of this lovely ship. Can you fill me in on your hard won insider secrets?

Eat in the grand Pacific for evening meal, great food and service. Check your account daily. Teppanyki not worth the money,and O'Sheenans not that good food. On embarkation the Pacific dining room much quieter than buffet. Great outdoors for breakfast and a lovely place to sit anytime

Eat in the grand Pacific for evening meal, great food and service. Check your account daily. Teppanyki not worth the money,and O'Sheenans not that good food. On embarkation the Pacific dining room much quieter than buffet. Great outdoors for breakfast and a lovely place to sit anytime

Funny, dinner at Teppanyaki is always one of the highlights of my trip. Entertaining and talented chefs, and one of the best steaks I had the entire cruise. If you have a specialty dinning package, I would recommend planning a visit there.

Eat in the grand Pacific for evening meal, great food and service. Check your account daily. Teppanyki not worth the money,and O'Sheenans not that good food. On embarkation the Pacific dining room much quieter than buffet. Great outdoors for breakfast and a lovely place to sit anytime

I was also underwhelmed by Teppanyaki. I think it is worth going once but I probably will not return unless they make some changes to the menu. The only seasoning on the food appears to be salt - pretty bland. I noticed that at every table each chef was telling the same canned jokes. One gentleman at my table finished one of the chef's jokes for him since he had just heard it 5 minutes before at the table behind him.

To the OP's question, on Deck 11 port side all the way forward is an observation room where you can watch the officers on the bridge. The room is only open during daylight hours.

We just got off the Gem yesterday. Great Outdoors is great for breakfast. They have a new dinner menu in the main dining rooms. I thought this was vastly improved from their previous menu. We also purchased the spa package for the first time. Totally worth it for this "cold" weather cruise.

Not sure if you are planning on doing a review - would love to see some recent info on the ship - also wondering if you have copies of dallies and new menus you would be willing to share - considering this cruise for August sail

The Great Outdoors are enjoyed by many many cruisers. 

If you are in port and don't have any island activity  scheduled you will find the Great Outdoors is MT. We have been to the same islands many times and at times do not disembark or I'll decide to walk around an island after having lunch  at the Great Outdoors.

You will find that many times the Officers will be there relaxing having a leisurely lunch.