Gem from a newbie 7/31-8/7 LONG

[acmes]

This was my first cruise and was intended as a birthday gift for my young daughter who's always wanted to try it. After browsing these boards forever, I finally managed to book a nice aft mini-suite for the trip to Bermuda. I learned a lot about what to expect from all of you and here I am to let you know how it went.

 

Embarking from NYC was just fine, I arrived around 12:30 and ended up waiting about 30 minutes once I cleared security to get my cards. In retrospect, I think NCL could do everyone a favor and just issue lanyards or protective cases for their key cards--I ended up replacing both cards 4 times, Once because I held it next to my cell phone, another by stashing it with my passport and the other times were just a mystery. When they hand them out, they could mention that they need to be kept away from everything--including lotions (as I later learned).

 

We were able to go straight to our room and I was quite pleased with what I saw. The colors were not as garish as the photos would indicate and the layout quite comfortable. We had the last cabin in the row and just below the Great Outdoors. Our balcony seemed to be a bit smaller than the one next door--we didn't have the chaise, but it still worked fine for us. You can hear noise in the morning from chairs being set up and sometimes it's more pervasive than others. Movement wasn't too bad--more side-to-side than up and down (which tends to affect me) If I ever did a cruise again, I would absolutely choose aft. Watching that windex-blue wake was mesmerizing and the sound is like a water-fall. Saw a dolphin one afternoon. I sat on the balcony as the sun set with my glass of wine and was quite content.

 

We liked being one flight down from the buffet and often went up and brought a snack or breakfast back to our room. My daughter loved the soft-serve ice-cream machines. Overall, I found the buffet far better than I expected. There were always decent choices--many fairly healthy. I really enjoyed their grilled chicken, Indian stews, and steamed veggies. I didn't find that there was a lot of pushing and shoving. The only annoying instances were when a woman stood in the middle of the buffet during the chocoholic night, wolfing down her cake and on the last morning I saw an able-bodied woman remove the handicapped sign from a table and sit down. Otherwise we popped in and out as needed and I didn't gain any weight this week.

 

We ate at specialty restaurants--only asian because that's what my daughter likes. Good sushi the first night at Orchid Garden, somewhat sloppy sushi the next night. Fun Teppenaki (though not the best I've seen) the next. On our final night we ate at the Orchid Garden again and I tried the mixed menu--good spicy Singapore noodles.

 

The overall staff of the GEM was most impressive. It's evident right away. Everything was polished up and immaculate. Merrianne the steward did a great job with our room and kept us supplied with adorable towel animals. The wait-staff in the restaurants complied with our special requests and stopped to chat after our meals. When I didn't care for the specialty drink one night and ordered a glass of wine, the waitress voluntarily took the first one off the bill. I really have to hand it to everyone, they seem to work non-stop and never get grumpy. As good as any top hotel.

 

We are not big on gambling or the pool scene. We did the waterslide the last day. Believe it or not, I found two seats nearby (okay it was 3pm). My daughter enjoyed the slide, but was creeped out by the grown man snorkling in the kids pool (if kids can't go in the Adult pool, adults w/out kids should stay out of the other one). We spent most of our days, lounging on Deck 7 in the big wicker loungers (I finished two books!). Having the balcony was also wonderful to get away to.

 

My daughter opted not to do the kids-club and was disappointed to find the Wii-Wall is only available on a VERY limited basis. I had hoped that Blue Man Group or Man from Mars might be on the boat, but it seemed like Second City was the only option and I thought it might not be age appropriate. I wasn't aware that Romano (can't remember the rest of his name) was a juggler (he was only described as "fantastic" in the dailies and on the announcements) otherwise we might have caught the show.

 

We left the boat in Bermuda and stayed in a hotel near Elbow Beach. My husband flew in and joined us for a couple of days. The bed was not nearly as comfortable as the boat's so we overnighted only one night and returned to the boat late Thursday. It was great to spend time just relaxing on some of Bermuda's beautiful beaches. In addition to Elbow, we stopped at Warwick and Jobson's Cove. The wind was really whipping up the seas, so we couldn't snorkel, but we swam, rode the waves and made sandcastles.

 

I had planned some special dockyard activities for the final day, so we wouldn't be going back and forth (it's about $35 one way by cab to Elbow Beach). My daughter swam with the dolphins--expensive, but a once in a life-time experience. If you're planning to just watch, bring a hat and sunscreen because there's very little shade. The dolphins seem well-cared for and the staff is highly trained. We had planned for parasailing but the continued high-winds cancelled that. We opted instead for a banana boat--I just watched. DD had a blast but it's a VERY wild ride and not for the faint-of-heart. I had hoped to head for sea-glass beach, but with the sun beating down and a 20minute walk each way, we opted to return to the boat. I would urge people looking to save money, to arrange your own on-shore activities. Using the internet, it's effortless and I had everything done before leaving. The only time it might make sense is when you want to do something the afternoon that the boat leaves, because the vender is guaranteed to have you back in time (or the boat will wait). The boat prices are pretty inflated and you can do things when and how you'd like.

 

GEM did a great welcome back! The cool cloths, the sorbet and the chance to trade in your beach towel. The only glitch was that our key cards wouldn't work so it meant another trip to customer service for a replacement.

 

We tried bowling (I bowled my best game ever--which isn't saying much) and would've done more shuffleboard but it was usually occupied. NCL should post a whiteboard nearby so you can sign up and let others know that you'd like to play. Some of the equipment was a bit worn out and not playable. We had downloaded a bunch of movies on my laptop and usually relaxed in our cabin after dinner.

 

We opted for easy-walk-off and made it just before the crush. We were off the boat by 9am and then it was an additional 35 minutes in passport control. WARNING: If you have independent travel plans, don't be duped by the limo and taxi drivers across from the pier. Look for the officer in an orange vest by the curb and let them arrange the cab. It's not clearly marked as a taxi line (like an airport) and some of the drivers standing around will try to reel you in. One guy wanted $45 to drive 15 blocks (because he was a limo) and the next guy wanted $25 for a taxi. I'm a NYer and trust me, we only pay that in a raging blizzard.:mad: Don't do an off-the-meter ride.

 

Overall it was better than I expected and probably not as good as my daughter expected (though she wouldn't say so). She got a bit motion sick on one day. If I were to do another cruise I might choose one without the frequent announcements--some people probably find Sinan charming but it was way too loud and incessant for me. I think it's amazing that they manage to fit that many people on a boat and not have a riot break out. Clearly a testament to NCL's efficiency and professionalism. Everyone seemed quite happy. The only annoying crowd moment came as the pub-crawl hooted and hollered their way around the boat--I guess it's fun if you're already drunk.

 

It was a relaxing week away with my wonderful daughter and that was worth every penny.

[rikatine]

Thank you for posting your review.:)

[wolfcel]

Thank you for posting your review.:)

 

 

Great review...looking forward to our Gem experience on August 28!!

 

Do you have any recommendations for shore excursions besides the dolphin swim??

[acmes]

Wolfcel,

The best excursions depend on your interests and the size of your group--and how mobile everyone is. If it's 4 people or less, you can strike out on your own. Head for the beaches. Jobson's Cove is tiny and safe, like a bathtub. Right next door is Warwick Long Bay a bit more challenging. We didn't get to Church Bay because it was supposed to be too rough for snorkeling. I would hop in a cab or a bus right off the boat. (a cab to Jobsons would cost about $25. each way. Bus is much less, but it depends on your comfort level. We were interested in the caves too, but ran out of time. All of the above can be done on your own. The price for the full dolphin experience was $310. (almost 1 hour in the water with dolphins), see how that compares with the price in the excursion list. I'm not a shopper, so I didn't go to Hamilton for that purpose. Parasailing would have been fun but the wind was too high. The Banana boat is a bit hairy but the people on it seemed to enjoy (avoid if you have back problems!). I would suggest you get beyond the dockyard, no matter what (there's nothing wrong with it, per se)

[searoses]

thanks for your review.......in defense of the snorkeling man.... i have to use my mask in the pool because of a sensitivity to the chlorine and i can only use the kids' pool on the gem because it has the stairs and my knees don't work. would have creeped me out a little,though,too. i am a cheerleader for the aft cabins after being assigned one on an alaskan cruise. ours on the gen was the best bed i have EVER slept in. how old is your daughter? taking my 5 yo grandson next june and a little concerned he will not enjoy himself as much as i think.

[acmes]

Searoses,

A 5 year old boy is probably the ideal candidate. My daughter is 11 and not much into Pirates--which is an understandably popular theme at the Kids Club. The water slide is just twisty enough for fun. I think he'll be old enough for rock climbing and there's basketball. He probably won't be tall enough to operate the soft-serve machine on his own, but he'll love the chocolate buffet. Have fun!

[bjinouno]

sounds like you and your daughter had a great time... yes those announcments are very annoying... and the bar crawl is gross, especially when u see a dad totting along his child in a stroller, and NCL allowed that too, I would have reported that pig in the pool with the kids, your right NO kid NO kid pool!

[lv2travel98]

We leave August 28th on the Gem. Getting very excited. Last time I went on a Cruise was 25 years ago. 17 more days!!!