Gem 9 day East Caribbean 11/7-11/16/2012: Oceanview 4560, Review, Picture, Freestyle

[mking8288]

Day 4 - NCL Gem at Old San Juan, PR - continued

(more pictures)

 

 

 

 

 

and, Old San Juan at night from the NCL Gem

 

 

[mking8288]

Day 4 to 5 - NCL Gem leaving Old San Juan, PR sailing overnight to St. Maarten

 

For San Juan, we did a bit of walking around ourselves & took pictures, stopped by the local Starbuck not far from the pier for a nice Moca, and tried to use its WiFi signal with our iPad. Some website worked fine but other sites came up as error, another Gem cruiser also had problems with her smartphone trying to get updated email - tried to assist but no luck. Yet, a couple of customers were clearly online with their Mac's & laptops - if I only took my bag full of gadgets & notebook onshore - I would figure it out. Fortunately, I was able to use my rooted global HTC's unlimited VZW data plan to tether the iPad and got everything done while taking a break from the heat, it was pretty warm & on the humid side, but could've been worst (can't imagine going to these places in the summer months, not me)

 

We checked out the "side" streets along and outside of those on the NCL shopping guide listing, and even walked pass a Burger King but no Golden Arches (Mc'D) in plain sight - stopped in a # of souvenir shops for gifts, doing our part to support the local economy - and then headed back downhill toward the waterfront and the CVS store to pickup some soda & essentials at great prices (batteries, suntain lotions, hair sprays, etc. - they got them all) - before walking back to the pier as it's dinner time. Magneta MDR was our pick that evening - good food, great service & satisfied, we walked around the ship and outside on deck 7 to feel the warm ocean breeze at night. Like previous nights, our hard working Stateroom Attendant left us 2 mints with the towl animal - cleaned our bathroom again & refilled our ice bucket after clearing the now emptied chocolate tray.

 

 

All abroad time was 8:30 for the 9 pm sail time, and several Gem cruisers could've been left stranded on the pier had we sail on schedule w/o waiting for them - their names were called/overhead P.A. all over the ship to contact Guest Services. Initially, around 10 names were called, then 4 or 5 on the 2nd. call and then finally 2 names (an Asian named couple) on the 3rd. call - slightly delaying our sailaway by 15+ minutes. Eventually, either the missing showed up & boarded, or ... The Gem began moving away from the pier with the ropes getting tossed. We're soon heading out to sea with city lights fading behind us as the slow turns were done - time to get some zzz's to get ready to see St. Maarten in the morning (although we're told many shops will be closed b/c of a public holiday) Tonight, we're doing around 18 or 19 knots only as we are just 200 nautical miles between ports - arriving around sunrise time with spare time to dock & get the ship cleared by local officials. Yet - the ride tonight seemed rougher than Day #1 with the Nor-easter, waves aren't rough but it's the cross-wind blowing from the side. No Bonine necessary, the rocking & rolling are actually good for us getting a good night sleep.

 

 

I awoke once for bathroom in the pre-dawn hours & looked outside via our porthole, everything looks fine & went back to sleep. Next thing we knew, we've arrived & already tied up at the pier, and NCL ShoreEx groups were being escorted down the front stairs from the Stardust Theater to Deck 4 to exit via the front gangway thru the corridor/hallway. Looking out port side, the NCL Sun is dock alongside next to us at a nearby berth, and by the time we went upstairs for a leisure breakfast, we realized that there is a 3rd. ship, the P&O Aurora docked starboard side. This morning, it's buffet breakfast at the Garden Cafe for us - good, basic & variety of items available, plus one can wait in line for eggs cooked to order. The fruit selections, however, didn't taste totally fresh - but, still loved the chunky pineapples.

 

 

Grabbing our ID's & shore essentials, it's time to go explore St. Maarten.

 

 

The inexpensive water taxi is the way to go, $5 for one-way trip or $7 for unlimited, all day travel.

 

 

It's the scenic & fast way of crossing the harbor from the pier to the waterfront shops in the main section of town - impressive to see 3 cruise ships side-by-side, and as locals said, tourism is the economy for the island's residents and they appreciated our presence. BTW, many restaurants alongside the beach has the "WiFi" signs and beers going for just $2 ...

 

[mking8288]

That works if youre not claustrophiobic!:eek:

 

He he, maybe - just maybe, doing it with small children is fine. :D Still, too cozy for 4 adults - like piling on top of each other. :rolleyes:

 

Only touching on the subject as the same questions always get asked, over & over, in "searching" for answers & pictures, etc.

 

 

Was the reason for the nice plate of

chocolate covered strawberries due to attending the CC Meet and Greet? I recall reading a previous review where this was the case. I know the Godiva chocolates replaced the fruit basket.

 

Good question, I was puzzled and wondering ourselves - it's like getting Platinum perks while we're still Gold status during this cruise. And, having been to previous M&G, they probably already knew I'm active in CC and possibly "tracking" us all along somehow in their (Latitude) database system(s). The Godiva was definitely cool, much better than the fruit basket or moist cookies from the good old days - both of which could be easily obtained from the buffet - it's too sweet of them, ruining our efforts to minimize gaining extra weights.

 

 

It came delivered to our stateroom one day after our CC M&G onboard, compliments of the Executive Chef as indicated on the calling card. Godiva came on Day #1 as expected - this wasn't ...

 

On the other hand, we didn't ask for a private Bridge Tour this time (thus, I don't think anyone got invited) as they didn't stay around long enough to mingle either, but Dawn, organizer for our M&G did presented a charm on our group's behalf to the Mermaid & the Captain accepted it.

 

Still, it's generous enough as that's 40+ cabins being represented at the M&G during our sailings - and 40+ plates of chocolate-covered strawberries coming out of that department. Dawn just booked another Gem sailings (again) & repeating the same ITN, if I'm not mistaken in checking out the Roll Calls, so it will be interesting to find out from her when she get back in a few weeks.

 

Nobody else from our cruise has written their review as the answers will satisfy our curiousity too.

 

Nevertheless, both DW and I received post-cruise e-Surveys so we are going to fill them out later on while the turkey is getting roasted for Thanksgiving ... thinking about how lucky we are and our fellow New Yorkers still without a home, a roof over their heads, living in shelters and struggling to put their shattered dreams back together somehow - in many cases, practically everything washed out to the Atlantic. We still have many down tree branches waiting to be cleared away in our neighborhoods.

[mking8288]

Have you been on the Gem before? Just wondering if they added any new slot machines :)

This is our 1st. Gem sailing & we've read many reviews about her. can't really tell what's new & old as far as slot machines are concerned ... but, they are as new as those at the Indian reservation casinos here in CT, so ;)

The payouts were definitely better than the ones on RCI's Explorer of the Sea, virtually guaranteed to "donate" everything to the ship's treasury account. Table games on the Gem were usually quiet - dealers were mostly idle & chating among themselves.

 

The kids section on the GEM is towards the back of the sitting area just before the doors out to the Great Outdoors. The Grand Pacific Dining Room in the aft had a piano player most nights on our 9 day cruise.

 

Thanks, ah huh - I knew it, as we only walk back to the Great Outdoors once when docked at St. Maarten & that entire section was virtually emptied of anyone & everyone, plus - there're very few children on the sailing. We must say, the changes to having more small tables at the buffet is positive, for sure.

 

We ate in the Grand Pacific on 3 different nights & twice in Magneta, and not once did we see anyone playing the piano - we typically spend about an hour dining at a leisurely pace so it's unlikely that we missed it due to a rest or break in between. Clara was the singer & piano player at the lounge by Le Bistro (I think she was on the Star 3 years ago) is very good and a great voice - would've been a blast in the MDR.

[mking8288]

Day 5 - NCL Gem docked at St. Maarten

 

By the time we hit the pier walking toward the shops & water taxi terminal, a number of Gem passengers are already coming back to return to the ship, saying that nearby everything is closed in town - and don't bother ...

 

A little too late, already purchased our RT Water Taxi - orange wristbands already affixed. Oh well, we could use a little bit of walking exercise and can still get oriented & take pictures, etc. It was a quick 10 minutes ride across the water to the main part of town. Plenty of sunbathers on the beachfront and folks eating at numerous waterfront restaurants - and we saw a small group of Segway riders touring the town with a guide leading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission accomplished as far as tourist photos are concerned, we decided to head back via water taxi, making a local stop before the the pier - and we checked out the few "smart" stores that stayed open for the cruise ships (and, they did brisky businesses too) - getting our souvenir items & things, before walking slowly back thru security to board the Gem. It was late luncheon at Blue Lagoon, good old Wonton Soup is simple but good, Chef's Salad, some Hot Wings, and Fish & Chips along with DW's Tuna Salad - we're happy & full, and, managed to watch most of "Dead Poets Society" the movie being shown in the Atrium. We managed to take a mid-afternoon nap back in our stateroom, a new towel animal was waiting for our return - before dinner & the call for All Abroad at 5:30 p.m.

 

This afternoon, we did good as only several people were late returning to the ship and got overhead paged to contact Guest Services ... We nearly sailed on time at 6 p.m. and with even less distance to travel, we slowly cruised to the next port, USVI at under 10 knots.

 

Hard to believe, we've passed the half-way point in our cruise and en route to our 3rd. port. It didn't take long for us to fall asleep with a subtle rocking motion. Tomorrow is supposed to be great for shopping - we will soon find out ...

 

(Happy Thanksgiving to all)

[caychateau]

Hi. Thanks so much for posting your review! One question. At the pier in NYC what was operational? Escalators scanners etc? Was it cold?

[johnmpcny]

Thank you loving this.

[jdvmd]

Excellent review! Thanks so much!

[mking8288]

At the pier in NYC what was operational? Escalators scanners etc? Was it cold?

 

Hmmm, good question and it seemed like nobody has real good or updated status, latest report about recovery at the Pier 88/90 - pixiedustdawn ("Dawn") from your Roll Call is sailing the Gem again (she organized our M&G and just came back last week like the rest of us) - in case you missed it, reporting that one elevator & one escalator as being working lately.

 

If true, that's progress b/c last week, it wasn't - we disembark from deck 4 to the pier @ street level and it was pretty "chilly" inside the luggage area. It doesn't sound like the heating system is working yet so be prepared & bundle up as temperature is dropping this weekend. The check-in folks inside the building had their winter coats, scarf, gloves & hats on. Aside from running off emergency generators, part of the extra electricity are being fed by the ship's power plant upon arrival.

 

Unless confirmed otherwise, my suggestion would be to allow extra time for check-in (arrive early) and expect slower disembarkation - we saw some repairs taking place at pier 90 last week, but it was slow going & it was dark inside (binoculars gave us an edge in surveying the surroundings) And, bring patience along for good measures as these are beyond the cruiselines' control as I'm sure the "authorities" are eager to restore the infrastructure to pre-Sandy conditions ASAP. Unless I'm mistaken, both the NCL Jewel & Gem are docking in NYC this Sunday, so it could be a bit busy & hectic all day long.

 

Some additional pix from St. Maarten before shifting the review to USVI.

 

 

With most places & shops closed when we're in St. Maarten, we didn't bother to book any tours on our own on arrival. The NCL ones took off as scheduled & it seemed like the beach was a popular destination. Next to the pier's water taxi terminal, there's an info booth about excurisons.

 

The beach is right off the water-taxi pier, both to the left & to the right, plenty of chairs & umbrella rentals, plus jet skis - steps away to the water's edge and shaded restaurants & bars and shops. With 3 ships in port at the same time, the beach area looked crowded but it really wasn't that bad at all, the gift shops were very busy with the cash registers singing along.

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Day 6 - NCL Gem: U.S. Virgin Islands (at the 2/3 mark, oh no ...)

 

Our sailaway in the evening was on time as only 2 or 3 pax were slightly late in not getting back to the ship with the All Abroad time, and our ship was the first one to leave the berth. We saw our hard-working stateroom attendant as we went upstairs for dinner, and he was still busy in the hallway, putting away soiled sheets when we came back around 9 pm - our turndown services came with 2 mints, plus, a different towel animal. Overnight, we cruised very slowly as it was about 105 nautical miles between St. Maarten & USVI - around 9 knots according to the Gem's Navigational channel's display and the ride was very smooth, rocking us to another good night sleep after I finished transfering & editing some of our digital photos.

 

Somehow, the Gem managed to quietly "slip" into port in the morning and all that noises around deck 4 didn't bothered us nor wake us - the ship's webcam was facing the open waters & we only realized that we've already docked, gangway secured & many folks already left the pier on excurison - by looking our "little" porthole window, docking port side this time & using deck 4 Mid & Fwd to get off the ship. Crew members on shore leave were using the Fwd gangway, which is only 3 cabins away, opposite the blue curtains steps away down the hallway toward the medical center. We could've easy slept until 10 or 11 am, it's our "free style" vacation, afterall and our clock to do whatever, whenever - including nothing at all - loving it.

 

 

We debated what & where to eat breakfast (amazing, we have yet to use Room Service up until now) - the Garden Cafe won our vote this morning and it's still buzzing with people. It seemed that many folks, at all the stops, chose to stay on the ship as a matter of choice (and, many had been to these places before & going onshore isn't a must do thing.) Our selections - hard broiled eggs, bacon & sausages, smoked salmon for me, toasted bagel, pastries, yogurt & oakmeal, juice & coffee, plus fresh fruit - oh, dear - life is good, what's to complaint (and, empty & dirty dishes just "vanished" magically.)

 

 

 

It wasn't until we're up on Deck 12 and walked back toward the Great Outdoors that we realized that our ship wasn't the only one docked here, besides the Carnival Victory next to us, there's a 3rd. and bigger ship from the RCI fleet, ours being the furthest away from the pier & nearby shopping center.

 

 

Hmmm, this place kind of reminded us of being in Bermuda, the harbor is filled with pleasure boats of all sizes & shapes, along with luxury yachts. We have a shopping list of souvenirs for this port so we are going to spend some time on dry land - it's just a matter of how far we are going to venture, or just stick with nearby stores & shops.

 

 

Another familiar sights for many NCL port stops - Senor Frog's. We also noticed what turned out to be popular transportation options around the pier - open-air taxi, including shuttles that remind us of being at Disney's parking lots. Today's weather forecast is for warm weather & humidity, and Freestyle Daily reminded ship passengers to stay hydrated & drink plenty of liquid, and, of course, bottled water are sold on deck 4 opposite the elevators. On our way down to our stateroom to get ready, we indirectly refilled our own water bottles with flavored Mango water from the Cafe, that should work for us for our planned 2 hour excurison of places nearby.

 

 

While still picture-taking up on deck 12 and checking out the scenic harbor, we noticed that some passengers are already returning to the ship and it's not even 10 am local time - is there so little to do around here, or are these frequent cruisers that simply wanted to get off & then come right back?

 

Regardless, we retrieved our photo ID to go with our SeaPass from the stateroom , along with wallets & camera & headed a few steps away on deck 4's hallway for the gangway, and planted ourselves on the pier pavement - stopping for the official NCL photographer with a smile. It's getting warm & on the humid side, I don't feel like working up a sweat - time to grab a shuttle ride out of the pier to the shopping mall nearby.

[mking8288]

Day 6 - NCL Gem: US Virgin Islands (pictorial review: continued)

 

From deck 12's Great Outdoors, we had excellent 360 degree view all around us - and plenty of choice seating this morning -

 

 

Gem's tender boats have been launched & more than a half dozen of them are in the water doing circles, part of a peridoc & mandatory life boat emergency drill exercises for the crew members, to be prepared - just in case ... it looked like serious business

 

 

Watching all these & in light of Superstorm Sandy, this is a reminder of one of my FEMA training taken a while ago on ICS, this isn't a tabletop exercise but a full scale simulation drill, not to be taken lightly at all. Just a week before Sandy back in NYC, we're doing a hospital disaster scenerio - and 3 weeks later, realized that 4 hospitals were shutted down due to systems failure - putting the lives of patients & staff in harm's way, fortunately, no lives were lost directly - not to mentioned nursing homes & long-term care facilities with problems ... I have the chance 2 days ago to get updates while being away from it all, and, we were - indeed fortunate & lucky.

 

 

Even though this is the United States Virgin Islands, they do, in fact, drive on the left side of the road - we are reminded by our shuttle driver to exit to the left and to look both ways. "Ride at Your Own Risk" - okay, got it & where are the seat belts ... nevermind. Disney aint' got them either so what's the fuzz all about anyway.

 

 

Passing the Carnival Victory on the pier - looking up from our shuttle, these ships are huge ...

 

 

These homes & houses on the hill looked solidly built, nice balconies too - vacation timeshares ?? A commercial jetliner taking off from the airport nearby ... hmmm, that's a quick trip from the mainland, especially if it's based in Miami.

 

[mking8288]

Day 6 - NCL Gem: US Virgin Islands (pictorial review: continued)

 

Sharks - wow, that's a big one that the local fishermen hauled in, for real. It's great for photo op - smile !!

 

 

These shops are pretty big, well-stocked & decent prices - plenty of good buys for duty-free smokes, alcohol & other goodies - and special exemptions too b/c it's USVI - no wonder they are buying like there is no tomorrow and hauling them back to the ships in port.

 

These are open-air group sharing taxi & shuttle services, naturally cooled mass transit ... just cannot imagine them operating on the mainland ports, but around here - it's the way to get around quickly & inexpensively - of course, there are air-conditioned taxi too (like that Ford) on the lower right of the picutre

 

 

This is one of the glass bottomed excurison boat, returning directly to the pier landing where the Gem is docked - it moved rather slowly but it is a pretty decent size.

 

 

NCL crew members doing the dance to music played on the boom box, water & towels being distributed to folks as they return from their day trip, just prior to pass thru ship security - watching it all from above (as we came back early & already finished lunch & watched the 1:30 pm movie in the atrium lobby)

 

 

One of the Gem's senior officer, Jenny was part of the group down on the pier doing the dance - leadership by example, that's the way to do it too. She is responsible for hotel operations with a staff of 900 under her command, we're impressed.

 

 

The glass-bottomed boat looked like an oversized landing craft but upon closer exam once it docked - it resembled more of a custom-designed or modified barge. The excurison lasted just 60 minutes, looking at the descriptive catalog for ship tours.

 

It's mid-afternoon now, one more stop - tomorrow is Samana, DR, our last port (tendered) stop - then, we set sail back up north to NYC. Let's figure out when we are going to do speciality dining before we run out of time - Le Bistro is a must. What else is on my "must-do" list ? I hear that many people are staying on the ship tomorrow & choosing to not do anything, apparently - not much to see, buy & worth going ... That explained why all the NCL tours are on "big" sale - deeply discounted, and it's being heavily advertised over the ship's PA system.

[mking8288]

Day 6 - NCL Gem: Exterior views of deck 8's Obstructed Oceanview cabins and open outdoor spaces on deck 7 below those tender/life boats

 

Starboard side of deck 7 on the outside is designated for smoking - plus, there are loungers for relaxation & reading, although we saw very little use of them, even when we're in the warm waters of the Caribbean ports & on sea days. On other NCL ships, I recalled seeing a few tables for casual dining and chairs, especially outside of or below Blue Lagoon - not true for the Gem. Besides, for winter sailings and on rough sea days when the deck is wet from salt water sprays, it really isn't practical - deck 12 poolside or deck 13 are better designed for such. The walking & jogging track or trail is up on deck 13, as deck 7 isn't being used as such - sections of it being rather narrow.

 

 

Yes, there is a passage way to go all the way around the front/bow of the ship on deck 7, it might be closed for various reasons during the sailing but otherwise, it's good for a nice walk after a meal to burn off a few calories and being video-monitored. Photo below is taken near the front, outside the Stardust Theater - looking toward the Forward hull or bow section of the ship.

 

 

The view outside some of those obstructed Oceanview cabins on deck 8, the picture does help explain 90% blockage but sunlight do get thru, and look closer - one can see one of the picture windows with the lifeboat out of its way.

 

 

Here, you can see the walkway used by crew members outside those obstructed OV cabins

 

 

Our stateroom attendant is very good at this, today's towel animal waiting for us after lunch - demonstrations by housekeeping on how to fold it being shown in the atrium (DVD's available for sale.)

 

 

While I played a few games of Angry Birds Space on my Android tablet, DW decided to use her iPad for entertainment purposes while it was getting charged (w/o the need for an internet or WiFi connection) The free Ship Mate App for iOS and Androids are pretty cool to use, except that it's limited in functionality without a data connection.

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Day 6 to 7: NCL Gem - USVI to Samana, DR

 

All Abroad time is 4:30 pm this afternoon and it looked like everyone was back on the ship and accounted for, so we're promptly pulling away from the pier at 5:00 pm on the dot.

 

 

The other 2 ships still going nowhere as we continued to pull away, heading east to turn northward, then westward heading toward Samana - we need to cover a distance of around 260 nautical miles between ports, so we will be "speeding" once we are further out to sea & away from land masses for on-time arrival - doing 21 knots soon, sea state is just wavelets and DW is now worried that she can't sleep once we are back home on solid land, LOL.

 

 

We're going to book or do specialty dining tonight at LeBistro to celebrate our 20th anniversary, was told that it wasn't busy nor booked - same for Moderno but it's simply way too much meat for DW, but the salad bar is said to be excellent. The MDR menu tonight looks good - as we always check it out in the morning/midday whenever we pass by Magneta on deck 6 - dashing out to Grand Pacific MDR, fortunately - wait line is very short & we're seated by our own table near the window again in just 3 or 4 minutes, after a bit of Washy Washy, Happy Happy with the automated dispenser. I think many came back hungry from beach excurison & hit up Garden Cafe or Blue Lagoon early, and might be taking a nap - good for us. We are going to finish with time to spare to get descent seats at the SS Theater shortly, Gem Singers & Dancers are putting on "Colorz" at 7:30 and 9:30 pm.

 

Passing thru Bliss Ultra Lounge, I paused to snap a picture of the bowling lanes - 2 of them on each side and I think it's $5 per game, although I have yet to see anyone at it - maybe timing b/c it's closed whenever we're in that area. Oh, there is a row of slot machines too, about 8 or 10 of them - 18 years or older can gamble, but this is a bit far from the main casino action nearly all the way up front & one deck below on the Gem. Again, haven't seen a single diehard player feeding it.

 

 

 

The sofa, lounger & beds (for sitting, I think) inside the Bliss Lounge are very comfortable - highly recommended to all to checking it out while you are there for your M&G, even if you aren't planning to spend time in this adults only late-night club scene otherwise.

 

 

Tonight's show of Colorz was before a full audience with most seats taken, it's new & different and the energy of the performers shined thru - the stage scenery and sets are kind of simple, not as eleborate as the JAR company days or overwhelming but good - didn't draw standing ovations over & over again. Maybe we have an older & mellow audience here ...

 

Since we ate dinner early, DW dispatched me to the buffet to grab some "snacks" to munch on after the show - took some fruit, pizza and make a bowl of rice with Asian vegetables & stir-fried beef on top, yummy but a bit heavy on the sauce/gravy. Subjectively speaking, many of the items we saw being served in the Garden Cafe were heavy on sauce & gravy, not too high in sodium but nevertheless, would be nice for a "lighter" cooking style selections like the old days ... of course, this is a matter of personal preference or bias. Didn't see BBQ or roast chicken this evening, but it was supposed to be pulled pork burger as well as beef burger with pineapple - DW sweared that both as being beef ?? Who's hungry - impossible on the Gem, for sure. The meatloaf served in Blue Lagoon is pretty good as comfort food and I don't have to worry about chewing it, he he.

 

Anyway, we're apparently passing not far off the coast of Puerto Rico on on our way as we could clearly see the city lights from land. We slept well again in gentle rocking motion and awoke in Samana - as announcement were being made about Tender Tickets being distributed for those not excurison. Looking out the porthole window, a thick cable is swaying in the air - the boats have already been lowered into the water and ready to go (so they managed to do it without making too much noises to those of us with cabins in the vicinity.)

 

The gangways are on deck 4 and we are steps away from it - got 4 Priority Tender tickets with our Latitude Gold status, we don't need them - anyone wants it, it's up for grabs (worthless on eBay, LOL) Well, it looks like a beach crowd this morning & they are eager to go - plus some are going to Cayo, a private island directly from the Gem and it's deeply discounted. When I turned on the ship's onboard/webcam - we're looking directly at it, I think (giving the impression that we're yet at Samana, but we have arrived & in fact, early & on schedule, good to go)

 

 

 

(to be continued - more pictures once I sort them out)

[mking8288]

Day 7 - NCL Gem - Samana, Dominican (88F & mostly sunny)

 

Day 7 - Samana: we've decided to stay on the Gem today & relax, so off to the MDR for another great breakfast, the Grand Pacific is open until 10 am and for then re-open at noon for lunch today (expecting more folks to stay on the ship ...)

 

Zooming in on our camera, this looked like a small, secluded but nice beach for getting some sun

 

 

One of the earliest tender boat is already on its way back to the Gem after dropping folks off onshore - seemed that we are anchored pretty far from the pier, harbor is too shallow. There is only one cruise ship here - the Gem, didn't see ships from other lines calling here today.

 

 

 

 

Tendering itself is said to be taking about 20 minutes and it's a fairly "long" ride. Here's the self-contained floating platform attached & folded into part of the ship on deck 4 - it's self-contained and made it easy for boats to quickly dock and to move passengers around.

 

The excurison boat below is ready to go with all passengers being abroad,

 

The small boat floating nearby is law enforcement from the local authorities, providing security & patrolling the surface movements in the water wit a buffer zone.

 

 

Climbing on & off the tender boat and the Sem is more challenging, but crew memebers are always on the alert and ready to assist.

 

 

Another scenic view of the coastline with the beach in the distance.

 

 

Starting around 12 noon, we saw many returning from shore trips and most of them empty-handed, not much in terms of gift shopping. On our way to the MDR in the lobby, we overheard dicussions among several of demanding/getting a refund, something about it being poor & a waste, etc. Again, no facts to based it on - probably somebody being disappointed and did not feel liike being charged or misled ??

 

This evening, we have a 2nd. Latitude reception for Silver & up members in the Spinmaker Lounge again, and 2 shows of Duo Volgy, by Marsha & Tyler - of balletic & theatrical aerial artistry musical. After checking out the MDR menu selection for today, we've decided tonight will be LeBistro night - going to be good - can't wait to Brulee for dessert, loved it and no longer served or available in the regular dining rooms (booked & done.)

 

For the afternoon, we found 2 nice seats in the altrium to catch today's movie, "The Goonies" about a wild adventure involving a pirate treasure map. Java Cafe's free coffee & cake is good, self-service style. Atrium lobby is packed with shoppers today - called 1 day Crazy BT for just $10, things are on sale (yes, we joined & found some bargains, good for the holiday grabs)

 

With the last Tender at 3:00 pm, it seemed like everyone came back by then as crew were putting everything used for going on shore by 3:30 pm, it was fun watching them bringing the boats out of the water with the hydrallic lifts - it looks simple & easy from our porthole window, but it is NOT and can't imagine doing that in rough sea or with huge waves. It's no secret that they drill & drill, train and train and lots of team work. Leaving nobody behind in Samana from our ship, we actually got underway as the engine room came to life a few minutes before 4 pm - we are now officially sailing toward NYC - it's going to be 3 days and 1,600 nautical miles later before we see land again.

 

The reception is at 7:00 pm and LeBistro booked for 8:30 pm - it's time for a nice, late afternoon vacation cruise nap. Turned the "Do Not Disturb" dial outside our cabin and DW wanted to "appeal" her casino investments later on and play slots. It turned out that slots can also be played - smoke free - in Bliss Lounge as well as the Spinmaker Lounge, hmmm. Internet Cafe is offering extra/bonus minutes & there's a Facebook "deal" for "Like" of 15 more minutes - if only latency & speed aren't so bad.

[mking8288]

Day 7 - NCL Gem - (Evening at Sea - 2nd. Latitude reception & LeBistro, specialty dining)

 

We had a nice nap & DW refused to start even thinking about packing as our 9 days would soon become just an addition to our scrap book. Anyway, we changed into nicer evening casual clothing & headed out again, said hello to our attendant on the way to the Fwd elevator - it's a long way from deck 4 to deck 13 lounge, not walking up those stairs. We were, along with about 50+ fellow Latitude members (Silver, Gold & Platinium tiers) about 15 minutes early for this "Wine & Cheese" reception - and a line has sort of formed naturally, apparently only the entrace on the starboard side would be used (the "Gold" invitation didn't have our names and/or cabin # on it - just the time/date, could've given it away to anyone to attend & check it out ... we should've & gone straight to dinner, explain in a minute)

 

In the past, they would've opened the doors a few minutes early & let folks inside (there was no prior functions inside the lounge, it's clean & ready) but they waited until 7 pm ++ on the dot, and by now - there must be 120+ people waiting, almost making those coming off the elevators to back out again - and with one stairs coming up, folks were holding on to the railings. There was a bit of shouting going out among a few people, saying that they been there & for latecomers to go to the end of the line - problem is that, there wasn't much space to move around as it was so crowded in that corridor/hallway. As soon as they pop the door open from the inside, the lines disappeared and it was a race to see who can make their own way inside first - so much for being civilized & courteous ... The reasons, I dunno - maybe it's about all the free drinks, wine & alcohol, drink fast & as many as being offered in the next 30 minutes - the Capt. was present along with 3 or 4 senior officers inside by the bar, offering general greetings & hello as the crowd rushed in - fearing what, there are plenty of seating available (Bingo is played here & it can seat several hundreds)

 

We found decent seating & got our drinks, and it took a little while for them to circulate cubes of cheese & crackers in the lounge - the group next to us did good, they enjoyed at least 3 rounds of drinks - and, of course, free - and were happy campers, saving $20 to $30 per person easily at then current NCL bar pricing. In retrospect, we should've taking an extra glass of wine each & walked it down to our LeBistro dining at 8:30 pm. While we're entertained to live background piano music, there wasn't anything else to do unless you have newly met Latitude friends and/or CC members with you - there wasn't even an official welcome and/or thank you for coming remarks from them.

 

DW & I concluded that aside from the freebies of all you can drink, this has to be one of the least enjoyable reception for Latitude members - when we're on the Jewel, Star & POA previously, the senior officers actually circulated and mingled, and chatted with lots of folks - and it didn't cost them anything extra but their valuable time, I suppose. Toward the end of that 30 minutes, a crew member (Latitude rep. on board ?? - I wasn't sure) thanked everyone for coming & said that piano music will be stopping, but feel free to stay around & enjoy the lounge. Oops - that's it. We always look forwarded to these events onboard & suffice to say, a little disappointed. Okay, our highlight of the evening is LeBistro - let's get on with it next. We will start working on way down, stopping at deck 7 to check out all the photos taken & see what else is going on.

 

We're 10 minutes early for our reservations and got promptly seated as it wasn't busy at all at that time of the evening. There're just 4 or 5 tables being occupied and they're mostly finishing up - 1 couple came before us and getting their orders taken as they sip wine.

 

Our waiter offered us fresh bread, butter & the chef's starter w. dipping sauce while we tried to decide what & how much to eat. I ordered the classic French onion soup and Four Mushroom soup for her - salad, starters, and entrees. We're off to a good start, everything at or better than what we've experienced at other NCL LeBistro's - service is very attentive and with a smile, never rushed.

 

 

 

LeBistro was pretty quiet by 9 pm - only 2 or 3 couples came in shortly after us - so the staff gave everyone extra attention. Our entrees came, looking good - the duck was nicely prepared. One of these days, I will have lamb ...

 

 

 

 

And, of course - Brulee w. coffee for dessert (with the brown sugar melted, just a little too sweet for our taste, but goooood)

 

Afterward, we're so full (and happy) that there is no way for us to go to sleep for a while - we headed out the door, passing the lounge (Clara - the singer/piano player was one of the best we've heard, she was on the NCL Star 3 years ago when we did Mexico & Alaska) on our way over to the casino.

 

With 2 full sea days ahead before we get back to NYC, we are going to stay up late tonight & order Breakfast Room Services - first, time to hit the slots.

[pixiedustdawn]

Wonderful review! I am enjoying reliving our cruise! :D

[mking8288]

Wonderful review! I am enjoying reliving our cruise!

 

How was the rocking motion on that first night for you "upstairs" as I forgot to ask when we're in the Bliss Lounge? DH is jealous in hearing that someone from our sailing are going back to repeat the itinerary again so soon. Looks like I've been drafted to coordinate & organize a group of about one dozen for the same Gem itinenary in 2013 - keeping our eyes out for deals on top of other OBC & discounts ...

 

 

continuing the last part of the review

 

 

Day 7 - NCL Gem - (Full Sea Day .... out of Caribbean Sea, heading north thru the Bahamas into the Atlantic toward NYC - about 1,600 nautical miles between ports)

 

Our breakfast order was for 8:30 am delivery and right on schedule - getting a courtesy/wakeup call to announce that it is enroute - less than 5 minutes later, a gentle knock on the door. It's everything we've asked for - juices, milk, cereal, coffee, yogurt, and bakery items (toast or bagel used to be listed, NOT.) Tipping for the delivery - I quickly peek up & down our corridor/hallway - very quiet, everyone sleeping in late. Bonus: hard boiled eggs from the buffet refrigerated overnight - it was great and nice in not getting up to change or leaving the cabin - could've gone back to sleep after filling our stomach.

 

DW kept herself busy with the iPad in bed again, I turned on the TV for news (BBC News channel is the only news source - forget about MSNBC and/or Fox News, both useless (just repeated stories of the pending fiscal cliff) as a matter of personal bias & preference - of course, YMMV - along with a quick scan of the Ship's Webcam & Navigational displays (Ch. 24, I think it was) Time passed by quickly and we decided to do our lunch in the Garden Cafe - and, then stop at the Photo Gallery to round up all the pictures that we wanted to buy today (knowing from experience that it will be mad crowded on the last sea day) - apply our discounts & take advantage of special offers, including the Get 4 with 1 free deals using our OBC. Still pretty warm outdoors, around 80 degree - pool deck full of sunbathers, not all the loungers taken or reserved - just crowded (try deck 13 - fewer upstairs but a bit windy.)

 

The Gem's buffet stations are set up differently compared to the Jewel or even the Star, we prefer the standalone island arrangements - but, the lines were not too bad as we went early & found a nice small table by the window - choice of 2 soup and typical salad bar items, including mix your own - the variety not as much as a year ago - the pizza is pretty good, vastly improved from the past (crispy baked & not soggy, that's the way we prefered them) and many different items to choose from - juicey beef burgers, big & fat hot dogs, rice & Asian selections, some hot & spicy while others were in curry sauses (not fans of anything "drowning" in thick gravies) but at least things do not seemed as high in sodium as before - good job, NCL in listening to feedbacks & comments from the guests.

 

Dessert stations have ample choices, including ice cream served with a cone or in a cup, and fresh fruits (although the banana looked uninviting as the skins are blackened) During this cruise, we got used to drinking flavored water - Mango over Kiwi - and the coffee as dispensed aren't too bad, stronger than the ones poured in the MDR. It helped us cut down on drinking the soda - 3 bottles of ginger ale that we got at CVS in Puerto Rico actually found its way back to NY, unopened. For those with "big" appetite, the buffet is for you - for us, we rather dine in one of the MDR or Blue Lagoon for a quick meal - reserving LeBistro for special occassions, etc. Maybe we will add Cagney's to our "cycle mix" next time for a change, as DW isn't into red meat. I had Mahi Mahi twice during this cruise and aside from smoked salmon (more pinkish than red,) skipped the salmon in the MDR.

 

We timed our schedule perfectly for visiting the Photo Gallery as most folks were still dining somewhere - the smaller pictures priced at $12.95 seemed to be a slight price drop from what I recalled, and with the 4-n-1 special and additional Latitude discount, made it worthwhile to get 5 pictures, if not 10 - plus other bigger 8 by 10 at $19.95 - and, for what we got, it essentially offset itself with OBC and didn't cost anything additional - cool.

 

Today's Atrium movie is "50 First Dates" at 2:30 pm and we held on to our nice seats early, enjoying people watching while sipping (free) coffee from Java Cafe - this took care of our afternoon on the ship while at sea. We returned to our cabin for a quick stop, dropping off the pictures - and found another towel animal waiting on the bed for us.

 

 

Dinner at the Grand Pacific MDR was good - our only wish is that they offer more choices like the old "Dawn" days, the Every day Menu on the right side getting boring after 8 days - spring rolls are good & filling but ... ditto for the salad. I'm absolutely convinced that they are serving the full course meal at a faster pace or speed nowadays - one hour is enough without rushing, used to take 75 to 90 minutes.

 

This evening, Gem production cast's finale is "Get Down Tonight" music & memories of the 1970's - plus the special Farewell Finale from the Captain, officers, staff & crew - with a surprise from CD Sinan. The featured show is new & different, nice costumes and in changing into different ones, the dancers worked hard & well received by the audience - it did seemed a little short of deserving standing ovations from the full house crowd, for whatever reasons. It is, still, entertainment and we enjoyed it - much like watching Bollywood 3 or 4 times.

 

At the finale, CD Sinan pulled a surprise - you need to be there to see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our stateroom attendant was on stage, representing housekeeping and we saw each other on their way out - big smile on his face as he recognized us and two thumbs up for him from us.

 

Getting late & tonight, DW wanted to go to bed early so we headed back - tomorrow is the last Sea Day, starting to think about New York & wondering about conditions of Pier 88.

 

Sea state tonight is moderate, occassional gust & wind - nothing close to rough, so it's off to a restful sleep - we should be off the coast somewhere near the Carolinas by morning - Gem is cruising at a steady 21 or 22 knots, sometimes around 23 knots - I'm thinking that we should be at the Lower Bay before daybreak on the morning of disembarkation - most likely, arriving early at the pier.

[LaPrincesa]

Such a lovely review. Keep up the good work.

 

~ La Princesa

[mking8288]

Day 8 - NCL Gem (last Sea Day before arriving back in NY) ... a different state of mind, sinking in (packing & disembarkation)

 

Overnight, I was gently awaken out of my sound sleep around 4:30 am - we apparently experienced plumbing issues along with up to 50 cabins served by the same line b/c something clogge it up - and the toilet will NOT flush - nothing, nada - when the button is pressed. (Eek!) Oh, no - this is a dream, for real - it was fine when I last used it around 1:30 am just before going to bed & I did nothing to cause it. Good grief, should I call ext. 00 or reception and sound the "general alarm" (only kidding) to warn of a disaster or a pending flooding - and grab our pillows to sleep in the Bliss Lounge (sounded good for a moment, huh) while it get fixed. Of course, not - honey, let's just get back to sleep - and if someone MUST go #2 - we will use public facilities upstairs b/c it will be nasty & stink. Agreed - that's our contingency, and this had to happen on our last sea day. Our poor stateroom attendant is going to be busy doing "environmental services" above & beyond his call of duty, but I'm sure they will address it promptly and odds are that calls have been made (or soon to be) to the switchboard or reception for a resolution. Good news by the time we woke up again in the mid-morning, hungry - the problematic flush line had been cleared and the magical switching "button" is making that whooosh sound again, blasting water thru the pipes, etc. The only casualty is a faint, lingering smell of raw sewage & urine, coming thru the bathroom vent and/or behind the ceiling wall above it. We could also hear the sound of water splashing around (as if it is moving around in a holding tank) - noises that we don't usually hear or come across in previous sailings.

 

Nevertheless, it's time to eat so we headed upstairs to the MDR for a leisurely breakfast - and then need attend the raffle drawing for the free cruise for 2, at the Spinmaker Lounge to see if we are the lucky winners - I won the Del Sol color-changing frisbee, afterall - with a retail value of $15 USD @ the Latitude gathering last week. I ate 2 small chocolate croissant as a starter, yogurt plus my 2nd. smoked salmon benedict w. spinach for this cruise, along with juice & coffee - yummy & good.

 

The MDR this morning if full, as if it is dinner time - on all other days, it's seldom more than 25 or 30% full for breakfast - staffing level is doubled of what is normally available - we're actually seated all the in the back (Aft) by the rear giant windows, that's how busy the place is. Jenny, the senior officer in charge of hotel services took over for a moment and had extra help in a matter of minutes - the line has already backed up to the top of the chairs on deck 7. Wow, the buffet must be pack full and/or that, many cruisers finally decided that it is their last chance to eat in the MDR in the morning, especially for those who plan to rush off the ship tomorrow upon arrival in NYC (scheduled for 10 am.) - I'm guessing that none of the crew members have time-off this morning, unlike port days and everything, including the kitchen gallery, is on overdrive mode.

 

Next, it was time to head for the Spinmaker Lounge for the raffle drawing for the free cruise, as someone is going to win and must be present to claim the prize.

 

 

This is a perfect spot to chill, especially when sea is calm - but not a place for most when it's windy with rough waves blowing across the ship, plus there are slot machine actions.

 

 

To make a long story short, we dropped our batch of raffle tickets into the bucket and a young kid from N.J. was selected to draw one ticket as the lucky winner - before they go back to the regular Bingo game - and we lost. A woman from N.J. screamed when her ticket matched the winning # called - disappointing the rest of us, of course and triggered the mass exodus toward the door.

 

We walked across deck 13 and down 1 flight of stairs to hangout in the Garden Buffet for a short while, before heading down to deck 8 to eat a light lunch at Blue Lagoon - the meatloaf was good and of course, we had to have our Wonton soup (minus the noodles that wasn't never there) - that's comfort food & split a Chef's Salad too (DW had Fish-n-Chip.)

 

This afternoon's movie was Indiana Jones - a must-watch for us and with most seats taken already (and, we're early) - settled for front row seats.

The Altrium is very busy today and the Photo Gallery is a mad house, good thing that we're done with doing business with them. Sit back & relax and drank our coffee. The 2nd. half of the afternoon was packing up the dirty laundry into the suitcases and getting our yellow Priority Tags ready for the evening pickup - I'm still trying to figure out what to do about transportation: book our car service or just get in line for the taxi.

 

Packing to go home is the easier part as worries about wrinkled clothes no longer exist and it's about jamming them in to fit. We're done in less than an hour - it will be ready to go before midnight. The Gem is now less than 200 miles from homeport - NYC - doing about 19 or 20 knots passing thru the Maryland shorelines toward Atlantic City.

 

 

Unlike last evening, sea state isn't bad now - only moderate wavelets & some wind.

 

 

We dine in the Magneta MDR this evening and services were good and as expected, where the dress code is more relaxed & natural. It was a short walk back to our stateroom & finish packing the 2 suitcases, keeping just one 22" carryon with us overnight. There are no towel animal this evening and we understand, crew members are very busy getting ready for the turnaround tomorrow - and they will not be getting a lot of sleep tonight either. The bathroom odor mostly gone, plumbing is working & the toilet is flushing - what more than we ask for. Double-checking the ID tags and NCL's Priority Tags first that we received upon boarding in our stateroom - and soon, the bags're taken from the hallway outside our cabin into the service area by our attendant.

 

 

Checking the Gem's ScanDisplay @ 10:30 pm, we are now less than 130 nautical miles from NYC pier doing 18 knots - we could sail in the darkness up the Hudson River & be docked by daybreak. Using the interactive TV's menu keys & buttons, we checked on latest balance of our Onboard Account - everything as it should be, no surprises or missing credits - we're good to go with the final invoice in the morning, as they usually are - no need to stop at Reception - there's been a line upstairs all day long earlier.

 

 

U.S. Customs Declaration filled out, passports out of the mini-safe and our Priority Disembarkation Passes ready. Time to set the alarm for the morning & transition to the real world again. Good night as we will be at the pier soon & homeward bound.

[www3traveler]

Thank for your review and the wonderful pictures. I loved the pictures of the Farewell Show. I knew a number of the people who were on stage.

 

Mandy

[Kathy555]

Great review, thank you. What time did you get back to New York?

[RYMOMA]

Jenny is the most awesome hotel director out there!!

 

I hope that she will still be on the Gem when we sail again Oct 2013

 

Going for a redo of our ill fated 9 day to Bermuda :D

[familyof4cruising]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review with all the pictures!

[Grammynelliebelle]

A thank you from us also! Enjoyed your report and preview of what's ahead. We leave in the am and in 24 hours will probably be at dinner! Grammy