NCL Gem 5/4-11/08 Review

[sapsucker]

We just got back from the cruise and still recovering from the time change. It is definitely worse returning from Europe than when you fly over for the cruise. In summary we had a great cruise and two day pre cruise stay in Barcelona. Now for the details:

We arrived on May 2nd flying in on Continental non-stop from Newark. Flight was great with good service but we did experience a ground delay due to congestion at Newark. All told we were about 45 minutes late arriving into Barcelona. We hopped on a free shuttle offered by Marriott and got to the hotel around 11:15 am. After checking in and using my points for the stay we talked to the concierge and got free transportation back to the airport to catch the airport express into town. We used this method the entire time and did not find any problems with it. We later found out that this one of hotels the NCL puts people in if they choose the pr/post cruise option with NCL. Nice hotel. We made it to Plaza de Catalunya in about thirty minutes. We strolled the Las Ramblas and took in all the sites and sounds. We found out the Burger Kings and McDonalds were good places to use facilities with no problems. We walked all the way through Las Ramblas and then on to Port Olympic. We ate at La Barca de Salmanca based on a recommendation here on the boards. We had the seafood paella and it was excellent. Cost was approx. 38 euros. We then took the metro and bus to get to the Tablao de Carmen to see the flamenco show. We enjoyed the show. We left the area and walked down the hill and happened on the fountain show at Montjuic. It was excellent. A big crowd was there to enjoy the show and it was beautiful. We then caught the transportation back to the hotel and slept in on Saturday morning. We went to the Sagrada Familia and the Bari Gothic area and had tapas on Saturday afternoon. We went back to the hotel early to get ready for the cruise the next day.

On Sunday we arranged transportation to the port through the concierge at the hotel for 10 euro per person. It took about 35 minutes to get to the port and I got real excited when I saw the Gem waiting for us. We got to the terminal at 11:35 and checked in, met Claudio our concierge, and walked on to the Gem at 11:45 am. He said our cabin was not ready but I went by room 9670 the AE suite and it was ready for occupancy. The room was excellent and the view from the aft is great. I now know why everyone falls in love with these aft cabins. We met our room stewards and proceeded to the Grand Pacific for our first meal on board. We later found out we could have gone to Cagneys but we did enjoy the Grand Pacific. The muster drill took place at 5:00 pm and we went to dinner at 7:30 pm at Magenta for another great meal. Throughout the week the menu changed and outside of a couple items, we thought the food was better than our trip on the Pearl last year.

The next day was our only sea day and it was glorious. The seas were the smoothest I have ever been on. We went bowling that day and I got my high score because the ship was so steady. I also set up a meet and greet that was better attended by the NCL staff then by cruise critics. There were 7 of us and 9 NCL people that include the captain. Julian Brackenbury was the hotel director and answered a few of our questions. He told us that Freestyle 2.0 would be fully implemented on 5/18. Later on during the week I could see the room steward loading up the new bedding in the rooms. The new room service menus were not out yet. I also asked Julian about the new shows on the Jade and if they would be coming to the Gem also. He would not confirm this but it looks like NCL is testing the new format of shows like Tony and Tina’s Wedding on the Jade in preparation for the new F3 concept. We talked about the logistics of 4000 people eating after returning from long shore excursions in the Med. It will be interesting to see the reviews from the Jade this summer. We could not get any more information about the F3 ships from the crew. Julian (Hotel Director) was excellent and available throughout the cruise. The Gem is toned down a little bit from the Pearl. We definitely liked the Gem color scheme over the Pearl. The afternoon I arranged for our butler to bring in the goodies for an afternoon tea that my wife and I enjoyed looking out over our aft balcony. All of the crew we came in contact with was pleasant and smiling.

We ate most of our breakfasts at Cagneys. Great perk! On the Civittechia port, Madea, our butler brought us breakfast. We attended three out of the six shows. With this being a very port intensive cruise we just did not have the energy to stay up until 11:00 to watch the shows during the Italy port stops. The Gem Shows were good. No more Jean Ryan shows.

Now for the ports. We did the scenic Malta trip with NCL. The island is very dry but has some scenic areas to the south and west. We stopped by a fishing village for some shopping and Kodak moments. The town of Valletta is completely walled off and looks like a fortress. A good amount of history was given to us by the tour guide. In Naples we did the NCL tour that took us to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. A full day to say the least. We loved all of the places. We had lunch in Sorrento and enjoyed the Canneloni as the first plate but was surprised on the second plate looking more like a Thanksgiving dinner. What is up with that? It did not ruin our day though as the scenery was awesome.

The next day we did Rome on our Own through NCL. The tour guide gave us a map and good in sight on getting around the town. We probably walked around 4 miles that day. I used Rick Steve’s book for sight seeing as well as finding a restaurant the served an excellent pizza in the Pantheon area. In Livorno we did the Florence on your Own tour. Again the tour guide gave us maps and goo info to get around town. I arranged tickets for the Accademia through TicketItaly. That worked out really well for us. In Villefranche we did the Nice and Eze tour again with NCL. Because the Grand Prix of Monaco is coming up next week there were a lot of fancy cars to look at. The view from Eze is great.

The next day was a sad day as we had to disembark from the Gem. By for this was our best cruise. We enjoyed the ship, crew, and ports. We had priority tags for our luggage that Claudio provided for us and was off the ship at 7:20, in a cab at 7:30, and at the airport at 8:00 am. We took a taxi with another person and it cost 32 euro for a minivan for the three of us.

Let me know if you have any other questions...

[EileenN]

Do you know if Prem was on vacation or is Julian a permanent replacement? The job of hotel director is a big one and Prem was a pleasant person to deal with.

[sapsucker]

I believe Julian is permanent. Ray was the cruise director. He was on the Pride of AMerica back in December of 2005.

[cruzinaway]

Thanks for posting your review. We can't wait to see the Gem for ourselves on Sunday!

[babywong]

thanks for the review. any tips on the restaurants? just read hazeleyes very thorough review as well and wanted to see if there was anything different since i'll be on the med cruise also.

[wednesday]

Thank you for posting a great and informative review! I have been waiting anxiously to hear any news about the Gem's upgrade to 2.0 and am very glad it will be implemented before my May 25th cruise!:D

[snorklinbarb]

I believe Julian is permanent. Ray was the cruise director. He was on the Pride of AMerica back in December of 2005.

 

Thanks for such a thorough review. How did you like the DR/restaurants other than Magenta?

 

BTW, Prem is now back from vacation.:)

[sapsucker]

We enjoyed Grand Pacific, Tequilas and Cagneys. Having Cagneys for breakfast and lunch when we there was a great perk. We also participated in the Murder Mystery Dinner and had alot of fun. We did have some chicken wings from Blue Lagoon brought to us by Madea. I have started my diet now that I am back from the cruise.

[electricron]

We just got back from the cruise and still recovering from the time change. It is definitely worse returning from Europe than when you fly over for the cruise. In summary we had a great cruise and two day pre cruise stay in Barcelona.

 

Jet lag is always worse when you must wake up earlier, ie when you fly towards the east.

[IceWarrior]

great review!

 

Which part of Rome did the "on your own" bus tour drop you off and pick you up in? Same for Florence?

 

Thanks!

[cynbar]

Thanks for your review, we have an AE booked for the June 8th cruise and are getting really excited to see the first Med reviews coming in. I do have a couple of question if you don't mind. Did you have any afternoon canapes or other goodies delivered to your suite?? Any sign of a MP3 player which is listed on the NCL website for suites ??? How much time did you have to explore Rome and Florence?? Was it windy on your aft balcony?? Was Cagney's crowded for breakfast and lunch?? That's all I can think of now but I may have more later -- thanks in advance!

[sapsucker]

The bus drops you off on the north side of the coluseum in Rome. In Florence its was approximately 5 blocks from the famous bridge that crosses the river.

 

The aft balcony was great. No wind. Something speical was brought by the butler each night. No sign of an MP3 player. Cagney's was not crowded at all for breakfast or lunch. It was excellent. Steak and eggs every morning.

[cynbar]

Thanks for your feedback. I do have another question, however. What night was the optional formal night, and roughly how many of the passengers dressed up?? How was the menu in the regular DR that night? We usually enjoy formal nights but are hoping to keep our luggage lighter for this trip!

[Cruisin250]

Did they have the "Chocolate Buffet" I've heard so many yummy things about? If so, when?

I'm also curious about internet prices? I've been looking on the NCL site but couldn't find package prices or information about the internet cafes, still trying to decide whether to bring the laptop.

Any other tips for NCL newbies??

[kit9172]

I was on the Gem TA and the prices were 100 minutes 55.00 and 250 minutes 100.00.

[Cruisin250]

Thanks!

[Bigdog49]

"In Naples we did the NCL tour that took us to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. A full day to say the least. We loved all of the places. We had lunch in Sorrento and enjoyed the Canneloni as the first plate but was surprised on the second plate looking more like a Thanksgiving dinner. What is up with that? It did not ruin our day though as the scenery was awesome"

I loved that tour last October. What a full day. I had to laugh when I saw they had not changed the mystery meat lunch. Ask three people what it was and you get three different answers. I still remember the couple behind us on the ferry to Capri raving about how it was the best veal they ever had :confused: :D

Thanks for posting the review

[Mystic cruisers]

Sapsucker, thanks for the review. Did your AE cabin have a separate bedroom or was it one large room? Did you have a jacuzzi tub?

 

We're looking into the suite options on the Gem and appreciate any info you can give.

[wednesday]

We enjoyed Grand Pacific, Tequilas and Cagneys. Having Cagneys for breakfast and lunch when we there was a great perk. We also participated in the Murder Mystery Dinner and had alot of fun. We did have some chicken wings from Blue Lagoon brought to us by Madea. I have started my diet now that I am back from the cruise.

 

Were they buffalo wings? How were they? Buffalo wings were the one thing my husband wanted on our Carnival cruise that they didn't have and he is looking forward to being able to try them on the Gem. I hope he isn't going to be disappointed. :)

[scubacindy]

I believe Julian is permanent. Ray was the cruise director. He was on the Pride of AMerica back in December of 2005.

 

We just got back from the May 11th Gem cruise. Prem was definitely there! He came to our Meet and Greet, we saw him every day throughout the ship. Ray, was our cruise director also and he was also very available during the cruise.

 

I hope to post more later, still getting over the jet lag. Got in at 12:30am today and I am foggy headed.

Cindy

[sapsucker]

The AE cabin does not have a seperate bedroom. The table and the bed are in the same room. If you need a seperate bedroom than you need to select AB or a Courtyard suite. As far as the buffalo wings go they are available at the blue lagoon restaurant. Not real hot. I am going through PCD now so I will write more later.:(

[doglover3]

The next day we did Rome on our Own through NCL. The tour guide gave us a map and good in sight on getting around the town. We probably walked around 4 miles that day. I used Rick Steve’s book for sight seeing as well as finding a restaurant the served an excellent pizza in the Pantheon area.

 

Sapsucker, thanks for the great review. We too have been very eager for any news from this itinerary on the Gem. Our party of seven have booked the Rome on our Own, though we had hoped we would be dropped off at the Vatican, as some other cruiselines apparently do. The sites we want to see are St Peter's Basilica, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Can you share any more details about where you went while in Rome and what kind of info the tour guide was able to give you? We were hoping to keep expenses down, so thought if we needed transportation, we might try the bus system. Otherwise, we were going to walk, though four miles might be a bit much in the heat of July. Also, do you happen to remember the name of the restaurant near the Pantheon?

 

Thanks again for all the wonderful info.

[section543]

Thanks for your review, we have an AE booked for the June 8th cruise and are getting really excited to see the first Med reviews coming in. I do have a couple of question if you don't mind. Did you have any afternoon canapes or other goodies delivered to your suite?? Any sign of a MP3 player which is listed on the NCL website for suites ??? How much time did you have to explore Rome and Florence?? Was it windy on your aft balcony?? Was Cagney's crowded for breakfast and lunch?? That's all I can think of now but I may have more later -- thanks in advance!

 

We will also be on the June 8 Gem. Any ideas if the new ships have more outlets in the rooms, irons available, etc.? The NCL website is not very informative.

 

Thanks