icecreammama

I have been on many cruises in many suites and I would suggest, if possible, upgrade to an AFT crown loft suite. I still talk about it to this day, was the best suite I have ever been in. Seemed like an apartment and the view was great. We watched people from our balcony ziplining and surfing. Also, every night we could watch the show from the balcony. Besides all the other perks people have mentioned, this was the best cruise I have been on because of the suite. We had gotten a great price and at the time, the owner's suite was more expensive. So keep your eyes out for the pricing, and if you can, go for it. You will not be dissappointed

I called and asked if there was room service on the cruise to nowhere. The rep told me that if you are booked in a haven suite, you receive room service. Is this true?

Hi, Thinking of taking the Jan 10, 2014 one nighter on the Gem from nyc. If I get a haven suite, will I still have access to Cagney's for lunch and dinner? Also, is there room service on a one night cruise? Thanks

Thanks. Deck plans don't show anything on 17 except the aft part with the CL suites. So it's above the Solarium?

It actually is above the solarium. I could not find it either but I asked the concierge and he said deck 17 front of the ship, right in back of the solarium. There is not an elevator that goes there. You walk on deck 16 towards the front of the ship and you will see a stairway that has wooden gates on it. If you go up the stairs, that is the suite sun deck. Let me tell you, it was really good. The chairs were nice and cushioned and the bar was right there. Nice, quiet and peaceful.

I'd love to see pictures of the room and the view from the balcony!

Unfortunately, I am not advanced in downloading and posting pictures. Way too complicated for me. (I'm Old School) But you can check other people's pics and go to youtube and find amazing videos

icecreammama, thanks for the review.

A question if you don't mind.

If you were able to get a side-facing crown loft suite for the same price, will you prefer that or will you stay with the aft facing one? Thanks.

Yes, I would always get an aft facing. I was a little concerned because I love to look at the ocean, but the truth is you still see the ocean and all the activities going on around you. Trust me, it was great!!!!. And the best part was when you closed your balcony door, you heard nothing. One note: if you want to be able to see the Acqua Show from your balcony, you must book rooms 1734 through 1726 to get the view. The very middle of the ship is room # 1730 which gives you head on view.

Just got home yesterday and I will start off by saying this was one of the best cruises I have ever been on. The fellow passengers on this ship ranged from 30 to 60 and there were not many children. Everyone was friendly (always striking up conversations in the elevators) and it just started out very pleasant. As you all know, one of the problems with this ship is that the elevators get quite crowded at certain times, but if you are prepared for this you will not get frustrated. (it's really not that bad).

I took the advice of these boards on cruisecritic and booked Giovannis' Lunch for the first day boarding the ship. We were a group of 11 people and no way were we going to eat at the Windjammer with the crowds. Too stressful. We did not know what to expect but the food was amazing (and we are Italian).

The lunch took about 3 hours and they brought almost everything on the menu family style. This was a great way to start the cruise. We are from NYC and are used to some excellent restaurants and I would highly recommend Giovannis. It is worth it.

After that we headed to our rooms. Those of you who have read my threads already know that I snapped up a crown loft suite for an amazing price of about $5100 for my husband and I. It was worth every penny. While these rooms are on Deck 17, it was perfect for us. The hallways are tremendous and our cabin attendant Ms. Brown was amazing. When I walked into the room I was blown away. It felt like I was in an apartment. Pictures and videos do not do this room justice. We had an aft suite and while some people do not like this view, I would not book anything else. We were in 1734 and we could see the whole back of the ship. I watched the Acqua Theatre show everynight

from my balcony. I watched people on the flow rider, playing basketball and miniture golf. If I looked over the railing, I saw straight down to the Broadwalk. It was great. Also, we love sunbathing, so the pool deck and the windjammer were on Deck 16 and we could just take the stairs to get to them. For us, this was the place to be. The rooms had more than enough closet space and two bathrooms which did come in handy. I was even lucky enough to get a peek into the Royal Loft Suite and if I could afford it I would book it. That room was beyond belief. If any of you get a call for an upsell on any of the loft suites do not hesitate to take it. You also get the Concierge Lounge with this suite which gives you breakfast, lunch and free drinks. Beautiful lounge, great food and service and never crowded. All in all, wonderful.

We did not go to shows so I cannot comment on them but we went to the comedy club one night and it was very good.

Now, the food. As I've said, Giovannis was excellent. We also ate dinner at Chops and that was excellent as well. The dinner in the main dining room was just ok. While it was a beautiful dining room and they set us up right next to the captains table, the food was so-so. Not terrible but not that good. Next time, we might do my time dining because I think we would go to the specialty restaurants for dinner. For $15 per person you really are getting a much better quality of food in these restaurants. We did go to Windjammer once or twice to get a snack. Fried chicken wings were awesome. Park Central where you get the roast beef sandwiches was amazing. Funny thing is I did not care for the roast beef but you can make your own salad which was great (tons of toppings). They also have tuna sandwiches (my personal favorite) and egg salad sandwiches. This place was very good.

On a side note: I did not overeat or over drink on this cruise but by day 4 my feet were very swollen. The people in my group than overindulged in food and drink practically could not get their shoes on. Just pay attention to what you are eating and drinking and watch your feet! HAHA

I also forgot to mention that when you get a suite, there is a private sun deck with beautiful chairs and a bar that you can go in. This was very good for us on sea days because we could always get a chair and it is a beautiful spot with sun beds also to lay on if you want to take a little nap. There are also couches and tables up there. Great spot.

So, in ending, I would recommend this ship. There is something for everyone. And thank you guys and gals for giving me in information I needed to make my cruise an enjoyable one for me and my family.

P.S. Also used Luggage Valet service. It was great.

On April 28th, we also will be a very happy couple. Booked Crown Loft 1734. I was worried that it looked sort of narrow but after reading a lot of reviews, I cannot wait! Booked this cruise a year ago and cant believe it's almost here. BTW, got a great deal on it. Booked with a TA. Price was $5174.

Thank you. I would be willing to pay that amount for the upgrade. Btw, how was the room? Do you think it was worth it?

I know to book this cabin they want a minimum of 4 people but if final payment comes up and the cabin is available, would they upsell me to this cabin if I only have 2 people? Currently we have a crown loft and I figure if the price is right, I would surprise my husband. Give me your thoughts and price you think it would cost. Thanks