ggTexasGal

9 hours ago, umpisoccer said:

Has anyone sailed the Gem to Bermuda this May?  We would love to hear a review of your experiences on the ship.  What did you think of the entertainment, cruise director, food, etc?  Thank you.

Are you looking for immediate replies, or, will a review posted on June 7 be soon enough?

I don't write "live posts". However, I do plan to post about our Gem cruise 5/31 through 6/7, after we return to Boston (or maybe on 6/6 while still on the ship ...if I make time for it).

18 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

I did, but wasn't able to find anything...  I can't seem to find the provider or an exact match to it elsewhere to check reviews on there.

I wish I could be helpful.  Hopefully, someone will be able to give you great details!

3 hours ago, Sayuil said:

Does someone know if this can be used for buying CruiseFirst?

Onboard Credit can be used for Cruise Next while onboard the ship.

Generally, Cruise First Credits are purchased online, or with NCL via phone or chat (pre-cruise), and then used online, or with a representative or TA.

1 hour ago, rnr4thatsme said:

Has anyone been on this excursion?  Hoping to find a review!

Did you happen to check in the Alaska forum? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

12 hours ago, grouchomarx said:

I have literally never eaten dinner in the buffet on any cruise!  But after reading all these posts, it sounds like it could be kinda relaxing.  Maybe I’ll try it sometime.  I’m a tried and true a la carte person but if it wasn’t busy like it is at breakfast and lunch that might be a game changer.  The only thing is I want decent drink service, not sure how attentive the wait staff is at night in the buffet.  I always find it just ok at lunch, it can be hit or miss.

Drink service in the buffet, such as coffee?  We have taken dozens of NCL cruises over the years, but I can't recall ever being offered "drink service." Probably, we just eat and move on more quickly than the average person, but I've only noticed the tables being cleared and silverware being restocked.

10 hours ago, MohrPfun said:

I thought you were ex-staff?

Perhaps, you've confused @ChiefMateJRK with "chengkp75" (who did, formerly, work for NCL).

7 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Tell me more about these little demons. We have several stops in Scotland this August.

 

https://travelness.com/scotland-midges

4 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

 

On the island: mini gulf course (very mini, but, it's there), volleyball, 3 different zip-lines, food trucks and cafeteria, great bars, several separate coves (no additional costs).  Local "Market" to shop for Bahamas made items.   No cost: underwater sculpture park (beyond the primary beach).

And, then there are the more private areas that do have costs associated with them and 

In the water w/fee to rent equipment: Paddleboards, Snorkeling gear (or bring your own = no costs), Kayaks, Wave-runners.

14 minutes ago, camper49 said:

If u have the FAS , how much more to add water?

Packages:

https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/bottled-water-packages

1 minute ago, zqvol said:

They don’t put anything in them any longer. 

That is great news!

Or, ask room steward to remove everything from the refrigerator.

15 hours ago, garnet115 said:

I don't know the answer to the specific question, but word to the wise - bring a birth certificate if you and kiddo have different last names.  I sailed with then19yo DD and was unable to sign the waiver for her because we have different last names and I couldn't prove that I am her mother, even though we look alike and produced IDs showing the same permanent residence.

Thank you for your post! It is invaluable information that some might never have thought of before their cruises!

17 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

So when you say late night dancing… what we’re looking for is a venue with music and dancing until like 2-3 am. Not just somewhere you can hop in and get a drink. Like we want a dance club type venue. 

On a 5 day cruise (in January), depending on the dates and the demographics, that might happen!

24 minutes ago, Catnip said:

 

We will be on the NCL Jade in 2 months.  Question is about the parking at the terminal.  We usually park in an off-site lot, but were considering the parking garage this time.  If we arrive at the parking garage around 10am, will we be able to find a space in the garage at that time, or will they already be full?  I have heard stories that people get there really early and the garage is full by mid-morning.
Also, if we drive our truck, it might be considered as "oversize" and wonder if there is any surface spaces in the lot at the terminal for oversize vehicles?

Thanks for any help/info/suggestions

NCL does not own any parking at Port Canaveral.

Perhaps reading from top to bottom of the below added link will help answer some of your concerns:

https://www.portcanaveral.com/Cruise/Directions-Parking

Note that it states "Please know that all terminal parking garages and surface lots do not open before 10 AM for embarking passengers."  (We would most likely arrive a little earlier and get in a line-up!)  Note: There is also a statement that oversize parking is available.

Rates are subject to change without notice. Contact the Canaveral Port Authority at 321-783-7831 for the latest information.

Hopefully, your concerns are addressed and alleviated once you read (reread) the linked info. 

2 minutes ago, KansasTexan said:

Doesn't your passport number change when you renew it?

Yes, it does!

3 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

This will be my first "private island" stop, and while there are certainly many things to do in Harvest Caye, those things don't appeal to me all that much. We were in Belize once before on an Oceania cruise and we stopped at Belize City.  I took a ship's tour to the Lamanai ruins and really enjoyed both the boat ride to the ruins and the ruins themselves.  But Harvest Caye is in a different part of Belize and has a different emphasis (sun and fun!)  But I'm sure I'll find something interesting. 

Harvest Caye is a little different in the way it is operated, since the Belizean government requires that the island must have Belizean citizens working on the island (so they come over from the mainland for the day when ships will be arriving). The flora and fauna on Harvest Caye are outstanding!  The pool is beautiful and the kiddos splash pad is quite nice. The beach itself can be hit or miss depending on the weather.

We generally walk to the island from the ship, as early as possible, in order to enjoy the assorted displays, flowers, animals and pool before it gets too hot.

On one visit, we rented a Villa for the day, and enjoyed the beach at that end of the island, with friends we had made onboard. That was a truly wonderful day and we stayed until they chased us all back to the ship! 🤪

24 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Thank you.  I've been trying to look for good information on just what's available on Harvest Caye, but haven't found anything other than a little flyer document quickly describing excursions offered from the island. So it's good to know I can get off and find the shore excursion building ashore. I'd love to find out how much they charge for the excursions if purchased ashore, especially if they offer various zipline excursions or the boat to Palencia, but so far I haven't found that information online. 

I found this from a recent cruise.  I hope it helps some...

BTW, did you try looking on NCL? ncl.com/excursions

13 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Do you have to take a ship's excursion, or is it possible to just walk over to the "Flighthouse" and book a trip?  And if so, what are the prices like - same as what the ship charges, or different?  Oceania is offering a 1 hour excursion, and I figure that's probably just one zip on the shorter ride in the seated position  But what if you want to do the Superman ride?

If you do not book online with NCL pre-cruise, you could visit the ShorEx desk onboard the ship, or utilize your stateroom TV, or use a kiosk screen onboard. If you utilize none of these, there is a Shore Excursion building once you reach the island.  After you have your Shore Excursion ticket(s), you head to the indicated gathering spot (should be listed on your tickets).

@PugM0m & @CruisnDeb

Restaurant reservations can be made at 120 days (or earlier for suites/Haven & higher Latitudes status)!

4 minutes ago, disneynan said:

I'm sailing to Bermuda on the Gem in June and am planning some full days off the ship. Are we allowed to take water off the ship in open containers? I'm hoping to be able to take water bladder backpacks and some refillable Nalgene bottles with us since we'll be doing a lot of hiking.

You should have no problem taking water off.  Just be sure to empty water before trying to reboard the ship.

It would seem that reviews of the NCL Gem Bermuda cruises are a thing of the past, at least that is the case so far this year.

@disneynan NCL has "Glow parties" instead of the "White Hot" parties they used to have.

As for "All Aboard" times, since they could change, be certain that you listen to announcement onboard, and/or check the sign posted when leaving the ship each day!

@LilRobot  I personally have not been on the VIVA.  But, since it looks like you are new to Cruise Critic, (and nobody else has replied yet) I hope the following might be of some help.

Mind you, it is not my post... and is someone else's experience, but again, might help:

On 5/1/2024 at 8:12 AM, doolfan said:

Ok thank you for the info. We are at 24 days out, so I’ll wait a few days to book the transfer until I have an idea on boarding times!  I’d love to get in the boat as early as possible!

Hopefully, you understand that NCL "Check-In" times are NOT your "boarding time"!

Also, for earliest boarding, you would need to be in a Haven or other suite, or have established some "status" of some type from a lengthy list!

1 minute ago, dmwnc1959 said:

THANKS! I do a little planning every day, little things like researching some of the new ports and what there is to do, watching youtube travel videos on how to pack lightly, checking the shore excursions on my bookings to see what new things pop up - I already have 9 booked - and checking what time sunrise and sunset is for each port against what time we arrive and depart. Loved watching the NCL bridge cams as the ships moved up the West Coast and made note of where they docked. It's a lot of fun! 

It seems that you have things well managed and you are set-up to have a grand time.

Again, wishing the best!