Just off the Gem (4/9-4/16 to Florida & Bahamas) REVIEW

[RedSox5]

I'm going to try to keep this somewhat organized. Just got off the Gem this morning and want to get a review written while everything is still fresh in my head.

 

Let me start by saying that it should go without saying, but the following review is obviously our opinions ("our" being myself and my boyfriend- 26 and 27 years old). We are very easy-going, "who cares, we're on vacation" type of people and truly had a great time on our trip. We firmly believe that if people have a BAD time on vacation, then they're doing something wrong!

 

A little background info.- this was my 9th cruise (details are in my signature), his 3rd. Neither of us had been on Norwegian before.

 

This was a 7-day cruise from New York City to Port Canaveral Florida, Great Stirrup Cay, and Nassau.

 

Saturday:

We arrived at the pier at about 10:30 and only waited about 10 minutes or so in line. After we went through the line and were all checked in, they told us that boarding would begin around 12:00. We walked over to the sitting area and sat down. A gentleman that worked for the pier came over and was very animated and was almost yelling he was so agitated. He told us we couldn't sit there (it was seating like you'd find at an airport, and we had left about 5 empty chairs between ourselves and the family nearest us) and asked us to follow him. He brought us over to where others were sitting further down, and had us sit in the only 2 empty seats between 2 different groups/families. He said that we were not allowed to leave any empty seats. We were a little suprised by how animated he was and did hear (and somewhat agree) with other guests that we were near that this particular gentlemen acted like he was herding cattle. At about 12:15, our number was called and we were on the ship in no time. Overall, embarkation was smooth and relatively quick. The particular gentleman we encountered didn't give the best first impression, but it wasn't the end of the world.

 

Once on board we explored the ship and got some lunch at the buffet. It was crowded (as expected) but we liked the layout of the buffet and didn't find it as congested as some other ships we had been on. We headed to the back of the ship and ate outside at the Garden Cafe. Overall, we really thought the buffet food was good- 5 star restaurant good? No. But do we expect that at the buffet? No. Compared to some other cruise buffets, it was very good.

 

Dinner that night was in the Grand Pacific dining room and it was terrible. My boyfriend got steak and it looked (and tasted according to him) like something you'd get from the school cafeteria. I have a gluten allergy and wasn't thrilled with the way it was handled. I won't go into details here because I know that so few people have food allergies, but if anyone has specific questions, I'd be happy to talk about it further.

 

Sunday

We spent the day hanging around the ship as it was a sea day. There were plenty of activities scheduled, and we went to "Name That Tune" which was just fine. It was sunny, but too cool to really enjoy the pool deck. Overall, it was a relaxing day. We ate breakfast in the Grand Pacific and it was pretty good. We enjoyed Lunch at the buffet, and had made a reservation for Cagney's for dinner.

 

We went to the martini tasting in the afternoon and thought it was great. It was $15 a person but it was fun and the drinks were STRONG!

 

Cagney's was terrible. I had such high hopes for it, but we both were very disappointed in the food and the service. We sat at our table for over 20 minutes before anyone even came over to say hello, take a drink order, etc. Finally, the waitress came over and explained that she had a really big section to wait on that night and was really behind. Obviously, we had no where to be, but it was frustrating to sit and wait and be ignored for so long. Eventually we ordered, and were served and the food was just ok at best. The food was edible, but certainly not any better than going to a mediocre steakhouse at home- I've had better steaks at Outback Steakhouse and Ruby Tuesdays.:( We bother ordered Filets- he had the Cagney's fries which were good, and I had a baked potato which was served totally plain and lukewarm at best. By the time I asked for butter, the potato was cold. Throughout the week, we had talked to other families here and there that were also disappointed in Cagney's. We also talked to a woman on our last night on board that was on her 43rd Norwegian cruise and had never experienced such bad service or food quality.

 

Monday

We did the Disney World excursion in Port Canaveral and it was great- very, very well run and we had a great time. We felt the excursion was worth every penny. Breakfast was at the buffet and for dinner we had made reservations at Tepenyaki (I'm sure I spelled that wrong :p)- the Hibachi restaurant. It was good and the waitstaff was much better about handling my food allergies than we had previously encountered. Again, we would say the food was "good", and not great- we've had significantly better hibachi here at home. The Hibachi cook was great- very entertaining and kept us laughing. The only issue that night was with a family that chose to arrive to Hibachi practically one-by-one whenever they felt like it. They request that your party arrives right on time so that the 'show' (the hibachi cooking) can start on time out of consideration for your other guests. This other family (a group of 14 that literally came in in probably 5 or 6 different waves... all at least 20 minutes late), was SO inconsiderate, and quite frankly behaved like animals.

 

I might have the day wrong, but there was a comedian named Bud Anderson that was funny. His show was borderline "adult" and enjoyable. Other than this, we didn't go to any of the shows- not on purpose, we just didn't happen to make it to any.

 

As a side note: Throughout the week we ran into some of the most rude, inconsiderate people we've ever run into on a cruise. Of course, in any large group there are always going to be "those people" but this seemed like the majority. Additionally, I have never seen so many kids running freely throughout the ship. I knew that because it was right around April vacation week, this was a definite possibility. I am a middle school administrator so I certainly don't mind kids. Also, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on "typical" kid behavior and was shocked at the sheet number of kids whose parents allowed the week to be a free-for-all. A few examples: a group of kids (probably 7 or 8) sliding down the railings of the stairs and right into an elderly woman- luckily another guest that didn't even know her literally caught her to prevent her from falling to the ground. The kids laughed hysterically- no parents in sigh- and took off running. Another time, a group of middle school aged kids were sitting outside at the Garden Cafe. A waiter was cleaning the tables, putting all of the dirty dishes onto a tray. The kids proceeded to throw whatever was on their plate- grapes, pieces of bread, and even ketchup at the waiter trying to get the food into cups (as if they were playing basketball) he had balancing on his tray. Again, no parents in sight. A final example, after the Crew Talent show on Friday, we watched 2 girls- about 10 years old- that didn't want to wait in the crowd and the theater emptied up the aisles once the show was over. Instead, they proceeded to step up on the seat part of each chair, and step over the back and onto the next seat and so on so that they could beat the crowd. That's all I'll say about this, as I know kids and behavior are a topic that are heavily discussed on here. I'm not suggesting that this behavior was in any way Norwegian's fault, nor am I suggesting that they could have/should have done anything about it. Just pointing out that it was certainly the worst I've seen- and 8 of my 9 cruises were at times when many schools were on vacation- either April or over the summer.

 

Tuesday:

We had breakfast in the buffet after going up to get our tender tickets for the tender to Great Stirrup Cay. We picked up our tickets at about 8:45 (ticket pick up started at 7:30) and were given number 18. They started calling groups (beginning with 1 and 2) at about 10:00. However, there was about 20 minutes between groups so we didn't get off the ship until about 12:15. We weren't real thrilled with the wait. I'm not sure how exactly to solve the problem (maybe arrive to the island sooner so that even the later groups have enough time on shore?), but sitting around for over 2 hours waiting to get off the ship wasn't enjoyable. The island itself was great- we walked as far as we could away from the crowd and found a group of chairs. They are doing construction on the island so there was equipment and construction workers, but it was a great day- beautiful weather and beautiful island. We ate lunch at the barbeque on the island which was good.

 

Dinner was at the Mexican restaurant and it was probably our favorite. I would say that it was the only restaurant that was worth the additional charge. We both had fajitas which were great, and we also had a nachos appetizer and the waiter brought over margarita samples.

 

Wednesday:

We ate breakfast at the buffet and got off the ship and walked around Nassau and did some shopping. Ate lunch back on the ship at the Blue Lagoon which was ok (kind of like diner food). Got back off the ship and went to Senor Frog's and had a GREAT time... I had been there before, and really enjoyed going back.

 

Dinner was at the Italian restaurant, La Cucina. Again, it was ok. We thought it compared to Olive Garden- so, in our opinion, not worth the extra fee. Our waitress was awesome and really made it fun, but the food really was just ok.

 

Thursday:

Breakfast and lunch at the buffet. It was sunny and beautiful and we were out by the pool most of the day. The band was good and we had a relaxing day.

 

After dinner we went to the Newlywed, Not-so-newlywed game. It was good- typical cruise Newlywed game... always good for a laugh.

 

Friday:

Breakfast at the buffet, and lunch in the Grand Pacific. Lunch was great- kind of more along the lines of what we had been expecting all week. In the afternoon we went to the Crew Talent show and it was wonderful... very entertaining. The "Fountains" act was our favorite.

 

It was sunny, but very windy and way too cool to hand out by the pool so we just relaxed inside for the day. We made reservations one last time at Tepanyaki and it wasn't nearly as good as the first time. Again, we had the pleasure of eating with a SCREAMING baby (about 1 years old) at 10:00pm. Again, the parents did nothing as the baby screamed and the other 2 kids (probably 8 years old) threw their knives at each other, banged on the windows, spilled a glass of water, and stood up on their chairs for no apparent reason. After dinner we went to the farewell show and saw George Solomon (singer) who had performed earlier in the week but we hadn't gone to that show. He was good- great voice and wonderful entertainer. Bud Anderson (comedian) performed again- not as funny as he was the first night, but still good. It was a family show, so that could have been why.

 

Saturday:

We did the "express walk-off" and were off the ship and in a taxi to the train station by 8:30. Very smooth. No complaints.

 

Other info:

Our cabin was an inside cabin on deck 8 and would never make the mistake of being above the night club again. It was our own fault for choosing the room, but the music was SO loud until 2am or later every night- we didn't sleep well all week. Again though, our own fault- lesson learned.

 

Christina was our cabin steward- she was wonderful.

 

Cruise Director: Jill (just ok- I've seen better)

Assistant: Megan (ditto)

 

Overall, we felt that the quality of the food and service was seriously lacking. In all restaurants- specialty and the main dining room- we felt that something was missing- the staff seemed very robotic and not genuine at all. Perhaps this is a result of no one actually working to EARN gratuity anymore? :confused: As I mentioned earlier, the couple we talked to said that the service and quality was the worst they've seen in dozens of Norwegian cruises. Another couple we talked to had been on 4 other Norwegian cruises and agreed. They too mentioned that they weren't thrilled at the Italian Restaurant and were so disappointed by Cagney's that they complained to the front desk and were given an on board credit of $20. For the amount of extra money we spent on specialty dining (upwards of $200) we do not feel AT ALL like it was worth it.

 

Would we sail Norwegian again? Yes, if it was an ideal itinerary. Would we pay for a specialty restaurant again? Nope. We prefer Royal Carribbean or Celebrity, but also are not totally opposed to trying Norwegian again- just real hesitant.

 

Overall, the ship was in great shape- very clean and well maintained. In terms of the ship itself, it was one of my favorites- liked the layout, and some of the extra features- VERY comfortable, very unique chairs on the promenade deck, we liked the assortment of furniture in Bliss and in the Spinnaker lounge, the lawn furniture by the pool, and appreciated the 'different' vibe the ship had. Thought that our cabin was the nicest we've had (always just do a regular inside room)- the sliding door on the shower was a nice feature.

 

As I had read on these boards before we left, we did feel "nickle and dimed" on Norwegian. Things we had done on other ships in the past that were free, were not free on Norwegian (a behind the scenes tour of the ship, for example).

 

I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out, so if you have questions, please ask!:)

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the post

[shof515]

I

As I had read on these boards before we left, we did feel "nickle and dimed" on Norwegian. Things we had done on other ships in the past that were free, were not free on Norwegian (a behind the scenes tour of the ship, for example).

 

behind the scenes tours is no longer free on any cruise lines. They all charge about 50-90 dollars depending on the length of the tour

[Journey11]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. I am glad you enjoyed some aspects of your cruise.

[tokidoki]

Welcome back! Sorry the food was a disappointment! I wondered if you saw any of the production shows?:cool: Also what room were you in, as I always take the outside deck 8, obstructed rooms, but near to the atrium! thanks:):):)

[vowsatsea]

Thanks for the review. We're considering the Gem for next summer. We were just on the Jewel and had the same experience with the kids onboard. I don't know if it's the cruise line or what, because we usually cruise out of NY, and never encountered that before.

 

How many hours did you have in the Disney park?

[RedSox5]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. I am glad you enjoyed some aspects of your cruise.

 

Yes, we did. And I hope I didn't convey that we were unhappy- as I said, we had a great time. Didn't like certain things, but it was very enjoyable.

[RedSox5]

Thanks for the review. We're considering the Gem for next summer. We were just on the Jewel and had the same experience with the kids onboard. I don't know if it's the cruise line or what, because we usually cruise out of NY, and never encountered that before.

 

How many hours did you have in the Disney park?

 

The excursion was listed as 7 hours on the paperwork. We met in the theater at 12:15, went outside and boarded the bus. It was about an hour ride to Disney, and we arrived there at about 1:45 if my memory serves me correctly. There were 3 busses leaving that night- one at 7:15, one at 7:45 and one at 8:15 so you could chose which ever you wanted to take. We took the 7:15 because we had dinner reservations for 9:00. So, we had about 5 and a half hours in the actual park.

 

edited to add: you could chose which Disney park you wanted to visit for the day.

[RedSox5]

Welcome back! Sorry the food was a disappointment! I wondered if you saw any of the production shows?:cool: Also what room were you in, as I always take the outside deck 8, obstructed rooms, but near to the atrium! thanks:):):)

 

We didn't see any of the shows with the singers and dancers. We usually do, and I really enjoy them, just for one reason or another we didn't make it to any this time.

 

We were in room 8629. We booked only about 4 weeks before sailing, and the room availability was limited. I should have done my homework and looked into what would be above/below us instead of just next to us.

[RedSox5]

behind the scenes tours is no longer free on any cruise lines. They all charge about 50-90 dollars depending on the length of the tour

 

Good to know- thank you. I wasn't aware of that.

[Lovely_Star]

Thanks for sharing.

[RedSox5]

Thought of one thing I wanted to add:

 

We had put cash towards our account for the week. We gave them a credit card, but then went to the front desk and gave them cash, so essentially we had a negative balance all week and used our card like a debit card all week- when our balance got low, we would just go and put more money on it. Personal preference, we just like to go home and not have a credit card bill waiting.

 

Before we did this the first time we asked how it worked on NCL (had done it on other cruises, but obviously never on NCL)- we didn't want to put too much money and have to jump through hoops to get it back. We were told that we could come at the end of the cruise and get any remaining money left on our card back (not sure if they meant in cash, or a credit applied to the credit card, but either way would be fine). We went to the desk last night just before going to bed and the woman said that we had to wait until morning. I told her that we were done charging and she said we could only get money back between 6:30am and 9:30am. I asked her how much was left on our card and she said we had a remaining balance of $14 and some change. So, to clarify (she was soft-spoken and had a thick accent) I asked again if we could get that back in the morning and she said yes- that they would credit the credit card. I was a little frustrated because I knew the line would be long in the morning. But, not a huge deal.

 

This morning, we got up and got in the loooong line of guests trying to settle their accounts. Finally, we get to the front and they said our balance was $0. We explained the whole situation and got a lot of "I'm sorry ma'am I don't' know what to tell you. The computer is saying that your balance is zero." Again, we explained everything and again, they said there was nothing they could do.

 

We aren't the type (like we saw some people doing today) to stand there and scream and yell and swear. Of course, we're talking about $14 and not hundreds, but it's just the point. So, we left finally as we were getting no where and holding up the line, without our $14 that mysteriously vanished overnight. Yeah, it's only $14, but it's the point :mad:

[Journey11]

Thought of one thing I wanted to add:

 

We had put cash towards our account for the week. We gave them a credit card, but then went to the front desk and gave them cash, so essentially we had a negative balance all week and used our card like a debit card all week- when our balance got low, we would just go and put more money on it. Personal preference, we just like to go home and not have a credit card bill waiting.

 

Before we did this the first time we asked how it worked on NCL (had done it on other cruises, but obviously never on NCL)- we didn't want to put too much money and have to jump through hoops to get it back. We were told that we could come at the end of the cruise and get any remaining money left on our card back (not sure if they meant in cash, or a credit applied to the credit card, but either way would be fine). We went to the desk last night just before going to bed and the woman said that we had to wait until morning. I told her that we were done charging and she said we could only get money back between 6:30am and 9:30am. I asked her how much was left on our card and she said we had a remaining balance of $14 and some change. So, to clarify (she was soft-spoken and had a thick accent) I asked again if we could get that back in the morning and she said yes- that they would credit the credit card. I was a little frustrated because I knew the line would be long in the morning. But, not a huge deal.

 

This morning, we got up and got in the loooong line of guests trying to settle their accounts. Finally, we get to the front and they said our balance was $0. We explained the whole situation and got a lot of "I'm sorry ma'am I don't' know what to tell you. The computer is saying that your balance is zero." Again, we explained everything and again, they said there was nothing they could do.

 

We aren't the type (like we saw some people doing today) to stand there and scream and yell and swear. Of course, we're talking about $14 and not hundreds, but it's just the point. So, we left finally as we were getting no where and holding up the line, without our $14 that mysteriously vanished overnight. Yeah, it's only $14, but it's the point :mad:

 

They may have credited the credit card, for your balance to be exactly "0." I would check. I hope that is the case. $14 is $14.

[shof515]

So, to clarify (she was soft-spoken and had a thick accent) I asked again if we could get that back in the morning and she said yes- that they would credit the credit card. I was a little frustrated because I knew the line would be long in the morning. But, not a huge deal.

If they did issue you a credit card refund, you will get the 14 dollars back within 3-5 business days depending on how fast NCL and your card provider processes the return

 

 

From what i read in other reviews and in allot of forum topics, If you have an balance on the last night of the cruise; In the morning there is usually a check attached to your ship card statement that you get to cover your refund. I don't think the ship is equipped to hand cash refunds and thats why they issue a check or refund your credit card.

[RedSox5]

They may have credited the credit card, for your balance to be exactly "0." I would check. I hope that is the case. $14 is $14.

 

That's what I'm hoping. Although, they could have simply told me that this morning if that's the case. Like you said, $14 is $14. Even if I couldn't get it back, I would have much rather picked a staff member (like our cabin steward, Christina for example) to give that to rather than just giving it to the corporation. But again, lesson learned. We purposely worked it out so it would be as close to zero as possible- glad we didn't have $100 or more left... then we'd REALLY be angry!!

[lgfromdg]

I was also on this cruise and had one of my best cruises ever. The Gem was spotless and the officers were more visible on this cruise than any other I've taken. I found the crew to be the friendliest of any ship I've been on. Maybe not 100% of them but certainly at least 90%. I had a few minor problems that were handled immediately and would sail this ship again without hesitation.

 

We personally didn't have a problem with kids on this ship, although I will never understand why parents bring infants and small children to specialty restaurants and late-night shows. I'm just thankful we're not on the Gem this week; 1,000 kids will be aboard. Some of the passengers might have been a bit loud & obnoxious (also know as drunk) but we had no problem with them. We met some wonderful people through our Roll Call and also at daily Trivia. Of course, being much older than the OP, we probably spent most of our time around different groups of people than they did, so this might be the reason for the difference in our perceptions of the other passengers.

[johnql]

We went to the desk last night just before going to bed and the woman said that we had to wait until morning. I told her that we were done charging and she said we could only get money back between 6:30am and 9:30am. I asked her how much was left on our card and she said we had a remaining balance of $14 and some change. So, to clarify (she was soft-spoken and had a thick accent) I asked again if we could get that back in the morning and she said yes- that they would credit the credit card.

 

That's what I'm hoping. Although, they could have simply told me that this morning if that's the case. Like you said, $14 is $14. Even if I couldn't get it back, I would have much rather picked a staff member (like our cabin steward, Christina for example) to give that to rather than just giving it to the corporation. But again, lesson learned. We purposely worked it out so it would be as close to zero as possible- glad we didn't have $100 or more left... then we'd REALLY be angry!!

I'm confused. You went to reception on the last night to inquire about the $14. You were told that your credit card would be credited. So, why did you bother going back the next morning?

 

It sounds like a miscommunication - you were asking for a cash refund but she never confirmed that. Instead, she said that you would have your cc credited. Did you understand differently?

[Mark O]

Thanks for the review. I've been sailing only RCCL and Celebrity for many years, but I will be sailing on the Gem to Bermuda on June 12th. As this is my first NCL cruise, I was glad to read your review. Based on your comments, I might have a similar perspective to yours re: the comparison between RCCL and NCL. But you are definitely more patient and accepting than I would have been after waiting in a long line on the last day!! Thanks again.

[RedSox5]

I'm confused. You went to reception on the last night to inquire about the $14. You were told that your credit card would be credited. So, why did you bother going back the next morning?

 

It sounds like a miscommunication - you were asking for a cash refund but she never confirmed that. Instead, she said that you would have your cc credited. Did you understand differently?

 

Because she said they wouldn't credit the card until the morning (I was assuming they'd simply credit the actual credit card- and not hand us cash or a check)- so I went back to ensure that they did and to see my final statement and/or receipt with proof of the credit. When I asked for it, she said that they hadn't issued any credit because the balance was zero. Of course, the odds that the bill would come out exactly even to the penny are slim to none. So, either we got the credit and she was unaware of it for whatever reason, or the $14 remaining towards our account "mysteriously vanished."

 

I'm *hoping* the card was already credited and that's why the balance was zero, and that what she said wasn't accurate.

 

But, it is what it is- thankfully it was only $14

[RedSox5]

Thanks for the review. I've been sailing only RCCL and Celebrity for many years, but I will be sailing on the Gem to Bermuda on June 12th. As this is my first NCL cruise, I was glad to read your review. Based on your comments, I might have a similar perspective to yours re: the comparison between RCCL and NCL. But you are definitely more patient and accepting than I would have been after waiting in a long line on the last day!! Thanks again.

 

Glad you found the review helpful.

 

I was just reading another review that someone wrote in the "reviews" section regarding the Gem and it was very similar to mine. I certainly had a great time and it was a good cruise- not a great one. But, I can live with "good". :rolleyes: I'll shoot for "great" in the future, but I'll take "good" over "terrible" anyday!!

[beau4]

Because she said they wouldn't credit the card until the morning (I was assuming they'd simply credit the actual credit card- and not hand us cash or a check)- so I went back to ensure that they did and to see my final statement and/or receipt with proof of the credit. When I asked for it, she said that they hadn't issued any credit because the balance was zero. Of course, the odds that the bill would come out exactly even to the penny are slim to none. So, either we got the credit and she was unaware of it for whatever reason, or the $14 remaining towards our account "mysteriously vanished."

 

I'm *hoping* the card was already credited and that's why the balance was zero, and that what she said wasn't accurate.

 

But, it is what it is- thankfully it was only $14

 

Because the DSC is charged daily, this may account for the zero balance.

[smilz]

Leaving on Gem in 3 weeks. More than a little nervous after so many less than rave reviews about the food and service. This will be our 26th cruise... 2nd on NCL. We can have a great time pretty much under any conditions but we will have DH parents with us.:eek: They are accustomed to excellent food and service on the other lines they have been on. Will let you know how we make out. It is the first Bermuda trip for Gem.

[Mark O]

Good luck. Same for us on June 12th except no parents. I can't wait to hear how you liked it.

[shepherdqueen]

Thank you for your review. I must comment regarding your food allergies - which I also have (not gluten).

 

May I ask if you contacted NCL in advance regarding your allergies? I also know our TA asked if anyone had allergies as well. They handled mine so well! I just had to order my dinner at lunch. When we were seated for dinner, my husband ordered and I told our server our stateroom number and my dinner was brought out with his. Very simple and they were very accommodating!

[RedSox5]

Thank you for your review. I must comment regarding your food allergies - which I also have (not gluten).

 

May I ask if you contacted NCL in advance regarding your allergies? I also know our TA asked if anyone had allergies as well. They handled mine so well! I just had to order my dinner at lunch. When we were seated for dinner, my husband ordered and I told our server our stateroom number and my dinner was brought out with his. Very simple and they were very accommodating!

 

Yes I did. I informed the NCL rep. that booked our cruise over the phone, and she said she put a note in the system and that the Access Desk should contact me by the end of the week. That never happened, so I called back and they gave me the email address of the Access Desk so that I could contact THEM instead. I did, and it took about a week, but I got the standard response saying that they are able to accommodate food allergies, and specifically gluten allergies but that they do not have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, etc. They said to get in contact with a Matr'd when we got on board. We did, and they asked what I wanted for dinner that night. I told him, and he said to just give the waiter our stateroom number and they'll have it prepared. When we got to the dining room, I told the waiter the situation- that I had a food allergy, who I had spoke to, and the room number. He asked me what I had ordered and I told him salmon with gluten-free pasta and some gluten-free bread. He said "ok, so I can bring you salmon with egg noodles" and I said "no. I can't have egg noodles." He looked totally confused so I asked for a matr'd- he came over and knew nothing of my order- had to order again and ended up without bread- he said he "wasn't able to track it down." Anyhow, this is similar to how the rest of the week went. There were a few meals that they really took care of me- I found one really great matr'd (of course not until the last day!) and he made me a Philly cheese steak on a GF bun, and got me GF bread. In the Italian restaurant they made me a GF pasta dish, and a GF pizza.

 

I felt VERY much like this was a case of the "freestyle dining" and built in service charge not working to the customer's advantage. I felt like the waiters and Matr'd had the attitude that 'there's nothing in in for them' to go out of their way to help me.

 

But, this is why we ended up at the buffet a lot for breakfast and lunch so that I could get salad, fruit, ice cream, etc.- it was easier than eating in the dining room.