Quick Gem Review including CAS

[hpecorari]

Just returned from the Gem.

 

I loved this ship - was my first time on her.

 

Embarkation was a snap!

 

Disembarkation was a snap!

 

Crew - always happy and going out of their way to accommodate and please you.

 

Food was very good everywhere we went which was every specialty restaurant, and all the complimentary venues.

 

Entertainment was fantastic. One of the best singers and dancers on any NCL ship I've been on and I've been on them all except for POA, Jewel, and Jade.

 

We had a medi evac on Thursday. The Captain made an announcement that evening that we should expect to see/hear a helicopter hoovering above us until the job was complete and to not be alarmed.

 

The HD, Tony Winkler was great! He granted my request for our Meet and Greet to do a bridge tour. We had over 43 people at the Meet and Greet and he set up two different groups for the bridge tour.

 

The weather in Halifax, St. John, and Portland couldn't have been better!

 

Every day someone was sending me something to our cabin: CAS three different times (You fill out a card and they send what you request; I requested shrimp cocktail twice and cheese and fruit once.) HD sent up food, the captain sent up food, Guest Services sent up food - Not to mention chocolate covered strawberries being sent up almost every day....to the point that we told them to stop sending them! LOL

 

The spa was small but relaxing.....I can't get enough of those heated tile chairs!

 

The best Bliss room on any ship I've been on.

 

Casino - very small. Drink service was no problem...someone was always coming around asking if I wanted something. They did uphold the 'no smoking' unless you were playing. They also upheld the 'no smoking' when the casino was closed. They still were giving out cigarettes to VIP players. Casino hosts always welcoming me and even finding me to ask if everything was okay and to give me a comped meal. They gave me three comped meals, one at Moderno, One at Cagney's, and one at La Bistro - all three included a free bottle of wine. This is the first time that they told me that they automatically remove charges and there was no need to go to the desk the last evening. This was the first time that CAS didn't remove all my charges.

 

This was also the first time I had to go to guest services because of an error on my bill. I had paid for the unlimited Wifi and was charged for that....but was also charged for a WiFi plan. They did end up removing that.

 

Also, as we were on deck 11 AFT the Great Outdoors was above us. I've never had a major problem with this before but one evening at around 1 p.m. it sounded like they were pushing all the tables and chairs from one end to the other. I called Guest Services and asked if they could contact them and ask them to pick up the chairs and tables instead of pushing them around. Within 10 min. the nose stopped and I didn't hear anything again for the rest of my cruise. Come to find out Guest Services gave me $200.00 refundable OBC for my inconvenience! That was a surprise.

 

Two agents from Miami Headquarters as well as two women were on board for this cruise. The two men were in charge of the new Reward Next or Reward Certificates they have and were booking cruises for people while on board. I asked about this and those who use CAS either as a comp from their play, a discount, or via land casino certificates can't book on board using any of that.

 

All and All.....except for my Star B2B 28 day Panama Canal cruise this was my best! Just way to short! Again....I love the GEM!

 

Harriet

[AnonomissX]

Glad to hear you had a great time!

[jaja]

Was also on this cruise....as Harriet said...staff was super friendly , very hard working and anxious to please. We enjoyed the complimentary and specialty venues --service and food very good.(of note...the filet mignon with green peppercorn sauce in LeBistro was the best steak I have had in years!)

[fstuff1]

Casino - very small.

This is the first time that they told me that they automatically remove charges and there was no need to go to the desk the last evening. This was the first time that CAS didn't remove all my charges.

 

Two agents from Miami Headquarters as well as two women were on board for this cruise. The two men were in charge of the new Reward Next or Reward Certificates they have and were booking cruises for people while on board. I asked about this and those who use CAS either as a comp from their play, a discount, or via land casino certificates can't book on board using any of that.

 

Did you ask CAS why those charges weren't taken off your bill like in past cruises?

 

and :( for not being able to use CruiseNext Premium (or whatever that program is called) to book CAS certificate/discounted cruises.

so much for my hope of getting the CruiseNext Premium promos for a CAS Inside cabin. :(

 

 

Did you know anything about converting CruiseNext obc ($250 if you buy 2 certificates) into casino slotplay credits like under the old FCC program?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2218698

Edited June 13, 2015 by fstuff1

[hpecorari]

Did you ask CAS why those charges weren't taken off your bill like in past cruises?

 

CAS was closed by the time my bill was delivered to my room and I went down to Guest Services. In the past I'd go to the CAS host and they'd do it all in front of me the last evening. This time, when I went to do that I was told that they do it 'automatically' and they'd take care of it and CAS players need not be present.

 

and :( for not being able to use CruiseNext Premium (or whatever that program is called) to book CAS certificate/discounted cruises.

so much for my hope of getting the CruiseNext Premium promos for a CAS Inside cabin. :(

 

You can still purchase the Rewards. I purchased two. Purchase one and you get $100.00 off (they call it OBC) Purchase two you get $125.00 off (They call it OBC) per certificate. So....I purchased two at a total cost of $500.00 but ended up actually only paying $250.00 for the both of them. Not a bad deal!

 

Did you know anything about converting CruiseNext obc ($250 if you buy 2 certificates) into casino slotplay credits like under the old FCC program?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2218698

 

I know this can be done and I know you just need to let them know at the time of purchase that this is what you want to do, however, I didn't do it.

 

Harriet

[monkeybone]

Great info! Glad you enjoyed the Gem.

 

Thanks for the review.

Edited June 14, 2015 by monkeybone

[mommyto2girls]

So glad you enjoyed the Gem it is by far our favorite NCL ship. The crew is amazing and the casino staff a pleasure to be around.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Great Harriet. Can't wait till we are all on her April 30th

[hpecorari]

Great Harriet. Can't wait till we are all on her April 30th

 

Agree! And it'll be even a 'little bit nicer' since I'll be forward rather than aft! LOL

 

Harriet

[GonzoWCS]

Thank You for this! We will be traveling soon on the Gem!

 

Cheers

[mking8288]

Thank you, sound great & welcome home. It's so nice for them to continue to host the M&G group for an invited bridge tour since not even the Platinum ones do that. Who is the Captain for the GEM ?

 

Was the unlimited WiFi over wireless signals & all over the ship, or just in the staterooms ? How was the speed ?

 

Anything new/different and good from the MDR since I am assuming that O'Sheehan's menu are the same fleetwide these days, and, they seemed to be "tweaking" it lately. Food is subject, but we found the Roast Rack of Lamb served by LeBistro on the GEM to be better than those on the Breakaway ... assuming same procurement & sourcing, just a matter of the chef's preparation & marinating/cooking ?

 

Lastly, how full was the ship as I recalled that NCL has unsold cabins up to 24 to 36 hours before your sailing?

 

 

send from my Google Nexus 5/7 MD via Tapatalk

[hpecorari]

Thank you, sound great & welcome home. It's so nice for them to continue to host the M&G group for an invited bridge tour since not even the Platinum ones do that. Who is the Captain for the GEM ?

 

Tony Winkler was the HD. I don't think the bridge tour is something that they actually do anymore......we just got lucky and I can't thank Tony and the Captain enough for allowing it this time.

 

Was the unlimited WiFi over wireless signals & all over the ship, or just in the staterooms ? How was the speed ?

 

Unlimited WiFi was great. Had it all over the ship. Speed was faster on this cruise then it's ever been, however, I don't know if that's because it was unlimited WiFi or because it was a smaller ship which equals less people using WiFi.

 

Anything new/different and good from the MDR since I am assuming that O'Sheehan's menu are the same fleetwide these days, and, they seemed to be "tweaking" it lately. Food is subject, but we found the Roast Rack of Lamb served by LeBistro on the GEM to be better than those on the Breakaway ... assuming same procurement & sourcing, just a matter of the chef's preparation & marinating/cooking ?

 

I actually enjoyed everything I ate in any venue.....although I'm not a fan of the Buffet as I seem to find the crowds who push and shove, the kids who use their hands and don't even have their parents with them, the cold food warm and the hot food just warm, not to mention it's hard to find a table. Besides, call me whatever you want....but I'm on vacation and look forward to sitting down at a table, being served, and having a leisurely meal.

 

Lastly, how full was the ship as I recalled that NCL has unsold cabins up to 24 to 36 hours before your sailing?

 

We were not totally booked, however, I have no idea how many empty cabins there were. I do know that all suites and Havens were book and most all balcony's were booked. There were some inside and OV's available.

 

Not sure if you've ever been on the Gem but I loved her!

 

Harriet

[jaja]

Some added info..(I was also on this cruise)

 

Captain....Staffan Bengtsson - I posted rest of staff on the other thread if you wanted more..

 

I will chime in....the Filet Mignon with green peppercorn sauce in LeBistro...was FABULOUS...(my DH was going to get the rack of lamb..but the waitress kindly told us...it was a bit tough)

 

And I did go up to the buffet a few times..just to try some of the special salads they make....they are often very good and give me ideas for cooking at home...! I also enjoy tasting the Indian food...as I do not get it where I live.

 

In the MDR ....the "everyday" salmon has been replaced by Lemon Sole...but I did not get a chance to try it...

 

We enjoyed all our food...and the staff is GREAT all over the ship.:D

[hpecorari]

Some added info..(I was also on this cruise)

 

Captain....Staffan Bengtsson - I posted rest of staff on the other thread if you wanted more..

 

I will chime in....the Filet Mignon with green peppercorn sauce in LeBistro...was FABULOUS...(my DH was going to get the rack of lamb..but the waitress kindly told us...it was a bit tough)

 

And I did go up to the buffet a few times..just to try some of the special salads they make....they are often very good and give me ideas for cooking at home...! I also enjoy tasting the Indian food...as I do not get it where I live.

 

In the MDR ....the "everyday" salmon has been replaced by Lemon Sole...but I did not get a chance to try it...

 

We enjoyed all our food...and the staff is GREAT all over the ship.:D

 

Strange! I had the rack of lamb at LeBistro and it was very tender! However, I always get my meat rare to med. rare as I think if it's cooked anymore than that it gets tougher the more it's cooked.

 

And yes, you were on the same cruise as me. And....SHOULD be on the same cruise as me also April 30th! LOL

 

Harriet

[NYcruzzer]

Welcome home. We were on same cruise as you. I thought service was excellant everywhere we went. Was concerned before the cruise that it would be difficult to get a drink with so many passangers taking advantage of the free UBP. Fears were unfounded. Plenty of servers pool side and at the various venues around the ship. Thank you for doing such a great job organizing the M & G It was really nice meeting you and all the cruise critic members in attendance.

[jaja]

Strange! I had the rack of lamb at LeBistro and it was very tender! However, I always get my meat rare to med. rare as I think if it's cooked anymore than that it gets tougher the more it's cooked.

 

And yes, you were on the same cruise as me. And....SHOULD be on the same cruise as me also April 30th! LOL

 

Harriet

 

I won't tell my DH that the lamb was good.:eek:..we just went with what the server said..and he did not order it :(

 

LOL...April 30th :D

[Ericktina]

Can you tell me the name of the casino host?? Thanks!!

[hpecorari]

Can you tell me the name of the casino host?? Thanks!!

 

For the life of me I can't remember, sorry! :(

 

Harriet

[spidybabe]

Last time we were on the Gem: Chris was casino manager, and the hostess were Alexandria and Pearl. sorry, no idea if it has changed. Maybe the names ring a bell for somebody to verify.

Safe sailing

[Sand and Seas]

You can still purchase the Rewards. I purchased two. Purchase one and you get $100.00 off (they call it OBC) Purchase two you get $125.00 off (They call it OBC) per certificate. So....I purchased two at a total cost of $500.00 but ended up actually only paying $250.00 for the both of them. Not a bad deal!

 

So are you saying that if your only onboard charge was two certificates it would be a net $250? Will they allow the OBC towards the certificates themselves? We don't charge much onboard and I've had trouble using all the OBC before.

[mking8288]

Not sure if you've ever been on the Gem but I loved her! Harriet

 

Thanks, great update & getting the "bonus" extras, our M&G then were granted special & private invite to tour the bridge ... an exception that's not done these days. We're on the GEM right after Sandy left NY in Nov. 2012 - had a great time - so it's been a while. Our plan is to sail her again late this Fall doing another 10 nights on a wait-n-see, or postpone till 2016 after she's out of dry dock. We have alternate plans but will decide after our early Sept. trip abroad - also, true for next year with other new ships in our sight.

 

The lamb served in the BA's MDR was actually better than the one served in LeBistro and I order it medium well ... not a fuzzy eater but perhaps like Jaja wrote, it's their sourcing - so, I will - unless things changed - order something else from the new/enhanced menu next time (rolling out by July 1st. ;) )

[hpecorari]

You can still purchase the Rewards. I purchased two. Purchase one and you get $100.00 off (they call it OBC) Purchase two you get $125.00 off (They call it OBC) per certificate. So....I purchased two at a total cost of $500.00 but ended up actually only paying $250.00 for the both of them. Not a bad deal!

 

So are you saying that if your only onboard charge was two certificates it would be a net $250? Will they allow the OBC towards the certificates themselves? We don't charge much onboard and I've had trouble using all the OBC before.

 

Yes. They call it OBC but actually, they take if off from the top right away. Most people don't know this or misunderstand, thinking they have OBC to use up, therefore, spend more believing the OBC will cover it....which it won't since, as I said before, it's taken off right away.

 

Harriet

[boopsahoy]

Just returned from the Gem.

 

I loved this ship - was my first time on her.

 

Embarkation was a snap!

 

Disembarkation was a snap!

 

Crew - always happy and going out of their way to accommodate and please you.

 

Food was very good everywhere we went which was every specialty restaurant, and all the complimentary venues.

 

Entertainment was fantastic. One of the best singers and dancers on any NCL ship I've been on and I've been on them all except for POA, Jewel, and Jade.

 

We had a medi evac on Thursday. The Captain made an announcement that evening that we should expect to see/hear a helicopter hoovering above us until the job was complete and to not be alarmed.

 

The HD, Tony Winkler was great! He granted my request for our Meet and Greet to do a bridge tour. We had over 43 people at the Meet and Greet and he set up two different groups for the bridge tour.

 

The weather in Halifax, St. John, and Portland couldn't have been better!

 

Every day someone was sending me something to our cabin: CAS three different times (You fill out a card and they send what you request; I requested shrimp cocktail twice and cheese and fruit once.) HD sent up food, the captain sent up food, Guest Services sent up food - Not to mention chocolate covered strawberries being sent up almost every day....to the point that we told them to stop sending them! LOL

 

The spa was small but relaxing.....I can't get enough of those heated tile chairs!

 

The best Bliss room on any ship I've been on.

 

Casino - very small. Drink service was no problem...someone was always coming around asking if I wanted something. They did uphold the 'no smoking' unless you were playing. They also upheld the 'no smoking' when the casino was closed. They still were giving out cigarettes to VIP players. Casino hosts always welcoming me and even finding me to ask if everything was okay and to give me a comped meal. They gave me three comped meals, one at Moderno, One at Cagney's, and one at La Bistro - all three included a free bottle of wine. This is the first time that they told me that they automatically remove charges and there was no need to go to the desk the last evening. This was the first time that CAS didn't remove all my charges.

 

This was also the first time I had to go to guest services because of an error on my bill. I had paid for the unlimited Wifi and was charged for that....but was also charged for a WiFi plan. They did end up removing that.

 

Also, as we were on deck 11 AFT the Great Outdoors was above us. I've never had a major problem with this before but one evening at around 1 p.m. it sounded like they were pushing all the tables and chairs from one end to the other. I called Guest Services and asked if they could contact them and ask them to pick up the chairs and tables instead of pushing them around. Within 10 min. the nose stopped and I didn't hear anything again for the rest of my cruise. Come to find out Guest Services gave me $200.00 refundable OBC for my inconvenience! That was a surprise.

 

Two agents from Miami Headquarters as well as two women were on board for this cruise. The two men were in charge of the new Reward Next or Reward Certificates they have and were booking cruises for people while on board. I asked about this and those who use CAS either as a comp from their play, a discount, or via land casino certificates can't book on board using any of that.

 

All and All.....except for my Star B2B 28 day Panama Canal cruise this was my best! Just way to short! Again....I love the GEM!

 

Harriet

 

We love the Gem. We've been on her every winter for the past 5 or 6 years. Love the Casino people. Pearl was great last time. We also favor Le Bistro. Its funny, the first time we ate there we didn't enjoy it but we gave it another try and loved it! We usually eat there more than once or twice for dinner and Cagneys once for dinner.

[Sand and Seas]

Yes. They call it OBC but actually, they take if off from the top right away. Most people don't know this or misunderstand, thinking they have OBC to use up, therefore, spend more believing the OBC will cover it....which it won't since, as I said before, it's taken off right away.

 

Harriet

 

That's good news! I've lost some OBC in the past as we seldom take ships excursions, etc. Thanks for sharing -- we've learned alot from your posts & reviews!

[Wvshimmy]

Just returned from the Gem.

 

I loved this ship - was my first time on her.

 

Embarkation was a snap!

 

Disembarkation was a snap!

 

Crew - always happy and going out of their way to accommodate and please you.

 

Food was very good everywhere we went which was every specialty restaurant, and all the complimentary venues.

 

Entertainment was fantastic. One of the best singers and dancers on any NCL ship I've been on and I've been on them all except for POA, Jewel, and Jade.

 

We had a medi evac on Thursday. The Captain made an announcement that evening that we should expect to see/hear a helicopter hoovering above us until the job was complete and to not be alarmed.

 

The HD, Tony Winkler was great! He granted my request for our Meet and Greet to do a bridge tour. We had over 43 people at the Meet and Greet and he set up two different groups for the bridge tour.

 

The weather in Halifax, St. John, and Portland couldn't have been better!

 

Every day someone was sending me something to our cabin: CAS three different times (You fill out a card and they send what you request; I requested shrimp cocktail twice and cheese and fruit once.) HD sent up food, the captain sent up food, Guest Services sent up food - Not to mention chocolate covered strawberries being sent up almost every day....to the point that we told them to stop sending them! LOL

 

The spa was small but relaxing.....I can't get enough of those heated tile chairs!

 

The best Bliss room on any ship I've been on.

 

Casino - very small. Drink service was no problem...someone was always coming around asking if I wanted something. They did uphold the 'no smoking' unless you were playing. They also upheld the 'no smoking' when the casino was closed. They still were giving out cigarettes to VIP players. Casino hosts always welcoming me and even finding me to ask if everything was okay and to give me a comped meal. They gave me three comped meals, one at Moderno, One at Cagney's, and one at La Bistro - all three included a free bottle of wine. This is the first time that they told me that they automatically remove charges and there was no need to go to the desk the last evening. This was the first time that CAS didn't remove all my charges.

 

This was also the first time I had to go to guest services because of an error on my bill. I had paid for the unlimited Wifi and was charged for that....but was also charged for a WiFi plan. They did end up removing that.

 

Also, as we were on deck 11 AFT the Great Outdoors was above us. I've never had a major problem with this before but one evening at around 1 p.m. it sounded like they were pushing all the tables and chairs from one end to the other. I called Guest Services and asked if they could contact them and ask them to pick up the chairs and tables instead of pushing them around. Within 10 min. the nose stopped and I didn't hear anything again for the rest of my cruise. Come to find out Guest Services gave me $200.00 refundable OBC for my inconvenience! That was a surprise.

 

Two agents from Miami Headquarters as well as two women were on board for this cruise. The two men were in charge of the new Reward Next or Reward Certificates they have and were booking cruises for people while on board. I asked about this and those who use CAS either as a comp from their play, a discount, or via land casino certificates can't book on board using any of that.

 

All and All.....except for my Star B2B 28 day Panama Canal cruise this was my best! Just way to short! Again....I love the GEM!

 

Harriet

 

 

Glad you loved the Gem! It is our favorite, although we're bummed that Jenny Lim is no longer with NCL. We are casino rats ans spend much of our time ( and of course, $$$) there!

Who are the host/hostesses now? When we sailed in September, Chris was the manager and his new wife Pearl were working there. I know remarie is gone, so was wondering who will be there for our August cruise. Thanks!