Norwegian Gem review, not one of my better cruises

[OnceAMarineAlwaysAMarine]

I was on the Norwegian Gem cruise July 25th through August 1st with a group of 14 including an 8 year old, a 9 year old and 5 teenagers. I am well aware that some cruises are better than others but it is unfortunate that my first experience on Norwegian cruises was not one of my better cruises.

 

First let me cover the good points. The cruise director (Dan Dan) and his staff were wonderful and provided a lot of fun during this cruise.

The Cake Master Challenge was hilarious and not to be missed. The Liars Club Comedy Game was also very funny.

 

The captain (Lars Bengtsson) was the best captain on any of my cruises. He was very pleasant, humorous and always smiling. His daily announcements were funny and informative and he is the only captain I sailed with who was out walking the decks during sea days and stopping to talk with the passengers.

 

The entertainers in the shows all were very talented singers and dancers but the productions themselves were nothing exceptional. The acrobats show was outstanding and impressive. At the end of their show Dan Dan sang a song and I was very surprised at his very good singing voice.

 

The ship was very clean and well maintained and the cabins were in very good shape although they were much smaller than those on Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships. We had a total of five cabins and two different cabin attendants (Jeffrey and Joel) and both of them were excellent.

 

The food in the main dining rooms was good. We did not try any specialty dining so I cannot comment on that but usually the food there would be better than in the main dining rooms. The food in the buffet ranged from good to bad and the hamburgers were always mushy in the middle as though they had been microwaved. There was food barbecued on the pool decks and this food was very good.

 

Although they did not go every day, the 8 and 9 year old enjoyed the programs in Splash Academy.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation was well organized and went smoothly.

 

Now for the points that made this a not so good experience.

 

In O'Sheehans my 8 year old grand daughter was served uncooked chicken tenders. They were not frozen but they were definitely raw. There were three tenders on the plate. She ate one and that was cooked and was fine but the other two were not cooked.

 

This was the first cruise where we encountered a very rude waitress. The teenagers and younger kids were at one table and the adults at another. I guess the waitress did not realize that the adults were nearby because she was extremely rude to the younger folks. We informed the head waiter of our displeasure over this and he indicated that he would speak to her.

 

The teenagers went to O'Sheehans for lunch one day. They were seated and given menus and then they were ignored. Other people sat, were served and left and they still had no one take their orders. After almost a half hour they left and went to the buffet to eat. Perhaps the fact that there was no adult with them was the reason for the rude waitress and the cause for them being ignored but this should never happen.

 

In direct contrast to every other cruise I have been on, drink service on the pool deck was almost non-existent. The servers would walk by about once every half hour or so and would not ask if you would like a drink. You would have to call them to get them to stop and take your order. Because of this the bars often had long lines and waits to get a drink. I am used to other cruise lines where servers are almost to the point of becoming annoying because they constantly ask if they can get you a drink. It seems to me this must be due to the daily service charge that is shared by the crew members. Since they are not working for individual tips that they have to earn by providing good service there is little incentive for them to go out of their way to excel.

 

The main pool was closed on two days of our cruise. I asked several officers why the pool was closed and they said they did not know why but someone must be working on it. The first day it was closed there was no one working in the pool area for the entire day. The next morning that pool was re-opened. On the second day that it was closed they drained the pool and then re-filled it. That took several hours. We were told that while the main pool was closed the kids could go in the adults only pool. When they did there were several adults who told them they do not belong there.

 

We made reservations for the Stingray City excursion at Great Stirrup Cay (this was a very nice excursion) and the excursion desk staff told me that I had to go to the pool deck the next morning at 8:30 to get tickets for the tenders to the island. My daughter-in-law was told to be there between 8:30 and 9:00. We went there at 8:25 and asked a crew member on the pool deck what time they give out the tickets and she said 8:30. Nothing happened until 9:10 when another crew member told us we should have one key card for each cabin for which we were getting tender tickets. Since we had five cabins my daughter-in-law left the line to go get key cards from the others. At 9:15 the crew members finally showed up with the tender tickets and simply said "How many do you need?" and gave them out without asking for any key cards. This lack of communication and co-ordination among the NCL staff was very frustrating since we were told different things by different people and no one seemed to have the right answers.

 

My grand kids love lemonade and I was surprised to find that there was only one place on the ship that they could get it. There was one area in the buffet that had lemonade and we found that at times that was empty.

 

There was not much on this ship to entertain the teenagers. Throughout the ship you would find many teenagers hanging out on the stairs between decks. For the most part they were courteous and did not completely block the stairs but it made me wonder why there was not other things for them to enjoy.

 

As far as ports go, Port Canaveral was not very exciting, Great Stirrup Cay was wonderful and Nassau, Bahamas was so-so. There were six ships in port at Nassau and everywhere you went on shore was extremely crowded. Nassau may be very nice but the crowds everywhere resulted in us returning to the ship and spending most of the day on board.

 

Norwegian Cruise Lines, much more than the other lines I have been on, nickel and dimes you to death. Everywhere you looked there were extra charges for activities and the photo gallery costs were very high.

 

I know I will hear from those of you who think I am just being picky but I can assure you I am not a very picky person. Any one of these points on their own are minor issues (except for being served raw chicken) and can be easily overlooked but when many minor problems accumulate they become very annoying. I would hope that this cruise was not indicative of all Norwegian cruises but in May I am going to cruise on Royal Caribbean. This was enough of an annoyance to prevent me from trying another Norwegian cruise at this time. Perhaps in the future I may try NCL once again.

[SwissLe]

Thanks for the review, some of the points are very worrying. It's not acceptable to have raw chicken or experience rude staff. It's not an excuse, but I guess during the summer months the staff nearing end of contract are feeling tired and worn out, then they judge every teenager by the minority of rude ones.

 

I am interested to know which activities do you think were 'nickle and dimed' compared to RCI, do you mean like the bingo etc?

[Demonyte]

Thanks for your honest and quite balanced review - not all cruise lines are the same and what suits someone might not suite someone else. :) (ETA: Even as an adult I've received bad service occasionally in 24/7 eateries, those seem to be places where they place at least some of the newbies - I wouldn't say that the poor service is definitely caused by the age of the patron.)

 

There is one huge misunderstanding though:

 

Because of this the bars often had long lines and waits to get a drink. I am used to other cruise lines where servers are almost to the point of becoming annoying because they constantly ask if they can get you a drink. It seems to me this must be due to the daily service charge that is shared by the crew members. Since they are not working for individual tips that they have to earn by providing good service there is little incentive for them to go out of their way to excel.

 

Bar staff is not covered by DSC, their gratuities come from auto-gratuity added to every bar receipt and extra tips they receive.

 

Only people covered by DSC are people that provide services that everyone uses or are available/included for everyone, including behind the scenes staff, cabin stewards, complimentary restaurant staff, etc.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Demonyte

[mjkacmom]

It seems like the bar service issues started when NCL started giving out free UBP's. Before that, people complained about being bothered too much, just like other lines. Pools are usually emptied when there is poop or vomit in the pool - unfortunately, sh!t happens. Teens can swim, go to the arcade, sports deck, teen clubs, restaurants... I have three of them, and lots if times, teens want to just hang.

 

Nassau is definitely a port where you want to do a little research ahead of time. We've gotten passes at the Hilton, and Melia, and enjoyed our time on the beach. We also did Atlantus twice (during off peak times, I'd avoid it in the summer). Next time we might try Blue Lagoon, which always seems to get good reviews.

[antmaril]

Thank you for your review. Sorry you had some issues. I am sailing NCL for the first time on the Gem in September. I, too, would be interested in knowing why you felt "nickeled and dimed". I am going with an open mind and am hoping for the best. My friend and I are not too picky when it comes to food. We have a mini-suite booked, so hopefully, it will be adequate. I have sailed on Carnival, Princess, HAL and Disney. It will be interesting to compare the NCL product to these other lines.

[Nola26]

I haven't read anything that would keep me from considering the Gem for future cruises. Thanks for sharing.

 

Sorry you're unlikely to travel NCL again.

[david_sobe]

Thanks for the well balanced review. O'Sheehans is famous for poor service on every ship. I don't know if this is a training venue or new staff. Eaten there on different ships countless times. Average service at the best of times. On Getaway one group of guys waited so patiently for over 20 minutes with no service before someone got up. The restaurant was slow since it was a port day too.

[Sizzlechest]

I just did the same cruise about a month ago. I didn't ever eat at O'Sheenans, so no idea if I happened to dodge a bullet on that one :) Lat time I tried it was for breakfast on the Breakaway two years ago and I didn't have a great experience then.

 

I agree about the ports. I did Sea World at Port Canaveral, but quite frankly, the only excursion I'd recommend would be Kennedy Space Center since every other destination is too far from the port and you won't have adequate time. If we do that cruise again, We'll go there or just stay on the ship. Nassau isn't too interesting either. We didn't spend much time in Nassau and ended up back on the ship's pool area, which was nice and empty.

 

You pretty much nailed the entertainment on the Gem. The technology and the entertainment are in desperate need of an upgrade. I'm not a big drinker, but be on the lookout for the mojito/beer/whisky/etc. tastings. They're inexpensive and fun!

[emmak8]

Thank you for posting. We sailed on the Gem in January and enjoyed DanDan and his staff. We understand your frustration with Osheehans and the waitstaff. Most passengers are not happy with the changes on NCL.

[Shawnino]

Thanks for an honest, evenhanded review.

Such well written, thoughtful pieces aren't as plentiful as they might be.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

Thank you for this review. I had just been pricing Gem. With two teens I'm taking this to heart.

Can you expound on the nickel & diming?

Edited August 10, 2015 by Vacationdreamer<><

[Cruzn Bills Fan]

I'm kind of surprised by the lack of servers around the pool on sea days. You're not the 1st person to comment on it recently. Half the fun of sea days is sweating in the sun sucking down buckets of beer or frozen drinks. I hope this is remedied before I sail on Star in Jan!

[mking8288]

Thanks for sharing, any comments on the MDR menu - enhancements or not, items & dishes that're exceptional and out of the ordinary ??

 

It sounded like O'Sheehans is same as before, which is disappointing :o

 

Not everyone get the UDP or comp'd dinner at LeBistro or CAS meals, etc. - observations about changes to the daily lunch & dinner choices in the MDR would be very informative ... things happening in the buffet, as well (although, it's even harder to recall & know what's changed or improved, etc.)

[3kidsncats]

You don't sound picky to me -- sounds like a very fair and well presented view. And as I will be traveling with teens on our upcoming Jewel cruise, I'm already thinking about how my kids will find the activities.

 

I decided I will bring a few small card games (like Apples to Apples) that we all love playing as a family, because it sounds like fun to do with an ocean view. Frankly, I'm not sure how I will find the activities because I don't buy art on cruises, I don't gamble, and not interested in the spa, at least not at those prices. Many of the things I've read on posted dailies just don't look that interesting to me. I know I'll have a great time, I just don't think it will be as a result of tons of activities off the daily. How did you personally find the adult activities?

 

Disappointed to hear about the O'Sheehans service, because I thought that might be a favored spot for the kids when they don't want the fancy options my husband and I are choosing. I will just remind them that it's ok to courteously ask for the manager if there is a real problem.

[OnceAMarineAlwaysAMarine]

I will try to answer some of your questions.

 

I can remember two of the extra fee activities that I thought should have been included in the cruise fare. One was the Nickelodeon Pajama Party that the grand kids wanted to attend. Another was a Pilates class that my wife wanted to attend. I am pretty sure she did not pay when we were on RCI ships but it has been a few years since I have sailed RCI so maybe they are charging now also. I will find out in May. I know there were about a half dozen events that we would have attended during the week if they did not charge an additional fee.

 

I do not know what changes were made in the dining room menus but I did like the food served there. The chocolate dessert named Chocolate Volcano something or other was delicious and was a favorite of all 14 of us. I had the Pasta Arrabiata dish which I enjoyed a lot. I also had the Rosemay Roasted Chicken and that was also a very tasty meal.

 

I got the kid's beverage package for my grand kids so they could get soda and juice whenever they wanted it but they often preferred to get bottled water which is not included in any beverage package, so buying them that package was not cost effective.

[OnceAMarineAlwaysAMarine]

The teens in our group did go in the pool, went to the arcade and went to the teen club but they got bored after a few days and ended up hanging around the stair ways. They did go bowling a few times but at $9.00 a game the cost added up fast. Perhaps you are right and the hanging around is just something teens like to do.

 

For those who said they will be going on the Gem, be sure to listen for Captain Lars announcements. They are usually pretty funny and he is a very personable man. When having his picture taken with young children you will see him making "rabbit ears" with his fingers behind the kids heads.

 

I also recommend taking a walk to deck 11 forward on the port side to take a look at the bridge. Do this while the ship is underway.

 

Second City had two shows and they were both funny. I did not go to the magician's show so I cannot comment on that.

 

Any cruise is a good cruise. It is just that some are better than others.

[denas]

I wonder if the bar service is more a function of the beverage packages? Prior to beverage packages, there was a lot of incentive on both the bar servers and the cruise line to push drinks by the pool. Now it is the opposite since most people have already purchased a package (and provided tips to the pool of bartenders) so the incentive is to make it as difficult as possible to get drinks! We were on RCCL a couple of weeks ago and there were no servers walking the pool or in the lounges or even in the bars! You had to go to the bar to get a drink in every location. There were lines for drinks. It didn't even matter if you tipped really well, I never saw a server again! We didn't even have the same bar server any night in the dining room and couldn't get a server to even take orders one night. And we didn't have packages so you would think a server would like us to make tips off of. This has been a more common complaint on all cruise lines, so I think it is a function of all of these beverage packages every cruise line pushes! RCCL had stacks of bartenders selling the packages on day 1 and 2. Who knows where they all disappeared to by day 3!

[OnceAMarineAlwaysAMarine]

You may be very right about that. A lot of people on this cruise did have the beverage package so that may be what caused the lack of incentive for the poolside servers. I am sorry to hear that it also is the case on RCCL because that is where my next cruise is. Oh well, I guess the whole industry is changing too much, too fast.

 

Also, for those who asked about extra fee events I just remembered another. There is a third Second City show on board and this one had a fee to attend. I think it was called Second City NCLIS or something like that.

 

I wonder if the bar service is more a function of the beverage packages? Prior to beverage packages, there was a lot of incentive on both the bar servers and the cruise line to push drinks by the pool. Now it is the opposite since most people have already purchased a package (and provided tips to the pool of bartenders) so the incentive is to make it as difficult as possible to get drinks! We were on RCCL a couple of weeks ago and there were no servers walking the pool or in the lounges or even in the bars! You had to go to the bar to get a drink in every location. There were lines for drinks. It didn't even matter if you tipped really well, I never saw a server again! We didn't even have the same bar server any night in the dining room and couldn't get a server to even take orders one night. And we didn't have packages so you would think a server would like us to make tips off of. This has been a more common complaint on all cruise lines, so I think it is a function of all of these beverage packages every cruise line pushes! RCCL had stacks of bartenders selling the packages on day 1 and 2. Who knows where they all disappeared to by day 3!

[DMH15]

Thank you for posting. We sailed on the Gem in January and enjoyed DanDan and his staff. We understand your frustration with Osheehans and the waitstaff. Most passengers are not happy with the changes on NCL.

 

"Most passengers"??? How do you know this to be factual?

[cruzsnooze]

 

 

 

Bar staff is not covered by DSC, their gratuities come from auto-gratuity added to every bar receipt and extra tips they receive.

.

Not anymore with all the purchases and inclusive beverage packages. The OP might even be referring to a Pepsi with a soda sticker, don't know.

[phoenix1181]

We cruised with Royal in April for the first time since 2012 & were not as happy as we were on previous cruises with them. So unhappy in fact that I cancelled a cruise I booked over a year ago & replaced it with the Gem.

 

Many of the issues you mention are similar to what we encountered on the Legend &, unlike your experience, the food was poor in the dining room & buffet.

 

It seems to me, I've seen teens hanging out on the stairs on most of the cruises we've taken. It's apparently not too difficult keeping the younger children happy & occupied but it's not as easy with the teens...... especially in the evening. Our grandchildren love cruising & enjoyed the kids clubs until they hit their teens & then they didn't enjoy it as much. They would go long enough to connect with a few others & that was it. Sea days were fine with the pool & such but after dinner, not so much. Now, they join us in the bar or casino so the problem resolved itself........ :eek:

 

I hope you enjoy your next cruise more than you did this one..........

 

[fshagan]

Thanks for your review ... we are on the Gem for the first time next month. I agree with some of the others that perhaps the drink packages are providing a disincentive to the servers around the pool area. The promos that were so widespread are a new thing and I can only hope it's just a transition period as they move toward more packages.

 

We have always found the service in O'Sheehan's to be less stellar than in the MDR, so that doesn't surprise me. It does surprise me that the teens and younger were ignored by the staff there, and in the MDR. That's definitely a training issue with the management; they should be watching for this kind of thing.

 

While I think the service is slower on NCL than other lines in the MDR, and O'Sheehan's has been slower than the MDR for us in the past, I have always chalked it up to either less experienced staff in O'Sheehan's or the nature of the beast: pub food in a pub atmosphere. But they should not be ignoring anyone.

 

I think your review was fair so don't worry about offending those of us who still prefer NCL.

[luvtheships]

This is why we have stopped doing summer out of nyc cruises as a family on ccl and ncl although I am seriously considering celebrity to Bermuda in 2017

 

We either do January ncl out of NYC with just the college kids or summer Europe cruises on whatever line works price date Itin wise

 

 

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Edited August 11, 2015 by luvtheships

[Sizzlechest]

I can remember two of the extra fee activities that I thought should have been included in the cruise fare. One was the Nickelodeon Pajama Party that the grand kids wanted to attend.

 

The Pajama Jam can be avoided on the Gem. There's a Nickelodeon Dance Party for free in the Spinnaker later in the week. NCL is terminating their association with Nickelodeon and there's been no announcement yet of a replacement.