Lengthy Gem Review: 1/22/16-2/1/16

[monkeybone]

Thank you for the great review.

 

I am definitely going to look into Valet Anywhere, It sounds great.

 

Glad you didn't let those rude brats ruin your cruise.

[kateissiobhan]

Thank you for your review. I'm glad to hear the food was good. I have seen many posts that have complained about the quality of the food. We will be sailing on the Gem 2/11 and are greatly looking forward .

[shaun07]

from what I've read in others threads it was the parents that were causing the biggest disruptions, the kids were just following the parents lead

[dshefter]

Hey David....

 

Great Review!!

I will add on as did Rob and Freddie....all my fellow CC Roll Call friends.

 

To begin, we went on the cruise with my daughter, her husband and my two grandsons (age 5 and 8) with a balcony cabin and also my 23 year old daughter who had her own balcony cabin. My wife and I had an Aft-Facing Penthouse Suite which was fantastic.

 

As a Platinum NCL cruiser and living in Long Island, I always try to sail out of the NYC area.

It sure beats flying. :)

NCL is my favorite cruise line although we have been on others having cruised on most of the cruise lines except Princess. I love the the freestyle cruising, not having to get dressed up for dinner, having the different specialty restaurants and the type of passengers you love to cruise with except for the obnoxious group and their bratty and rowdy kids we had to deal with on this cruise.

 

That being said, my CC group were fantastic and overshadowed the idiots that were on our cruise.

I had the greatest neighbors I ever had with Rob and Karen. Rob was so fantastic with my grandsons and made them feel so special.

We frequently saw others on our Roll Call on the ship and in ports (Joe, Jenn, David, Maryann, Alex, Freddie and others throughout the cruise).

Chatting on the roll call before the cruise and then meeting these people onboard makes a cruise that much more special.

Our group had two slot pulls, a Get Together Dinner and a Gift Exchange....this added to the overall enjoyment of the cruise.

 

This cruise had everything.

A huge storm that the Captain commented was the worst storm he had ever encountered on a cruise ship. As Dave mentioned, 50% of the crew were sick and about 60-70% of the passengers were sick sometime during the two days we were in the storm. I believe the front of the ship had it worse than the Aft. My wife and I felt know ill effects (in fact, we enjoyed the excitement of the rough seas) however, mu daughter, son-in-law and grandsons were sick during the first two days.

From the third day on we had great weather, even the last day at sea before arriving in NYC was warm and enjoyable with very smooth sailing.

BTW, we also had snow on the decks embarkation night and that added to the different experiences we had on this cruise.

 

We had the UBP and the UDP and both were great.

I did not experience any difficulty getting my drinks at any of the bars.

 

We also had a pleasant surprise with the new slide opening which was not operational since the GEM went through dry dock in November. You have to be over 6 to use the slide and they do have a list! Small children can go down the slide with their parents.

 

Entertainment:

I went to most of the shows and all were great with my two favorites being Magika and

Duo Blaskett.

 

The crew was fantastic and you would never know that they were having all the difficulty from those unruly passengers that invaded our GEM. Hopefully, in the future, this group will be banned from NCL ships as Carnival did.

My daughter (23) and her crew almost came to fisticuffs when they saw these people treating our crew so badly.

I had a few encounters with one of their brats stepping on my foot and not even an apology and pushing on and off the elevator.

 

Ports:

Puerto Rico:

Went to a very nice beach in Puerto Rico (Pamela's) for a Day Pass that included 8 drinks, lunch, beach chairs and umbrellas and use of a beautiful beach for $45 / person

 

St. Thomas:

Coral Aquarium Excursion..my grandkids loved it.

 

St. Maarten:

Divi Beach...recommended by my buddy Rob.

Wonderful day! :)

 

Tortola:

We did the Beach Excursion....disappointing and not as nice as the other beaches we visited.

 

Overall: A great cruise with great roll call people, crew and fun on the NCL GEM. :)

 

I would be pleased to answer questions on these boards or e-mail me at:

DONG70279@aol.com

 

Don

 

Nice review Don. It would be great if we could get together as a group somewhere in the NYC area for a reunion, at least the Big Boys. We had a great cruise, despite the rudeness of a few passengers.

[dshefter]

Excellent review! Reading your review mirrored a lot of my last experience on the Gem. She's a great ship.

 

 

 

Were these live stations or were they on a pre-recorded loop? Do they have kids' channels? They used to show Nickelodeon shows on a loop, but I assume that's gone. Then again, I was on the Gem prior to the latest upgrades.

 

One question: If you DON'T do an excursion in Tortola, is there anything there near the port to do?

 

Stations were live (news and sports). There also were movies on a loop and one other TV station. I don't recall seeing Nickelodian.

 

Tortola is a very small port. There are few shops in town. I would highly recommend doing an NCL tour (due to short time in port). The Baths were terrific. Jost Van Dyk also is supposed to be amazing.

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[mrrobby]

Nice review Don. It would be great if we could get together as a group somewhere in the NYC area for a reunion, at least the Big Boys. We had a great cruise, despite the rudeness of a few passengers.

 

 

David, Don, and Joe, I realize Joe lives 4.5 hours north of us and it could be hard to pull if off, but we will have a reunion at some point.

 

Joe and Erin, you guys are welcomed to stay at my house anytime and that could make it easier for a get together some weekend down the road.

 

The cruise was great and like I previously mentioned, sometimes I get used to it so quick while on board that I start almost taking it for granted. We are all so fortunate to be able to go on such a great vacation. Good memories and good times for sure.

 

Karen and I look forward to seeing you guys in the future, whenever that may be.

 

Best Regards,

Rob & Karen

[lenquixote66]

We will be on the Gem Feb. 21 . We have been on the ship previously and have been to the Caribbean 10 times + we always enjoy cruising out of Manhattan.

 

Lenny

[dshefter]

David, Don, and Joe, I realize Joe lives 4.5 hours north of us and it could be hard to pull if off, but we will have a reunion at some point.

 

Joe and Erin, you guys are welcomed to stay at my house anytime and that could make it easier for a get together some weekend down the road.

 

The cruise was great and like I previously mentioned, sometimes I get used to it so quick while on board that I start almost taking it for granted. We are all so fortunate to be able to go on such a great vacation. Good memories and good times for sure.

 

Karen and I look forward to seeing you guys in the future, whenever that may be.

 

Best Regards,

Rob & Karen

 

Looking forward to a reunion. Just get Joe down here for some golf. Ridgewood CC is hosting the U.S. Girls' Junior this July. While I won't be covering that event -- I will be at the concurrent U.S. Junior Amateur in Tennessee -- it's a great chance to see the future of women's golf. Event is July 18-23.

 

The U.S. Women's Open in 2017 will be at Trump Bedminster, not far from my office.

 

And the 2018 U.S. Open will be at Shinnecock Hills out on the eastern end of Long Island.

[Janine]

It was Yeshiva week so if that tells you anything !

its a Jewish Holiday .......I hate to think that

people would act this way.....sad

 

I was also on this cruise and have to say - I will NEVER cruise again during Yeshiva week. My cabin was on deck 10 and these kids from Yeshiva week were out of control, and the parents were worse. I cannot tell you how many times these people would cut in front of others, treat the crew like dirt and would run people over with their obnoxious strollers.

 

I accept people of all faiths and respect them for their commitment. But this group of people were unbelievably offensive.

[Letsgo 2]

I was also on this cruise and have to say - I will NEVER cruise again during Yeshiva week. My cabin was on deck 10 and these kids from Yeshiva week were out of control, and the parents were worse. I cannot tell you how many times these people would cut in front of others, treat the crew like dirt and would run people over with their obnoxious strollers.

 

I accept people of all faiths and respect them for their commitment. But this group of people were unbelievably offensive.

 

Sad so very sad 😒and shameful to say the least.

[watchdiva]

Before booking any cruise, we check school breaks. Yeshiva week has been the 3rd week in January. We prefer not to be on cruises that have large groups booked on it. Having read about a few cruises that were ruined due to unruly passengers, stay away from booking during spring break, etc.

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

Thanks to the OP and others who reviewed the Gem. I'll be on her for the first time this coming September and am very excited.

[Mr ncl]

I had wrote some brief reviews under the Gem renovations blog. I don't want to dig into much on here but after my 19th Cruise on NCL I must say it was my worst. It had nothing to do with the crew they were fantastic. The passengers were out right horrific. Purely out of control and the nastiest people I have ever met in my life. I actually got into a physical confrontation with them over the way they were speaking to the crew. I will not tolerate that and I am writing a strongly written letter to NCL seeking a resolution. Again I have never had a bad experience on Ncl and these people really ruined a lot of people's hard earned vacations. Hopefully they will have some answers. Great review by the way!!!!

[Mr ncl]

It is sad how one group can give the

rest of the people a very bad reputation

even though we all know that not all

behave like that. It is very hard to feel

any other way when you witness bad

behavior like that. I hope NCL does

the right thing by not allowing that group

back on board. They know who they are

and have their names ...... almost like

a No fly list...... That was mentioned

on a different social group by somebody.

I thought that would be a great Idea!!

Great point that we shouldn't let a large group influence is to believe everyone is like that. That's not fair to say. But this entire group was and I was told by a few sources that they are in fact banned from carnival. If that's the case ncl better join that same club.

[Letsgo 2]

Great point that we shouldn't let a large group influence is to believe everyone is like that. That's not fair to say. But this entire group was and I was told by a few sources that they are in fact banned from carnival. If that's the case ncl better join that same club.

 

Agree ... nobody else should have to

deal with uncivilized people like that.

[OnTheGoMom921]

Hi and thanks for your review. A fan of the Gem here as well, and will be back onboard soon too.

 

Where is this Pamela's place someone mentioned and how far a ride from OSJ port? Is it in the Condado area where the lines of hotels are? We went ziplining last time in San Juan but I'm up for something else.

 

Hey OTG Mom -- haven't seen you in ages!!

 

Hi Lori!! Been a while since I've had a cruise vacation. We did the Epic in Europe for our last cruise, not too many "locals" like when you leave from NYC. Hope all is well with you and yours. Looking forward to my Gem 10 day this March. First time we get to do this one, as now that DD is away at college, we can cruise without being a slave to the school calendar. Needless to say, college costs have taken a huge chunk out of our cruise budget! Hope to see a few familiar faces on ours. When's your next cruise?

[nbbell]

I also wrote comments under the Gem Renovation thread. Honestly would never believe it if I wasn't there also. I did have fun in the ports and went on the Jost Van Dyke excursion which was so amazing. The food in the buffet was also good. I have written to NCL, called them and wrote over 20 comment cards regarding the outstanding crew, I defended some after I saw them harassed or intimidated for doing their jobs I praised others for smiling through all this. I even spoke to the HD. Thanks for the great and positive review. Also on a side note this is my 8th cruise and 6 time out of NYC the third week in Jan, and I never ran into this group before now I am scared of going this time next year as this is the week that works the best for my family. Ugh!

[dshefter]

I agree, the crew was tremendous. Always smiling. They work extremely hard and don't deserve to be berated.

[Whitnee1]

Where is this Pamela's place someone mentioned and how far a ride from OSJ port? Is it in the Condado area where the lines of hotels are? We went ziplining last time in San Juan but I'm up for something else.

__________________________________________________ _________

It is about a 15-20 minute ride from the port. We paid $20 for a taxi for 7 of us.

Here is the information on Pamela's Package:

__________________________________________________ _________

 

This is the beach packages that we offer:

 

Beach Club Access between 9am & 6pm including Beach chairs & Umbrellas the use of facilities including Bathrooms & Showers and Luggage storage for the day is available. 6 Tropical Drinks with domestic Brands and local Beer- (Wine not included). Delicious Meal Options (to be consumed at Pamela’s Restaurant, menu is attach) Kids toys are available. 1/3 of the total is necessary as a deposit. Free Wi-Fi.

 

Please note: Transport is not included but taxi's are readily available at the cruise ship port and we can get you one to go back. Only one free child, 3 years and under, per adult. Use of Pool is for Numero 1 Guest House reserved guest only.

 

*Adults: 18 YRS and up (up to 6 beverage) $40

 

*Teenagers: 12-17 YRS (up to non- alcoholic Beverage) $22

 

*Children: 4-11 YRS (up to 3 non-alcoholic beverages) $12

 

If you have any other question or if you are ready to reserve please let us know.

 

Always at your service,

Andrea

 

787-726-5010 ext. #2

_________________________________________________

 

Note: Andrea is now on maternity leave.

 

Here is their website:

http://www.numero1guesthouse.com/tropical-cuisine

 

Don

 

So if I read this right for $40 pp you get up to six drinks, the beach and is lunch included? How is the beach and the water?

[pathubia]

There was a problem with this group about 10 years ago....I think it was when the Dawn was sailing out of NYC. That's too bad.

[pathubia]

There was a problem with this group about 10 years ago....I think it was when the Dawn was sailing out of NYC. That's too bad.

 

Here is a link to that cruise:

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=488174&highlight=yeshiva+dawn

[boopsahoy]

There was a problem with this group about 10 years ago....I think it was when the Dawn was sailing out of NYC. That's too bad.

 

I can't for the life of me remember what year, but it was less than 10 yrs ago-that we also had this group and the same problems. I wonder if NCL gets more for their cabins as they had special food (kosher) in the buffet (taking up a whole station so less choices for everyone else) and they had the one dining room to themselves as well. Its the only reason for them NOT t ban them. The rudeness was unbelievable from every age in the group.

 

Our CC group that year had 2 families JUST as religious as the ones in the "group" and they were APPALLED by their actions. Hopefully people don't think they are the "Face" of NY!

[pathubia]

I can't for the life of me remember what year, but it was less than 10 yrs ago-that we also had this group and the same problems. I wonder if NCL gets more for their cabins as they had special food (kosher) in the buffet (taking up a whole station so less choices for everyone else) and they had the one dining room to themselves as well. Its the only reason for them NOT t ban them. The rudeness was unbelievable from every age in the group.

 

Our CC group that year had 2 families JUST as religious as the ones in the "group" and they were APPALLED by their actions. Hopefully people don't think they are the "Face" of NY!

 

This was posted 9 years ago today!!

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=488174&highlight=yeshiva+dawn

[Laszlo]

Great review!

 

Thanks for taking the time. Since you had so many kids on your cruise I'm wondering what would be a good date to sail the 10 day in the winter of 2017?

[dreadnot]

Thanks for the review. We prefer the mid to small ships like the GEM, or Celebrity Constellation. My kids have cruised the Dawn, Gem and Jewel and liked them all. Was thinking about the 8 day Gem in late May or early June , which hopefully will avoid some of the problems you encountered. There will always be classless individuals who ruin a class act