Knife fighting at the Splash Academy - Norwegian Gem 10 Day Review (2/1/16 - 2/11/16)

[Jezo]

Super short version for people who don’t have the time to read:

Everything was great.

 

Some background music for reading this review (NCL cruisers know what I'm talking about!)

 

[YOUTUBE]mKRZtpe__YA[/YOUTUBE]

 

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So I will say that if you follow my posts, which none of you actually do, I am a big fat liar. All the way up until the Friday before my Monday cruise I had been saying how all you need is an inside cabin, there is no reason to get anything other than an inside cabin, and why bother with anything because your room is just for sleeping and some other things, all the rest of your time will be spent out and about.

 

Hah.

 

Then I made it through to the upsell department a few hours before they closed and moved to a balcony for an extra $300 total for the three of us.

More on that soon.

 

Let’s get the details out of the way first. It was a 10 day cruise, I can’t summarize it all in a paragraph for the lazy but I’ll do my best here.

 

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The cruise: February 1st 10 day cruise from NYC

Room: Balcony, starboard, 9124.

Us: Wife, myself, and 4 ½ year old son.

Ports:

 

Puerto Rico - Meandered around for a few hours, had breakfast at Cafeteria Mallorca, bought my son a hat at Ole, bought Puerto Rican souvenir candies at CVS for $1 each, wife enjoyed shopping at Hecho a Mano, and went to El Morro Fort

 

St. Thomas – Secret Harbor (meh) and then a mountain of rum in town (seriously, stay away from Bones Rum right on the ocean front road in town. This place will poison you. It’s horrible. And by that I mean it’s amazing with one of the nicest people working there, delicious frozen drinks, and unlimited rum to drink. UNLIMITED. Really. Buy one frozen drink and you fill it up with as much rum as you want, and can keep filling it up until either you fall on the floor or manage to stop yourself) followed by shopping and me for some unknown reason buying a 50 something dollar bottle of cologne from a very dapper gentleman who I had pick out my sent (Wow I really drank too much rum). Wife enjoyed shopping at the MAC store.

 

St. Martin – Le Galleon beach (very nice family place) and liquor shopping in town. Brought some Sheridan’s, Hennessy Pure White, and Grand Marnier Cherry, all of which you can’t buy in the USA.

 

Tortola – Virgin Gorda baths ship excursion with a picnic on a rock. Total travel time was 60 to 80 minutes by ferry. And then 20 minutes by open air bus. They do get you back in time for an hour of port shopping in the new stores.

 

Dancing – Go learn how to do the wobble before you get on board.

 

[YOUTUBE]8vTIY0xHBUg[/YOUTUBE]

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*Pro tip - Go out and buy yourself a bunch of styrofoam containers from the dollar store, forget the $7.95 room service charge, and make your own deliveries.

 

These things: http://www.amazon.com/Dart-Three-Compartment-Foam-Container/dp/B00LQ97I0Y

 

Boy oh boy was that a great idea by the wife.

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Back to the story. It was the Friday before our Monday cruise, I was heading home and figured I would call the upsell department one last time, which I had been trying all week on a daily basis and was getting a nope, no upgrades, each time. This call I am put on hold for 10 minutes and get back an offer for $300 for a balcony or $400 for a mini suite. Never having more than an obstructed ocean view cabin during my time on ships I jumped at the balcony. I didn’t know what I was actually going to do with such a massive room so moving to the mini suite seemed overkill, the balcony was already this palatial mansion compared to what we were used to and the price sounded pretty decent. Jumped on that and came home and printed out new luggage tags without the wife noticing. It would be my surprise present when we opened the door.

 

The weekend comes and goes, I think I packed just about everything I owned in my suitcase. Monday arrives and we head out to the pier arriving sometime around 11. Check in was check in at NYC. You stand in line for a bit, stand in another line for a bit, then go sit for a bit longer. Someone, @windycpa, recognized me from my posts and my hat. Yay Cruise Critic people!

 

 

The ship itself after the refurb looks newer, cleaner, and modernized. The updated Bliss lounge was the most striking, a massive improvement over what was there before, the removal of the beds and bowling is no loss at all. The new digital photo gallery is much more user friendly and the new carpet and chairs all over the ship look fresh. You won’t really notice it if you haven’t been on board before and even then it’s done so well that it won’t jump out at you. If you go to the bridge viewing room and watch the video on the wall of the original ship unveiling you’ll see how everything looked before and be able to really notice how updated it all feels. The new slide was working too. You’ll still get stuck if you don’t know what you’re doing but ride it right and you’ll rocket down through a tunnel and have a blast.

 

We get on board. NYC in February, so as usual it’s 60 F outside and we have a nice leisure barbecue lunch on the pool deck.

 

February. NYC. 60 F.

 

You know that’s not a joke, right? Some absurd weather in these parts lately. Record setting snow storm the weekend before and here a week later it’s 60 degrees. Okay so upper 50s but close enough. It’s currently 18 degrees with some kind of artic chill warning as I write this so having that sort of weather was absurd. We’ve left in the winter or late fall from the NYC area on all of our cruises and have never had anything less than cold weather on embarkation day so this was an amazing treat.

 

The ship leaves, the cruise gets underway, perfect ocean all the way to PR, we putter around the islands we are stopping at, have cocktails on beaches and do everything everyone does at all those places. Ask if you want details but I’ll skip those for now as there are dozens and dozens of posts on every possible topic at every port.

 

On our cruise the balcony completely changed the way we treated the room. Previously it was just a place for sleep, now it became a little getaway. In the mornings I’d go get eggs and waffles and cereal for our son. We’d sit outside with a nice breakfast watching the ocean. In the afternoons instead of napping out by the pool we would be in the room with one or both or reading on the balcony or resting in bed watching the ocean. At night I would bring back a nice olive and cheese plate and we’d sit out watching the sunset. Who knew? We sure didn’t. My wife is a balcony convert now. The room went from a place that was a just a time waster to a part of the whole cruise experience.

 

Food on this cruise was top notch, better than our other NCL cruises. We didn’t even bother with anything but the buffet for the most part. We went to Magenta once, Grand Pacific embarkation pool side bbq just because it’s our tradition, and Orchid Garden once. They were okay but we just kept going back to the buffet. The Indian themed night nailed it for me, I stuffed myself to the point of breaking, it was as good as the Indian places here in NJ that I go to. I grabbed a plate full of naan, another plate of varying liquidy spicy meat something or another that I never actually know what they are no matter where I go, and went to town. Delicious. Desserts were 100% better than a year ago and the guy at the crepe station happily made me my brown sugar and butter secret menu specialty. Ask for one. You don’t need all that filling and goop on your crepe, just get brown sugar and butter and you won’t go back. O’Sheehans delivered as always with junky pub food that was perfect for a late night fix, and the bbqs were out on the pool deck when the ship wasn’t going through a hurricane.

 

Let’s see, what else?

 

Spash Academy (the kids club), my son loved it. Last year he went once, got scared by a clown, and never wanted to go back. This year every moment he wasn’t at the club he asked us when he would get to go back. We were amazed. Now comes into play the topic from my post! One afternoon when we got him for dinner my wife noticed a scrape on his face under his eye. “What happened buddy?” “A little boy had a knife, and he cut me, right here.” “What??” “A little boy, he got a knife, from the kitchen, and he cut me.” Wow. We were amazed at that, my son’s first knife fight. Being the proud parent I was, seeing how my son had finally gotten a taste of the mean pirate infested ocean water, went and asked what actually happened. There’s a play kitchen in the kids club. My guy doesn’t always share so well. We were told at one point him and another boy both wanted the same plastic play utensil at the kitchen, were grabbing at the same one, and when one let go it came back at my son. They thought the scrape was from a big balloon party they had where everyone was running around hitting balloons. It was no big deal, not actually my son getting shanked in kid prison, and he marched happily back in after dinner with no prompting of our own, but it did give me one heck of a topic to make this post and get people reading. We weren’t even planning on dropping him off but he loved it and all the people working there were awesome. Big credit to the woman from Peru working the desk. She refused to budge when people tried to get their kids without their keycards and wouldn’t waver in the face of anyone. Makes me feel even better about that place. The pirate parade through the buffet was a lot of fun for everyone and we hear the kids show in the theater was a blast but after four days of ports we all collapsed in our room for a huge 4 hour nap.

 

The spa, we bought the pass just for my wife. We didn’t know if our son would go to the kids club so I told her I would hang out with him at the pool or something and she could use it. Turned out that wasn’t needed. She enjoyed her time there and went for about an hour a day. She went for one facial treatment at the end of the cruise and enjoyed it but said at the end it turned a bit into a sales push for some $100 face cream something something I don’t understand. Here’s a video of the place from the women’s side into the common area. She would do it again.

 

[YOUTUBE]UVzQno4ysNY[/YOUTUBE]

 

The staff on the ship were top notch. Everyone’s our buddy! You’ll find a couple top notch bartenders, the tiny woman from the coffee area in the atrium, Gregory who is currently working Topsiders during the day and Maltings (the first bar near Magenta’s, I think that’s the name of if) at night, Romeo at Topsiders (although Caesar does have better socks), and the crazy little guy at O’Sheehans that I never did get his name but he was a ball of fun and my son loved him. Beer for daddy, carton of milk for son!

 

This is getting long, as my reviews tend to do, so I suppose I’ll wrap it up.

 

Coming home from Tortola was had to adjust course. Going the normal straight line would have been “impossible” as quoted by our navigation officer. We moved closer to land and came up towards the coast. We did hit 30 foot seas and wind gusts of 70 knots overnight. The ship was rolling all over the place Tuesday into Wednesday but we all survived. The outside areas were all locked down.

 

 

The White Hot party the night leading into the storm had everyone rocking and rolling on the dance floor with some pretty big waves.

 

So that was that. We got into NYC late, didn’t dock until 9pm and got off the ship around 11:30. It was nice to see the sunrise though, normally the ship is at the pier before we even wake up.

 

 

Farewell for now Gem, see you again sometime, maybe in December.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Jezo

[kjquilts]

Fun review, thank you. Loved the background music :D

[Hogwarts fan]

Enjoyed reading that, thank you for posting ! We are on Gem next week, interconnecting balcony rooms, can't wait :D

[HTML5]

The XYL and I will be on the 4/1/16 (April Cruise Day!) sojourn. It'll be our first time on NCL, so I appreciate your lively and informative review!

[ncklhaus]

The XYL and I will be on the 4/1/16 (April Cruise Day!) sojourn. It'll be our first time on NCL, so I appreciate your lively and informative review!

 

What is XYL?

[ncklhaus]

Thank you for your review. I really enjoyed reading it.

[Jezo]

What is XYL?

 

Google says it's a Ham radio term for young lady, or wife.

 

So I guess that would fit into what he he saying.

[Rose62]

Thanks for that review. We learned alot being newbies to cruising. Can you please tell us what the drink prices were for a bucket of beer and wine? Also, did you get an upgrade to the "free packages" with your balconey upgrade?

[sloperate]

Nice review, Jezo................generally, I would concur. Glad to hear you enjoyed your upgrade, though not sure I would pay the price without the cost benefit you received. NCL has been nice in giving us a handicap room when asked, even though we don't need it, so I look forward to all the additional space rather then the deck. Not sure why they do that, but I'll take whatever I can get.

Missed you at the meet and greet, and also failed to ever take note of your hat on deck.

I agree about your overall review of the food, but we did visit several of the specialty rests.

[Jezo]

Thanks for that review. We learned alot being newbies to cruising. Can you please tell us what the drink prices were for a bucket of beer and wine? Also, did you get an upgrade to the "free packages" with your balconey upgrade?

 

Bucket of beer is $35 I think? Fosters will be your best value if you go that route. Pro tip #2: O'Sheehans sells pitchers of beer for about $16. Apparently only one guy on the whole cruise knew this and I became the second when I saw him do it as no one ever had a pitcher and just ordered by the glass, even people paying. Pitchers were about 3 tall sized glasses of beer for around the price of 1.

 

Wine I am not sure of as I never ordered any but the cheapest bottle is (I think) $36

 

For the upgrade, no, because it was done 2 days before the cruise we got the upgrade at the really cheap price but kept the promos we had, nothing changed and they made sure to mention that during the upgrade process.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Jezo

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report.

[Rose62]

Thanks for that. Looking forward to a cold one......or two.

[Keith1010]

Fun review.

Keith

[coka]

Nice review, Jezo................NCL has been nice in giving us a handicap room when asked, even though we don't need it, so I look forward to all the additional space rather then the deck. Not sure why they do that, but I'll take whatever I can get..........

 

They do that because they are not supposed to ask if you have a handicap...which sort of sucks for my handicapped sister when she tries to book a handicapped cabin and they are all taken.

 

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Back to the program....Yes, an awesome and fun review to read! Thank you Jezo for taking time to write it and post videos. I am going to learn the wobble too! Have fun on future sailings,

 

coka:D

Edited February 16, 2016 by coka

[sloperate]

They do that because they are not supposed to ask if you have a handicap...which sort of sucks for my handicapped sister when she tries to book a handicapped cabin and they are all taken.

 

***********************************************************

 

Back to the program....Yes, an awesome and fun review to read! Thank you Jezo for taking time to write it and post videos. I am going to learn the wobble too! Have fun on future sailings,

 

coka:D

 

Probably true, but I have always stated that I am not handicapped. Initially, the response from NCL was that I would have to give it up if needed for a handicapped person.

[coka]

Probably true, but I have always stated that I am not handicapped. Initially, the response from NCL was that I would have to give it up if needed for a handicapped person.

 

Hi Sloperate,

I am not sure if that really happens...I have read that on cruise critic yet whenever she has tried to book and none are available, she asks if anyone has booked who are not handicapped...and they answer they do not know because they are not supposed to ask.

 

So, who knows.

 

I do not want to hijack the thread or Jezo;s review, so I wont post anymore about it.

 

coka

[mizLORInj]

Thanks for your review.

 

And the Wobble! Good to refresh on that one before it's my turn on GEM!

 

I do agree that NCL does a fabulous job with the Indian food--which I love!

[sloperate]

Hi Sloperate,

I am not sure if that really happens...I have read that on cruise critic yet whenever she has tried to book and none are available, she asks if anyone has booked who are not handicapped...and they answer they do not know because they are not supposed to ask.

 

So, who knows.

 

I do not want to hijack the thread or Jezo;s review, so I wont post anymore about it.

 

coka

 

One last response, and I'll do the same. It was a Gem late January cruise in 2014 and we had given up the handicapped room reserved to take advantage of a balcony price drop. Later, we discovered the room was sailing empty because we were interested in seeing what we might have missed. Loved the balcony, but would have been happier in the other with the additional space.

[jethrojam]

Excellent review thanks!

[LrgPizza]

Entertaining review!

[lunaxmars]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Thanks! :D

[KarimaJ]

Wow Indian food! I hope we get that on the Getaway. After the last weeklong cruise my poor husband was jonesing for it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[cazlap1129]

Fun review- thanks! We are sailing in early May with our two young ones and I was hoping to hear that some kids want nothing more then to stay at Kid Camp. :-)

Thanks,