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A first timer's cruise review for 10 days of happy happy on the Norwegian Gem

djpk2003

By djpk2003,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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djpk2003

djpk2003

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My first cruise review! Bear with me...

 

After many years of back and forth trying to decide if cruising was a good vacation choice for our family, my husband and I were persuaded to give it a try and booked a 9 night/10 day cruise out of Manhattan on the Norwegian Gem. The trip was not only our family of four (me, DH, DS age 9, and DD age 8), but also my husband's brother, wife, and 4 of our nephews. This made for a large party of 10, which we split in 3 side-by-side family ocean view rooms. Since we live in Lancaster County, PA we opted to cruise from Manhattan to eliminate the cost of airfare for such a large party. After evaluating the various cruise lines, we went with Norwegian because we felt the freestyle type of cruising and laid-back atmosphere. We were excited about the itinerary since we had the opportunity to stop in 4 different ports: Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Martin, and Tortola. We were very lucky to decide far in advance and booked with over a year to pay off the cruise and got a great deal that included the Ultimate Beverage Package, 3rd & 4th passengers sail free, pre-paid daily gratuities and fees, and a bit of on-board credit. We were stoked and eagerly counted down the days! I spent lots of time here on CC, researching and planning away. These forums were invaluable and I thank all of you for participating and giving such fantastic insight!!

 

When the day finally arrived to head north to New York to leave on our adventure, we could barely contain our excitement. My kids were actually giving me a hard time for being more excited than they were, rolling their eyes at me and calling ME the kid :rolleyes:. They are officially entering the age where I can sometimes embarrass them quite easily and without even trying, as I learned that morning! Let the fun begin! :D

 

After getting on the road around 7:00 a.m., we made very good time driving and hit less traffic than we anticipated on a Thursday morning. We did not experience much frustration until we hit the Lincoln Tunnel, at which point it was simply chaotic, crowded, and stressful until we finally made it to the terminal. We had previously booked service of a valet company by the name of "Luxe" and arranged for them to meet us at the intersection of 49th & 12th to take our car to be parked in the garage. Although we could have parked right at the terminal, we were able to save almost $250 by using this method. I think the rates at the Manhattan cruise terminal are outrageous, regardless of how convenient it might be; I just couldn't justify spending $400. After fighting traffic and getting to the meeting point, we were very happy that the transition was smooth and easy, and our valet was a professional. We crossed the street with our luggage and entered the terminal with butterflies of anticipation in our stomachs. We arrived by about 10:45 a.m., found our way to the restrooms, and then got in line.

 

The embarkation process was smoother than I expected, and the porters very helpful. We kept two small carry-ons and checked the rest; then completed the security and check-in procedures. All went smoothly and although we had a few lines to wait in we were just happy to finally be there! :D We were checked in and waiting in the terminal by about 11:15 a.m., and boarding started shortly thereafter.

 

We excitedly got on board and started to explore the ship. Our first stop was the atrium area, where we ooh'd and ahh'd over the beautiful decor, and ordered our first beverages to kick off our long awaited vacation! photos?website=snapfish_us&cobrand=snapfish&locale=en_US#state=%7B%22pgvw%22%3A%22siav%22%2C%22aid%22%3A122772498999070%7D

The kids initially ordered a lemon-lime soda and the bartender immediately suggested a Shirley Temple for something extra special. I thought that was a nice suggestion and the kids were thrilled to have a 'fancy' drink like Mom and Dad were having. From there we walked around a bit, taking it all in and people watching as the ship began to fill up. We made our way to the buffet area, where I fully anticipated an insane crowd of people. Although it was definitely busy, I was pleasantly surprised. We walked around and got some food and decided to walk out onto the pool deck. We found two adjacent tables that had a very nice view of the skyline and enjoyed our lunch. There were already some wait staff walking around, offering drinks and being very friendly. Our kids were excited to hop into the pool (although it was only about 70, it was a nice sunny day and for kids that water just was too enticing). We asked a crew member if they were able to jump in, and he stated to go right ahead. They went off to change into their swimsuits (happy to have packed them in the carry-on bag!), and off they went into the chilly water. They hopped in for a bit, then warmed up the hot tub, and back and forth for an hour or so. photos?website=snapfish_us&cobrand=snapfish&locale=en_US#state=%7B%22pgvw%22%3A%22siav%22%2C%22aid%22%3A122772498999070%7DThe pool and hot tubs were practically empty, so they very much enjoyed having the space to themselves! After a bit of time in the water, the announcement was made that the staterooms were ready, so we headed down to floor 5 to check our rooms out.

 

To be continued.....:)

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djpk2003

djpk2003

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Our bags had not yet arrived, but we settled in with what we had in our carry-on bags and explored the small but lovely room(s). We loved the size of the picture window and the fact that there was a ledge large enough that tiny kid butts can sit on to look out if they so desired. photo.php?fbid=10153433339177455&set=a.10153433364997455&type=3&theaterWe found the rooms to be about what we expected in terms of size and layout. After changing the kids back into their clothes, we grabbed the camera and set off to see more of the ship. Our bags were available when we checked back down at the room around 3:00, at which point I unpacked and got us settled in while the DH and kiddos continued to explore and learn the layout of the ship.

 

Sail away was a bit later than we expected, with us pulling out of port around 4:45 p.m. It was truly beautiful to sail from NYC and see all of the sights slowly going past us. I got some great pictures of the Freedom Tower and Lady Liberty.photo.php?fbid=10153433338742455&set=a.10153433364997455&type=3&theaterphoto.php?fbid=10153433338817455&set=a.10153433364997455&type=3&theaterIt was definitely a festive and fun atmosphere sailing away, with music being played by the pool and people chatting and having a good time.

 

Our first evening was mostly spent just checking everything out and enjoying the relaxation of knowing we were finally on the cruise! We had dinner at the buffet, eating at one of the nice tables looking out at the sea. We found the buffet to be of good quality overall, with good selection and very nice attendants. We got a kick out of NCL’s “washy washy happy happy!” each time we entered the buffet, and it is a truly smart way to encourage people to use good hygiene before eating and touching utensils! The seating in the buffet, was at times difficult when going at prime times. They did have two rooms full of tables and when weather allows you can always take your meal outside to sit by the pool. Another great buffet-style option is The Great Outdoors, which I will tell you more about later. Anyway, back to Day 1.

 

After dinner, the kids wanted to go to the kids club for a bit that first evening. We had gotten side tracked and missed the sign-up time that was posted in the afternoon, so figured we would have to sign up when they opened back up at 7. After eating dinner in the buffet, we headed to the kids club, planning to get them signed up and allow them to play for an hour or so to try it out. The line was immense at 6:50 for the 7:00 opening time of Splash Academy, stretching back to the buffet doors and completely crowding the hallway and elevator areas. (This is one thing that we noticed causes a traffic jam pretty much every time the kids club is opening or closing. I honestly don’t have a good suggestion to remedy it and I realize that space is a constraint, but this would be an area for NCL to improve on if they could come up with something creative). We patiently waited our turn, only to be told that we would not be able to sign the kids up just then because they needed to get all of the kids already signed up for the program checked in. We were told to come back at 8:00 to sign them up, as the line and crowd should be better by then. Although I found that somewhat bizarre, I understood and we decided to go walk around a bit more and pass the time. We went and looked at the gift shop and then spent a little time on the walking deck that goes around Deck 7. When we came back at 8, we were told that we could not sign up because there was not enough staff available to help with the paperwork! We were told to come back the next day at 3:00 p.m. I was extremely frustrated by that response and my kids were becoming upset at that point, thinking they were missing the opportunity to go and meet new friends that first night. I calmly expressed my frustration and tried to speak rationally with the gentleman, only to be told there was no other option than to come back the next afternoon. My kids were becoming down right teary eyed at this point. It had been a long day for everyone and things were just not going very smoothly for our first night. I sent my husband and the rest of the adults off without me to have a drink and people watch and took my kids to the arcade for some fun to get their mind off things. The other kids in our party were older and were kind of just hanging out and exploring, but I did not yet feel comfortable that P&K were ready for that since it was night 1 and we were still learning the lay of the land.

 

I was shocked at how expensive the games were, to be honest (not sure why, guess I really should have expected it, LOL). Most of them were $1.50 or $2, but some went up to $3 and $5! The games were the run of the mill arcade type games that you would find at Chuck-E-Cheese or Dave and Busters; things like crane games, guitar hero, racing games, and air hockey. I gave each of my kiddos a spending limit and when we reached it we left to grab some ice cream from the buffet. I’m telling you now, having soft serve ice cream at our finger tips was not good for the waistline of this ice cream loving family, but man did we love it!

 

After having some more time to think about the earlier events at Splash Academy, I decided to go down to the guest relations desk and ask if there was any way I could complete whatever forms or sign-up documents were necessary for Splash Academy down there so that the kids would be able to go the next morning, when they had a scheduled activity that the kids had wanted to participate in. I was hesitant – I did not want to get anyone in trouble or be that mom that was being pushy or ridiculous, thinking her kids are more important than the rules. But I also felt like it was kind of crummy that just because we didn’t get to sign up the first afternoon the kids had to miss almost 2 whole days of fun, not to mention the opportunity to make friends early in the trip. I got the kids set up with another Shirley temple in the atrium, watching the big screen show pictures and information about the ports we would be visiting (that ran in a loop during down times the first few days), and visited guest relations located right in the atrium. The gentleman I spoke with was very apologetic and said he would take care of it right away. He called up to Splash and spoke to the very same person who had told me to come back at 3, and said I’d be up in a few moments and that he needs to make the time to get my children signed up. With burning cheeks I went back up to get them signed up. I could tell that I had probably struck a nerve and I did genuinely feel bad (and extremely uncomfortable). But he was very polite and after about 10 minutes, the kids were signed up for kids club. At this point it was probably 9:30, but both P&K wanted to go in and have a bit of kids only fun, so off they went. My husband, BIL, and SIL just so happened to be walking down the hall headed for Bliss Nightclub, so I was able to meet up with them and go enjoy myself for a while. The DJ was playing music in Bliss and we had a good time letting loose for a bit. At 10:15, I went back to get the kids and we got ready for bed.

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Fpacifico

Fpacifico

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Looks like none of my photos are working :( If anyone can coach me on that I would appreciate it!

 

You shouldn't have felt bad because of going to the guest relations. Better than causing a scene and you got what you wanted for the kids, kudos mom.

Now as yo your ongoing review, terrific, best I've read so far. Could you just tell me what foods I definitely should try. Thanks. Enjoy

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jofo120

jofo120

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Thanks again for your wonderful review. :) I'll give my daughter the heads up on the splash academy for my grandson & don't feel bad about going to the desk, the kids want to go to Splash academy it's THEIR vacation. A question does the arcade take quarters, bills? I hope the crane games aren't $3-$5, those are my daughter's favorite. :eek:

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djpk2003

djpk2003

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You shouldn't have felt bad because of going to the guest relations. Better than causing a scene and you got what you wanted for the kids, kudos mom.

Now as yo your ongoing review, terrific, best I've read so far. Could you just tell me what foods I definitely should try. Thanks. Enjoy

 

Thank you, I appreciate that! I was impressed that they handled it well when I pushed the issue, even the gentleman in Splash was polite and professional although I'm sure he was thinking I was a P.I.T.A. :p

 

As for foods - my input:

*ICE CREAM!

*The fresh fruit was always great at the buffet

*Made while you wait omelets for breakfast

*buttery and delicious croissants every morning in the buffet

*chocolate lava cake in Magenta

*wings at O'Sheehans

*anything they cook out by the pool at lunch (they set up grills every sea day)

*Steak and truffle fries at Cagneys

*cheese plate at Grand Pacific

*made while you wait crepes in the buffet

 

We thought most of the food was really good. The only disappointment for me was desserts overall in the buffet, but the ice cream made up for that! :D We only ate at the two MDRs, Great Outdoors, Cagney's, O'Sheehans. Did not get the chance to try any of the others this time around.

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djpk2003

djpk2003

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Thanks again for your wonderful review. :) I'll give my daughter the heads up on the splash academy for my grandson & don't feel bad about going to the desk, the kids want to go to Splash academy it's THEIR vacation. A question does the arcade take quarters, bills? I hope the crane games aren't $3-$5, those are my daughter's favorite. :eek:

 

The arcade uses your room card and charges to your account. We asked that the kids charging privileges were turned off on day 1, that way they couldn't go to the arcade and rack up a big bill without our knowledge :eek: We just went with them and swiped for them when they went, which was only three times. It can definitely get expensive very quickly!! The crane games I think were all $2, if my memory serves me correctly. Those are P's (my son) favorite too, although he didn't win anything!

 

BTW, we found Splash to be wonderful overall and the kids really liked it. I don't mean to paint a bad picture, it was just a challenge the first day is all. Encourage your daughter to make the time to go get them signed up right away and it should be smooth sailing thereafter!

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jofo120

jofo120

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The arcade uses your room card and charges to your account. We asked that the kids charging privileges were turned off on day 1, that way they couldn't go to the arcade and rack up a big bill without our knowledge :eek: We just went with them and swiped for them when they went, which was only three times. It can definitely get expensive very quickly!! The crane games I think were all $2, if my memory serves me correctly. Those are P's (my son) favorite too, although he didn't win anything!

 

BTW, we found Splash to be wonderful overall and the kids really liked it. I don't mean to paint a bad picture, it was just a challenge the first day is all. Encourage your daughter to make the time to go get them signed up right away and it should be smooth sailing thereafter!

 

Thank you very much!:D

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djpk2003

djpk2003

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The next two days of our trip were sea days, and we were able to enjoy them very much. The weather was still a bit chilled (for me) the first day but by the second sea day (day 3 of the cruise), the weather had warmed considerably. We spent a lot of time out at the pool, letting the kids have a grand old time. As many of you probably already know, the chairs out by the pool fill up very very quickly, and we did see our share of “chair hogs” who put their towels out to reserve spots that they sat in very little. While that could be frustrating for some, we just sat at a table instead of a lounge chair and watched for openings when that happened. I am a firm believer that life is what you make of it – so if you want something to get ticked off about, you’re sure to find it. I had no problem taking two chairs at a table, turning to face the water, and making myself comfortable that way instead :D We spent hours at a time just relaxing and reading while taking turns watching the kids. You do want to be sure to pay attention to your children in the pool, even if they can swim. At times the water was really splashing around with the motion of the ship depending on the seas. The pool wasn't all that crowded, but if it does I can see how you could easily get bumped into or something with the water motion. We had read on CC about the recent drowning on the Gem a few months back and went into it with the knowledge that we really had to be good about watching them, even though both are strong swimmers. They do not have a lifeguard on duty, although the person manning the slide did have a whistle and I heard him blow it a few times when someone was doing something dangerous at the pool like trying to dive in or running. The water was fairly warm, and is salt water obviously. We did not go into the adult only pool at all, but I imagine all is about the same. The two pools are about the same size. There was frequently music out by the pool off and on throughout the days, either DJ or band. They also did some fun contest and dance things out there certain afternoons. In particular the men's sexy legs competition was hysterical. That being said, if you are the type of parent who gets offended by innuendo or does not want their child to see/hear any innuendo, you may wish to avoid the area with your kids during those activities. My kids paid no attention to any of it, they were in 'slide mode' at that point and my DH and I just sat there and watched and laughed our butts off.

 

We found the staff at the pool bar, particularly Romeo, to be so much fun. They were full of humor and personality, and made great drinks to boot. We occasionally had to wait a few minutes for a drink when the pool area was crowded in the afternoon, but overall we had speedy service. I will share that with the UBP you can order 2 drinks at a time, and then must wait at least 5 minutes between drinks. The reason we learned this is because we tried to send one adult up to grab refills for all 4 adults in our party and were told the “rules” above. Understandable for sure, so we just took turns going up in pairs to get them. They also have wait staff roaming around the pool deck especially when it is busy out there. We made it a point to bring the UBP drink bucket list that is circulating here on CC and crossing off ones we wanted to try as we tried them. For pool days we especially loved the following drinks: Margaritas, Miami Vice, Blue Hawaiians, Bushwackers, Frozen Toasted Almonds, Frozen Mudslides, and Mojitos (no, we aren't a bunch of drunks, I promise! ;) We just love trying different drinks and what better time than on vacation with nowhere to drive and an UBP!) We found the bar staff, not just at the pool but everywhere, to be friendly and make very good drinks. If you take the print out list from CC, they will gladly make you any that they can if you have the list of ingredients. We had a blast checking them off the list and trying each other's drinks.

 

The hot tubs were pretty much always full between the hours of 10-4, but if we were up and moving early we often had them all to ourselves between 8-9. There are two family hot tubs that kids are allowed in and two adult only hot tubs over by the adult only pool. Strangely enough, the two adult hot tubs were luke warm rather than hot most days. Not sure if that was intentional for some reason or not. It was actually nice for later in the trip once this fair-skinned ginger was nursing some sunburn :eek:

 

The slide was a lot of fun, and the adults enjoyed taking a few turns on it too. One side was noticeably slower than the other, so we had playful arguments about that in terms of its impact on our races down the slide.

 

Another thing we did during our two sea days was the rock wall. All of the kids in our party took the challenge, and I was the lonely adult who decided to. It was an absolute blast, and quite a remarkable view from the top. We waited about ½ hour in line, so make sure you have your sunblock on! They provide special climbing shoes and helmets in addition to the harnesses. I can tell you that people who are larger may not be able to participate. I wear a women’s size 16, and I was fitted into the largest of the harnesses. Just wanted to give that warning in advance so no one is caught off-guard. The crew members at the rock wall were so friendly and fun, in particular one gentleman that I really wish I had written down a name for. He was hilarious and liked to tease you when you finally reached the top and rung the bell – he left me hanging for a full 2-3 minutes at the top while talking to my family, then shouted up “Oh, are you still up there?!” before releasing me to start the journey back down. It was a hoot. He also gave me a slight ‘boost’ when I was struggling to keep climbing by tightening the harness further. I will definitely do this again on future cruises, and it actually motivated me to get myself back into better shape.

 

We enjoyed the outdoor giant chess and checker boards too, having a friendly game or two in our down time. There are also some awesome lounge chairs near there that seemed to be empty most of the time, so we spent some time hanging out just watching the sea.

 

P&K went to Splash off and on, depending on the schedule and what they felt like doing. They made some friends that they then enjoyed paling around with at the pool throughout the trip which was awesome. They also had 4 of their cousins on the trip, so they had plenty of fun with them too! Splash Academy had very nice and fun staff, from what we experienced. They always had something going on, the schedule of which was posted in the hallway near the facility. We made it a point of checking that schedule the day in advance and then the kids could decide what they wanted to do. They especially enjoyed some of the scavenger hunt activities and sports/games.

 

During this first few days, DH and I also visited the casino once. It was my first time gambling, and I think that it’s just not for us. I was bored, and we lost the $20 we put in the slot machines pretty darn quickly. Some people rave about it and say they did well, including a few fellow guests that we met on this cruise. One word to the wise from this very obvious casino newbie – the only machines that use the tokens are the games near the casino entrance that push the tokens, not sure what they are called – Coin Pushers? Anyway, when we first walked in there was a token machine right near the entrance and we put in our $20 and got tokens. We then walked around like a bunch of dorks and realized quickly that DUH, the other games like slot machines and stuff use cash. Woops. I felt pretty silly about that one. They also had poker and roulette, etc. but we did not do any of those.

 

Bingo was fun, but we did not win there either. Be warned that the bingo is on the pricey side, we spent $69 to buy two sets of cards (I think 15 cards total), 5 of the instant games that you pull the tab to reveal if you win or not, and a t-shirt. The people calling bingo were great, lots of fun.

 

The other thing we did was participated in the little dance classes they held down at Bliss Lounge. K (daughter) and I learned to cha-cha and salsa. Henry is the assistant cruise director I believe, and he led both classes. They were a whole lot of fun, and people of all skill levels. Each class was about ½ hour long and he went through the steps slowly for those of us that have no clue, LOL.

 

More later…

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Fpacifico

Fpacifico

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Thank you, I appreciate that! I was impressed that they handled it well when I pushed the issue, even the gentleman in Splash was polite and professional although I'm sure he was thinking I was a P.I.T.A. :p

 

As for foods - my input:

*ICE CREAM!

*The fresh fruit was always great at the buffet

*Made while you wait omelets for breakfast

*buttery and delicious croissants every morning in the buffet

*chocolate lava cake in Magenta

*wings at O'Sheehans

*anything they cook out by the pool at lunch (they set up grills every sea day)

*Steak and truffle fries at Cagneys

*cheese plate at Grand Pacific

*made while you wait crepes in the buffet

 

We thought most of the food was really good. The only disappointment for me was desserts overall in the buffet, but the ice cream made up for that! :D We only ate at the two MDRs, Great Outdoors, Cagney's, O'Sheehans. Did not get the chance to try any of the others this time around.

Thanks for info

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MICHLEV1974

MICHLEV1974

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We were on the sailing with you too april 21-30 :) we brought the beach ball and had some fun playing volley in the adult pool for a few hours on a sea day! so much fun! i love the gem! cannot wait to go back on the ship!

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