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

[mollybloomers]

You sound like the best person to travel with. So positive:)

 

I'm on the GEM in November and this review is getting me so excited!

[Freespir8]

Thanks for the review! I love your honesty as well as your great attitude about the entire trip! Great job!

[djpk2003]

I thought I would include the rest of the ship-related information in Part IV and then Part V can be the ports/islands.

 

So, I've covered the room, pools, hot tubs, and some of the miscellaneous information. A little more about the food and drinks...

 

MDR's: We ate in both Grand Pacific and Magenta for dinner during our cruise and enjoyed both, for different reasons. We absolutely loved the views in Grand Pacific - if you are able to get a window table, it is stunningly beautiful. We happened to dine right at sunset one evening in Grand Pacific, and it was lovely. Magenta was also a nice atmosphere, more cozy whereas Grand Pacific is more open and grand. The food in each was good, as was the service. Although we enjoyed eating in both MDR's, we did note that the menus were small and limited. We were also sort of expecting that the two would have different menus, but they are pretty much identical, just as an FYI. For some reason, the chocolate lava cake in Magenta was much better than in Grand Pacific, but could've just been an off-night. We did not need reservations when dining as a party of 4, but we made a reservation when dining as a party of 10 for obvious reasons. Very nice dining experience overall.

 

Buffet: We enjoyed the buffet, even though it does tend to get crowded at times. I have come to expect that at most buffets, so I don't see that as being all that unusual. There are lots of tables spread between two rooms, but there were certainly times that they were all being used especially at breakfast. I heard that they open La Cucina for additional seating at breakfast, but we did not try that so don't quote me on it. We frequently took our plates and sat outside near the pool area, just because it was less crowded and nice to feel the breeze and watch the water. The seating inside is very nice, with large window views of the ocean. In terms of food quality, we found the buffet to be pretty good as far as buffets go - decent selection and variety with a few that were in rotation. That is actually a plus for those of us with picky eaters in our family - my son was happy to be able to get burgers or pizza most days in the buffet when he didn't like the other choices. We highly recommend the following from buffet: breakfast - croissants, made to order omelettes, fresh fruit, yogurt (we also made it a habit to grab one to put in the fridge for a snack later); lunches - panini sandwiches, salad bar, burgers; dinners - they have 'themed' nights, and our favorite was Tex Mex night with a very yummy Mexican chicken lasagna; desserts - SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM (we love our ice cream!), and made to order crepes. The one down side of note in the buffet for me was the location of the drink machines. There is one water/juice/tea machine in the middle of two coffee machines - just doesn't flow very nicely and I often had to wait a few minutes to get a cup of water (but really, not that big of a deal).

 

Other buffet style options: The Great Outdoors, located deck 12 aft, was one of the highlights for us. They have the buffet set up for meals usually (just check your dailies to make sure), and do late night snacks in the evening. It's such a nice space to sit and have some food and watch the water from. I actually sat out there just having a cocktail and reading a book for an hour one afternoon, very comfortable and good friendly service too. Another option is out by the pool deck. They have continental breakfast offerings in the morning, and then grill offerings like hot dogs, burgers, and grilled chicken in the afternoons for lunch. It is nice to be able to just grab something there when you have pool rats like ours and want to skip the whole changing in and out of swimsuits thing :) They also set up large grills and have cookouts by the pool in the afternoon on sea days when it is nice out. Some of the best food I had was out there, particularly the seafood rice dish - yum! Makes for a very fun and festive atmosphere. They also set up ice water by the pool deck most warm sea days.

 

Now, in terms of drinks: We had the UBP and took advantage of that to try a wide array of drinks we may not have otherwise given the chance. We loved the pool bar during the afternoons - especially frozen or fruity drinks like Tequila Sunrise, Bahama Mama, Toasted Almond, Miami Vice, Margaritas, and Bushwackers. Service was always great, even when busy. Very friendly staff and fun atmosphere. We also took the opportunity to have a mimosa with a late breakfast one morning and some baileys in our coffee on another morning. Shhhh, don't tell my mother! LOL. In the evenings, we liked the area down by Maltings - cozy seating to just hang out and talk about our days. Service and quality were great at Magnums and Shakers too - they are all in the same area of the ship. We also liked to visit Bliss and Spinnaker at night, but the service was obviously a bit slower because there were more people and more going on at those venues. Sitting outside at The Great Outdoors while having a drink was a fantastic way to close the days. In terms of specific drinks, my husband and BIL both had long island iced teas many days and raved about them. I can tell you first hand that the Espresso Martini made in Shakers is to die for. Absolutely delicious and beautifully made.

 

Entertainment - we were not sure what to expect as far as entertainment on the ship, with it being our first cruise. I sort of expected it to be cheesy and not that great, honestly. We were definitely impressed overall. We loved hearing Leo play, he is very talented. We especially enjoyed his Beatles tribute, since I'm a big Beatles fan. We also really liked the 'party band' Souled Out and the Caribbean band (blanking on their name, sorry) that often played by the pool. As far as shows, we enjoyed all of the ones we went to. The comedian, Tim, was absolutely hysterical. We saw his regular comedy show, the family friendly show, and the adult only show and all were really good. I think his contract was ending because he referenced going home soon, but if he is still on when any of you travel definitely worth seeing if you like to laugh. We thought the acrobat show, Duo Balskatt, was phenomenal. They are so talented and graceful, and it's amazing what they are able to do while on a ship! Even the final night when the seas were rocky from passing through a storm! The magic show, Magika (not sure of spelling), was also very good and our kids loved it. I can tell you they were a bit 'showy' and cheesy for my personal taste, but it didn't take away from the tricks and illusions which were extremely impressive. My son enjoyed the show enough that he went back to see the late show that night (so, he saw the same show twice!). Second City was good too, but not great. Certain skits were really funny and others not so much. Still worth seeing if you like comedy. We did not see the variety shows excepting the farewell show, so I can't comment on those. The farewell show was a nice tribute to the trip and the acts were all good even though, as I mentioned, we happened to sail through a storm that evening. All in all, very good entertainment!!

 

More shortly...:D

[Sizzlechest]

I heard that they open La Cucina for additional seating at breakfast, but we did not try that so don't quote me on it.

 

They did on my Gem cruise last July and it was nice an empty.

[djpk2003]

Somehow forgot all about including Cagney's! That was the only out of pocket restaurant we dined in and it was a wonderful meal. We got surf and turf and it was very good quality. I also really liked the truffle fries. The service was good, and the manager came over to introduce himself which was a nice touch. The steak was cooked perfectly, which is difficult! I always order medium and usually it is either too rare or too well done, this was absolutely perfect and melted in your mouth.

[crbinromeme]

I am really enjoying your review. Did you ever finish it? I'm anxious to read about your port visits. Thanks:D

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your review.

[ebeanee8]

This review is excellent! I want to hear about your port experiences!