GEM of a Cruise

[jm485]

Just returned from our first NCL cruise, a 7 night trip on the GEM from New York to Canada and New England. Still in the midst of unpacking and preparing to go back to work next week, but thought I'd get out most of my main thoughts on the trip.

 

Overall -- had a good time and I am looking forward to planning another trip on NCL. I'd tentatively scheduled a trip to Bermuda on the Dawn with my husband for our anniversary next fall. However, that plan has changed and I'm now trying to decide between a 10 night Canada/NE trip on the Jade (R/T from New York) or a 7 night one-way trip on the Dawn Boston to Quebec, traveling with either my mom or my mother-in-law.

 

Quick background -- we're in our early 50s (well, almost -- this trip was an early 50th birthday present for me) with no kids. We live in northern NJ, about an hour west of NYC. I travel a lot and really enjoy it. DH ... does not. I was hoping that the trip would win him over, but it didn't. We've come to an agreement about future travels though. I'll go and he'll stay home. He doesn't mind, since he's a collector and would prefer to spend the money that would pay his fare on his collection. It's taken almost 15 years for us to come to this compromise, but at least this way, everyone wins!

 

Enbarkation -- was a mess, but that was our fault. My husband wanted to know "what is the latest time we can be on the ship?" And so I told him 2pm. As a result, we got stuck in traffic and spent an hour getting to the port from the Lincoln Tunnel, a trip that should have taken no more than about 15 minutes. By the time we parked, got into the terminal, checked in and got back to the Concierge Lounge, it was 12:30. The concierge had one of her helpers guide us and another later-arriving party on board and it was a fiasco. The elevators were mobbed and the helper didn't do a good job of keeping the group together on them. Finally, though, we made it to 13 and had the first of several really excellent lunches at Cagney's. DH had the Santa Fe flatbread and Cobb Salad. I had the Tuna Nicoise salad, which was excellent. After lunch, we made our way down to our Aft Penthouse on 10. Lesson learned -- be at the pier by 10:30 or so to get on board earlier.

 

The Suite -- the room was small and that toilet cubby must be an invention of the Devil!

 

I will be the first to say that we are not small people, but seriously -- there was about 8" of space between the edge of my side of the bed and the wall that separates the bedroom and bathroom. I had to stand facing the bed and sidestep from the foot of the bed to the point about halfway up where I could kind of toss myself on, and do the reverse to get out of the bed. I suppose I could have crawled in from the foot of the bed, but I'm just not that spry.

 

The bed was extremely comfortable. The decor (as others have pointed out) is dated, but the room was kept very clean by our steward, Nestor (we left him an additional $75 tip). My husband complained about the curtains that closed around the bed, which did look like they were due for a thorough cleaning. It didn't look like the balcony was cleaned at all during the week, as a bird left a reminder of its visit that stayed with us until the last day of the trip.

 

There was enough storage for me, but my husband decided to live out of his suitcase, which took up quite a bit of floor space. We didn't have a couch or loveseat, but had two chairs. I found the slipper chair with the ottoman to be comfortable for sitting.

 

DH enjoyed catching up on recent movies with the free pay-per-view TV. Most nights, we were back in the room relatively early, watched a movie and then lights out by around 10 or so. We are not night people!

 

The lighting in the vanity area was a bit dark, but it did the trick. Plenty of storage there for my many lotions and potions. The hair dryer worked well, but boy, are those European dryers heavy.

 

It was not fun spending the week with what was essentially an airplane sized toilet. I really don't get the point of the "cubby" for the toilet. Either you're comfortable enough with who you're traveling with to use the toilet while they are doing other things in the bathroom, or you're not. It wasn't like the sliding door would really give you that much more privacy anyway.

 

I found the shower to be fine, although the slight "figure 8" shape of the tub took a little getting used to. Good water pressure and plenty of hot water. I'm only 5'6" tall and struggled a bit to step up and over the edge of the tub the first couple of times, but eventually worked it out. I liked that there was a larger sized bath towel (not quite a bath sheet, but almost). My 6'4" tall husband had more of an issue, as he was basically the same height as the shower stall. He had to duck to use the sprayer and he kept bumping his head on the lights, which stuck out a bit from the shower ceiling. With most of my stuff stored by the vanity, there was enough room for all of DH's stuff and my toothbrush in the storage area by the sink.

 

Butler and Concierge -- were fine, I guess. It was our first time having a butler, and I've got to be honest, I wasn't really sure what the "right" way to use his services were. My husband can't stand people lurking around, didn't want to let anyone in the room (we finally "negotiated" once a day access for the steward and butler), so I think that put a strain on things. Roshan was the butler. Our concierge was Elvina, who was very friendly and who we saw at least once a day. The only thing we asked her to do (in addition to embarkation and disembarkation) was make 2 dinner reservations for later in the trip and a spa reservation. They were taken care of promptly. We weren't sure about tipping, but in the end, left $150 to Roshan and $60 for Elvina.

 

Suite Dining for Breakfast and Lunch -- we really enjoyed the suite dining and had breakfast in Moderno most days and lunch in Cagney's 4 times.

 

We liked that in addition to the cooked breakfast items, there was a lovely buffet in Moderno each morning with hot oatmeal, cold muesli, a large variety of fresh fruit, yogurt and fruit parfaits, croissants and sticky buns, breads, some cold cuts (usually ham, turkey and sliced cheese) and the most delicious smoked salmon (lox). We'd start with coffee (served in a French press), juice and some salmon. We generally got eggs of some kind -- usually an omelette for DH. I had different things -- eggs benedict, the smoked salmon frittata and steak and eggs. All was delicious and I would get an almond croissant for "dessert" most mornings.

 

In addition to embarkation day, we had lunch in Cagney's several other times and again, everything was very good. DH especially liked the Seafood Fritto Misto and had the Cobb salad several times. The Brie burgers were also very tasty, but I don't think we had a bad item from the menu. FYI, there was no variation day-to-day in either the breakfast or lunch menu, except that the chilled soup at lunch was different each day.

 

Specialty Restaurants -- were also pretty good, although not as uniformly so as the breakfast and lunches in the suite restaurants. Our first dinner was at La Cucina, which we liked and would have gone back to, but we couldn't get a reservation at anything close to our preferred (relatively early) dinner time. DH had filet mignon, which he said was "dry." I had the shrimp fra diavolo and thought it was very tasty -- spicy enough without being overwhelming. There were plenty of shrimp -- 6 or so with tail on and then chunks throughout the dish. DH had tiramisu for dessert that he quite liked. I had the affogato, which was very tasty.

 

We had the first of 2 dinners in Cagney's the next night. DH had Oysters Rockefeller (which he couldn't remember whether he liked -- turns out he doesn't, but he said the oysters were very good). I had a crab cake, which was OK, but not great. DH had the tomato salad that he said was also good and I got the iceberg wedge which was OK. For entrees, DH got the surf & turf (and complained that it was shrimp and not lobster, and that the steak was dry). I had the petite filet, and also thought it was a bit dry. I can't remember if the steak is grass fed -- if it is, it might explain the issues we had with the beef throughout most of the trip. It was OK, but not great. The server forgot one of DH's sides, and about 6 people stopped by the table to bring it and make sure everything was OK. I skipped dessert that night, but DH got the seven layer cake, which came with ice cream instead of whipped cream. Since there'd already been a mixup with the side orders, we didn't say anything, at the risk of having another parade of people stopping by to make sure we were good with it.

 

We also ate at Cagney's on Friday night. Shrimp cocktail was very good, DH got the wedge salad that he liked more than I did. I got a Caesar salad that was excellent. My filet was OK and DH didn't eat much of his prime rib. Desserts were the 7 layer cake -- with the whipped cream this time -- and the brownies, which are really fudge and very tasty.

 

Drinks at Cagney's were very good. DH's not too dry Grey Goose martinis were exactly as ordered. I tried a Negroni, which I could tell was good but I just didn't really care for it. The second time, I had a Manhattan, which was the smoothest I've ever drunk. Excellent!

 

We ate at Moderno on the third night. It was good, but wow -- so much food! We also had 2 cocktails each that night. DH again got the outstanding Grey Goose martinis. The pineapple coconut mojitos from the Sugarcane bar are really good! I tried a little of everything except the lamb and the chicken drumstick. DH tried almost everything. Everything was good. We decided to skip dessert and had a second round of drinks instead.

 

We also ate at Le Bistro one night; DH did bring a pair of slacks in the end! He had the mussels as an appetizer and said they were very good. The portion was just right for an appetizer and the sauce was tasty. I had the crab salad, which was good and seemed to be a popular choice. For the entree, we both got the shrimp dish. Our waiter was funny -- I asked him about the duck and he flat out said "I don't think it's very good. Every time people order it, they only eat about half of it." So I got the shrimp, which he recommended and which my husband had already decided to order. We got the chocolate fondue for dessert, which was yummy.

 

OK -- have to cook dinner now (sigh, back to reality). Will pick back up later tonight or tomorrow.

[goofy4mickey]

Thank you for such a detailed review

[boopsahoy]

Love the Gem. I have has the duck in Le Bistro-and its always been really good.

Following along. :)

[jm485]

Love the Gem. I have has the duck in Le Bistro-and its always been really good.

Following along. :)

 

I was tempted to order it anyway, but I wasn't sure what "duck parmentier" is. The whole conversation got started when I asked about it, to be sure it wasn't some kind of dish with pate or liver, which I don't care for. Oh well, maybe next time!

[jm485]

Thank you for such a detailed review

 

Thanks. This ended up with a lot more detail than I thought it would!

[boopsahoy]

I was tempted to order it anyway, but I wasn't sure what "duck parmentier" is. The whole conversation got started when I asked about it, to be sure it wasn't some kind of dish with pate or liver, which I don't care for. Oh well, maybe next time!

 

I don't remember it saying "duck parmentier" -It was Duck confit. Maybe they changed it? :eek:

[jm485]

Continuing from yesterday ...

 

Complementary Dining -- Because we had the old UDP, we didn't eat in the complementary venues much.

 

We tried O'Sheehan's for lunch on the first sea day. Honestly, we were not impressed at all. We ordered the nachos as a starter. My husband described them as "something made by somebody who has never had nachos and was handed the ingredients without much detail on how to make them." It was chips with melted cheese, some sour cream squirted on and a bunch of jalapenos sprinkled on top. It was fine that there was no beef or beans, but there wasn't even any salsa. Very odd. DH got the Reuben sandwich, which didn't look very appetizing. The beef was very fatty and stringy. I got the fish and chips, which wasn't bad, but which could have used some more blotting to remove some of the frying oil before being served. The drinks were not very good -- tasted like cheap mixer and booze. We might have liked it more if we'd ordered the chicken wings and a couple of Nathan's hot dogs, but we never made it back.

 

We ate dinner in Magenta one night. The food itself was actually pretty good and the service was very good. I had cream of broccoli soup, a Caesar salad and a NY strip steak. My husband got sausage tortellini, the Caesar (with double anchovies!) and the duck ala orange. The soup was tasty. The salad tasted like salad prepared for banquet service -- mixed up with the dressing in advance, so it's kind of mushy by the time it's served. We had the same reaction to the main courses -- the steak and duck were quite good. The duck was cooked thoroughly, but still moist. My steak was exactly medium, which can be tricky. But the sauces were not very good and there was too much of them. Knowing this, if I ever do an MDR meal, I would probably just ask for the sauces to be served on the side. DH thought the same thing about the sauce on the tortellini, although I actually liked it. Whatever we had for dessert wasn't especially memorable, for good or bad.

 

On Tuesday, we had a strange schedule. We had 2 tours booked and the first one got back almost 45 minutes later than expected, so we didn't really have time for lunch. We were really hungry when we got back after the second tour, so we ordered some room service burgers and dessert, figuring we'd hit the buffet later if we were still hungry. Like most of the standard food, it was fine -- not great, but did the job.

 

One place we really loved was the Great Outdoors. Not so much for the food, but just for the open space, comfortable seating and fabulous views. We'd often walk down there after breakfast to have another cup or two of coffee. We'd stop up in the afternoon for a cup of tea and a snack. We had the hot dogs a couple of times and the scones they'd put out were light and flaky. I wish they'd had clotted cream, but they were so rich that they were very good just with strawberry jam added.

 

Casino, Entertainment -- I don't have much to say on these topics, as we didn't really use them much. I will try to scan and post the dailies next weekend. There always seemed to be something going on, but we're pretty good at keeping ourselves entertained, which usually means hanging out on the balcony reading or watching the water or napping. We went to the casino a couple of times. We are not big gamblers, but I was delighted to find penny machines with reels instead of just the video penny machines. Betting $0.30 at a time, I could usually milk $20 for about half an hour.

 

The only music we heard was the female vocalist/guitar player a couple of times when walking through the Magnum area on our way to and from the casino and Le Bistro. We didn't enjoy what we heard of her, but she seemed to pull in a crowd.

 

We went to a trivia game one afternoon. The cruise staff member who was running it didn't seem too into it, but we had fun. Most people were just playing for laughs, but there were a few very competitive participants.

 

We did take advantage of the free pay-per-view in the suite; I think my husband watched 6 or 7 movies over the course of the week. I would start watching them, but usually fell asleep halfway through -- we'd had a busy summer at work and then a couple of unusually stressful household/family things in the couple of weeks leading up to the cruise. I was content to sit on the balcony, go to sleep early and then have an hour or two to read in the morning before breakfast.

 

And that was it. We didn't go to the shows at all. The cruise director was Drew -- he didn't make much impression on us either for good or bad.

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John, New Brunswick -- Our first two port stops were great. I'd never been to this area of Canada before. We had the old $75 per port tour credit and so went with the ship's tours, as we probably couldn't have organized anything any cheaper than what we paid after that credit.

 

On Monday, we did the 5 hour Shutterbug's Dream trip, which included a ride to Peggy's Cove and about an hour there. This tour is basically the same trip as the shorter (maybe 3.5 hour) trip with Halifax highlights and the Peggy's Cove trip, but with more time for taking photos and a nice walk through the Halifax Public Garden. Our tour guide did a good job talking about the city, its history and the sites we went to see. The scenery is lovely, especially the drive along the coast to Peggy's Cove. The tour was on a full-sized comfortable tour bus (with an on-board washroom) that was only about 1/3 full. I was glad they didn't cancel the trip!

 

The only thing I would change about this tour is that it didn't include lunch, even though we were out from about 11 to 4. I think the idea was that the stop in Peggy's Cove was long enough to have lunch. However, since we were there on Labor Day, the restaurant where the tour buses park was very crowded and we didn't think we had long enough to either have a sit down lunch or walk down into the town to the other place where food was available. Apparently, you could also order a take out meal, but you still had to stand in line for about half of the time we were there to get it.

 

There was a little coffee stand at the front of the building and we grabbed some yogurt and fruit, ice cream and potato chips (they said they were lobster flavored, but they tasted like barbeque to me ;)) and had a picnic on the rocks. We walked over to the lighthouse and got some photos and then just people-watched. This included watching the rescue squad come to pick up someone who slipped on wet rocks and seemed to have broken his leg.

 

We were in St. John the next day and had scheduled 2 tours -- the Bay of Fundy Coastal Photography trip and the Trolley Around St. John. We paid the full freight for the 2nd tour, but that was fine since we didn't plan to take any tours in Portland or Newport.

 

My husband had something come up at work and missed the morning tour. That was OK, since I'm the photographer. The guide was a very enthusiastic local photographer who took us to some great locations and gave us some good information about both the area and photography. The group was pretty eclectic in terms of photography level and interest. Some were spouses/ partners who came along to keep their photographers company. There were lots of people with point and shoot cameras or using their cell phones. I had my micro 4/3 camera. And there were several people with big digital SLRs. I think everyone had fun and got a chance to get all the shots they wanted at each location. I haven't had a chance to download my images (my camera doesn't have a Bluetooth connection -- next one!) yet, but will try to post a few this weekend.

 

The trip ran a little late, so I didn't have time to get back on board for lunch before our next trip. My husband met me in the terminal building and we boarded the late afternoon trolley. There were only a handful of people, so it was relaxing, as we could spread out and move from one side to the other to get a look at things. Between the two tours, I saw the Reversing Rapids three times that day, which was kind of cool.

 

We were back on board in plenty of time to enjoy sailaway from our balcony. St. John isn't a big town and it could be enjoyed in a few hours of walking around. Overall, I felt the photography tour was very worthwhile. I'm not sure about the value of the trolley tour, but it was a pleasant way to end the day.

 

Portland, ME and Newport, RI -- we'd been to both of these places and so didn't have any specific plans. Portland was fogged in and we were somewhat late docking. Because this was the first port in the US, everyone on the ship had to go through immigration. Elvina and her team escorted guests from Moderno down through the immigration line (much to the annoyance of some of the other passengers -- sorry about that, folks). It wasn't much of a hassle for us. I would imagine that people who had planned early private excursions were having fits about the delay, though.

 

Once through immigration, we headed to the Great Outdoors to decide what to do. After looking at the weather -- which was that cool, clammy, hot, rainy mess you sometimes get along the ocean -- we decided that there wasn't anything we were dying to see. We wandered around for a while, tidied up the cabin and watched CNBC. At around 1:15, we went to lunch in Cagney's. After that, it was back to the balcony for the rest of the afternoon. A pleasant and restful day.

 

The last day of the trip was (unusually) a port day, in Newport. Again, we had no specific plans, other than a 10am spa appointment for me. I met up with my husband afterwards and by that point, we'd decided to skip any shore time. It was hot and muggy. Newport was a tender port and the ship's lifeboats were being used (no shore tenders). My husband didn't think it would be very comfortable for him -- he still remembers a trip from our hotel in Venice to the airport that he spent sitting on the floor of a motoscafo because he was too tall to sit on the seat without bumping his head on the ceiling. After lunch, we went to a trivia game, then stayed in Magnum's for a while, enjoying the comfortable chairs and view of the harbor. Late in the afternoon, we went back to pack up and get ready for our last dinner in Cagney's.

 

Disembarkation -- was kind of disorganized, although again, this was at least our fault in part. My husband was so anxious to get home that I agreed to self-disembark. This mean dragging all of our stuff from the back of the ship to the front. But I figured that at least once we did that, we'd be home free. Not exactly, as it turned out.

 

In packing the day before, we realized that one of the wheel on one of our bags had been damaged during embarkation. We tried to pack it lightly, but we weren't super successful with that. We did squeeze everything into our two big wheeled bags (albeit with one broken-wheeled) and my wheeled carryon.

 

We were at the Garden Café at about 6:05 for a quick breakfast. Then back to the room for final packing and sweep of the room. We set out at about 6:55 to go from 10 Aft to 7 forward. Walked to the mid-ship elevators on 10, down to 7, then through the shops and to the Stardust. It took about 15 minutes, but we were there. At about 7:40, we were among the first people off the ship. Down the gangplank and into the terminal building ... only to be yelled at that we were in the wrong place and needed to go out and to the right.

 

And walk ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE SHIP -- outside in the heat and humidity -- to enter the rear of the terminal building. Down an elevator, halfway back to the front of the ship to the customs desks, then the rest of the way forward, past where we started and out to the elevator to the parking garage. I left the stuff with my husband and walked most of the way back in the opposite direction (but at least no longer dragging anything) to get our car. It was about 8:10 by this point.

 

Being relatively early on Saturday, there was almost no traffic, and we got home at about 9:30am. On the ride home, my husband turned to me and said "I'm not asking this to be funny or sarcastic, but because I really want to know. Do all the things that are good about the trip offset all of the problems to you?"

 

That's when I realized that we'd have to rethink future plans, because the things he saw as "problems" were things that just weren't really a big deal to me. However, they were a HUGE deal to him, and I'm not sure it's fair to ask him to do something that he finds so unpleasant. So in summary -- first and last NCL cruise (and last cruise at all) for DH. And what I hope is the first of many NCL cruises for me.

 

Miscellaneous Thoughts

 

I thought the crew was lovely. Even my husband commented that -- as much as he wished he didn't feel like someone was constantly hovering by him -- that they all seemed genuinely interested in ensuring that you were having a good time. It's obvious when you take a trip whether the crew really cares about your experience or is simply going through the motions or trying to ensure a big tip. In thinking about our experience on RCL last year, I think that's one of the key differences. The vibe on the Gem was full of hospitality, very different from the trip on Liberty of the Seas.

 

If it isn't obvious, I was impressed with the overall quality of the food. I forgot to mention the lobster bisque in Cagney's, which did have nice chunks of lobster in it. I had that a couple of times.

 

I hope that at some point, they truly redo the rooms. It wasn't just the colors (although fuschia and deep teal are pretty dated), it was the heaviness of everything. Dark furniture, the dark draperies on the windows and around the bed. And honestly, the bed is too big for the room. It was comfortable, but a standard queen would probably make more sense, so that both people can get in and out of the bed easily.

 

Personally, I think the bathroom would work better without the dividing wall between the toilet and the rest of the room. Shrink the wall down just to the size of the sink and open the space up.

 

For next year, I'm leaning toward one of the October 10-night trips from New York. It works out to basically the same number of days away from work as the 7-night trip from Boston, and only Halifax would be a repeat port for me. I'd like to go to Lunenburg, so it's actually a repeat stop I'm happy to make. I know my MIL would be up for it, but I'm going to see if I can convince my mom to make the trip, as I think she'd enjoy it.

 

So that's it. This turned out a lot longer than I expected. I hope to have time next weekend to post dailies and some photos. Feel free to ask any questions, and thanks for reading!

[boopsahoy]

Disembarkation -- was kind of disorganized, although again, this was at least our fault in part. My husband was so anxious to get home that I agreed to self-disembark. This mean dragging all of our stuff from the back of the ship to the front. But I figured that at least once we did that, we'd be home free. Not exactly, as it turned out.

 

You were in a suite! Why would you go through that hassle? In a suite you all meet in a lounge and then get escorted out-before everyone else with bags. Your bags are right there when you get to the claim area. One of the reasons we book suites is the easy disembark. Tell your husband to relax, its vacation :D

[jaja]

Fantastic info !!! Thanks so much !

[jm485]

I don't remember it saying "duck parmentier" -It was Duck confit. Maybe they changed it? :eek:

 

I finally had a chance to look up Duck Parmentier, which seems to be a version of Shepherd's pie made with duck confit. If that's what you've had in the past, you're good! I probably would have liked it and will definitely try it if it is still on the menu on my next trip.

 

As for the DH and disembarkation -- by that point, he was so miserable that I couldn't bring myself to have him stay on the ship for another hour and a half. If I had realized that we'd have to keep dragging all that stuff back and forth, I might have insisted that we wait. But I figured that once we were off the boat, it would just be a quick run through customs and done.

 

There's another lesson learned, but the biggest lesson I learned this trip is that the key to a successful vacation is to let people who don't enjoy traveling stay home where they are happiest!

[jm485]

Fantastic info !!! Thanks so much !

 

Thanks. Hope you have a great time on your trip!

[boopsahoy]

I finally had a chance to look up Duck Parmentier, which seems to be a version of Shepherd's pie made with duck confit. If that's what you've had in the past, you're good.

QUOTE]

 

No in the past it was r4egualr duck and a piece of duck confit-no shepherds pie!

 

There's another lesson learned, but the biggest lesson I learned this trip is that the key to a successful vacation is to let people who don't enjoy traveling stay home where they are happiest![/

 

That's the truth! They seem to be the ones that make the vacation stressful LOL

[Turtles06]

You were in a suite! Why would you go through that hassle? In a suite you all meet in a lounge and then get escorted out-before everyone else with bags. Your bags are right there when you get to the claim area. One of the reasons we book suites is the easy disembark. Tell your husband to relax, its vacation :D

 

While suite pax have priority disembarkation before everyone else who is not carrying their own bags off, they still have to wait until the people doing the walk-off with their own bags, and only then they can go. And that can be some time. (OP says her husband was anxious to get home. The only way to ensure getting off quickly is to walk off with your bags. But I agree, who wants to schlep your bags off the ship, and maybe even give them a tour of the terminal, as in the OP's case?)

 

Last Feb. on the Gem, we had splurged on a suite. For our priority disembarkation, we were told to meet the concierge in the theatre, and that suite pax would be escorted off after those doing the self-disembark. Well, after those folks got off, Immigrations & Customs decided it would not let anyone else off until all of the baggage had been brought down to the terminal and each bag sniffed by a dog. This probably took an hour and a half, well after the walk offs were probably home. And during all that time we were squeezed in a line outside the theatre in what had become a crushing mess of people, waiting to disembark. Suite or no suite, it was a pretty terrible way to end a vacation.

[Turtles06]

OP: thank you so much for taking the time to post your detailed comments on your cruise. You have such a great attitude, it's a pleasure to read what you wrote.

 

My wife and I also love the Great Outdoors on the Gem and other Jewel-class ships. We often spend hours just sitting out there, it's a wonderfully peaceful place.

 

I'm sorry that your husband does not share your love of cruising. I'm glad you seem to have worked out a compromise that satisfies you both, and I wish you happy cruising in the future!

 

PS: we were also in an aft-facing Penthouse suite on the Gem in February. It is really pathetic that NCL did nothing to these suites during last year's dry dock except to replace the carpet. The worn and dated junky furniture really needs to go, along with the bordello curtains and color scheme. For those who may not be familiar with this, I posted about it after our cruise, with photos, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2314292

[jaja]

Thanks. Hope you have a great time on your trip!

 

Thanks...! Going solo....DH has had it with cruising ;)

So I am going just to "run away from home"...eat , drink and play some slots:D

[boopsahoy]

While suite pax have priority disembarkation before everyone else who is not carrying their own bags off, they still have to wait until the people doing the walk-off with their own bags, and only then they can go. And that can be some time. (OP says her husband was anxious to get home. The only way to ensure getting off quickly is to walk off with your bags. But I agree, who wants to schlep your bags off the ship, and maybe even give them a tour of the terminal, as in the OP's case?)

 

Last Feb. on the Gem, we had splurged on a suite. For our priority disembarkation, we were told to meet the concierge in the theatre, and that suite pax would be escorted off after those doing the self-disembark. Well, after those folks got off, Immigrations & Customs decided it would not let anyone else off until all of the baggage had been brought down to the terminal and each bag sniffed by a dog. This probably took an hour and a half, well after the walk offs were probably home. And during all that time we were squeezed in a line outside the theatre in what had become a crushing mess of people, waiting to disembark. Suite or no suite, it was a pretty terrible way to end a vacation.

 

Those darn customs people! Well that was through no fault of NCL.

[Turtles06]

Those darn customs people! Well that was through no fault of NCL.

 

It certainly was not, nor did I suggest it was. I was merely pointing out that if you really want or need to be off the ship quickly, the only way to ensure that is to walk off with your bags. (And I totally agree this is not what I would prefer to do.)

[boopsahoy]

It certainly was not, nor did I suggest it was. I was merely pointing out that if you really want or need to be off the ship quickly, the only way to ensure that is to walk off with your bags. (And I totally agree this is not what I would prefer to do.)

 

I was just stating the obvious!! :o

[pex]

Awesome review. But you are a fan.

 

I would pay $$$$$ for a review from your husband of the same trip, in the same format!

[boopsahoy]

I would pay $$$$$ for a review from your husband of the same trip, in the same format!

 

I would too!!!

[pex]

We need to know more from the person who described NCL nachos as "something made by somebody who has never had nachos and was handed the ingredients without much detail on how to make them."

 

This is someone I would listen to.

 

I would too!!!

[jm485]

OP: thank you so much for taking the time to post your detailed comments on your cruise. You have such a great attitude, it's a pleasure to read what you wrote.

 

My wife and I also love the Great Outdoors on the Gem and other Jewel-class ships. We often spend hours just sitting out there, it's a wonderfully peaceful place.

 

I'm sorry that your husband does not share your love of cruising. I'm glad you seem to have worked out a compromise that satisfies you both, and I wish you happy cruising in the future!

 

PS: we were also in an aft-facing Penthouse suite on the Gem in February. It is really pathetic that NCL did nothing to these suites during last year's dry dock except to replace the carpet. The worn and dated junky furniture really needs to go, along with the bordello curtains and color scheme. For those who may not be familiar with this, I posted about it after our cruise, with photos, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2314292

 

Thanks for reading! I'm glad you found it worthwhile.

 

I'm lucky that I have my husband's mother to cruise with whenever I want. She and I went to Antarctica and Australia together, and we are headed to Norway for her 80th birthday next year. My husband is going to stay home and hold down the fort again. He and my mom (another person who is not big on travel) can commiserate.

 

I read your other comment re: customs on your trip earlier this year. Yikes, what a nightmare that must have been! My husband would have been having conniptions at that point. He said to me on Friday "I just want to be the first ones off the boat" and we pretty much were. I would have been OK with waiting while everyone self-disembarked, but if we'd been held up after that ... it would have been a long ride home.

[jm485]

We need to know more from the person who described NCL nachos as "something made by somebody who has never had nachos and was handed the ingredients without much detail on how to make them."

 

This is someone I would listen to.

 

I will tell him that! I think he's pretty clever, so it makes me happy when others get it, too. He spent most of his early career writing professionally, and 5 of his books on collectibles are actually still in print.

 

Of course, his review might make you never want to leave your house -- much less go on another cruise. Consider yourself warned ;)