Gem Review out of San Juan Nov 6 2016

[Medtech2]

We cruised the Gem out of San Juan on November 6, 2016. We flew into San Juan early, on November 3 and stayed at the Coral Princess Hotel. I will start with a short review of that in case anyone is interested. I am in the process of setting up a ****book account under the name Medtech Cruiser and will be posting pictures of the hotel, ship, ports, etc there, rather than the tedious process of uploading pics directly here.

 

If you have any questions about the hotel, the cruise, the ports, etc, please ask!

[Medtech2]

We flew from Charleston to San Juan by way of Charlotte on American Airlines. Both legs were full, cramped, and cold. Full of people too much in a hurry to wait to get off but push past you hitting you in the head with their bags. Geesh.

 

SJU was easy to navigate and the bags were offloaded to a carousel sharing another flight, which made it crowded.

 

There is a clearly marked queue for taxi service and a young woman was going down the line asking your destination, number of passengers and number of bags, then handing you an invoice clearly marked with the price. 3 passengers, 4 bags to Condado was $22.

 

The taxi driver drove in the typical PR way. No signals, smooth hairbreadth merges and lane changes. If this bothers you I suggest you do not look out the window!

 

We stayed at the Coral Princess Hotel. Check in was quick and easy. The place smelled nice. The room was small but comfortable. Beds were Temperpedic. Water pressure was strong. My only complaint was that the floors were tile and I did not bring slippers and I could feel even one grain of sand. (Still probably much cleaner than carpeted rooms).

 

We ate dinner at Orozcos, and had our first mofungo. They had tall bottles of house-made hot sauce on the table that was awesome. The owner told us she mixes it every day and sells it online. I definitely plan on ordering some.

 

The next day had the continental breakfast, which consisted of pastries, muffins, bagels, Eggo waffles, cereal, freshly boiled eggs, sliced deli ham, and those individually wrapped American cheese slices. (The cheese slices not so much continental, lol.) A juice bar is available all day, as is the coffee maker, which grinds and brews each cup individually and made STRONG cappuccino, café latte, espresso, mocha, etc.

 

We took the D53 bus (75cents ea) into Old San Juan and the driver was nice enough to let us off at Castillo San Cristobal. Since admission there gets you into Castillo San Felipe del Morro we did both one after another. If you have kids they can participate in the National Park Junior Ranger program, which is a neat activity for kids where they answer questions about the Park and receive a patch and certificate, which you can frame for a nice memento.

 

We also walked around OSJ and ate the most delicious fish tacos I’ve ever had at La Cueva Del Mar. After walking some more we stopped for cold chocolate drinks at Choco Bar De Casa Cortes. Dinner was snapper fish tacos at a semi-permanent food truck, Kabanas, on Ashford in Condado.

 

The next day we took the bus back into OSJ and hit the spots we missed the first day, stopping for lunch at El Jabarito. The heat index was incredible but we managed to enjoy several hours, even getting a picture with the featured artist at the Museo de Arte e Historia de San Juan, Coco Valencia. Dinner was at Café de Angel. The codfish on the Mofongo was bleh, but the Mofongo and sauce were very good and garlicky. The Chicken Gumbo was excellent comfort food and the pan sautéed grouper was great. Gelato popsicles from the shop at the Marriott was quite tasty but very expensive.

 

Checkout the next morning was quick. The room mini-bar items were very inexpensive. 2 beers and a coke were $5 plus tax.

 

Pictures of the hotel are here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014097828053&sk=photos&collection_token=100014097828053%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.128804844266109.1073741825.100014097828053&type=3

[TSUmom]

Enjoying and following - I am looking at booking a cruise out of San Juan so your timing is perfect!!

[luvs2beachit]

We will be on the Gem in January so am really looking forward to reading your review. Thanks for taking us along.

[Medtech2]

The front desk called a taxi to take us to the Pan Am pier. The ride should have been around $15 but the taxi driver charged us $22! I did not catch this until after as DH paid and did not know what the price SHOULD have been...

 

Immediately when we got our luggage from the taxi a porter appeared and insisted upon taking our bags. We thought he was going to check them but he basically just carried them to the back of the check in line, around 40 feet, then emphatically demanded a tip! We grudgingly handed him a dollar just to get rid of him. We arrived around 11:15. The line had not started going through security yet. I have to say this was the most poorly run port I have experienced. They kept changing up the lines, were not clear on directions and had no rhyme or reason when you got your key card as to boarding waiting areas. The 2 spots to take an embarkation photo were not in the line but off to the side and when we stepped out of line to take the photo the port person yelled that we had to go to the back of the line! Luckily the other people getting their picture taken were emphatic that, no, we had waited in line and should not be penalized for getting the photo done.

 

After going through the next door we waited yet again to board the ship where they were waiting for precisely 12 noon. The absolute worst part of this port is that your luggage does not go straight into a covered terminal. REPEAT: YOUR LUGGAGE IS NOT COVERED FROM THE ELEMENTS! The 2 suitcases we gave to the porters came to our cabin absolutely SOAKED. All of my daughter’s clothes were soaked and a scarf had run colors into her white capris. They did offer to dry everything but we asked that they also wash the items, especially the now stained capris. Unfortunately it took them 2 tries through the wash to get the stains out but then the fabric was weakened and pilled.. Other passengers reported that their suitcases were ruined but ours seemed to dry okay.

 

At first they said only O’Sheehan’s was open for lunch so we went there but later they announced a MDR was open, which I would have preferred. The Shepherd’s Pie was wonderfully lamby and much better than I had had before on other ships. Over the course of the week we had many, many orders of wings and burgers here and the wings were absolutely great. Crisply fried then drenched in various sauces and always fresh, no matter if it was 1 pm or 1 am.

 

We were booked in Cabin 8098, which is an obstructed view handicap cabin. I did not want the handicap cabin but that is what the PCC put us in when I booked. Over the course of many months I called to enquire about changing the room and was told each time to stay where I was. This cruise completely sold out and there was no opportunity to upsell into a balcony for a reasonable price, even when I mentioned we were taking up a handicap room. They had quoted me a price $400 more per person even though the online price was actually cheaper than what I paid for the OV. The only upsell I was offered that might have made sense was a front facing penthouse suite for $1000 extra total, but it had no Haven access so we did not take it. Had there been access we most certainly would have moved.

 

Since I could find little about this particular cabin I’ll share my thoughts here. Location wise it is right down the starboard hall from O’Sheehan’s. While convenient, especially for DH to drink and watch football, there was a surprising amount of foot traffic, which was noisy until about midnight. (I must mention here that DH LOVED this location, and reported only half jokingly that it was 32 steps from bar stool to door, which he navigated long after DD and I went to bed every night!) I had thought the obstruction would be almost total but the lifeboat was actually below the window, so looking straight out you had a clear view of the ocean. This cabin could sleep 4, 2 in a queen(or 2 twins), 1 in a bunk, and 1 in a trundle. Since we had 3 adults we chose to split the queen into 2 twins against each wall, with the bunk perpendicular above. This maximized floor space in the middle which gave the room a much more open feel.

 

Gem Cabin 8098 pics here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014097828053&sk=photos&collection_token=100014097828053%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.128927127587214.1073741826.100014097828053&type=3

[Niffernay]

Thank you so much. We are sailing on the Gem on 12/4 so I'm really enjoying reading your review and getting even more excited about our trip - if that's possible. I'm sure you will be going over this, but did you do any excursions?? Thanks!!! :D

[cincicruisers]

Thanks for posting your review. Did the HA cabin have a sofa or chairs?

[Medtech2]

Thanks for posting your review. Did the HA cabin have a sofa or chairs?

No sofa. One chair at the vanity and one round stool.

[easyboy]

Enjoying your review.

[Medtech2]

As far as the ship itself that is very subjective. Personally this is my least favorite ship so far. I never did become acclimated as to where everything was like I did on previous ships. The Garden Café was ridiculously laid out so that the food was clustered on one end and seating stretched on for what seemed like miles, with no access to drink stations in every section. If it was crowded and you needed a drink refill you had to walk all the way back. If you had children and you wanted to find a table for the family first, you had a long trek back and would also be out of sight of the table. We did finally find one of those “beans on top” coffee dispensers that everyone says makes better coffee. It dispensed a cup so strong I couldn’t drink it and I like strong coffee. And yes, it definitely makes a different cup than the normal machines. The Garden Café also had a crepe station at night, which we love. I also found out the very last morning that you have to ask for it but they DO have the salmon for breakfast that DD loves so much behind the counter where the continental breakfast meats are. We had wasted time every morning in the MDR with its slow service so she could get her bagel with salmon. It would have been much quicker in the buffet as all I really like in the morning is the fabulous Bircher muesli they make by the gallon. I will also note here that we found out the last afternoon that the French fries in the small buffet at the Great Outdoors were different and vastly superior to the fries found elsewhere, including O’Sheehan’s.

 

The two MDR’s were likewise cavernous. Instead of the more casual midship MDR Magenta being split into 2 spaces like on the newer ships (Taste and Savor) it stretched sideways across so that you could not see part of the room. I really liked its muted grey tones but the ceiling was low and plain. The Grand Pacific MDR was more formal and had nice lighting but I did not care for the Gold and Burgundy colors as much.

 

The specialty restaurants were all pretty nice but it was extremely odd and confusing that you checked in at and then walked through Orchid Garden to get to Teppanyaki. La Cucina was a long unimaginative space that also served as overflow seating for the Garden Café in the mornings. It really could have used some artwork on the walls.

 

One of the exits of the Stardust Theatre emptied out into the casino, which was smoky but not unbearable to walk through. I would smell whiffs of smoke outside on the promenade at times and one side of the pool decks and Bali Hai bar were smoking but walking through it was not bad. There seemed to be plenty of room for both smokers and non-smokers. I stuck my head into the Cigar Lounge to take a picture and there a couple of gents smoking cigarettes in there. As for the Theatre, it had closely spaced seating so that it was difficult to get past people if they were on the aisle but the middle of the row was empty. Lines of sight were great, however. I never had a problem having my view blocked by someone directly in front of me. There were no cup holders.

 

Some shows, parties and game shows were held in the Spinnaker Lounge, which had columns and some stationary bar height lighting that could totally block your view. Seating could be awkward to get to, as there were semi-round settees with 2 chairs facing them that people would understandably turn to watch events but then block egress to and from the settee.

 

The Atrium was adequate but not at all decorative. While on the big ships people sit up around the opening in O’Sheehan’s to watch game shows no one did that here. I would have liked a set of glassed in elevators. The staircase from the Atrium to O’Sheehan’s was wood and boring. Speaking of O’Sheehan’s they were very strict about seeing the hostess on the port side if you wanted to sit down, even at midnight. DH sat at the bar most nights. The few times we tried the table service the wait staff were good.

 

The pool area was good, with 2 pools, one of which allowed children and one of which was adults only. There was also a toddler splash area that is walled off but I never saw it open. There were only 4 hot tubs that were constantly full and in full sun. The 2 that had “shade” covers were so inadequately shaded they may as well have had nothing, plus they were the children’s option, not the adults only. If you wanted to watch pool games there was no good way to do it without standing. Loungers were plentiful but there were very few in the shade as the shaded areas towards the buffet were packed with tables. On other ships I have always been able to find loungers in the shade but it was very difficult on this ship. The upper sun decks had a few of those circular lounge beds but they lacked the half shade cover that I have seen on other ships. Because of the lack of shade I spent very little time on the pool deck. There was ONE small slide.

 

I have a few pics of the public areas here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014097828053&sk=photos&collection_token=100014097828053%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.131059677373959.1073741827.100014097828053&type=3&uploaded=25

[mugtech]

We found best time to hit hot tubs was at 7 AM, usually no one else around. We had no trouble with the layout of the Gem, was easy to navigate for us.

[Strangerush]

We were on the Star in January, which I believe is a sister ship to the Gem. At the pool area they had a really nice multi level seating area that looked down over the pool deck, and really provided a lot of space while not necessarily being right next to the pool. Does the Gem have that or no? Trying to envision where everyone sits because that pool deck looks small!!!!

[mugtech]

We were on the Star in January, which I believe is a sister ship to the Gem. At the pool area they had a really nice multi level seating area that looked down over the pool deck, and really provided a lot of space while not necessarily being right next to the pool. Does the Gem have that or no? Trying to envision where everyone sits because that pool deck looks small!!!!

 

Star is not a sister ship of the Gem, rather Pearl, Jade, Jewel.

[Strangerush]

LOL! Well scratch that then. Thanks for the info :)

[Medtech2]

Enjoying and following - I am looking at booking a cruise out of San Juan so your timing is perfect!!

Glad you're enjoying it and sorry it is taking so long. Work has been tremendously busy and, while I had absolutely no sea sickness or feeling the motion on the ship I am dealing with "land sickness" at the moment...

[Medtech2]

We will be on the Gem in January so am really looking forward to reading your review. Thanks for taking us along.

Thanks! Trying to start finishing this evening....

[Medtech2]

Thank you so much. We are sailing on the Gem on 12/4 so I'm really enjoying reading your review and getting even more excited about our trip - if that's possible. I'm sure you will be going over this, but did you do any excursions?? Thanks!!! :D

Yes, we did excursions but none through the ship. I'll try to review them as soon as I can so people can have an idea what is out there....

[Medtech2]

Enjoying your review.

Glad you're enjoying....

[Medtech2]

We toured the ship and stopped by the Spa. This area looked really nice and I wish I had pre-booked a weekly Spa pass but with this port intensive itinerary it did not make sense. It would have been $129 before the cruise and was $149 once you boarded. I would definitely recommend it on a not so port intensive cruise.

 

We attended the Mandatory Boat Drill at 4:30 pm.

 

Since the 1st 2 passengers had the UBP and UDP we had made reservations for Teppanyaki for dinner. We had never eaten there before. I did not care for it at all. I like our land based Japanese restaurants much better. The sauces were insipid, as was just about everything else and the showmanship was sorely lacking. We had to pay for the 3rd diner and we could easily pay for 2 early bird specials at our local hibachi type restaurant at home for the price.

 

At 8 pm they had a “Welcome Aboard Prize Auction” in the Atrium HINT: PARTICIPATE! We did not as we were watching from upstairs in O’Sheehan’s . They had some really good items with a surprising twist at the end---again, HINT: PARTICIPATE!

 

After that we watched The Majority Rules game show, which was a lot of fun. We also watched the Welcome Aboard Show, so that we could get a taste of what the coming week’s entertainment would be like. We then settled into what would become our routine: DD and I retreated exhausted to the cabin while DH sat at the bar in O’Sheehan’s and watched football.

[Medtech2]

I am going to take a moment here to discuss the food. Since DD and DH had both the UBP and UDP and DH and I had our Platinum Latitude dinners we ate almost every night in the specialty restaurants. I never would have spent the money otherwise because I find the MDR food just fine, and there is always something that tickles my fancy.

 

The only place I did not care for was Teppanyaki. I thoroughly enjoyed all the other restaurants and was pleasantly surprised at our first La Cucina experience. We had avoided it in the past because a lot of people seem to think it is like Olive Garden and it is the cheapest paid option on the ship. Well, I am here to tell you it is much better than Olive Garden and even though the dollar value is not as high we are definitely planning on using our free Platinum dinner vouchers here in the future!

 

Service everywhere was very good. The only not so nice experience was at a bar where we requested a mixed drink be made with a cheaper house liquor to bring down the cost and were met with a very surly "No substitutions!"

 

The wings at O'Sheehan's were crisp and addictive. The filets at other restaurants could literally be cut with a fork. I personally did not care for the Lobster Bisque and found it too salty. When the wait staff noticed I wasn't eating it they wanted to bring me something else but portions were so big for everything that I did not want anything else.

 

I gained weight on this cruise. Usually I stay the same but again I say if you can't find something you like on this ship I just don't have an answer for you!

 

I have uploaded some food porn here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014097828053&sk=photos&collection_token=100014097828053%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.135298780283382.1073741828.100014097828053&type=3

 

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Edited November 20, 2016 by Medtech2

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[hannibal54]

We are also on the 12-4 sailing, looking forward to reading more about your cruise. Thanks for posting.

[pokerpro5]

I'm on the ship right now.

 

Also ate at Orozco's and also had mofongo. I liked it.

 

I asked about the luggage getting wet, as just like with your cruise, it was pouring rain when I boarded.

 

I told them about what happened on November 6.

 

The answer?

 

"Won't happen this time. Two weeks ago we were taken by surprise. This time we are ready."

 

LOL

 

As if afternoon rain in Puerto Rico is a surprise.

 

But our bags did arrive dry.

 

Burnt 3 fingers badly on a hot metal dish at Cagney's (my fault), so that wasn't good. But other than that, everything is good so far.

[mugtech]

I am going to take a moment here to discuss the food. Since DD and DH had both the UBP and UDP and DH and I had our Platinum Latitude dinners we ate almost every night in the specialty restaurants. I never would have spent the money otherwise because I find the MDR food just fine, and there is always something that tickles my fancy.

 

The only place I did not care for was Teppanyaki. I thoroughly enjoyed all the other restaurants and was pleasantly surprised at our first La Cucina experience. We had avoided it in the past because a lot of people seem to think it is like Olive Garden and it is the cheapest paid option on the ship. Well, I am here to tell you it is much better than Olive Garden and even though the dollar value is not as high we are definitely planning on using our free Platinum dinner vouchers here in the future!

 

Service everywhere was very good. The only not so nice experience was at a bar where we requested a mixed drink be made with a cheaper house liquor to bring down the cost and were met with a very surly "No substitutions!"

 

The wings at O'Sheehan's were crisp and addictive. The filets at other restaurants could literally be cut with a fork. I personally did not care for the Lobster Bisque and found it too salty. When the wait staff noticed I wasn't eating it they wanted to bring me something else but portions were so big for everything that I did not want anything else.

 

I gained weight on this cruise. Usually I stay the same but again I say if you can't find something you like on this ship I just don't have an answer for you!

 

I have uploaded some food porn here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014097828053&sk=photos&collection_token=100014097828053%3A2305272732%3A69&set=a.135298780283382.1073741828.100014097828053&type=3

 

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Glad to hear you enjoyed most all the food, including LA Cucina.. We found the food there to be good enough, better than Olive Garden. It was the only place we got very slow service, arriving at 5:35 for 5:30 reservations and being served our entrees at 6:50. We found the buffet good enough and variable enough that we would have been satisfied except I loved the mushroom soup in Le Bistro. We have not been lured into Teppanyaki, probably not going to happen, as we enjoy the complimentary Asian dining.

[dexddd]

I'm on the ship right now.

 

Also ate at Orozco's and also had mofongo. I liked it.

 

I asked about the luggage getting wet, as just like with your cruise, it was pouring rain when I boarded.

 

I told them about what happened on November 6.

 

The answer?

 

"Won't happen this time. Two weeks ago we were taken by surprise. This time we are ready."

 

LOL

 

As if afternoon rain in Puerto Rico is a surprise.

 

But our bags did arrive dry.

 

Burnt 3 fingers badly on a hot metal dish at Cagney's (my fault), so that wasn't good. But other than that, everything is good so far.

 

Anything on the rumored then de-bunked cabin refurbs?

 

Did anyone have to wait outside in the rain?