thinking of April trip to Bermuda - need thoughts on GEM vs Escape

[BarefootMom]

Hi, We have cruised only once before (Carnival 2 years ago on a short cruise) and are now hoping to book a cruise for this April (school vacation for my 14 and 17 year old daughters). We live close to Boston so it would be ideal to choose the Gem however, I wonder if you all would say to drive to NYC in order to take the Escape instead? Boston would be so much simpler but I just do not know if the ship offers enough to do for us in case Bermuda happens to be chilly in April this year? Which would you choose? My girls are not the types that would go to the teen clubs - they like to hang with us and we all love shows/entertainment but do not require waterslides or too much for thrill options. However we would like things to do...

 

Also, I have loved researching the idea of the Haven suites but i know I cannot afford that level...however, someone mentioned in another post about "bidding" for them? Can anyone explain what that means? Would the Haven area on the Gem make the Gem a better choice than the Escape if we could swing it? I think a mini-suite is what I would book...but that does not allow any sort of priority embarkation or anything special right? Sorry so many questions! I also posted in the main cruise question forum that we are also trying to compare these two ships with the option of going on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas as well but Norwegian spends much longer in Bermuda so seemed to appeal a little more - plus the option to leave from Boston is very appealing. Thoughts?

 

[graphicguy]

Lots of good questions.  Have sailed both the GEM and the Escape out of the East Coast terminals.

 

First, they're kind of 2 different kinds of ships.  The GEM is much smaller than the Escape.  Escape is one of the many "mega-ships" that are a current trend on ALL cruise lines.  They try to put as much as they can on one ship.....water slides, wall climbing, etc. That's either a good or bad thing.  

 

I enjoyed both cruises for different reasons.  The GEM is easier to get around, but the Escape has more to do.

 

I'd say the entertainment on the Escape, the highlight being the Million Dollar Quartet (which is probably the best show I've seen on any cruise ship, on any line).

 

GEM has good entertainment, too.  It's just scaled back a bit compared to the Escape.

 

Bermuda is one of my favorite ports.  It's beautiful.  In April, it starts warming up again.  You can have days in the lower 80ºs, and you can have days that will be in the low 60ºs.  Sailing from either port in the Atlantic in the early Spring can get a little rocky.  But, that never bothers me.  The further south you travel to Bermuda, the calmer the water will be.

 

Plan on having your first day at sea to be jacket weather if you go on deck.

 

GEM is more intimate.  I got to know the crew quite a bit more, which was a good thing.  They remembered me and what I liked, from the bartenders to the restaurant Hostesses.

 

Regarding Haven....don't bother on the GEM.  Her Haven is tiny and first the first day or two, you won't want to use the Haven pool or loungers outside because it's likely to be chilly (true of the Haven on the Escape, also).  The good part about getting a non-Haven Suite on the GEM (I had an Aft Suite Balcony) is you still get to use the Concierge (Elvina when I sailed her last year....absolutely excellent) and the Butler.  You also get to eat breakfast in Moderno and lunch in Cagney's.  You don't have to pay the prices for the Haven by booking a non-Haven Suite.  It's like all the benefits with none of the cost of the Haven.  

 

Different story on the Escape.  They have a much larger Haven.  The Concierge, Anoop is outstanding, as well.  The Haven Bar and Restaurant are exemplary.  I'd consider bidding on the Haven on Escape, but not on the GEM.

 

Speaking of bidding, NCL uses some sort of unknown equation when it comes to bids and who wins, who doesn't. I don't pretend to know how it works, and anything you read is speculation.  Overall, you CAN get a better deal by booking a balcony and bidding on the Haven.  But, that's not guaranteed.  If you have your heart set on the Haven, book it. If not, book a less expensive cabin and bid, with the understanding your bid may get rejected for the Haven upgrade.

 

To sum up, if you're looking for the best entertainment at sea, and tons of activities, and a newer ship, sail the Escape.  If you're looking for a good time, on a more intimate ship, one that's been very well maintained, but is a little older, the GEM is a fine ship.  I enjoyed both immensely, for different reasons.

 

The Suite experience on the GEM or the Haven experience on the Escape will make for some of the most memorable vacations and service levels you'll experience anywhere on land or sea.

 

Plus, if you get a Suite or Haven, you get all the goodies.....Specialty Dining Packages, Drink Package, internet, some excursion discounts, etc.

 

Be happy to answer any questions.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2019 by graphicguy

[JamieLogical]

I have ONLY sailed on the Escape and the Gem so far, so they are the only ships I have to compare. I have been on the Escape twice now and the Gem once. I definitely prefer the Escape, but I know the Gem is the favorite for many people.

 

Gem

Pros:

• Fantastic live music every day in various areas of the ship
• The "bar area" with Maltings/Shakers/Magnum's was a great place to get specialty drinks and hang out to listen to live music
• Spinnaker Lounge was a great place to check out the view, relax in peace and quite in off hours, and a good venue for entertainment
• The theater is beautiful

Cons:

• Smaller balcony rooms (sorry, can't provide info on other stateroom categories)
• Very "broken up" deck plan: some places you could only get to from forward elevators, some only from aft, no large central hallway on public decks
• Crowded dining: line formed every night outside Magenta... had to eat in shifts in the cafe to get/hold a table... specialty restaurants were all booked up by the end of the first day
• Small casino
• Times when it wasn't possible to get food: O'sheehan's closed down between breakfast and lunch and the Cafe was so small that it was also fully closed in the transitions between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner... so there were a few times that we had to scrounge for food outside at the Great Outdoors mini-buffet

 

Escape

Pros:

• Better traffic patterns through "public" decks
• District Brew House
• More dining options (LOVE Pinchos Tappas)
• Larger casino
• More bars open at more hours
• Much larger Garden Cafe means always finding a table

Cons:

• Live entertainment not as good, fewer places to hang out and just listen to music
• Shows seem to book up quickly
• No really great place to sit for sail-away
• Atrium is used for far too many activities that could benefit from a better venue (like Spinnaker on the Gem)

 

At the end of our sailing on the Gem, my SO an I agreed that we simple prefer the larger ships, but if itinerary dictates, we'd be willing sail a Jewel-class ship again.

[newmexicoNita]

3 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

I have ONLY sailed on the Escape and the Gem so far, so they are the only ships I have to compare. I have been on the Escape twice now and the Gem once. I definitely prefer the Escape, but I know the Gem is the favorite for many people.

 

Gem

Pros:

• Fantastic live music every day in various areas of the ship
• The "bar area" with Maltings/Shakers/Magnum's was a great place to get specialty drinks and hang out to listen to live music
• Spinnaker Lounge was a great place to check out the view, relax in peace and quite in off hours, and a good venue for entertainment
• The theater is beautiful

Cons:

• Smaller balcony rooms (sorry, can't provide info on other stateroom categories)
• Very "broken up" deck plan: some places you could only get to from forward elevators, some only from aft, no large central hallway on public decks
• Crowded dining: line formed every night outside Magenta... had to eat in shifts in the cafe to get/hold a table... specialty restaurants were all booked up by the end of the first day
• Small casino
• Times when it wasn't possible to get food: O'sheehan's closed down between breakfast and lunch and the Cafe was so small that it was also fully closed in the transitions between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner... so there were a few times that we had to scrounge for food outside at the Great Outdoors mini-buffet

 

Escape

Pros:

• Better traffic patterns through "public" decks
• District Brew House
• More dining options (LOVE Pinchos Tappas)
• Larger casino
• More bars open at more hours
• Much larger Garden Cafe means always finding a table

Cons:

• Live entertainment not as good, fewer places to hang out and just listen to music
• Shows seem to book up quickly
• No really great place to sit for sail-away
• Atrium is used for far too many activities that could benefit from a better venue (like Spinnaker on the Gem)

 

At the end of our sailing on the Gem, my SO an I agreed that we simple prefer the larger ships, but if itinerary dictates, we'd be willing sail a Jewel-class ship again.

Very good comments. We happen to prefer the smaller Jewel class ships, if for no other reason we have always found the service better, but mega ships certainly do offer a better variety of activities. I think if I were sailing with teen an tween children I would look at the mega ships. 

[JamieLogical]

Realized I didn't answer your questions about the Upgrade Advantage Program (the upgrade bidding). Unless you booked through a TA that does not participate in the program, you will be offered the opportunity to bid on upgrades at 80 days out from sailing. You can bid two "metas" above your own. So if you are in an inside, you can bid on ocean view and balcony. If you are in ocean view, you can bid on balcony and mini-suite. Etc.

 

How winning bids are awarded is the subject of much mystery and debate. Clearly, remaining inventory would be the most obvious factor. You won't be awards an upgrade to a category if it's completely sold out (unless of course someone from that category gets upgraded to an even HIGHER category). One would also assume that the bid AMOUNT plays a large role. But there is much speculation about other factors as well, such as category you are bidding from, how much you paid for your initial booking, past on-board spending history, Latitude rewards level, etc. Some people's upgrades are awarded as far as 60 days out. Some people's upgrades aren't awarded until 48 hours out (that's the latest they can be awarded). It is a guessing game and my advice to you is that you absolutely HAVE to be in a higher category to enjoy your cruise, then book it outright. Don't rely on winning a bid. Bid what you are comfortable with and make sure that, win or lose, you will have a great trip! Maybe promise yourself that if you lose the bid, you will spend that extra money on a special treat on board or on a special shore excursion, so you feel like you "won" either way.

[salzdt]

We sailed out of Boston this past June on the Dawn.  Great smaller ship and fantastic. crew.  There were many repeat cruisers who were sad to see that the Dawn was leaving Boston.  We have not sailed larger ships because we are not fans of mega ships.  Boston is a great port to leave from and Bermuda is wonderful port.  Very relaxing, we took a Catamaran with Snorkeling.  If you like mega  ships I am sure you will have a great time. You will have to leave out of NYC.

[Alegeeter]

Another benefit to the Escape's Sunday-Sunday itinerary is that you are docked on Wednesday night, which means you can attend Harbor Nights in Hamilton. The Friday-Friday itinerary on the Gem means that you will be at sea Wednesday night.

 

This may not matter to you but if you want to experience this celebration then it's something to consider.

[BarefootMom]

oh gosh, I have never heard of Harbor nights in Hamilton...I will go research that now too! so much to think about...

 

[graphicguy]

11 minutes ago, Alegeeter said:

Another benefit to the Escape's Sunday-Sunday itinerary is that you are docked on Wednesday night, which means you can attend Harbor Nights in Hamilton. The Friday-Friday itinerary on the Gem means that you will be at sea Wednesday night.

 

This may not matter to you but if you want to experience this celebration then it's something to consider.

Forgot about that.  Good point.  Harbor Nights on Wednesdays is a great time.

 

OP....the reference to Harbor Nights....on Wednesdays, "downtown" Hamilton comes alive on the main drag with outside vendors, dining and dancing.  Fun!

[BarefootMom]

thanks @graphicguy, I was actually able to google it and it sounds great but after looking it up I am guessing it starts a week later than the week I can go? 

[graphicguy]

Unfortunately, I think you're right.  It starts in May.  Bummer.  Still, the waterfront area in Hamilton is nice to stroll up and down every night.  Bermuda is as clean as a pin.  

[OceanBlueWaters]

8 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I have ONLY sailed on the Escape and the Gem so far, so they are the only ships I have to compare. I have been on the Escape twice now and the Gem once. I definitely prefer the Escape, but I know the Gem is the favorite for many people.

 

Gem

Pros:

• Fantastic live music every day in various areas of the ship
• The "bar area" with Maltings/Shakers/Magnum's was a great place to get specialty drinks and hang out to listen to live music
• Spinnaker Lounge was a great place to check out the view, relax in peace and quite in off hours, and a good venue for entertainment
• The theater is beautiful

Cons:

• Smaller balcony rooms (sorry, can't provide info on other stateroom categories)
• Very "broken up" deck plan: some places you could only get to from forward elevators, some only from aft, no large central hallway on public decks
• Crowded dining: line formed every night outside Magenta... had to eat in shifts in the cafe to get/hold a table... specialty restaurants were all booked up by the end of the first day
• Small casino
• Times when it wasn't possible to get food: O'sheehan's closed down between breakfast and lunch and the Cafe was so small that it was also fully closed in the transitions between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner... so there were a few times that we had to scrounge for food outside at the Great Outdoors mini-buffet

 

Escape

Pros:

• Better traffic patterns through "public" decks
• District Brew House
• More dining options (LOVE Pinchos Tappas)
• Larger casino
• More bars open at more hours
• Much larger Garden Cafe means always finding a table

Cons:

• Live entertainment not as good, fewer places to hang out and just listen to music
• Shows seem to book up quickly
• No really great place to sit for sail-away
• Atrium is used for far too many activities that could benefit from a better venue (like Spinnaker on the Gem)

 

At the end of our sailing on the Gem, my SO an I agreed that we simple prefer the larger ships, but if itinerary dictates, we'd be willing sail a Jewel-class ship again.

Escape:  HUH?  I disagree.  HATM was not awesome? Did you go?  Did you see Choir of Man?

I had a perfect spot for Sail-Away.  I was at 5 O'clock Somewhere having a great time and saw everything!  There are so many spots for great sail-away...

On my cruise on Escape, Guy Harvey was there in Atrium and presented SUPER informative information over many days.  It was a pleasure/informative about his foundation and conservation. I guess you are an Architect now and want to reconfigure common spaces based on 3 cruises? 

 

It is all subjective.  I always get a laugh here...

 

🙂

[JamieLogical]

32 minutes ago, OceanBlueWaters said:

Escape:  HUH?  I disagree.  HATM was not awesome? Did you go?  Did you see Choir of Man?

I had a perfect spot for Sail-Away.  I was at 5 O'clock Somewhere having a great time and saw everything!  There are so many spots for great sail-away...

On my cruise on Escape, Guy Harvey was there in Atrium and presented SUPER informative information over many days.  It was a pleasure/informative about his foundation and conservation. I guess you are an Architect now and want to reconfigure common spaces based on 3 cruises? 

 

It is all subjective.  I always get a laugh here...

 

🙂

 

I did see Howl at the Moon twice and you are correct that it is excellent. However, unless we got there very early, it was hard to get a seat, and it was only a couple of nights on the 7-day cruise, whereas the live music on the Gem seemed to be every day and all over the ship (Atrium, Spinnaker, and the area near Magnum's). And as for guy Harvey in the Atrium, that is hardly on every sailing on the Escape!

 

Sill preferred the Escape overall though.

Edited January 8, 2019 by JamieLogical

[Shidah]

Someone mentioned Million Dollar Quartet, which I agree is fantastic but is not on the Escape currently.  It is on the Getaway.  

[graphicguy]

56 minutes ago, Shidah said:

Someone mentioned Million Dollar Quartet, which I agree is fantastic but is not on the Escape currently.  It is on the Getaway.  

That was me.  Got the ships mixed up.  Apologies (although I do love Million Dollar Quartet).

 

I think Escape has Brat Pack and After Midnght....also very, very good!!!!!!!

[AL3XCruise]

I can't help too much with the Gem, but I recently got back from a trip on the Escape and thought I might be able to add a few of my experiences.

 

With regard to music:

There were four musicians/bands that rotated through the atrium, bars, etc.  We really enjoyed Chelsea and JR (Guitar and Piano respectively), though I think they will be off the ship by April.  I heard good things about the other groups too, but did not see as much of them.  In general at least three of the four were playing on a given evening.

 

However, one negative about the BA/BA+ ships is that some of the bars are fairly small.  If the group you want to see is in a small venue, seating gets tight.  This didn't seem to be as big of an issue on Escape as it had been on Breakaway, especially at the District (not every seat was great, but you could get a seat).  Tobacco Road and the atrium were the only places we really had trouble finding a seat.  

 

In addition to those groups, you have the dinner theater, main theater, and Howl at the Moon (alternating with the comedy club).  Lots of great options there.  We saw Choir of Man, Wine Lovers, and a set by Chelsea in the dinner theater and Brat Pack in the main theater.  I won't make any specific recommendations given that everyone has different tastes, but lots of good options.  There were also a few informal "crossover" shows where multiple artists got together (Such as folks from Choir of Man singing with Chelsea in Margaritville and cast members from Brat Pack joining HATM).

 

With regard to views:

I saw it mentioned that there are limited options for views.  In NYC most folks want to be able to see out both sides of the ship, as Manhattan is on one and Statue of Liberty on the other.  If the weather permits, the upper decks work (though some of the windblocks might make photos tricky in some areas).  Personally I liked the stern on Deck 8 waterfront--really easy to walk from side to side and a great aft view.  Indoor options are more restrictive.  The spa is a full width forward view, but you'd need a spa pass.  The buffet is full width as well with an aft view, but I'm not sure how crowded it would be. 

 

With regard to weather:

We sailed in December heading to the southern Caribbean.  It was frigid leaving NYC, and we basically had two seas each way where outdoor time was minimal.  Escape isn't really a "Cold Weather Ship" so the indoor stuff does feel a bit crowded when the weather is bad.  We dealt with that by getting a spa pass, but I believe the spa is 18+ so it may not help the OP.  Once the outdoor temp got into the upper 60s people started moving outside and the ship felt much more spacious.  Even at the worst crowding wasn't too bad, but things may be more packed on an April cruise.

 

Despite the weather, there was a sail away party--however the ship left late, so the party was over before sail away occurred!  If it had been warmer people might have stuck around...

 

Bermuda:

I have been to Bermuda several times, and my only suggestion would be to pick an option that maximizes your time in port.  

 

Summary:

I was very pleased with our experience on Escape; far better than Breakaway a few years before.  I don't think there is a bad option to go to Bermuda, but I hope you find what works best for your family!

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by AL3XCruise
deleted extra spaces

[BarefootMom]

I'm still trying to decide which ship (Escape vs Gem) to go to Bermuda on and appreciate everyone's thoughts! Quick couple of questions...

- does anyone know how beds would be configured for 4 of us in either a balcony room or a mini-suite? My two teen girls are larger and do not sleep well on the pull down type beds (on the 1 cruise we took on Carnival this is what we had) so I am wondering if that couch turns into a bed for 2 or what the options are?

- on each ship, is the bathroom the biggest difference on a mini-suite vs a regular balcony room? I do not care about a tub but was hoping the overall square footage of the living space might be a little larger in the mini-suite for the 4 of us? anything else?

- I know I can look up the entertainment on each ship and am doing that (I think Escape must win in this case??) but am also wondering if someone can compare the pool and hot tub situation on each ship? We do not care much about slides or anything since our kids are older but never even got a chance to go into a pool when we sailed on Carnival because there were so many people and little kids that I do want that option...

 

Finally, I imagine it might be more confusing/stressful to cruise out of Manhattan vs Boston -- anyone gone from both that could compare?

 

[JamieLogical]

56 minutes ago, BarefootMom said:

I'm still trying to decide which ship (Escape vs Gem) to go to Bermuda on and appreciate everyone's thoughts! Quick couple of questions...

- does anyone know how beds would be configured for 4 of us in either a balcony room or a mini-suite? My two teen girls are larger and do not sleep well on the pull down type beds (on the 1 cruise we took on Carnival this is what we had) so I am wondering if that couch turns into a bed for 2 or what the options are?

- on each ship, is the bathroom the biggest difference on a mini-suite vs a regular balcony room? I do not care about a tub but was hoping the overall square footage of the living space might be a little larger in the mini-suite for the 4 of us? anything else?

- I know I can look up the entertainment on each ship and am doing that (I think Escape must win in this case??) but am also wondering if someone can compare the pool and hot tub situation on each ship? We do not care much about slides or anything since our kids are older but never even got a chance to go into a pool when we sailed on Carnival because there were so many people and little kids that I do want that option...

 

Finally, I imagine it might be more confusing/stressful to cruise out of Manhattan vs Boston -- anyone gone from both that could compare?

 

 

 

I can only help a little bit with your questions. For sleeping four in a balcony or mini-suite, two would sleep in the main, double bed. One bed will pull down from the wall or ceiling. And one bed will pull out from the little sofa/loveseat in the room.

 

I am positive that on the Escape, the only difference between a balcony and mini-suite is the size of the bathroom. There is no additional space in the main living area. I am not 100% certain that is the case on the Gem, but I am fairly sure it is.

 

As for pools/hot tubs, I really can't answer that one well either. We were on the Gem to New England & Canada at the beginning of June and it was too cold for that stuff (though some people did still do it!). I know that the times that I have been on the Escape, the pools and hot tubs were pretty crowded.

 

I also can't speak to how confusing or stressful it is to depart from Boston, but I have found the departure from NYC to be actually pretty easy. Traffic on weekends doesn't seem too bad. I just follow my GPS and park at Pier 83 (two piers down from the cruise pier, it's cheaper and you can reserve in advance). It's really no more than about 10-15 minutes of "stressful" driving in Manhattan itself. Getting through security and check-in hasn't been too bad. On my October sailing, it was somewhat challenging to drop our bags and get INTO the cruise terminal because there was an Aida ship in port at the exact same time. Lots of people still coming off the Aida ship and the Escape as we were coming into the terminal, and lots of people arriving for both ships as well. Once we were actually INSIDE the NCL terminal, it was all smooth from there. On my Gem sailing June, there was no other ship there at the same time and the Gem is a smaller ship to start, so it was much less hectic.

Edited January 10, 2019 by JamieLogical

[Alegeeter]

Minisuites on the Escape are marginally bigger than Balcony cabins. The bathrooms are much larger but the cabin itself is too. You can tell by the placement of the side tables next to the bed the there is maybe an extra foot or two.

[herdingdogmom]

6 hours ago, BarefootMom said:

I'm still trying to decide which ship (Escape vs Gem) to go to Bermuda on and appreciate everyone's thoughts! Quick couple of questions...

- does anyone know how beds would be configured for 4 of us in either a balcony room or a mini-suite? My two teen girls are larger and do not sleep well on the pull down type beds (on the 1 cruise we took on Carnival this is what we had) so I am wondering if that couch turns into a bed for 2 or what the options are?

- on each ship, is the bathroom the biggest difference on a mini-suite vs a regular balcony room? I do not care about a tub but was hoping the overall square footage of the living space might be a little larger in the mini-suite for the 4 of us? anything else?

 

There are no pull down beds in the mini suite on the Gem.  The sofa sleeper in the mini suite on the Gem is larger than it is in the balcony cabin and the area where the sofa is roomier.  The sofa sleeps 2 but may not be the most comfortable and it does block access to the balcony when pulled out.  The balcony on the mini on the Gem is larger than the balcony in a regular balcony room.

[PJTM]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 12:41 PM, graphicguy said:

Lots of good questions.  Have sailed both the GEM and the Escape out of the East Coast terminals.

 

First, they're kind of 2 different kinds of ships.  The GEM is much smaller than the Escape.  Escape is one of the many "mega-ships" that are a current trend on ALL cruise lines.  They try to put as much as they can on one ship.....water slides, wall climbing, etc. That's either a good or bad thing.  

 

I enjoyed both cruises for different reasons.  The GEM is easier to get around, but the Escape has more to do.

 

I'd say the entertainment on the Escape, the highlight being the Million Dollar Quartet (which is probably the best show I've seen on any cruise ship, on any line).

 

GEM has good entertainment, too.  It's just scaled back a bit compared to the Escape.

 

Bermuda is one of my favorite ports.  It's beautiful.  In April, it starts warming up again.  You can have days in the lower 80ºs, and you can have days that will be in the low 60ºs.  Sailing from either port in the Atlantic in the early Spring can get a little rocky.  But, that never bothers me.  The further south you travel to Bermuda, the calmer the water will be.

 

Plan on having your first day at sea to be jacket weather if you go on deck.

 

GEM is more intimate.  I got to know the crew quite a bit more, which was a good thing.  They remembered me and what I liked, from the bartenders to the restaurant Hostesses.

 

Regarding Haven....don't bother on the GEM.  Her Haven is tiny and first the first day or two, you won't want to use the Haven pool or loungers outside because it's likely to be chilly (true of the Haven on the Escape, also).  The good part about getting a non-Haven Suite on the GEM (I had an Aft Suite Balcony) is you still get to use the Concierge (Elvina when I sailed her last year....absolutely excellent) and the Butler.  You also get to eat breakfast in Moderno and lunch in Cagney's.  You don't have to pay the prices for the Haven by booking a non-Haven Suite.  It's like all the benefits with none of the cost of the Haven.  

 

Different story on the Escape.  They have a much larger Haven.  The Concierge, Anoop is outstanding, as well.  The Haven Bar and Restaurant are exemplary.  I'd consider bidding on the Haven on Escape, but not on the GEM.

 

Speaking of bidding, NCL uses some sort of unknown equation when it comes to bids and who wins, who doesn't. I don't pretend to know how it works, and anything you read is speculation.  Overall, you CAN get a better deal by booking a balcony and bidding on the Haven.  But, that's not guaranteed.  If you have your heart set on the Haven, book it. If not, book a less expensive cabin and bid, with the understanding your bid may get rejected for the Haven upgrade.

 

To sum up, if you're looking for the best entertainment at sea, and tons of activities, and a newer ship, sail the Escape.  If you're looking for a good time, on a more intimate ship, one that's been very well maintained, but is a little older, the GEM is a fine ship.  I enjoyed both immensely, for different reasons.

 

The Suite experience on the GEM or the Haven experience on the Escape will make for some of the most memorable vacations and service levels you'll experience anywhere on land or sea.

 

Plus, if you get a Suite or Haven, you get all the goodies.....Specialty Dining Packages, Drink Package, internet, some excursion discounts, etc.

 

Be happy to answer any questions.

 

 

My wife and I will be sailing on the GEM out of Boston to Bermuda this may. We booked a mini suite and would like to know if there are coffee pots in the cabins and if so what type? Thanks for any assistance Happy Cruising 

[JamieLogical]

14 hours ago, PJTM said:

My wife and I will be sailing on the GEM out of Boston to Bermuda this may. We booked a mini suite and would like to know if there are coffee pots in the cabins and if so what type? Thanks for any assistance Happy Cruising 

 

There are coffee pots in the cabins. They are single-cup and they use "pods", but not the Keurig kind. They are the ones you commonly see in hotel rooms that use these:

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Senseo-Hamilton-Brewers/dp/B01KOGHOHQ/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1547212660&sr=8-2-spons&fpw=pantry&keywords=hamilton+beach+senseo&psc=1

[gymbomb]

If you would book a mini suite, look at photos and videos (search youtube) of those rooms on the two ships. They are set up differently. On Gem the 2 girls would share a pull out sofa bed, which is next to the balcony and can be separated from the main bed by a curtain to create a small bit of privacy. On the Escape they would be on a single sofa bed and a pullman above it bunk bed style, with no curtain to separate sleeping areas. You may find that you/they prefer one or the other of those. The size difference between a balcony room and a mini suite on Escape is primarily in the bathroom. On Gem more of that extra space is in the actual room.

Edited January 11, 2019 by gymbomb

[jpcdds6]

Jewel class ships are some of the best designed in the fleet. At almost 100,000 tons they are by no means "small". The mega ships have more to offer, but almost twice as many people to offer it to. The great outdoors area on Jewel class is one of the best areas on any NCL ship. Also, O'Sheehan's is a nice size and centrally located.

Edited January 11, 2019 by jpcdds6

[Pandot]

We travelled on the GEM last year for Spring Break (then out of NYC).  Kids were 4 and 8.  They loved it!

 

Outside cabin was snug but worked fine for a family with young kids.  Lots of space to hang out but not alot for my husband to do during the day (his input).

 

We are sailing on the Escape in October.  Not looking forward to the larger crowds but hoping there were be a couple more daytime activities for hubby.