LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.05.08 - Saturday - Long

[atlantic ocean]

Yes, saw Stacey many times during the week. Was even in the elevator with her. She was very sweet, took pictures with you, always waving to people. Went to the final taping. A little long, but I thought it was fun. Clinton was on another vacation.

[spanky]

Jackie, you are the "hostest with the mostest!"

 

I don't know why you were verbally attacked for making a comment about a possible surcharging of Blue Lagoon. You didn't say it would happen for sure and you weren't maliciously spreading gossip. It's not like you said NCL would start charging people for toilet paper for crying out loud!

 

It was great meeting you and your husband (finally) on the Gem. The gathering turned out great and again we thank you.

 

Spanky (dave)

[angeljt]

Thanks so much for posting. I was just taking a break from packing and came across your post. You just got me so excitied!! I can't wait. If you think of it could you tell me if there is any big change in the main menus from last year. The embarkation lunch sounds different from last year.

 

I can't remember the embarkation lunch from last year, but they had the new one for April 12th lunch posted after we had breakfast on emarkation day and it was different from ours. I have a copy that I'll post.

When is your cruise?

 

Thanks for the post im so jealous! You should have lunch one day in the courtyard its so nice and dont forget to go up to the private sundeck sorry no one told you about it when you first got onboard, it really is a nice perk. Enjoy the rest on your cruise can't wait to hear more:)

 

Yes, it was disappointing that we missed those days in the Courtyard, but we did have breakfast there one day and also the Captain's cocktail party one night. It was never crowded when we did go, except for the party.

 

Jackie,

It sounds like you are having a ball. I can't wait until Saturday! Did you give your charm to an officer? I have to remember to do that!

Everything sounds wonderful and I hope they don't do the surchage at the Blue Lagoon until after our cruise! I keep telling my DD that she can get food 24 hours there and it's all the stuff she likes!

Hope you had fun in Nassau. If you have a change to write about Freeport I would like to hear that. I just have no desire to go there.......

 

Travel Agents are often invited on the ships in port to get a tour. Unfortunately they have to look at somebody's room and they chose yours! :eek: Someobdy wrote a thread about that a couple weeks ago.

Enjoy!

Sandy

 

Sandy, we did not get off the ship in Freeport, but you'll be going there tomorrow and can let us know about it if you explore. :) Hope you're having a great time and enjoying the Gem as much as we did.

 

Jackie

[angeljt]

Jackie,

Thanks for all your info.

Did you ask when the Gem will be 2.0 complete? (You mention no top sheet yet and some other stuff) I am curious about the "Gigantic" salad bar that is supposed to be added.

We take the Gem on 14 Sept. Can't wait!

Joy

 

I'm sorry, I didn't ask about this, but there have been some changes made. I believe I read that it would be in place in May or June. Someone else might know the date. They had a very big salad bar with many, many choices. Seems like that one is already on the Gem. :D

 

And what a perfect venue for the taping-lots of examples-freestyle so often equals nostyle:p

 

There were plenty of nostyle's around, but plenty with muchstyle also. I don't really care what anyone else does as long as it doesn't affect me. Can't let the nostyles spoil our fun! ;) We did dress when we went to the specialty restaurants and the VIP parties, but the rest of the time was casual for us.

 

The OS seemed much different from the Dawn's, but the service was fantastic. They brought us goodies each afternoon. Cheese and crackers with grapes every night, roasted peanuts and either canapes or goodies. On the Dawn they would bring canapes before dinner and goodies after. We usually couldn't eat much of them since it seems we were always full. :eek:

 

Hi Jackie, thanks for taking the time to post! Did you wave when you passed by Danbury?:p

 

You know I waved to you, Mary!!! :D We stayed in New Fairfield and had a party on Sunday. It was great to see many of our old friends again. Our friends sold one of their restaurants and we'll be back in a couple of weeks for the sendoff. I'll wave to you again!

Jackie

[angeljt]

Jackie, enjoying your review...thanks for taking the time to post.

 

We were on the Gem a few months ago and no charge for Tequila. Not sure that restaurant merits a surcharge:confused:

 

Blue Lagoon, it will be a shame if they start charging as that seems to be a favorite of the young teens during the day and evening. They could be running up quite of bill!

 

For a "cooked to order" burger, fries, wursts, etc., head to Topsiders Grill(?) Not sure I remember the name correctly, not at the pool level but 1/2 deck above the pool. You have to place your own order for food at the counter but it is "cooked to order" and the barstaff up there are great and you are overlooking the pool from the tables up there.:)

 

We always request a top-sheet for our bed as soon as we arrive in our suite. Several years ago, they were in the OS but not the past few years.

I agree with the yuk factor of TA's in your suite. The same happened to us on the Jewel and I was not happy. Entrance should not be permitted once the cabin/restroom:eek: has been cleaned!!! Another reason for "lysol" wipes:D

 

Prem is a wonderful HD. Do not hesitate to call him if you have any concerns.

 

And, to all of you LUCKY cruisers who will soon be boarding the Gem - Jackie is a great resource. She is accurate and honest.

Wishing you all a wonderful cruise.

 

Jackie, wishing you calm seas on your return home. Enjoy every minute

 

 

Thank you for those kind words, Cosmo! They were and are very much appreciated. I do try to be accurate and honest, but sometimes I get ahead of myself and should have saved that post about the Blue Lagoon until I knew a little more. I was shocked when I heard that and I'm glad it won't take place.

 

They also had half price in most all of the specialty restaurants each night between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM after the first day. We did not go to Tequilas, but they did have a variety of Mexican items in the Garden Cafe. They also have a pasta station where you can get two types of pasta or ravioli with your choice of sauces and mix ins.

 

We never made it to Bali Hai (Topsiders). They also have burgers, dogs, salads, and much more right on the pool deck. It's open when they have the poolside BBQ's also. I had some delicious gnocchi's there last Thursday.

 

I agree about people being in your room after it is cleaned. I wouldn't mind people peeking in, but not touching things. Maybe they're told not to touch, but I doubt it. :eek:

 

Yes, Prem was fantastic and we did talk to him on many occasions. He couldn't thank us enough for bringing some suggestions and a couple of minor problems directly to him. He had given us his cell number which I thought was above and beyond for someone in his very busy position. A very nice man indeed, and very approachable.

 

We sure did have calm seas, but I met people who were seasick and thought it was rough. :confused:

 

Jackie

[angeljt]

It's a small World ???

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=694016

 

Thank you for this, FIRELT5, and for everyone's (well, almost everyone) support. It sure did make me feel MUCH better to see the pot was calling the kettle black! I read that entire post and it does seem to be a rumor so far.

I am not here to start rumors or trouble, but to discuss our love of cruising and report my experiences and to read others.

 

Do you know what date they finish filming the tv show what not to wear? Was wondering if they will still be there on our sailing. Thanks. Hope your having a great time.

 

Oh i have one more question. Can you tell us what the prices are for the day use of the spa area. Not to get any treatments, im refering to using the pools, hot tubs, etc in that area. Can you tell us what it includes for that price. All help is greatly appreciated Jackie. Do they have a weekly price as well?

 

Thanks again.

 

The taping of the reveal was Friday, April 11, so I think they did all the filming last week.

I'm glad someone else answered about the spa. I did pick up some spa menus and will post them this week. I'll try to do that before you leave.

 

Jackie, am so enjoying your review - appreciate you taking the time to do it.

I love What Not to Wear! Have you seen Clinton and Stacey? Would love to know when that segment will be aired.

Continue to enjoy your cruise!

Aloha

 

Stacey was there, but not Clinton. It will air on July 10th and you'll get another sneak peak at the Gem. They were filming all over the place during the week. I couldn't figure out what all the signs were for until I heard they were filming on board. They had signs saying not to go in certain areas if you didn't want to be filmed.

Jackie

[angeljt]

Hi Jackie,

 

I see you're having fun. Yes, things are different on the Gem than on the Dawn. We also thought some of the suites were a little smaller than on the Dawn. We thought the GV was laid out better on the Gem than on the Dawn.

 

Tell Armando to make you his Sexy Alligator Martini. It is really good.

 

We're sailing the Dawn next week for a 2-day, then it's the Dawn for Bermuda in October.

 

If you run into Prem, tell him hi from Diane & Monty and please thank him for his help with our next weeks cruise.

 

Yes, the Courtyard is nice. I can see why you couldn't find it.

 

Try the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict in Cagney's.

 

Have a great cruise. I know you will!!!!!!!!!

 

Happy Cruising,

Monty

 

Great review Jackie! It brings us right back on the ship.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise. If you get to see Ryan (de Butler!) Tell him Monty & Diane say hi.

 

Hi Monty & Diane!

We had a fantastic time, as usual. Were things perfect? No, but nothing ever is and everyone tried to correct any small problems that came up. I thought some of the other rooms we saw were smaller, but it's tough to tell. We didn't get to visit the GV since they filled them the last week. We were hoping one would be vacant so we could tour it.

Armando did make a Sexy Alligator and gave it to one of our CC friends at the first Martini Clinic. He let us taste it and it was a bit too sweet for me, but maybe it was because we had just finished 4 martinis...

Glad to hear you'll be on the Dawn in just a couple of days!!! Wish we were going again too.

I didn't read the rest of the thread until we were in CT, or I would have told Prem and Ryan hello for you and maybe even tried the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. My choice was the filet and eggs each time since we eat very little red meat at home.

We did bump into Ryan in the elevator and I told him that I had heard many good things about him. Please tell Prem hello for us, and Putu also if you run into him. Prem will probably remember that DH called him the morning of debarkation when he had just stepped out of the shower. I don't know if he knew our names or just our faces, but he was wonderful and always attentive.

Jackie (who is trying very hard to catch up with all the questions and comments here)

[angeljt]

Hi Jackie! I hope you are enjoying your last few evenings on the Gem. Thank you for posting live! I chuckle that they are taping "What not to wear" program. Although I love the NCL marketing strategy (how many people watch the show and will see the beautiful ship in the background) yet scratch my head because of freestyle dress and its promotion of wearing 'whatever.'

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

coka

 

Thanks, Coka, we sure did enjoy each and every day and night!

We loved meeting Edelsten-Det Jente Fiske aka Edel, Robbie, Gemme! Your sister did a fantastic job creating her and she is doing a great job of watching over the Gem. I took pictures, but they didn't come out very good. I don't know if they added my charm or not. Someone else from our CC M&G also brought one and they said it was full, but took the charms from us. Maybe they'll change them around from time to time.

 

 

I too would be very disappointed if they add a sur charge to Blue Lagoon, let's hope this in rumor. I don't always beleive what the crew says; I have had to many experiences with them saying things that are not quite right. If they do add a charge they will be copying RCI.

Jackie, thanks so much for your postings and now that I read on, I see the Blue Lagoon charge could be simply rumor. Again, thanks for taking time to fill us in on what is happening.

 

Nita

 

Nita, you're very welcome. I do enjoy doing the live reports but it sure is hard for me to remember everything unless I do it day by day or take notes. I still have a few more days to post.

I was also very happy to hear they decided against charging for the Blue Lagoon.

Jackie

[angeljt]

Thanks Jackie, That's great news.

Yahooey!!!

 

I agree!!! :D

 

Thanks for taking the time to post before even unpacking. That was very nice of you. I hope you had a great trip!

 

Thanks Jackie for clarifying the issue. Im glad you had a good time and great weather. I can only hope that we are as lucky. Enjoy your time away.

 

You're very welcome and thank you, we did have a great trip. I hope you do too.

Jackie

[angeljt]

Jackie, you are the "hostest with the mostest!"

 

I don't know why you were verbally attacked for making a comment about a possible surcharging of Blue Lagoon. You didn't say it would happen for sure and you weren't maliciously spreading gossip. It's not like you said NCL would start charging people for toilet paper for crying out loud!

 

It was great meeting you and your husband (finally) on the Gem. The gathering turned out great and again we thank you.

 

Spanky (dave)

 

Hi Dave!

Thanks for sticking up for me! I do appreciate it. Ha ha.... Imagine paying extra for TP!!! :eek:

It was also great to meet you and Lisa after all these months, and we had fun at the M & G and also at the room party. I'm glad you were able to make it. It was a lot of fun with a lot of very nice people.:D

Whew, I think I'm finally caught up and will post the rest of our cruise next.

Jackie

[CTCruisers]

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.06.08 - SUNDAY

 

 

We went to the Martini Clinic at 4 PM with our friends and some of our new CC friends also showed up. It was a good turnout with about 25 people. Armando made us the Classic Martini (with vodka), the French Cosmo, the Forbidden Fruitini and the Chocolate Raspberry Martini. I liked the Classic and the Chocolate Raspberry the best, but others liked the French and Fruitini also. Just not my cup of vodka. Armando also made a Sexy Alligator and a few of us tasted it. A little too sweet for me, but it was good.

 

 

We were on this cruise as well. It sounded like everyone at the Martini clinic was having a good time. You kept getting shushed by the crew member trying to run a trivia contest nearby.

 

I never understood why they insist on the trivia games being held in the bar areas. People are having a good time and don't realize some people are trying to compete. They should be held in a neutral, non-traffic area.

[angeljt]

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.09.08 - WEDNESDAY - part two

 

Went to the Martini Clinic and had 4 martinis. There were only 9 of us and it was much quicker than the first one, a little too quick for me, but we all had fun. We had 4 more martinis, expresso, banana and 2 others. He changes them and will ask if there is anything you'd like. There will be another one tomorrow and also one on Friday.

 

We went up to see Coka's mermaid yesterday and I had given Prem my charm along with another CC member. He said it was full and there wasn't really room for more charms, but he did take them, so maybe they will put them on. We only counted 25 charms on the tower and mermaid. We'll take another walk to see if they put them on.

 

We went to Orchid Garden for dinner with C & A and had a variety of appetizers, Dim Sum, Grilled Chicken Satays, Spring Rolls, and Peking Duck Crepes. Also Crunchy Pork Salad and Mandarin Prawn Salad. I had the Sweet and Sour Pork and fried rice, DH had Szechuan Beef with fried rice, C & A had Spicy Seafood Hot Pot and Pad Thai (spicy). Thai Banana Pancakes and Ginger Creme Brulee for dessert.

 

I went to the Casino until 2 AM or so, and DH went back to the room. It's funny how I can stay awake in the Casino. :D

[CTCruisers]

Just off the Gem today, 4/12. Prem told us the the M&G that by the end of the month there would be only 4 free places to eat. None of can remember if the Blue Lagoon was one of the 4.

 

The "What Not TO Wear" show will air on 7/10, or so they said at the final reveal. Clinton was not there, just Stacey, Nick and Carmondy. It was a bit inconvientent with the filming, IMHO. The spa became difficult to access, etc.

 

Off to unpack and check the mail, and get the updates on Big Brother!!!

 

They also tied up the Spinnaker Lounge for an afternoon as well.

[angeljt]

We were on this cruise as well. It sounded like everyone at the Martini clinic was having a good time. You kept getting shushed by the crew member trying to run a trivia contest nearby.

 

I never understood why they insist on the trivia games being held in the bar areas. People are having a good time and don't realize some people are trying to compete. They should be held in a neutral, non-traffic area.

 

Yes, everyone was having a very good time at the Martini Clinic and we were trying to keep them quiet, but it wasn't working. It's hard when everyone has had a few martinis in a very short time, but it was all in good fun. We felt bad for the trivia people, but there wasn't much we could do. I do have a picture of that, maybe you're in it. :D

Jackie

[angeljt]

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.10.08 - THURSDAY

 

We forgot to put our room service card out for the second night. I'm sure glad we have the espresso machine. We've been giving it a good workout.

 

We also called a second time to have the sound system fixed on the Bose CD/DVD sound system. It seems to come on all hours of the day and night. DH was not happy to have it wake him up again at 3 AM. We informed them previously, but we were still waiting for it to be fixed. We let them know again and someone came right down. It still came on by itself after it was fixed, but not as often. DH pulled the power wire and disconnected a few other things so it wouldn't come on.

 

We went to the Courtyard for breakfast, which is the same menu as Cagney's breakfast. We were informed that we needed to let our butler, Putu, know

 

We went to the pool for a swim and to get a little sun. We've had beautiful weather and Lisa, the Concierge, told us that this has been the best week for the Bahama run, weatherwise. It's been beautiful every day, with very little humidity and a lot of sun. The seas are still very calm.

 

We had the poolside, BBQ lunch, grilled chicken, pork chops, delicious noodles and gnocchi. Plenty more choices at the Grill also.

 

We invited C & A for Happy Hour drinks and then got ready for dinner.

 

I was in the guest bathroom and I heard people yelling, so I looked in the hall and didn't see anyone. I went back in and still heard yelling and banging. It was Terry (DH) and he was yelling for me since he was stuck in the shower. I really got scared and thought something happened to him. He was yelling and banging very loudly and I couldn't see him until I got to the bathroom. The plastic roller outside the shower door malfunctioned, but I was able to move it from outside the door. I'm glad I wasn't down in the Casino when he got stuck. It's pretty funny looking back, but that wouldn't have been fun for him.

 

We went to Le Bistro for dinner. We had a bottle of Merlot, a martini for me, Escargot Bourguignonne, Warm Goat Cheese Tart, French Onion Soup, Mushroom Soup in a sourdough bread bowl, Chateaubriand cooked perfectly rare, and it melted in your mouth, served with Sauteed Mushrooms, Bouquetiere of Vegetables, Bordelaise Sauce (very salty) or Bearnaise Sauce (very good). DH had the Le Bistro Souffle (Bittersweet Dark Chocolate with Grand Marnier Sauce Angllaise and we had the Chocolate Fondue (yum) and Cappuccino.

 

We went to see the comedian, Ross Bennett and he put on a very good show.

 

I wanted to go to the Casino, but my eyes were closing, so off to bed for us.....

[angeljt]

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.11.08 - FRIDAY

 

Woke up to another beautiful, busy day. We relaxed in the room for a while and then headed for breakfast. Met up with Cheryl for the What Not To Wear reveal taping and they were running about an hour behind. It was fun to watch them film the show and Stacey London was entertaining. The production staff were all very nice and made us feel comfortable. The show will air on July 10th.

We went for a quick lunch in the Garden Cafe since we were having a gathering in our room at 2:45 PM. Putu did a great job setting up snacks and mixers. He's been very busy this week since he had Stacey London's suite and the staff (28 additional people) to take care of. They were all treated as VIP's. Putu is a wonderful butler and a very nice person.

He did a great job setting up for the party and brought a large tray of cheese and crackers, another of fresh cut fruit, roasted peanuts, and three pizzas along with soda, tonic water and OJ.

 

 

We invited all of the CC members whose room numbers we had. I wish I got to meet everyone, but that doesn't always happen. What a nice group of people we had, with everyone being very friendly and a fun crowd. We had a few drinks and a few snacks and some pleasant conversation before Putu had to clean up for our dinner in the room with C & A.

 

He asked us if we wanted it served course by course, but I told him he could bring everything except dessert so the ice cream wouldn't melt on our crepes.

We ordered from the main dining room and Blue Lagoon. We had prociutto with melon, shrimp wontons, Island fruits, Chicken tom yum soup (which turned out to be shrimp), Cajun shrimp & corn bisque, tomato soup, caesar salad, Seafood cioppino, beef & onion brochette, mac & cheese, eggplant parm, bread pudding, raspberry almond torte and crepes with chocolate ice cream. Yum!!! We didn't have all of those for each of us, but that is everything we had for all of us. We also had the rest of the Merlot from our Le Bistro dinner since I didn't have any and went for a martini instead.

 

We went to the Gem Karaoke Idol show which wasn't great. DH was very disappointed that they have discontinued the guest talent show and replaced it with this show. Oh well, times change, but I'm guessing they might go back to the old show if it turns out like this one all the time. Most people seemed to be singing songs they didn't know, which isn't easy and didn't sound great for the most part. There were only 4 people in it and they did have one guest singer who did some acrobatics.

 

We still had to pack to put our bags out before 1 AM, so we decided to that and then meet up with C & A for the Quest, which was a lot of fun. We then went to Bliss, had a drink and played on the slots there for a while. C & A had to get their bags out and DH went to bed while I went to the Casino again for a while.

 

A week jiust isn't long enough!!! The time flew by.

[Cosmopolitan]

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.11.08 - FRIDAY

We still had to pack to put our bags out before 1 AM, so we decided to that and then meet up with C & A for the Quest, which was a lot of fun. We then went to Bliss, had a drink and played on the slots there for a while. C & A had to get their bags out and DH went to bed while I went to the Casino again for a while.

 

A week jiust isn't long enough!!! The time flew by.

 

LOVED your review. Great update of information.

 

We, too, had many laughs at the Quest;)

 

I agree...a week is NOT long enough...we now do, at least, ten days:)

[angeljt]

Glad you liked it, Cosmo! Thanks. :D

They seemed to have toned the Quest down some since our last cruise. Maybe because some people let their kids go to it? It's definitely not a show for kids.

The last few we've done on the Dawn were 10 and 11 days and perfect. A week seems to fly by. You're just starting to relax and it's time to come home, but it's still great. We did a 17 night repo on Celebrity and that was fantastic. You get to know your way around and really have a chance to relax and fit everything in. I brought 2 books and never opened either one. We were on the go a lot even though we didn't do anything in the ports except in Port Canaveral. We also went to Starbucks in Nassau for a couple of hours, but that was it. We just love staying on the ship and have been to all the ports before. We'd rather explore on land vacations and not have to rush.

The 7 day Majesty to Bermuda was different though, since we were docked in Bermuda for 3 1/2 days. Very relaxing and plenty of time to explore.

Jackie

[Sandyrella]

It is just an unsubstantiated rumor which you just spread all over cruise critic.

 

 

Yikes! A little harsh :confused: Not too Kewl to me...:rolleyes:

 

Loved your review Jackie!

[angeljt]

Yikes! A little harsh :confused: Not too Kewl to me...:rolleyes:

 

Loved your review Jackie!

 

Thank you, Sandyrella! Glad you enjoyed my review. I'll be posting pics soon too.

I thought it was a bit harsh also, especially when he said it was a hot topic of conversation on their roll call. There were only a very few posts (maybe 4 or 5) about it and no one seemed to be as offended as he/she was. It was not my intent to start trouble, and I can see that most people realized that. I also never admitted that it wasn't from an employee, I don't know where he/she got that from?

 

Well I know for a fact this "rumor" is a hot topic on our April 19th Gem roll call. I would think a CC veteran like yourself would be aware of the vast reach this website has. Any information posted on here is read by thousands of pairs of eyes. Not by just those who post. C'mon now, you know that.

[spanky]

Hey Jackie, that picture looks very familiar!! It's a shame we all didn't eat too much...I sure could go for some of that food now (and the cake was very good too)!

 

 

dave

 

 

 

LIVE ON THE GEM - 04.11.08 - FRIDAY

 

Woke up to another beautiful, busy day. We relaxed in the room for a while and then headed for breakfast. Met up with Cheryl for the What Not To Wear reveal taping and they were running about an hour behind. It was fun to watch them film the show and Stacey London was entertaining. The production staff were all very nice and made us feel comfortable. The show will air on July 10th.

We went for a quick lunch in the Garden Cafe since we were having a gathering in our room at 2:45 PM. Putu did a great job setting up snacks and mixers. He's been very busy this week since he had Stacey London's suite and the staff (28 additional people) to take care of. They were all treated as VIP's. Putu is a wonderful butler and a very nice person.

He did a great job setting up for the party and brought a large tray of cheese and crackers, another of fresh cut fruit, roasted peanuts, and three pizzas along with soda, tonic water and OJ.

 

 

We invited all of the CC members whose room numbers we had. I wish I got to meet everyone, but that doesn't always happen. What a nice group of people we had, with everyone being very friendly and a fun crowd. We had a few drinks and a few snacks and some pleasant conversation before Putu had to clean up for our dinner in the room with C & A.

 

He asked us if we wanted it served course by course, but I told him he could bring everything except dessert so the ice cream wouldn't melt on our crepes.

We ordered from the main dining room and Blue Lagoon. We had prociutto with melon, shrimp wontons, Island fruits, Chicken tom yum soup (which turned out to be shrimp), Cajun shrimp & corn bisque, tomato soup, caesar salad, Seafood cioppino, beef & onion brochette, mac & cheese, eggplant parm, bread pudding, raspberry almond torte and crepes with chocolate ice cream. Yum!!! We didn't have all of those for each of us, but that is everything we had for all of us. We also had the rest of the Merlot from our Le Bistro dinner since I didn't have any and went for a martini instead.

 

We went to the Gem Karaoke Idol show which wasn't great. DH was very disappointed that they have discontinued the guest talent show and replaced it with this show. Oh well, times change, but I'm guessing they might go back to the old show if it turns out like this one all the time. Most people seemed to be singing songs they didn't know, which isn't easy and didn't sound great for the most part. There were only 4 people in it and they did have one guest singer who did some acrobatics.

 

We still had to pack to put our bags out before 1 AM, so we decided to that and then meet up with C & A for the Quest, which was a lot of fun. We then went to Bliss, had a drink and played on the slots there for a while. C & A had to get their bags out and DH went to bed while I went to the Casino again for a while.

 

A week jiust isn't long enough!!! The time flew by.

[angeljt]

Hey Jackie, that picture looks very familiar!! It's a shame we all didn't eat too much...I sure could go for some of that food now (and the cake was very good too)!

 

 

dave

 

Dave,

I know, I sure could go for some of that too. I guess we were all too full all week. :D Boy, I sure did eat too much and too often.

Hope all is well.

Jackie

[BarbCT605]

Thanks for taking the time to review the Gem, especially being in the Owner's Suite.:D

 

Looks like Putu did a fantastic job for you - especially the food for your mini-CC party.

[angeljt]

Thanks for taking the time to review the Gem, especially being in the Owner's Suite.:D

 

Looks like Putu did a fantastic job for you - especially the food for your mini-CC party.

 

You're welcome, Barb.

Putu was great and such a sweet person. I would love to have him again as our butler.

Glad you had a good time on your cruise too. We never made it down to 9170 to read the bible. I wasn't sure how the new people would take that. ;)

I've started posting pictures and menus, but will finish after I visit with Mom for a couple of days. We're heading back to CT this weekend for the closing of Ciao. :( Our friends sold it after 20 years, but they will still have Two Steps.

Jackie

[cruzinaway]

Putu was great and such a sweet person. I would love to have him again as our butler.

 

Hi Jackie,

 

I've been reading all your posts regarding your Gem cruise. We are also scheduled to sail the Gem in May in an Owner's Suite. I'm assuming we'll also have Putu as our butler.

 

I have a few questions for you:

 

If we want to host a small gathering in our room do we need to notify the ship in advance? Also, are there special costs associated with the party? I know we should tip the butler well after the party but wasn't sure how we pay for all the extra food and/or drinks.

 

Also, how does disembarkation work? Do OS guests get to leave a little early? I'm only asking because our flight out of Barcelona leaves at 11:30 and I'm getting a little worried about making it to the airport on time. It's a shame since we'll probably be rushed on our last day of the cruise.

 

Finally, do the OS room keys get you in the Courtyard on Deck 14 or will we need a special escort (butler, concierge) to access this private area? I've read breakfast and lunch are served there (from Cagney's). Do we need to make a special reservation to eat in the Courtyard in the morning/afternoon?

 

So many questions! Can't wait to sail!