Gem Again! 1/14/09 - 1/24/09 (LONG!)

[Cubechick]

The best way to deal with post-cruise depression (aside from planning your next one!) is to write a review so you can relive every moment. We were on the 10-day Southern Caribbean aboard the fantastic Gem, January 14th-24th.

Last fall, NCL ran a great special that included on board credits of up to $600 for suites. Thanks to Cruise Critic, I saw many people post that this sale was not limited to new bookings so I called our TA hoping to apply $300 in OBC to the mini-suite that we’d booked. Before I knew it I’d been talked into booking the last AE suite that was open. 8632 was directly above the Bliss Lounge and the bowling alley…which made me nervous about noise, but the lure of being in a Penthouse and VIP perks lured me in. Suddenly our much anticipated cruise took on a whole new dimension. We’d hadn’t sailed in a suite since Freestyle 2.0 had been introduced and never on a newer ship. The list of suite-perks was impressive, but surely, most of those applied to the Owner’s Suites and higher? Well, we’d find out once on board and be pleasantly surprised by whatever happened.

Embarkation was an interesting mess. It appears that the Gem had arrived to the pier late and there was a frenzied mix of passengers arriving and departing. First we found ourselves in the wrong line (this line was picking up not dropping off). After several frustrating minutes of inching forward, we finally got to the drop off point. There wasn’t a porter in sight! After a few attempts to get a porter were thwarted, we spied a cart loaded with suitcases that had “Aft” luggage tags on them. As we were also “Aft” we tossed our luggage on with theirs and hoped for the best. (We did receive our luggage, and in a timely manner, but really didn’t like driving off with it unattended.) Okay, our luggage abandoned, we found that the ramp to the parking garage was closed. Was this due to the rough winter, erosion, or further improvements to the pier? We could only guess, but now faced the problem of getting to the parking area. So back out into Manhattan traffic we went to make the loop to the entrance of the cruise ship terminal. A thousand light cycles later, we were back to the terminal and heading toward parking. As usual there were an ample number of parking spaces and before you knew it we were checking in.

Although we were traveling with friends who weren’t in a suite, we’d read on the boards that we could all check in together. So we approached the security area with confidence, gave the woman guarding the VIP area our suite number and were quickly waved through. After we made our way through the rope maze to the x-ray machines, we turned around to find our friends missing. Apparently upon finding out that they were not in a suite, the woman had bodily blocked them from following us! Thankfully, once they had gone through security, as reported, they were allowed to check in with us and were escorted to the VIP area shortly after we were. As we were enjoying juice and cocoa, an announcement over the PA system let us know that they hoped to start boarding by 1:00. Boo! Over an hour to go! Therefore we were pleasantly surprised when we were escorted onto the ship shortly after 12:30. At the top of the gangway, there was a group of employees dancing and singing a welcome aboard song to us happy passengers. What a way to start our vacation! Shortly thereafter, we’d scooped up our complimentary champagne and headed to our cabin to drop off our carry-on bags.

A very busy room steward who was working on cabins near the elevators turned us away saying that our cabin wasn’t ready. DH took evasive action and went down the other corridor and soon returned, motioning us to follow. He’d found our room steward (Jenny, who with her partner Eric, were simply fantastic!) who gave us the green light. The suite was just lovely. You’d think that the bright greens, pinks and purples would be garish, but the dark wood in the room made for a wonderful contrast. Our balcony wasn’t deep, but was the width of the room and could easily have fit a lounger if we’d wanted one. Tons of cabinet and closet space (hey, two safes!), and ah, there was the cappuccino machine that I’d heard so much about. Would have to figure out how that worked later. I loved the vanity area that was between the bathroom and closet. Ample drawers would give me plenty of places to tuck away my make-up and various hair accessories. So much better than having to compete for space on the desk found in standard cabins!

Carry-ons stowed, we went to Grand Pacific for lunch to avoid the mayhem in the buffet. I wish NCL would either change their menus, or at least shake up the rotation. Not that the food isn’t good, but it would be nice to have a different embarkation day menu. Having had this menu 7 times now we’ve got it down! After we’d ordered, I called Alex Forbes, the concierge, to arrange dinner at Cagney’s that evening. I hate bugging the concierge right out of the gate as I know they’re so busy, however the reservation desk never answered their phone so I gave in and called Alex. Alex answered as if he hadn’t a care in the world and fixed us right up. Alex was one of the people on the cruise that made this truly the best vacation we’ve ever had.

Lunch consumed and reservations made, we renewed our acquaintance with the Gem and then went back to our cabin to have the complimentary champagne that was on ice in our cabin. It’s become a habit of ours to enjoy a glass of champagne before the muster drill…I don’t know why, but we like it! Once in the cabin we found that a beautiful flower arrangement had been delivered along with a letter from Prem, the Hotel Director, welcoming us on board. I love those first couple of days on a cruise. You never know what surprises await you each time you return to your cabin!

Our muster station was in the Grand Pacific, which we were grateful for as it was very cold and windy outside. It was at the boat drill that we got our first bit of good news. Captain Mikael Hilden was back on board! We’d had the pleasure of sailing with Captain Mike last year and you’d be hard pressed to find another Captain who so obviously likes his job and his passengers. If you go to the buffet in the morning, keep your eye out for Captain Mike and be sure to say “Hi”.

After dropping off our life vests in our room (hey, our wine and fruit basket for being Gold Latitudes members had been delivered!), we made our way to the Star Bar. This is one of my favorite places on the Gem. It’s a quiet oasis, with wonderful views and Frank Sinatra music playing in the evenings. We’d decided to watch sailaway from there as we didn’t feel like being out in the cold and wanted something more low-key than the party in Spinnakers. A lot of fellow passengers had the same idea and the bartender was quickly over-whelmed trying to handle the crowd at the bar and the growing number of guests filling the chairs scattered about the room. He called for reinforcements though, and after 25 minutes or so he had a couple of waiters helping him out.

That first evening, Cagney’s was surprisingly quiet for dinner. I don’t know if it’s the economy keeping people from spending in the surcharge restaurants, but I haven’t seen Cagney’s this empty on the first night since the Spirit…and that time we set sail in the middle of a Nor’easter! As a side note, the other restaurants (with the exception of Teppanyaki’s) were also pretty accessible throughout the cruise. Cagney’s was good. Nothing to complain about, but not the best meal that we had during the cruise (Le Bistro and Orchid Garden would win there).

After dinner we began a ritual that we would follow for the duration of the cruise: a drink at Maltings with the very personable Eli. He is in the unique position of being a floating bartender who does short stints on ships during his contract rather being assigned to just one ship. His next stop is the Sky and they will enjoy him! He’s been traveling the globe for 20 years and has many interesting stories to share.

Returning to our cabin we found an invitation to the VIP cocktail party for the following evening. Oops, we’d have to change the dinner reservations that we’d made. DH decided it was time to make a donation at the casino, so we headed to the craps table. Unfortunately, it was a $10 minimum (and a first for us, the minimum never dropped throughout the cruise), so DH didn’t play as long as he otherwise would have. By this time a long (although wonderful) day had caught up with us and we decided to call it an evening.

I’m happy to report that aside from a very low bass-rumbling (best heard in the bathroom), noise from Bliss was non-existent.

I awakened on the most comfortable bed that I have ever experienced. It was truly like being swathed in cocoon of clouds and I was reluctant to get up. DH had already been on the balcony and announced that the temperature had risen at least 30 degrees! I thought I misheard and he said it had risen to 30 degrees, but sure enough, at 8:00 in the morning that first sea day, we’d already reached 57 degrees. I quickly dismissed my plans for jeans and a sweater and threw on Capri’s and a t-shirt! Yippee! (We would be blessed with excellent weather the entire cruise and calm seas. Captain Mike said we hit 16 foot swells at one point, but that was in the middle of the night and not felt by many. Mother Nature was really looking out for us!)

Our first of many breakfasts at Cagney’s brought on the famous Crab Cake Benedict and filet mignon w/ eggs. I know that the selection and service at Cagney’s are superior, but for us the main attraction was the knowledge that we could have a quiet breakfast and lunch with pretty much guaranteed seating. A huge plus on a very crowded cruise ship! Here we met Alex face-to-face for the first time and he quickly changed our dinner reservation to the next evening. As he said, “Oh, because of the party”, I knew I wasn’t the only one tweaking our schedule!

Our mission after breakfast was to commandeer some milk for cappuccinos later, so we made a quick pass through the buffet. As we rounded the corner, I kept a sharp eye out for Captain Mike. Sure enough, there was Captain Mike, but wait…who was that standing next to him? My DH and I tapped each other simultaneously as we both recognized Klaus Lugmaier, former Hotel Director extrardonaire, now VP of Ship Board Operations. We’d sailed with Klaus on his last cruise aboard the Gem before his promotion and were delighted to see him. We approached, with DH exclaiming, “Klaus! Is that you??” and the conversation flowed from there. Klaus and Captain Mike remembered us from last year’s cruise (which blew our minds) and we were thrilled to have the privilege of sailing with them once more. NCL can’t ask for better ambassadors for their line than Klaus and Captain Mike.

After breakfast, back in the cabin, we found the suite “snack” menu where we could choose what snacks we’d like the butler to bring to us. Some of the choices included cookies, chips n’ salsa, veggies n’ dip, cheese and crackers, and chocolate dipped strawberries. You could choose to have the same thing delivered daily or swap it up. You could also select either 5:00 or 10:00 pm for delivery. There was also a fruit menu from which we chose fruits to compliment our other fruit bowl. As I pondered these deep food choices, DH figured out how to use the cappuccino machine (not the most intuitive thing for those of us who aren’t used to making cappuccino!). Woo-hoo! Cappuccinos on demand. Really, could you ask for more?

A few days into the cruise, our cappuccino machine stopped producing steam. When Rogin, the butler came in to perform his daily clean up of the machine I let him know. He confirmed that the steam nozzle was just emitting a feeble drip and said he’d bring a new machine. I felt bad for Rogin in that we really gave him nothing to do. It was nice that he came everyday with our snacks and to clean the Lavazza machine, but we’re really not room service people. He’d always ask if there was anything he could do for us and reminded us that we could get DVD’s from him a couple of times. One day, he came in to deliver our chips and salsa and he found us snacking on wings that we’d gotten from Blue Lagoon. He seemed genuinely upset, and I felt like I’d been busted cheating on him, but couldn’t bring myself to call him for something so trivial. Finally, toward the end of the cruise I did ask him to bring us some milk (they’d run out of cartons at the buffet) and that seemed to make him feel better.

DH and I don’t partake in many activities (well, in none, really). We had thought about bowling during this cruise, but changed our minds once it was confirmed that the games were $10 each. (I never did see anyone bowling during the entire cruise.) Our days pretty much followed a set pattern while at sea. Get up, have a cappuccino, go to breakfast, hit the promenade to walk off breakfast, sit on the balcony and read, have lunch (usually at Cagney’s), another walk, more reading, and then a nap. It’s so wonderful that cruising allows you to do as much or as little as you like!

That evening, the VIP party was held in Spinnaker’s. Captain Mike was there, and as you shook hands with him a photographer snapped a photo. It was here that we chatted with a couple of performers from The Second City. They sign up for 4 month contracts and work three days a week. Not a bad deal! After talking with them, I made a point to watch the Freestyle daily for their performances. DH had a nice talk with Prem and the Staff Captain, while I chatted with other passengers. After the party, we decided that wings from Blue Lagoon would fit the bill, so that’s where we had dinner. I like the set up for the Blue Lagoon on the Gem better than on the Dawn and the Spirit. There is a lot more seating and with a hostess seating you, your order is taken promptly. (As opposed to seating yourself and waiting for a waiter to notice you.)

Speaking of restaurants, we had a great experience at Tequila the following night. “Mel” the restaurant manager is a doll (she was joking about the length of her name, so we shortened it to “Mel”), who recognized me from last year. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided to eat there again. We made reservations for Sunday and asked Mel if we could sit on the side of the restaurant near the big screen so that we could watch the AFC and NFC championship games. Mel not only reserved a table for us but told us that we could have it all night. Well, we didn’t go quite that far, but we were there for well over two-hours, ordering one course at a time to pace the meal out. Mel refused a tip, but we made sure to let Mirsad Bucuk, the F&B manager know that he has a real “gem” at Tequila. Of course we tipped our waitress by way of thanking her for putting up with us…since she exclaimed, “What, is this Christmas??” I guess we did okay there. J

A couple of days later, another invitation appeared in our cabin. This one an invite to a cocktail party at the “Exclusive Courtyard”. It turns out that this was an invitation sent to all penthouse guests and we couldn’t wait to attend. We were instructed to wait in the Star Bar until they were ready for us. Soon, the assistant concierge beckoned us forth and up the stairs we went. After being greeted by Prem and Mirsad we entered in the inner sanctum. It was a gorgeous night, the roof open and the stars twinkling above us. As waiters offered assorted beverages and appetizers, my first thought was that this area, though beautiful, was a lot smaller than I expected! Granted, part of the area was partitioned off and there were more people than would normally be there, but I expected it to be larger based on the pictures I had seen posted on the boards. We chatted with the Cruise Director, Ray Carr about football and found out that the Steelers had won the AFC championship (we hadn’t made it to the end). He also told us that this was the first time that the roof of the Courtyard had been open since the Gem was in Italy. I told you that we were blessed with wonderful weather!

We had to leave the party early in order to make our next stop. We’d been invited to dine with the Captain, Prem, and Klaus at LeBistro. I was nervous after speaking with Alex because I’d seen comments on Cruise Critic that you needed formal attire to dine with the Captain (and of course we didn’t have any). But the printed invite stated “resort casual” so we were good to go.

This was a wonderful dinner, if for no other reason than to have everyone swapping cruise experiences (staff and fellow passengers alike). It’s nice to know before sitting down that all of you have something in common. We’d also met one of the couples at the meet and greet, making things even easier. There is no better way to pass an evening that with great conversation and excellent food. It was an honor to be invited.

Returning to our room that evening I found that Jenny had provided us with a towel alligator! In our many cruises we have been entertained by many towel animals, but this one was new to us and particularly cool.

The only hitch in food service we encountered was at LaCucina. The food was great as usual (the antipasti trolley is a must!) however there were many mishaps with our service. Our waiter never addressed the entire table. He would only ask a couple of us if wanted a beverage with our meal, or later when the pasta came if we wanted grated cheese, so we were constantly having to catch him and ask for things. Our water glasses were never refilled, orders were mixed up, utensils not provided without having to ask for them. However, when my DH spoke with the manager (who was near by) about waiting for so long without so much as water he took personal control of our table and the rest of the evening went flawlessly. Our entrees were brought promptly, glasses refilled and the waiter apologized for the delays in service. We were more than satisfied, but of course the good people on the Gem have to go one step further. After arriving back in our cabin, the phone rang and it was the manager. Not only did he apologize again, he insisted on buying us a bottle of wine for dinner the next night. They don’t want to just fix mistakes, they want you to be 110% satisfied.

Wandering around one evening after dinner, I glanced at my watch and realized that The Second City’s performance was beginning in 10 minutes. There were plenty of seats left in the Stardust Theater, so we sat near the front. I have to say I’m really glad we decided to go to this show. Some moments were laugh-out-loud funny, but we were mostly impressed by the “improv” portions and the ability they all demonstrated. Not only were they skilled comedians, but also actors, and talented singers. I would definitely go to this show again in the future. They also put on a show that is all unscripted, but we missed that one.

On to the ports. Well right off the bat we hit a snag when our snorkeling excursion in St. Thomas was cancelled. After a quick scan of the available snorkeling excursions, we settled on a stingray swim in Antigua the following day and decided an island tour of St. Thomas would work. That morning we’d stopped in Cagney’s for breakfast and Alex asked us when we planned on leaving the ship. We’d thought to wait until the crowds had passed but he told us he’d be leading a group off moments after we docked. Sweet! So we met at the Star Bar and we quickly whisked off of the ship via a service elevator. I had known that being in a Penthouse would give us priority tender tickets but it hadn’t dawned on me that we would be afforded priority disembarkation at the pier as well.

DH led us to the Sky Ride to Paradise Point. We had thought to return here after a tour of the island and just wanted to make sure we knew where it was. Last year on this cruise, we’d done a snorkel excursion to St. John’s so this was our first time on St. Thomas. While pondering what to do next we were approached by cab driver named “Eveready” and he offered an island tour for $20 each. Sold! We got into his van and prepared to wait while he filled it. It was a pleasant surprise when he threw her into gear after only one other passenger joined us (and he was just getting a ride to Megan’s Bay). Eveready (who’s real name was Everett) was an excellent guide and eager to impart knowledge of his island. After stopping at many spectacular scenic spots, he took us to Mountain Top where the banana daiquiri was supposedly invented (he pointed out that bananas can’t grow on St. Thomas due to the lack of rain so he thinks the claim is a bit dubious). The view from here was amazing and the banana daiquiris sufficiently yummy that we decided that we didn’t need to go to the top of Paradise Point (which is at a much lower elevation than Mountain Top) to sample Bushwhackers after all.

The ship-sponsored excursion on Antigua was less successful. Thirteen of us were led to a van that could comfortably seat eight. Crammed into this tiny bus, we were pressed against one another like sardines and sweated profusely (the A/C was lacking power) during the 30 minute ride to the park. Once there, we were given instruction on what to expect when in a pen with stingrays, and directed to a small boat that would take us out to the pen. The boat shot through the water, thoroughly drenching us (a warning might have been nice) before we reached the floats where we would dock. Now I’m quite squeamish about having things swim up to me/brush against me but I sucked up the nerve and got into the pen. I lasted about 10 minutes (which was better than I thought I’d do), but DH did much better and even held a stingray. This was advertised as a stingray swim and snorkel excursion, which was rather misleading. Yes, you could swim over to the other side of the pen and snorkel, somewhat away from the stingrays, but really this wasn’t what one would expect from a “snorkel excursion”. DH did “snorkel” in this limited area and saw a handful of fish. After 30-45 minutes, it was back to shore and free rum punches (as many as you could drink). At least the rum put us in a better mood to deal with the ride back to the ship!

Our ship-sponsored excursion in Barbados was much better. After our trip last year, we’d seen a special on Barbados that left us wanting to see more of the island, so we booked the “Coast-to-Coast” tour. We waited at the meeting spot for only moments before being directed to board a very comfortable coach bus. Our tour guide was very informative and made our trip very interesting. My one disappointment was that I was on the wrong side of the bus to take advantage of many photo ops (sit on the left if you have a chance to!). The tour stopped in three different places and you were treated to the wild eastern shore which reminded Scottish settlers so much of their home that this Parrish is names St. Andrews. It is very green, with soaring cliffs and pounding surf. Very unlike the western shore which is very calm and therefore sought after by celebrities and tourists alike. I’d highly recommend the tour to anyone interested in seeing the island and learning about its history. Barbados is a beautiful island and we’re sorry to see that it has been replaced with San Juan in the 2011 itineraries.

In St. Maarten, we decided to take the ferry to Philipsburg. It’s actually close enough to the pier to walk, which we didn’t realize until we’d already walked around Philipsburg for a bit. We really enjoyed Philipsburg and found it surprisingly uncrowded despite the fact that there were a total of four cruise ships there. The majority of passengers must head to the French side of the island and the famous Orient Beach.

It’s also inexpensive compared to the other islands. 2 beach chairs plus umbrella and a bucket of beer was $15. Other places offered the beach chairs & umbrella for free if you had lunch. Philipsburg was clean, had brightly colored buildings and we simply enjoyed it a lot. We will almost certainly plan on just wandering around there again when we return next year.

In Tortola we planned on an island tour that we’d arrange once off the ship (can you tell that we’re not beach people?). Last year my DH and our friends had done this and enjoyed it tremendously. As I’d been unable to join them due to illness, I was anxious to take a tour myself. Well, a word of caution. If you decide to do this, make sure that your driver’s name is not Clinton. This was the worst tour that we’ve been on to date. All he did was drive you around the island and read signs! Signs on buildings. Street signs. Signs on fences. Seriously. I got absolutely nothing out of his tour that I couldn’t have gotten if I’d rented a car and just drove around the island reading signs. Actually, because his accent was nearly unintelligible, I did get more out of the tour by reading the signs myself. DH was disappointed because their driver last year (Keith) had been very informative and given them a fantastic tour. In fact, I learned more about Tortola from my DH on this tour than I did from our “tour guide”. Oh well, what can you do? Tortola is a beautiful island and I’m glad that I finally got to see it. I took some wonderful photos, including many of the Gem and the NCL Dawn which was there at the same time as we were.

It was great for the crew having the Dawn “in town” with us. Before disembarking that morning, we were strolling around the pool deck and witnessed crew members leaning out windows as they shouted back and forth to one another. When we left the ship, there was a group of crew members sitting on the pier next to the Dawn just catching up. I can only imagine how close you get to people that you live and work with for 10 months out of the year. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves so much.

Leaving Tortola, the familiar, “my vacation is nearly over” melancholy settles in…until I remind myself that we have 2 ½ days to go! I open a bottle of wine and enjoy sipping a glass whilst out on my balcony, watching Tortola fade to a dot on the horizon. That’s what makes the 10-day cruise fantastic. On a normal cruise we would have been hustled off that morning and making our way home. Instead we had our final island to visit and two full sea days to anticipate. That’s the life!

What followed was much relaxing, dinners at Orchid Garden and LeBistro, and spending as much time on our balcony as we could before returning to sub-freezing temperatures. For the duration of our cruise, they offered 2 for 1 dining every night at Tequila, LaCucina, and Orchid garden between the hours of 5:30 and 7:30. So dinner at Orchid Garden was only $15 for the two of us, making a great restaurant an even better value. LeBistro was phenomenal as always and for the first time we opted for the 32 oz prime rib (for two of course). It was amazing! I have to admit that I probably won’t order it again, though, just because it was too much food.

On that final day we spent our last hours out on the balcony (still can’t believe it was in the sixties!), had that final after dinner cocktail with Eli at Maltings, checked our on board account (no discrepancies), and simply enjoyed every last moment of our vacation. Okay, we did have to pause to jam our belongings back into the suitcases, but let’s not dwell on that!

The last morning we decided to just go to the buffet rather than dining in Cagney’s. We wanted to thank Captain Mike and Klaus for a wonderful trip, but our timing was off and we missed them. Perhaps next time! The final moment arrived and we dragged our carry-on bags to the Stardust Theater to wait for disembarkation. The VIP’s (unless you do VIP express and carry your luggage off yourself) are the first group to leave after the express passengers. We saw Alex in the luggage area and thanked him for helping to make this a wonderful trip. Hopefully we’ll meet up with him again in the future.

This was truly our best vacation on NCL. I think the stars were in alignment for this trip. Fantastic weather, the best crew we’ve had the pleasure of sailing with, great food and utter contentment. Our only complaint is that we can’t see how our next cruise will live up to this one!

[juried]

Thank you for posting this well written, very detailed review. You obviously have the right attitude for cruising.

I am glad your trip was so wonderful.

We are on the 2/21/09 NCL Gem sailing Florida-Bahamas.

I was very pleased to read Alex is the concierge, he is just wonderful.

Thanks again,

Juried

[jimswims]

Great review! I am glad that you had a great time and enjoyed the suite life.

[karen327]

Thanks for the detailed review. You mentioned that you have the embarkment menu memorized? Could you tell us what it is for lunch in the main dining room ? Thanks

[Cubechick]

Thanks for the detailed review. You mentioned that you have the embarkment menu memorized? Could you tell us what it is for lunch in the main dining room ? Thanks

 

These are your soups/appetizers that I recall:

 

Mixed green salad (always on the menu)

Split Pea Soup (we always get this)

Cold Banana Soup

Taro chips w/ mango salsa

Fruit cup

Quiche w/ goat cheese

 

Main courses:

 

Ribs w/ ranch potato wedges (DH always gets this)

Cold beef dish w/ rice noodles

1/2 club sandwich w/ potato chips

chicken w/ parpadelle pasta in a cream sauce (I had that this time...very good)

mushroom risotto

 

Plus there is a fish dish, but since we don't order it, I can't remember what it is. (I also don't know desserts for the same reason.)

 

HTH!

[mbisson]

This was truly our best vacation on NCL.

 

Thanks Aimee. Barb was just looking at CC for the first time ever and started sobbing "she didn't love us after all"

 

Welcome back!

[rossbabsy]

Cubechick, thanks for posting. We did the same cruise last February on the GEM and had a great time. We are returning to the GM on 2/21 and know it will be just as good except shorter. - 7 days

[JEDIKNIGHT]

Thanks for such a detailed and complete review. Since you know GEM very well, a few questions...............

 

*I'd like to have a nice place to sit with DW and my in-laws everyday, have a drink or coffee or food, and enjoy the ocean view. BUT I'm hoping to find a rather quiet place. What would you suggest for that, indoor and outdoor?

 

*Buffet: Chaotic on the 1st day it seems. But after that, how was the buffet food quality? How was the service? And, what was the crowd factor like at the buffet? (Bfast and lunch?)

 

*Tex-mex: You said it was very good. What dishes have you eaten there?

 

Thanks!

[snorklinbarb]

Hi Aimee,

What a treat to wake up today and find your fantastic review! We didn't do a mid-winter cruise this year so I needed to read yours to have a virtual trip on the Gem!

 

Bob and I were on the ship just for the day the day you guys got off. The ship looks truly beautiful, doesn't she! We got to see Captain Hilden, Klaus, Prem, Mirsad and all the utterly wonderful officers on the Gem. The A team is back in place! How nice that you got to share a special dinner.

 

LOL, embarkation lunch. Funny when we had lunch onboard last week it was a different (and welcome) menu. Like you we can recite the regular embarkation menu and have now convinced ourselves that maybe we should try the Garden Cafe one of these days.

 

Was the asst. maitre d' in Tex-Mex a nice Romanian gal named Melania? Sounds like the same fantastic person who gave us (and Tomct) two tables right along the rail last year so we could, like you, watch the playoffs. Unlike you, however, we were there for something like 5 hours! What a fun evening that was.

 

I've never stayed in a suite but it sounds like NCL still does it the best. You certainly were treated like royalty!:)

[kenteecruisin]

Thanks for the great review. We're sailing on 2/21 & can't wait.

[Cubechick]

Thanks for such a detailed and complete review. Since you know GEM very well, a few questions...............

 

*I'd like to have a nice place to sit with DW and my in-laws everyday, have a drink or coffee or food, and enjoy the ocean view. BUT I'm hoping to find a rather quiet place. What would you suggest for that, indoor and outdoor?

 

*Buffet: Chaotic on the 1st day it seems. But after that, how was the buffet food quality? How was the service? And, what was the crowd factor like at the buffet? (Bfast and lunch?)

 

*Tex-mex: You said it was very good. What dishes have you eaten there?

 

Thanks!

 

For quiet areas, all of the bars are generally quiet during the day. There are loungers available on the promenade deck and there is a "quiet zone" sun deck that is very nice (all the way forward). Indoors there is the library and the Latitudes lounge (and of course the spa for a fee).

 

The buffet food is, IMO, very good (don't miss the cappuccino machines!) and broken into stations for easy access. Seating can be a bit chaotic, however, if the weather is nice you can usually find a table at the Great Outdoors (another great spot to sit if you want easy access to food and coffee), La Cucina is also open for extra seating for the buffet (for breakfast and lunch).

 

TexMex: the Lobster tacos were very good. I also had the ribs (fall of the bone tender) and DH had fajitas. Our friends ordered "Il Popo" (I think it was called)...it's a funky cast iron thing that hangs from a wooden base, with a variety of sizzling meat hooked on it (plus a veggie or two for good measure). It's meant to feed two, but after soups and appetizers, it could have fed the four of us. It comes w/ various condiments and warm tortillas. The soups were very good (had the black bean and also the tortilla), nachos not bad, quesadillas good. Never made it to dessert with all of that food!

 

HTH!

[autumnquest]

Hey Aimee! I loved reading this! Thank you for recommending this itinerary and ship to us for our second cruise. I wish we could have been on the same sailing as you two, but maybe another time. I"m very excited about embarking in 2 days!

 

Great review and lots of ideas for our trip!

[Cubechick]

Thanks Aimee. Barb was just looking at CC for the first time ever and started sobbing "she didn't love us after all"

 

Welcome back!

 

Somehow, I think Barb managed to contain herself! :D The only thing missing from this cruise was a great group of new friends such as yourselves. If we sail together again I'm sure we'll top even this cruise!

 

Hi Aimee' date='

What a treat to wake up today and find your fantastic review! We didn't do a mid-winter cruise this year so I needed to read yours to have a virtual trip on the Gem!

 

Bob and I were on the ship just for the day the day you guys got off. The ship looks truly beautiful, doesn't she! We got to see Captain Hilden, Klaus, Prem, Mirsad and all the utterly wonderful officers on the Gem. The A team is back in place! How nice that you got to share a special dinner.

 

LOL, embarkation lunch. Funny when we had lunch onboard last week it was a different (and welcome) menu. Like you we can recite the regular embarkation menu and have now convinced ourselves that maybe we should try the Garden Cafe one of these days.

 

Was the asst. maitre d' in Tex-Mex a nice Romanian gal named Melania? Sounds like the same fantastic person who gave us (and Tomct) two tables right along the rail last year so we could, like you, watch the playoffs. Unlike you, however, we were there for something like 5 hours! What a fun evening that was.

 

I've never stayed in a suite but it sounds like NCL still does it the best. You certainly were treated like royalty!:)[/quote']

 

Sure Barb, rub it in that you got to have a different lunch! :D Yes, it was Melania at Tequila's! She's simply fantastic. I still haven't worked out how she recognized me as we didn't eat at Tequila's last time...but she even remembered that we'd sailed this same date!

 

I'm so glad that you got to have lunch with Klaus! It must have been awfully hard to get off of the Gem though!

 

 

 

Hey Aimee! I loved reading this! Thank you for recommending this itinerary and ship to us for our second cruise. I wish we could have been on the same sailing as you two, but maybe another time. I"m very excited about embarking in 2 days!

 

Great review and lots of ideas for our trip!

 

Mari-Anne, I wish we'd been able to be on the same cruise too. But hey, maybe if you get hooked on NCL, we'll manage it another time!

 

Have a great cruise and I hope you have weather as great as we did!

[Cubechick]

Great review! I am glad that you had a great time and enjoyed the suite life.

 

Hi Jim, I don't know why it didn't let me add you to other post, so you get your own "shout out".

 

Yes, I think we're spoiled now. The suite life is a hard thing to give up!

 

I'm looking forward to your review of the Spirit when you sail her. We've skipped Bermuda for the first time in 4 years, so I'll have to live vicarously through you!

 

Aimee

[mbisson]

Somehow, I think Barb managed to contain herself! :D The only thing missing from this cruise was a great group of new friends such as yourselves. If we sail together again I'm sure we'll top even this cruise!!

 

Well, OK Then. We'll forgive you. ;) Guess we'll try hard to make it over to Seattle & visit with you this summer then :D

[coka]

Hi Cubechick! I loved reading your review! Thank you for posting what you did on the islands...it gives me some ideas. When I get that future suite, I want to enjoy it the same way you did. I agree...nothing like reliving a cruise through a review...it is so enjoyable to look up again when stuck at home in the middle of a snowstorm.

 

coka

[Cubechick]

Coka, I wanted to tell you that after reading your Gem review, we went to scope out the mermaid...and her case is tightly secured now (accidentally "bumped" into it...dont know how that happened...;))! No more secret missions, LOL. :D

[coka]

Ohhhhhhh! They told me they were going to secure it, but I thought it easier to keep it the way it was. Hmmmmm, maybe they do want the cruise critics to present more charms to the Gem officers...LOL!

 

Did you notice if they put the gold name plate up? I hesitate to find out...might just cause another secret mission...will have to order another name plate, book the Gem again, and attach it myself...hahaha

 

coka

[Cubechick]

Ohhhhhhh! They told me they were going to secure it, but I thought it easier to keep it the way it was. Hmmmmm, maybe they do want the cruise critics to present more charms to the Gem officers...LOL!

 

Did you notice if they put the gold name plate up? I hesitate to find out...might just cause another secret mission...will have to order another name plate, book the Gem again, and attach it myself...hahaha

 

coka

 

Oh yes, the name plate is in the case, front and center. (Not that I'm trying to dissuade you from going on the Gem again and future covert ops!)

 

Our group did present a new charm and it was put on the mermaid's tower right away, so they do seem to like it!

[coka]

haha, now I will book it just to see it. See, I thought either response out appropriately!

 

coka

[jimswims]

Hi Jim, I don't know why it didn't let me add you to other post, so you get your own "shout out".

 

Yes, I think we're spoiled now. The suite life is a hard thing to give up!

 

I'm looking forward to your review of the Spirit when you sail her. We've skipped Bermuda for the first time in 4 years, so I'll have to live vicarously through you!

 

Aimee

 

Hey Aimee,

 

I will be sure to report back after our Spirit trip. We are looking forward to being back on the Spirit and also leaving out of Boston again. We miss Bermuda so this is a good year for us to return.

 

I will be waiting for your take on the Pearl and Alaska. This is what DW wants to do next. I have been on the fence about it so your experience may convince me:)!

[Grandpaul]

Very good review Aimee. We were on this cruise also along with the one day after it. Luckily we just missed the US Air liner landing in the Hudson. Our highlight was at St. Thomas. We have been there many times so I wasn't anticipating anything as far as a highlight. We went up on the Great Outdoors just before sundown and I got some very nice pictures. We got settled in a chair to watch the island shrink as we left. It got nice and dark and I looked up and there was the planet Jupiter just as bright as could be. As we sailed away the view was just magnificent. It compared to the view we got of Acapulco doing the same thing. Usually when we sail out of there it's still light out. So I guess you can get a highlight when it's dark out. LOL. Great cruise and, as you say, with Capt. Mike, ALex, Prem and our room stewards how could it not be. We had a couple issues and they were handled to more than our satisfaction. Now I'm going to look forward to having issues.

[Cubechick]

Hey Aimee,

 

I will be sure to report back after our Spirit trip. We are looking forward to being back on the Spirit and also leaving out of Boston again. We miss Bermuda so this is a good year for us to return.

 

I will be waiting for your take on the Pearl and Alaska. This is what DW wants to do next. I have been on the fence about it so your experience may convince me:)!

 

Wow, that's some pressure! ;)

 

All I can say, is you'll need to sit down w/ a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) for that review. Being that everything will be new to us, I can only imagine how long that review will be!

[Cubechick]

Very good review Aimee. We were on this cruise also along with the one day after it. Luckily we just missed the US Air liner landing in the Hudson. Our highlight was at St. Thomas. We have been there many times so I wasn't anticipating anything as far as a highlight. We went up on the Great Outdoors just before sundown and I got some very nice pictures. We got settled in a chair to watch the island shrink as we left. It got nice and dark and I looked up and there was the planet Jupiter just as bright as could be. As we sailed away the view was just magnificent. It compared to the view we got of Acapulco doing the same thing. Usually when we sail out of there it's still light out. So I guess you can get a highlight when it's dark out. LOL. Great cruise and, as you say, with Capt. Mike, ALex, Prem and our room stewards how could it not be. We had a couple issues and they were handled to more than our satisfaction. Now I'm going to look forward to having issues.

 

Grandpaul, I'm glad that you too had a wonderful cruise. It was a pleasure meeting you at the Meet and Greet. I realized after I posted this that I'd forgotten to mention the M&G. I wanted to as Captain Mike is the only captain that I've seen show up at one (and he was at the one we had last year as well!). He's really super.

[Grandpaul]

Grandpaul, I'm glad that you too had a wonderful cruise. It was a pleasure meeting you at the Meet and Greet. I realized after I posted this that I'd forgotten to mention the M&G. I wanted to as Captain Mike is the only captain that I've seen show up at one (and he was at the one we had last year as well!). He's really super.

I thought he was too until I saw him at the buffet one morning and asked him to get me an orange juice. I really think he was going to until I stopped him. LOL. I've had at least one other Captain show up at a M&G. Just can't remember who right now. But that was a good cast at ours and they had some good lines. It was amazing how many times we heard "Good morning" during the cruise.