Norwegian Gem Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I chose this cruise for the itinerary and have sailed Norwegian before and have always had a good time onboard.
Service- this was hit and miss. Some of the hostesses aren't very friendly. The girl in Sheehan's never smiled or made me feel welcome. I'm a former hostess- so this bothers me. My cabin steward kept my room clean, but even though I'd put the "Make Up Room" sign up by 7AM (I'm an early riser)- the room was never made up until 10AM. Also, I go to bed early- and my room was never made up in the evening before 9PM. Given that it was an 18-night cruise- The cabin steward should have recognized my routine but didn't care. I had to ask for things and he wasn't friendly until the last night of the cruise- when he probably hoped for an extra tip. I didn't give him one because he hadn't gone the extra mile- like most cabin stewards do. I generally tip extra, but not this time.
Ship- the ship was in very good condition- there were some places that needed repainting on the exterior and my friend's cabin (5096) had what looked like mold on the ceiling. It turned out to be paint but it was unsightly.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Oceanview Picture Window
Cabin- I had an outside cabin and I loved it. I was traveling solo and had the bed separated which makes the room feel way bigger. There was plenty of storage space for two or more people in the cabin. Bathroom was small. The shower was fine but the toilet area was very tight. I wondered how some of the more "portly" passengers fit in there. I think it could have been designed better. The televisions are small and it was hard for me to read things on the screen from the bed. There is only one show channel and one movie channel. The rest are news. This wouldn't have been so bad if there were movies shown somewhere on the ship each day but there weren't any. So bring plenty of books or download shows to your phone.