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Gem of a Cruise |
| Reviewed By: Orr, Warrington on 5th Oct 2008 |
| Cruise Line: NCL Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Norwegian Gem |
Sailed:
August,
2008 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 36-45 |
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Embarkation
A very early start with a plane flight from manchester to Munich. Hang around Munich Airport for an hour - then a flight from Munich to Barcelona. By the time we arrived we were all very tired. Is this two stage transfer really necessary? In addition somewhere on the journey the luggage got damaged.
Transfer from Barcelona Airport to the ship was okay but very chaotic at times.
Check in at the ship was very slick, fast and friendly.
Cabin
In our usual cruising style we took the inside cabin option. The cabin was a little smaller than other comparible ships but in its defence was very well laid out. At no time did we ever feel cramped with the available space. Storage in the cabin could be significantly improved if chest of drawers were located next to the bed rather than the tables that are currently located their at this time.
The cabin stewards were very friendly and extremely willing. Tips and gratuities on an NCL ship were prepaid in advance but this did not reduce the level of service received.
The bathroom was very well laid out, with the shower area bigger than most other ships that we have sailed on. The only niggle - and I mean niggle - was that the toilet did not allow sufficient legroom for any person over an average height - if you understand what I mean.
Food
After reading the negative reports prior to boarding regarding the food we were particularly worried about this one. However, after sampling all of the free restaurants on the ship I can say that the food is excellent. The atmosphere is relaxed and the service was always with a smile. It is not formal - but what do you expect with a freestyle experience. I arrived with that expectation and NCL surpassed my expectations.
Particular highlights included Grand Pacific, Garden Grill and Kids Cafe. All gave a different but pleasurable experience.
My only gripe was that if you were eating late - options were extremely limited.
The crew
The rew were extremely friendly and did try to make the experience memorable. However, as we as a family purchased the soft drinks package quite a lot of the bar staff were unwilling to get drinks especially for our child (and other children) who were told to go to the bar. It is my opinion that this has something to do with the service charge (tips) but cannot prove it.
The ports
Who could go wrong with the ports of call. Valleta, Naples, Rome, Pisa and Villefranche. However, NCL's trips are very expensive. I can find no logical reason why other than profiteering. We took the train into Rome, Pisa and Monte Carlo. Bought tickets on line for the leaning tower of Pisa. Bought swimming pool tickets in Monte Carlo. All for less than 100 Euros for the family. Do not - Do not - DO NOT purchase the trips.
Facilities
The facilities were very good, however the number of sunbeds next to the swimming pool area is severely limited. We dont know what time people put there towels down on the sunbeds, but we were up on deck at 7:30 and all beds were taken.
In addition, the ship operates an adult pool next to a childrens pool in the middle of the ship. Only two pools for a ship containing 2900 passengers of which only one could be used by children. As you can imagine one pool was busy almost to the point of being dangerous whilst the other was so quiet that it was nicknamed the Marie Celeste. My daughter loves swimming and needs to swim every day as part of her training. This was impossible in the childrens area and we were unable to use the adult pool due to complaints from adults - even though she was swimming lengths.
In addition the water was salty. Both P&O and Princess use non salty water. Again it is worth the additional premium for non-salty water being a contact lens wearer.
Entertainment
The quality of entertainment on the ship was varied. The theatre shows utilising the onboard singers and dancers was very good. Some of the other shows fell a little flat. The ship did something a little different on a couple of nights by switching off the lights on the top deck and giving an astronomy lecture. It was so good we went twice.
Overall
The experience was very good and exactly what we expected and the big question is would we sail again with NCL ..........................................................and the answer is yes without hesitation.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| | Entertainment |  |
| | Shore Excursions |  |
| | Staff |  |
| | Children's Facilities | |
| Due to the number of ports we did not utilise enough | | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins | |
| | Overall Rating | |
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