ShipsNorwegianNorwegian Gem Review and Tips

Norwegian Gem Review and Tips

Norwegian Gem
Norwegian Gem

The Norwegian Gem is a Jewel class cruise ship launched by NCL in 2007.  The Gem offers the nearly 2,400 passengers amazing cruises to Bermuda, Bamahas, Florida, the Eastern Caribbean, Canada and New England out of Port New York City.  This Jewel Class ship offers 16 dining options, pools, hot tubs, spa, bowling alley, rock climbing wall, villas and much more.  Also offered are Broadway style shows and a Nintendo Wii on a 2 story screen.

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The Norwegian Pearl offers “Freestyle Cruising”.  With Freestyle, you can eat anytime you want at any restaurant you want.  The dress code is also very relaxed, they just ask that you do not wear shorts and tank-tops in the restaurants after 5 pm.  There is one optional formal night.

Cabins

The Gem offers luxurious villas, penthouses, and suites that include a private courtyard area.  The balcony rooms, with floor to ceiling windows, average 205 sq ft and can fit between 2-4 people, some being family balcony rooms.  Ocean view (window and porthole) and inside rooms are also available for the more budget oriented cruisers.

Dining

There are 16 dining options when cruising on the pearl. While the majority of them are included in the cruise fare, there are a few that require an additional fee for dining.

Complimentary Dining

  • Bali Hai Bar & Grill – Hot air balloon themed bar.
  • Blue Lagoon – 24 hr eatery featuring hamburgers to fast-wok dishes
  • Garden Cafe/Kids Cafe – Made to order stations with always changing menu. Fresh salad and desert bar
  • Grand Pacific Main Dining Room
  • Great Outdoors – Buffet on back deck of the ship
  • Magenta Main Dining Room
  • Room Service – 24/7 room service (delivery charge from Midnight to 5 am)
  • Topsiders Bar and Grill – Poolside

Specialty Dining

  • Cagney’s Steakhouse – $25 person  Upscale 1930’s American Steakhouse
  • La Cucina Italian Restaurant – $10 person Italian eatery reflecting a village Trattoria
  • Le Bistro French Restaurant – $20 person
  • Orchid Garden Asain Restaurant – $15 person  Japanese/Thai/Chinese
  • Pizza 24/7 – $5 person 24 hr delivery pizza to anywhere on the ship
  • Sushi – $15 person  Sushi and Sashimi prepared as you watch
  • Teppanyaki – $25 person  Authentic teppanyaki room
  • Tequila Latin Restaurant – $10 person  Hot and spicy latin/tapas foods

Norwegian Gem Pool

Fun, Entertainment, Play
The Gem’s sundeck offers several pools, a kid’s pool, water slides, 6 hot tubs, and plenty of loungers to soak in some sun. The Topsiders’s Bar and Grill is also located here.

The casino on the Norwegian Gem features a circus theme reflecting bold and brash colors of traditional traveling circuses at the turn of the century.

Another great feature on the Gem is a 4 lane bowling alley.  With funky lighting and neon colored bowling balls, it makes for a great experience on the seas and worth the small cover charge ($5 per person per game).

The Gem also has a basketball/volleyball/tennis court, Body Waves fitness center, walking/jogging track,  and a card room to play all types of board games.  If you are looking for a quiet place to read, there is also a library on board.

There is also a meeting room that holds up to 60.  It can be divided up into 3 separate smaller rooms .  This makes for the Gem to be a great way to combine business with pleasure.

The Leopard Lounge is a teen hangout center.  There is also a video arcade and a Tree Tops Kid’s Club for toddlers with an indoor jungle gym/obstacle crouse.

The Stardust Theater holds 1,042 passengers and is the home for the Broadway and Vegas style shows that are presented nightly.  There are also comedy shows, shows for the family, game shows and more!

There is also a small chapel, and the LifeStyle room.  The LifeStyle room is a quiet place to write letters, play cards or read a book.

 

Norwegian Gem Waterslide
Norwegian Gem Waterslide

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Ben Souza
Ben Souza
Ben is a world traveler who has visited 40+ countries, taken over 70 cruises. He is one of USA TODAY's experts for their 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. His writings have appeared and been cited in various media outlets such as Yahoo News, MSN, NPR, CNN, Fox, and ABC News. Ben currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. Follow Ben on Instagram. Visit Ben Souza on Linkedin. You may email Ben at [email protected].
ShipsNorwegianNorwegian Gem Review and Tips
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1 COMMENT

  1. We were on the Norwegian Gem for a week long cruise. We spent three days in Bermuda and the rest of the time at sea. My husband, two daughters, brother, and parents had just about the best vacation ever. The food was great, spending time by the pool and enjoying the freshly made rice and lomein and drinks, the entertainment at night, the lounges-everything was wonderful. The staff were kind, friendly, and helpful. The excursions were awesome-book early as they tend to fill up quickly. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Cagney’s-again reserve your seat early at the specialty restaurants. We tried to make a reservation at the Italian place, but could not get one at a good time. The only thing I would like changed maybe is to have more variety with the menu at the Pacific and Magenta-it was just about the same everyday…I was hoping to have creme broule!!! Other than that, everything was a smashing success!!!!!

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