I just cruised the NCL Gem to the Southern Caribbean from NYC from 2/13 - 2/24/2018.
The Gem staff as a whole was less than helpful. When asked about specific items it seemed to bother them. One instance of this occurred in the gift shop where a staff member sighed rolled her eyes and said she didn't want to display a certain item of jewelry (the charm bracelets) because it was "too much work". Another instance occurred when a friend was looking to purchase one of the silver CZ rings. Of the two sales persons there, neither was willing to help her look for her size, "It's just what you see there", said one dismissively.
In addition, the staff as a whole did not have proper command of the English language. There were several areas of miscommunication due to this issue. One time I was told the Internet staff would be there at 5 and when I returned about a half hour later at 5, the line was around the corner. I went back to customer service and through her poor broken English I realized she meant staff would be there in 5 minutes not 5 o"clock! It made the staff seem not to be knowledgeable and dismissive. Other cruiselines educate their staff better. This was the worst experience I have had due to this language issue and I have been on over a dozen cruises. This doesn't happen on Royal!
The room was average. The TV was the smallest I have seen since probably 1990 (19" at best). There were only about 6 channels. I did not travel with children but, there was not a cartoon or youth channel available for them. Again, Royal doesn't do this.
Bathroom was roomy and pretty nice. Rated this area " Very Good" due to the Room Steward, Marlon. He was great!
Good to see the port open after the hurricanes. There were a few more pan handlers in Old San Juan, but there was also more of a police presence than I have seen before. I was just there in July 2017. The shops are open. I did not venture past the shopping district.
Very scenic drive. Shopping and pictures with monkeys.