Norwegian Gem Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was a retirement gift to myself. I took my husband along. We are platinum on NCL so I chose Sail Away balcony without the perks and it worked out just fine for this 7 day cruise. We get two specialty dinners and WiFi minutes. We never drink enough to justify a drink package and usually arrange for shore excursions on our own.
My favorite parts of the ship are the Spinnaker Lounge with its 180º forward view and the Great Outdoors with its 180º aft view. We also like the smaller ships. It was too chilly to make use of the pool area.
DINING
Cabin Review
Balcony
This was a Sail Away balcony forward on the starboard side. The balcony is in the bulkhead, but it is not much of an obstruction. There is clear plexiglass under the railing, however when we sat down the railing hit exactly at the horizon. You had to sit up very straight or scrunch down to see land. Love watching them load the ship.
The cabin was fine. Clean and quiet. Adequate storage. The vanity with the hair dryer was next to the balcony doors and didn't have the shelves above it. We always put our binoculars on those shelves to grab as we go out onto the balcony. Then, the stool to sit on while drying hair or using the mirror for make up was on the other side of the bed by the "desk". Little inconvenient, but not a big deal.
Port Reviews
Quebec City
We had one day before the cruise and, wouldn't you know it, it rained the whole day. We did the hop on/hop off tour bus and saw Quebec from rain streaked, foggy windows. We went through the Museo de la Civilization which presented a history of the area and walked through the Old Town and took the Funiculaire (cable car) up to our hotel. Lovely city. We would like to come back someday.
Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island)
We caught the Prince Edward Island tour bus at the Founders Hall a short walking distance from the port. We had booked ahead of time to make sure we had a spot, but others just walked up and paid that day. It was a big bus tour of parts of the island and the Anne of Green Gables home. Our tour guide, Joan, was pleasant and informative. After the tour we walked along. the waterfront. We stopped at a local place and I tried muscles for the first time. The cruise ship terminal had some souvenir venders and a good WiFi spot.
Sydney (Nova Scotia)
We wanted to see the Louisbourg Fort, so we rented a car with another couple we met on Cruise Critic to drive to the fort. The rental car agencies send someone to pick you up at the port.
When we got there we had just missed the 10:30 tour so we walked around on our own. Great reconstruction with costumed guides at some areas. It was chilly so we found a place to get a hot chocolate.
There were venders and good Wi Fi at this port terminal, too.
Halifax
We had arranged a tour "Best of Halifax and Peggy's Cove" through Shore Excursions before we left on the cruise. Good tour with historical and present day information about Halifax that included the great explosion of 1917 that killed 2,000 and about their lobster catching season. After the tour we walked through the Halifax Farmers Market on the water front near the port. We found a booth with yummy fish soup. Good WiFi there.
Portland (Maine)
Here we had booked this ahead of time, also. We enjoyed and hour and a half tour with realportlandtour.com. This was a van with about 8 people. Our guide and owner, Derek, really knows his Portland. We toured the area and stopped a a few light houses for pictures. We then looked in some shops along the water front and bought some nice souvenirs for family. Had to have some lobster, so we stopped at DiMillos for a delicious lobster stew and a local beer.