My Review of the Norwegian Gem

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:38:19 GMT

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest “It Girl” the Norwegian Gem.

She’s hot, she’s funky, and she’s hip; and, with the launch of this newest Jewel Class ship, NCL officially has the youngest fleet on the planet! This ship and her slightly older sisters have a contemporary flair that is bringing Freestyle Cruising to a whole new level!

We were one of the lucky few to sail a couple of days out of Boston this week, and, other than dodging the snow, ‘the experience was fabulous, Darling!’

Every time I board an NCL ship, I see more improvements, more attention to detail, more luxury, more customer service, more upgrades, and more fun!

Take your family aboard, and there are accommodations for everyone. You might need an owner’s suite or courtyard villa. Or perhaps you will be lucky enough to snag one the two Garden Villas, the most luxurious accommodations you’ll ever experience afloat. With the Garden Villa you will have access to a private deck area and pool reserved just for certain Villa and suite passengers, truly a ship-within-a-ship. Your villa will have 3 bedrooms with private balconies, 3 baths, up to 5750 sq feet of private space, your own private Jacuzzi, baby grand piano, magnificent living room, dining room, bar, and butler service. Someone else might only need a balcony, and an inside cabin for the kids. Lucky for you, everyone can sail together, because this ship has it all!

We just don’t like to dress up very much. Okay, a jacket and NO tie for hubby, nice pants or skirt for me, but, we like it casual! Well, on NCL, the dress code is “Wear Something”! Now I don’t mean grungy shorts and tanks, although you are welcome to do that at the Buffet (I mean, “Action Station Restaurant”), but I also don’t mean dragging out your outdated, too-small suit and white shirt and tie! Like jeans? Well, you can finally wear them to dinner in all restaurants except one.

Gone are the days of regimented dining, eating with strangers, 70’s style pool games and tired entertainment. How about a little pool-side blackjack? Or wireless connections everywhere? Need some acupuncture? Love a spinning class? Have you ever played Wii on a two-story screen? Maybe even a bit of slot action in the nightclub!

On NCL, you can eat in a different restaurant with totally different food every night of the week. Fancy some sushi, or Asian fare? No Problem. What about a 48 oz porterhouse? Stay tuned for that! There are 10 entirely different restaurants (most of which are free), from Steak, to Tex-Mex, Italian, Asian, Continental, fast food, and more. Hate cafeterias? What about “action station” dining – no long lines, just roam about the dining area and pick and choose. Start with your appetizer. Go back for the entrée. Help yourself to dessert and don’t forget to stop at the cappuccino machine. Gone are the days of boring food, with great new selections at every turn.

After dinner enjoy totally new shows, modern casino games, bar central, complete with a champagne-piano bar. Dance the night away at Bliss Ultra Nightclub with 4 lanes of bowling, lounge beds, noise, action, and the newest, hippest new music. Of course, don’t forget the quieter venues when you need a change of pace.

Hate Clocks? Well, you’ll see them on the ship, but note the label – for crew use only!

Hate disembarkation day? Gone are the days of vacating your cabin by 8am to disembark. Keep your stuff in your room until you are ready to leave, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and then disembark at will. Need to get off early? Just take off your own luggage and you can be first off.

If you haven’t sailed NCL lately, you haven’t sailed her at all! Best of all, with Freestyle 2.0 it’s only going to get better and better!

By Karen Layman

Oh Say Can You Sea Cruises

281-492-2600

Karen's Blog

My Review of the Norwegian Gem