If you're looking for a freestyle cruise experience that takes you to breathtaking destinations everywhere from North America to the Greek Isles, Norwegian Gem, sister ship to Norwegian Pearl, is the perfect choice. Giving you the freedom you really want from a cruise, including unfixed dining times and dressing up as and when you feel like it, enjoy your time onboard and ashore at your own pace courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line. Whether you're savouring the flavours of Japanese Teppanyaki or Italian dishes at La Cucina, trying your hand at bungee trampolining or singing your heart out in a karaoke session, Norwegian Gem has everything you need to embark on an exceptional cruise holiday.
Top Norwegian Gem Deals
Ship Stats and Features
Ship Facilities
Dining
With 11 bars and lounges to explore, topped with 12 restaurants to dine in, Norwegian Gem excels itself in offering all the drinking and eating options you could wish for. Rather than offering just several places to eat, Gem's strength is that everywhere offers something a little different. If you fancy some light Tapas dishes to share with a group, head to the Tequila Latin restaurant. If you're more in the mood for a great American steak, Cagney's Steakhouse will curb your hunger perfectly in a brilliant 1930’s-style dining venue.
Restaurants
- Grand Pacific Main Dining Room
- Magenta Main Dining Room
- Le Bistro French Restaurant
- Orchid Garden Asian Restaurant
- Cagney's Steakhouse
- Flamencos Latin/Tapas Restaurant
- The Great Outdoors
- La Cucina Italian Restaurant - updated in late 2015 under the Norwegian Edge project
- Blue Lagoon
- Garden Café
Entertainment
Just as with the array of dining options to suit every palate, there is also a bar and lounge serving drinks to please every guest. Care for a specialist malt whiskey to cap off the night? Then you'll do well to find yourself in the Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar where you can really let the flavours swirl in this relaxing and cosy atmosphere. Everything from cocktails to coffee and fine wines are all taken care of too, adding to the stream of choice on offer during your cruise.
- Spinnaker Lounge
- Sky High Bar
- Star Bar
- Sushi/Saki Bar
- Topsiders Bar & Grill
- Java Café
- Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar
- Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar
- Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar
- Corona Cigar Club
If you’d prefer to not spend your evening in a bar, head to the Stardust Theatre and catch one of the amazing live performances. Alternatively, if your holiday has got you feeling lucky, try your hand at a slot machine or table game at the onboard casino.
Family
Norwegian Gem also remains a brilliant choice for family cruises, with excellent facilities and activities to please guests of every age. If you want to spend time together as a family, try your hand at some putting practice at the golf driving nets or see who can reach the highest point on the climbing wall. Alternatively, the mix of retro and modern games at the video arcade is bound to be a crowd pleaser.
There are also a range of kids clubs on the ship, with dedicated spaces providing the chance for younger cruisers to learn, play and make new friends.
Things to do
Spa and Fitness
The leisure and entertainment onboard excels in every way on NCL Gem. The jogging track lets you fit in your morning run with ease whilst offering you gorgeous views of the ocean. The outdoor courts allow for a spot of tennis, volleyball or basketball for even more of a sports kick. If you’d like a more thorough workout, the fitness centre is perfect for you. With everything from free weights to exercise machines and group classes, all you need to work up a sweat is right there.
However, heavy exercise isn’t everyone’s idea of a holiday. If this sounds like you, check out the onboard spa and beauty salon where you can expect an extensive menu of treatments, expertly carried out by experienced professionals.
Recreation
With two pools and six hot tubs, the pool deck on Norwegian Gem is always a hit. Whether you like lounging in the sun or doing lengths of the pool, you’re guaranteed to be in amongst the hustle and bustle of cruise ship life in this area. However, if you’re looking for a quieter afternoon, the library, card room and art gallery are all peaceful spaces available for guests enjoyment. While you’re inside, head to the shops and have a browse to see if there are any duty-free treats that take your fancy as a holiday memento.
Norwegian Gem Image gallery
Customer reviews for Norwegian Gem
A great Itinerary for this cruise and we enjoyed all the destinations. Embarkment/disembarkment straightforward and well organised. Cabin was small and dull but adequate. Staff efficient and friendly and ship always clean. The MAS package worked well for drinks, speciality dining and $50 dollars off excursions. The food was good and plentiful but menu for MDR was uninspiring and repetitive and service hit or miss sometimes waiting long between courses and coffee not always offered. Bar area and open deck at back of ship was a lovely place to sit and relax and have a drink and bite to eat. Atrium was busy and noisy and it was hard to hear when seeking assistance at Reception or Tour desk. The cocktail bar in the Atrium was great but in the wrong place. Again too noisy there to just be able to sit and chat. The lounge chairs around the ship looked comfortable but weren't - too deep for short people, if you sat back in them your legs couldn't reach the floor and if your legs were on the floor your back ached as support was too far back. The tours we took were good especially in Panama and Costa Rica. One tour operator/guide snuck in an extra visit to a banana plantation and souvenir shop when we would rather have spent the time at the places the tour advertised . Beware the disembarkment tours - do check small print and itinerary. We booked Everglades tour and we expected to be dropped at airport at 3pm. The tour was short and we arrived at the airport by 12. 30 - 9 hours before our flight. Overall though we had a great time and would definitely travel with NCL again if we find an itinerary and price to suit.
Lovely ship, nice size cabins, kept nice and cleaned daily, great food in restaurants and buffet, great atmosphere.
On the whole we enjoyed our time on the Gem. The cabin was fine and the bed comfortable. The juggler was very good and the 1970's night ok. On the whole food was good. The Speciality French bistro was outstanding for both food and ambience. We enjoyed the tours we took from the ship.
This was my tenth cruise handled by Iglu and, as usual, I had a brilliant cruise. Everything went smoothly from the first flight until the end, no real problems. Iglu is the best .
