Oldies But Goodies Doo Wop Cruise

Ship Highlights

The Norwegian Gem, the sixth and final ship in the Jewel class, is the culmination of Norwegian Cruise Line's search for a new identity and a fresh start. That's not to say that NCL was having an identity crisis, but there is a different feel onboard Norwegian Gem than, say, Norwegian Sun when that ship launched in 2001. The line's signature whimsical font is now on everything from brochures to in-cabin amenities. As you enter the ship's lobby, with its two-deck-high LED screen (on which Nintendo Wiki tournaments will be played), velvet-like furnishings in whimsical shapes and colors, and a humming coffee bar. This ship feels more contemporary and more electric than any other you have been on recently. Norwegian Gem possesses the kind of contemporary beauty and spirited verve that is more often associated with hip boutique hotels than with cruise ships. This cohesive, fresh brand identity, we learned on our two-night preview cruise from New York, is part of an initiative to upgrade the entire guest experience ~ Freestyle 2.0

Freestyle 2.0 will augment, not replace, the line's signature Freestyle Cruising concept, which is all about flexibility. NCL has upgraded several aspects of the guest experience, including dining, staterooms, and onboard activities and amenities, as well as revamp its tiered Latitudes past passenger program. A few highlights? No more buffets all cuisine in the lido deck restaurant will be cooked to order. All staterooms will get upgraded mattresses, sheets, pillows, duvets and towels. And the line will launch NCL "U" an education and enrichment program that will offer new classes, including organic cooking, improved with Second City, and how to be a bartender or sommelier.

In short, Norwegian Gem is a terrific example of how much more upscale and flexible NCL's ships have become as a result of the ever-evolving Freestyle Cruising. Among its distinctive boutique restaurants are Le Bistro, a French eatery, and Teppanyaki, for hibachi-style Japanese food. The spa is open late. Evening entertainment is staggered rather than organized around set seating dining hours. The Courtyard Villas and two-bedroom suites with a huge tub tucked underneath a bow window that looks out on the sea. Comes with other perks, such as a suite-holders pool, whirlpool and sun deck. The main pool arena features quite elegant lounges and couches. And Blue Lagoon, its 24-hour eatery, has undergone a metamorphosis: the one time quick-and-easy fast food joint still serves up the stuff, but the ambience is much more Starbucks than McDonald's.

You can even debark hotel style leave your cabin when you want to not when the cruise line tells you to, forcing you to wait in a public room for your "color" to be called. The buzzwords we heard from passengers and NCL execs alike on our two-night preview cruise were "amusing" and "fun” and the experience was just that. We lost a few bucks playing poolside roulette, shot some bad guys in the arcade, sipped a martini or three at Bar Central, and bowled in the Bliss Lounge and on the big screen in the atrium (we did better on the Wiki!). In fact the whole experience was so lighthearted and enjoyable; we can't wait to go back.

Dining

On the Gem, there are 12 different restaurant options featuring cuisine from many parts of the globe. Some are fee-extra; some are not. Among those that levy a surcharge include Cagney's Steakhouse, the French Le Bistro, the Orchid Garden and the Teppanyaki Room. Those that don't cost extra include La Cucina, an Italian restaurant; Tequila Latin, for tapas; and the 24-hour Blue Lagoon. A duo of "general" restaurants (at these, you can organize a set-seating, set-table scenario by talking with a maitre d') includes Grand Pacific and Magenta. Other options include the Garden Cafe, the action-station "buffet" venue -- don't miss the fantastic kid-sized Kid's Cafe there and several casual daytime eateries like the Great Outdoors, Topside Grill and Bali Hai.

Editor's Note: The electronic reservation system, which can be found by most of the elevators and outside the restaurants, displays the names of all the ship's restaurants, as well as whether they are open or closed, how full each dining room is at that precise moment and where the restaurant is located. This definitely cuts down on the time spent trekking all over the ship when you are hungry or if you don't have reservations for a specific restaurant. Also, when you choose to dine at a popular restaurant without reservations and there happens to be a line, the hostess will give you a beeper that vibrates when your table is ready like the ones at Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory.

Public Rooms

You will love the gaming opportunities in signature public areas. There is a tabletop shuffleboard in the Spinnaker Lounge and card tables up by the pool. And the Bliss Ultra Lounge, with its pair of twin bowling alleys. Bowling costs $5 a game; bring your own socks though they provide the shoes. It's a bit like your local "rock and bowl" dance-club style music videos provide a thumping soundtrack and visual backdrop on flat-screen monitors above each of the four lanes. Scoring is done electronically.

Acupuncture is available at Yin & Yang. While most NCL ships offer the Nintendo Wiki, the space on Gem was custom designed for it with a huge area in the big lobby. It's fun to watch as you pass by. The ship's series of boutiques aren't new in concept, but they're plenty nifty. NCL ships are typically stocked so well with everything from the ubiquitous duty free bargains to stuff you really want to buy, like great logo wear and fun, mid-range jewelry.

Cabins

Standard cabins are beautifully decorated in a primary color scheme. All cabins have flat-screen televisions, mini-fridges, and chairs or small couches. There's a hair dryer, Internet access and, unusual for a North America-based line, in-cabin coffee makers which will soon be in every single cabin in NCL’s fleet.

Most have the line's unique split bathroom concept, which divides the room into three parts: one has a glass-enclosed shower; another has a closeable toilet chamber; and the sink is in between.

The ship, like most new vessels these days, has a plethora of affordably priced cabins with balconies. Another plus: NCL has incorporated into the designs of their most recent ships a number of interconnecting cabins -- in this case 278 -- which are definitely more family-friendly (and typically really hard to get on cruise ships).

If you need more space, there are plenty of larger-than-standard options, including mini-suites, romance suites (our favorite cozy-but-roomy cabin with an uninterrupted ocean view), penthouses, Courtyard Villas, owner's suites and, at the other end of the universe, the Garden Villa. The ship has two of them; these are nearly 5,000 square ft., sleep 10 and have three bedrooms, three and a half baths, living room, dining room, grand piano, private sunbathing, individual saunas ... and a private hot tub.

Entertainment

NCL ships typically excel in the entertainment arena, whether it's Broadway-esque production shows, a Second City comedy performance or its oh-so-cool Bliss Ultra Lounge. In this case, Gem carries on the tradition; it's definitely not the kind of ship where you spend a lot of time closeted away in your stateroom.

While I didn't get to Le Bistro on this mini-trip, it's typically the best date-night restaurant at sea with great ambience and delicious French fare, including many new menu items such as tender tasty short ribs.

The spas on NCL are typically outstanding, and on Norwegian Gem, the Yin & Yang had a fantastic relaxation area ($20 per day) with thalassic therapy pool, heated loungers, and saunas and steam. The menu of treatments is getting more interesting; new are a hot stones cooling body-facial, which heats and chills to stimulate circulation, and a facial analysis during which a technician takes close-up photos of your face and then offers recommendations on treatment. Because this Mandara spa is owned by the U.K-based Steiner, which operates most cruise lines' spas, beware: Specialists are required to try to sell you products. If you're not interested say no, firmly.

Fitness and Recreation

Ying & Yang Spa offers unique and exotic spa treatments fleet-wide on NCL, although facilities vary widely. Spa treatments include a long menu of massages, body wraps, and facials, and current trends in hair and nail services are offered in the salons. The latest addition on board is a medi-spa physician, who can create individualized treatment plans using nonsurgical treatments such as Botox Cosmetic. State-of-the-art exercise equipment, jogging tracks, and basic fitness classes are available at no charge. There's a fee for personal training, body composition analysis, and specialized classes such as yoga and Pilates.Typically most lines offer free access to spa relaxation rooms before or after a treatment; that's not the case here. It's a tacky policy, particularly when you're spending upwards of $100 for a 50-minute treatment.

Family

The cruise line is extremely friendly and for all ages, NCL is one of the few lines not to require kids to be potty trained to participate in its program (though you won't get out of doing diaper duty). Norwegian Pearl's Aqua Kids Club has daily activities for 2- to 17-year-olds, and it's divided into four groups: Junior Sailors (ages 2 - 5), First Mates (6 - 8), Navigators (9 - 12) and Teens (13 - 17). The Club features three interconnecting rooms. The first room is a nursery; the second is a cinema room with a flat-screen TV and bean bag chairs; and the third, Metro Center, is geared towards teens and has a dance floor, a plasma screen TV, several smaller TV's and a juice bar. Outside the nursery is a smaller pool and water slide for the tots.

For families who don't want to split up at bedtime, definitely take note of the 278 interconnecting rooms, which is a high number for modern cruise ships.

The sun deck has two pools, two whirlpools, a waterslide, a bowling alley and a small video arcade. The sports deck located on Deck 13 is also great for kids although I'll say from experience that it's fun for all ages. Activities include mini-golf and two golf-driving nets, shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, a volleyball/basketball court and an oversized chessboard.

Dress Code

Plan for casual wear during the day and informal or resort casual at night. Save for one formal night per cruise.

Gratuity

NCL recommends $3.50 per person, per day to the dining room waiter; $3.50 per person, per day to the cabin steward; $2 per person, per day to the assistant waiter. Royal Caribbean also recommends 75 cents per person, per day to the headwaiter, but don't unless the service was special. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs.

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