12/20/2025
I recently sailed on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Gem out of Jacksonville, and overall I had a very enjoyable experience. The ship was extremely clean and clearly very well taken care of, which made a great first impression. The environment onboard was calm and quiet, making it easy to relax and enjoy the trip.
The food in the main dining room was delicious, and we looked forward to our meals there each evening. Our stateroom was also very clean and comfortable, and the staff throughout the ship were consistently friendly, helpful, and welcoming. The entertainment onboard was fun and enjoyable, adding to the overall experience. Both embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth and well organized.
One area that was a bit underwhelming was the buffet. The food selection was very repetitive, with only a couple of new items offered each day. While the pizza on the ship tasted good, the service could use improvement—it was often slow, and the process didn’t seem very efficient.
Even though the Norwegian Gem is an older and smaller ship compared to many newer cruise ships, I truly enjoyed my time onboard. This cruise has definitely made me excited to experience one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newer and larger ships in the future.
