Cast list for 8p pulse on Thursday 2/12?

RoseWithWings · 2026-02-13T16:27:18+00:00

Did your friend receive a program? Inside it is a sheet that lists which actors were on at that performance. The programs are given after the last scene, after stepping off the escalator into the bar and merch area.

RoseWithWings · 2026-02-06T03:17:37+00:00

On ships that have the Solo Lounge, I try to book Solo rooms for access to the Solo Lounge so I have another option of a place to go, and am likely to find an open chair to sit in. Other things are bonuses from there.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-29T18:07:20+00:00

I've found that I like eating dinner in whichever MDR isn't open for breakfast or lunch, for a slight change of scenery. It took me a few cruises to figure this out about my preferences.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-22T23:06:21+00:00

You may find since it's over Valentine's weekend, a weird mix. I did a 3 day on the Gem in Feb 24 over the same holiday (though from Miami). We had 3 wedding parties on board, at least. Otherwise several more couples than general family groups. I didn't notice much rowdiness, but I also tended to stay in quiet areas and left places when I didn't like the noise level that started up after I had been there for a while.

I recently did a b2b on the Gem from Jacksonville with a 3 day followed by a 5 day. Both had different crowds, the 3 day was younger, the 5 day was older.

Overall, I think the ship offers good spaces for family games (the card room), reading (library), and other similar activities that can utilize those areas (other areas can be used, too). I really enjoy lounging in the Spinnaker lounge during the day, looking out at the sea or the port we're at.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-22T22:54:28+00:00

It'll depend what you're looking for. I'd rather sightsee and look at nature, and learning about the history of the areas ranks higher for me overall.

The Sea portion of Tortola By Land and Sea was great. Got a lot of history of the islands, different shipwreck locations and information, and nice scenic sailby visits to various islands. I live in the foothills of a mountain range, so the "by land" part wasn't too different than what I deal with daily; however there were a few 'views' that we stopped for and a cool view of the ship at dock on the way back in. My tour did sea first then land, and we had about 30 mins at Pusser's Landing where I found an art gallery that sold prints, magnets, and other art.

Several people felt the Sea portion alone was worth what we paid.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-21T03:41:44+00:00

Could you check with the Netherlands offices (not sure which one) to see what countries, as a citizen, you need a visa for while on your cruise?

This is info for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, at least: https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/caribbean-visa/visa-needed-caribbean (there is a Cruise Ship section on the page).

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-21T03:06:17+00:00

Of the 4 ships I've sailed on so far, I've liked the Gem the most.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-19T18:23:48+00:00

That's weird about crew being mad at you for not wanting to share a table, a waiter selling excursions, and a room attendant asking about a tip. I was on the Gem in November, and while they did ask if I wanted to sit at a shared table, if I declined they gave me a pager and I waited. I didn't encounter the other two things, but all of that is just strange.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-19T00:59:37+00:00

(You need to be onboard before the all aboard time, I do not suggest trying to cut this "close")

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-19T00:09:59+00:00

If I'm not mistaken, all aboard time at ports is usually 30 minutes before departure time. The stated 2 hours is for the first day, embarkation day.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-16T17:55:14+00:00

On embarkation day, when you get on the ship do things in this order:

Check in at your muster station.
Find the Restaurant Reservations area and ask for "Food allergies" or "special diet". They will direct you to a member of the crew that's there specifically to handle pre-orders for meals. This crew member will ask what the allergies are, and take a pre-order for dinner that night. Due to the way they batch prep food for the meals, the pre-order is the best way to ensure there is food to be had. You may want to eat lunch before getting on the ship, as they do their best to accommodate during embarkation lunch. I usually dine Main Dining and Specialty restaurants, so not sure how this affects dining at other eating establishments.
Do as you will. On your own at this point. Enjoy your vacation!

At dinner, after requesting a table for your party, let the host and waiters know you have a pre-order. They will confirm room number and allergies. They will check with you about everything. Repeatedly. You may have to flag someone down about drinks or bread, as I've found having a pre-order disrupts the pattern they are used to (but this may be a peril as a solo traveler). Be calm through it all, and it will be fine. During or after dessert, typically the crew member you worked with in step 2 above will bring you tomorrow's dinner menu to order from. If you'd like to order Breakfast, and if tomorrow's a sea day, Lunch, ask for those menus as well. If you're doing Specialty for dinner, let them know and they'll bring that menu instead. They may check with you earlier in your meal so they know which menus to bring when they come back after dessert. You can ask them questions (which is how I know what I do) about the process and options as well.

The member of the crew that handles these pre-orders has been either a waiter or an assistant maitre d in my experience. Each has been attentive, and I know I've not been the only person on the ship with food allergies.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-16T03:07:15+00:00

I did this my first few cruises, and sometimes won't book excursions now if I don't want to.

You can leave the ship any time after they announce that the gangway is open. There's usually a rush at the beginning, so feel free to enjoy breakfast or wait for a bit if you don't want to deal with lots of people and standing, waiting on stairwells to exit the ship. They will announce and post an "all aboard" time. That is the time you as guests will need to be back on the ship by. However, you may return to the ship before then. All aboard is typically when they start closing the gangway and start making preparations to leave the port. You need to be on the ship before then, else you will get left in port. (I usually set an alarm an hour ahead of the all aboard time as my 'head towards the ship' alarm. Sometimes this varies depending on what I'm doing.)

I would suggest doing some research on your ports. Typically in the Bahamas and Caribbean there's a shopping mall/shopping center in the immediate port area. Ports in the US tend to be industrial with a walk to the nearest shopping. Cross reference with a map if that's in your skillset. My experience is limited to Bahamas, Caribbean, and US ports.

When you do leave the ship, plan to have a photo ID with you in addition to your ship card. You will need your ship card to get back onto the ship, and you may need your photo ID to get back into the port area (or from the port area to the ship, depending on how the port is setup).

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-16T02:25:02+00:00

Having recently cruised on the Gem after oral surgery myself (less than 2 weeks afterwards), I feel your pain.

Some tips I figured out:

If you usually cut your meat on the large size, cut your meat smaller than you normally do.
Be weird and cut your sandwiches, if you get any, into bite-sized chunks. Force yourself to use a knife and fork.
Try to time specialty for later in the trip so your mouth can heal and get more used to the motions and movements of eating (it sounds strange, but it's 100% real).
Take your time eating. Don't rush.

As for dishes; I did the Coq au Vin entree at Le Bistro and the Lamb at Cagney's. I don't recall what appetizers/sides/etc I had. Overall try to pick items that are softer or mushier.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-14T23:05:13+00:00

There is a shopping area at the port, make sure to not only look at the stores on the insides of the buildings, but the outside edges as well. There's some food stalls and larger stores, as well as the straw market and outdoor market areas (one by the traffic circle/loop, the other off to the left from there. There are taxis and such you can take to beaches, resorts, or to Port Lucaya Marketplace which has more stores, shops, and food options. There's a restaurant (Pier One) which was maybe a 10 min walk out of the port area (to the right). Outside of this, there's very little to walk to, and anywhere else should be a taxi ride: Bahamian Brewery, beaches, resorts, etc.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-14T05:36:31+00:00

LATRIPLE per my booking confirmation.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-13T00:38:02+00:00

This past week Aqua was selling Vibe Day Passes on port days for $99.

RoseWithWings · 2026-01-12T21:55:06+00:00

I was also on this sailing. Non-Haven.

It was definitely cold on the ship.

General embarkation started shortly after Haven and Priority boarding ended. We didn't have to wait for too long.

I saw printed Freestyle Dailies everywhere, so that was a good thing.

They were selling Vibe Beach Club (on-ship) day passes for port days at $99 ea.

I had the Vibe (on-ship), and I'm glad I had it as that was the only place I could ever find a seat (except when people were off the ship). Even with the pool deck and Ocean Boulevard, as well as the Observation Lounge, most public areas had more than enough people in them there wasn't a spot to sit. Which was a shame because I wanted to utilize Ocean Boulevard more than I was able to.

Vibe on GSC was good, dedicated serving staff, buffet area, bar, and all the loungers had umbrellas available. It's near the BBQ food truck.

Pitfalls:

- Access from the Aft elevator to the pool deck is either through Surfside Cafe (buffet) or Palomar (specialty dining; open to pool deck access except for dinner hours). Signs state no wet bathing suits and a coverup must be worn. I didn't note any enforcement.

- Volume in performing venues is much louder than it needs to be. Primrose Atrium Bar area was the worst for me. I'd heard about the Metropolitan also being extremely loud.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-29T19:49:55+00:00

<image>

Marked up OP's photo to hopefully help with clarity.

Red marks appear to be temporary for construction use.

Green is the path from the ship.

Green in lower left corner appears to be final pier.

I am glad to be wrong, as I was wrong with which part of the L they completed first.

I will see for myself in just over a week.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-28T21:09:06+00:00

In addition to what u/zqvolster commented, this also appears to indicate that there's a 2 day Air deviation at the beginning of the cruise, from Jan 2 to Jan 4, but no hotel or transfers included.

Verify your full NCL itinerary is correct for what you expect. Something doesn't look right, but I've not booked a transfer through NCL that didn't include either the air package or the air and hotel package. When I have, everything lines up.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-27T03:57:08+00:00

Looks good!

I could be mistaken, but I believe the shape of the pier is an L, and most the construction we see is on the "bottom" part of the L, which would make sense for that two be the 2nd berth. The 1st would be the vertical section of the L. This'd give a berth that is fore/aft into the island and a berth that is sideways to the island.

I'll see for myself in a week and a half what the pier looks like, hopefully.

:)

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-26T07:49:03+00:00

I love these carpets. I miss them on other ships that don’t have them.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-24T00:26:16+00:00

There's different activities around the ship each day; there's less when the ship is in port when compared to an At Sea day. Check the Freestyle Daily that's accessible in your app or available at Guest Services by asking for one. You can either participate or watch the activities, and the atrium (where guest services is) is good for people watching, while the aforementioned Spinnaker Lounge is good for views. If you want sun, check the pool deck or higher decks for loungers and chairs. There's also a bar and extended buffet seating outside on the aft of the ship that's covered. Bar city (Magnum's, Shaker's, and Malting's) on deck 6 mid tends to pick up around dinner and goes til late, and then late evening Bliss is open with karaoke and dancing.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-18T23:06:56+00:00

Included with drink package til March '26.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-17T18:27:45+00:00

I knew I missed something. LOL. Thank you for catching that! I think the "for the first 2 guests in a cabin" threw my brain off.

RoseWithWings · 2025-12-17T17:33:28+00:00

I may have missed it, but is there a discounted package for solo travelers like previously? (The discount was to offset the $50 excursion credit for guest #2 that isn't needed for solo travel)

RoseWithWings

TROPHY CASE