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NORWEGIAN GEM
PHOTO TOUR AND COMMENTARY CONTENTS |
Above and below: The Atrium is a two-deck high space that is the ship's main lobby, an entertainment venue and a dining area. In late 2015, the Atrium was given a new look, which included new carpeting and a new sculpture on the ceiling.
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OVERVIEWNorwegian Gem is the fourth ship in Norwegian's Jewel class. Her sisters are Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Jade. All the ships in the class are similar with the primary differences being in the decor and in the giant murals that grace the sides of their hulls.
The Gem was built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Pappenburg, Germany. With her twin azipods, she is quite maneuverable. In addition, she reportedly can do 27 knots, making her one of the fastest cruise ships in service. The ship's hotel also reflects quality craftsmanship. Good quality materials have been used throughout and the crew keeps the ship clean and well-maintained. This ship was built with the Freestyle Cruising concept in mind. Under this concept, guests have no assigned dinner time and can decide where and with whom to eat. To accommodate this, Gem has two main dining rooms, several casual complimentary alternative venues as well as several extra-tariff specialty restaurants. Similarly, Gem has a wide variety of accommodations. Her top suites are some of the most lavish afloat. At the other end of the price range, she also has utilitarian inside cabins. Even these cabins were built with the type of quality materials and craftsmanship mentioned earlier. When Gem entered service in 2007, she was dubbed "the It Girl" and had a bold flashy decor to match. Over the years this was toned down. In a refit in 2015, the ship was given a major face-lift that left Gem with a more sophisticated contemporary look. For most of her career, Gem has been based in New York. Even after the deployment of the newer and larger Norwegian Breakaway to New York, Gem continued to be successful. She has been retrofitted to include many of the features of her newer fleetmates. In addition, her relatively smaller size attracts those who prefer more intimate ships. |
Above: Captain Karl Bengtsson.
Below: Hotel Director Sonja Sommeregger. 
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Left: In addition to the main Atrium, Gem has a second atrium with a grand staircase connecting Decks 6 and 7. The decor is Art Deco inspired. Although Gem's decor is generally contemporary, there are other Art Deco elements around the ship.
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The ship's stair towers are adorned with large panels each with a different theme somehow connected to Norwegian Gem. Those in the forward stair tower depict marine life (above). The panels in the midship stair tower tell the stories of
world-famous gem stones (above right). Aft, the panels relate to cruising on passenger ships in the between wars period (right). |
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On Deck 12 forward, Gem has a series of displays relating to the great ocean liners of the past. Although Norwegian rarely mentions it, the line has a strong connection to the great liners. Of course, Norwegian rescued the France and transformed her into the SS Norway. Then more recently, the line attempted to rescue the SS United States from oblivion. The United States was the
fastest ocean liner ever built and was the flagship of the American merchant marine. However, in 1969, the ship was taken out of service and essentially abandoned. As this century began, the United States was lying derelict in Philadelphia harbor and it looked like the ship would be scrapped. Norwegian prevented this by purchasing the liner with the intention of using her in its NCL
America operation. However, Norwegian was unable to find a practical way of renovating the old liner. It eventually sold the ship to the SS United States Conservancy, which hopes to preserve the ship.
fastest ocean liner ever built and was the flagship of the American merchant marine. However, in 1969, the ship was taken out of service and essentially abandoned. As this century began, the United States was lying derelict in Philadelphia harbor and it looked like the ship would be scrapped. Norwegian prevented this by purchasing the liner with the intention of using her in its NCL
America operation. However, Norwegian was unable to find a practical way of renovating the old liner. It eventually sold the ship to the SS United States Conservancy, which hopes to preserve the ship.
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The Guest Relations Desk in the Atrium (above left). Also in the Atrium is The Shore Excursions Desk (above right). The Cruise Next Consultants' office is by the far end of the Shore Excursions Desk.
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Above: Gem has a modern cockpit style bridge.
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Cruise ship photo tour and commentary - - Norwegian Cruise Line - - Norwegian Gem - - Overview