Norwegian Gem Norwegian Cruise Lines
NCL's Norwegian Gem will debut in the Mediterranean in 2007. The third, and final, ship in NCL's Jewel Class, Norwegian Gem, will launch late this year.
All good things must come to an end, and so it is with Norwegian Cruise Line's Jewel Class, which is perhaps the most successful line of ships that NCL has ever built.
After debuting with itsnamesake Norwegian Jewel in 2005, the four-ship series (which also includes Pride of Hawaii and Norwegian Pearl) concludes with Norwegian Gem, scheduled to make her debut in late 2007.
The Jewel series has truly been a revolutionary class for NCL, and Gem continues in this fashion. It will be only the second ship in the cruise industry with an onboard bowling alley (Pearl was the first), and will continue NCL's inventive 'bar central' concept - a collection of several themed watering holes among 13 bars and lounges. Of course, NCL's signature Freestyle Dining arrangement is very much in evidence: Gem offers 12 restaurants serving Italian, French, Latin and Asian fare, plus two traditional dining rooms, a steakhouse and various casual eateries too.
Perhaps most importantly, Gem offers NCL's unique Garden Villa and Courtyard Villa suites, set high above the ship.Guests staying in these have the exclusive use of a private sun deck, whirlpool and swimming pool. A retractable glass roof ensures that the courtyard can be enjoyed in any weather. Along with its Owner's Suites, Penthouse Suites, and Romance Suites, NCL calls its line-up of high-end accommodation "the biggest, most luxurious, innovative suite complexes at sea". So much so, the line has created a new online resource to help prospective passengers navigate their choices. Among the features of the site, which can be found at www.nclsuitesandvillas.com, are 360-degree views of the different categories of suite accommodation.
Norwegian Gem will launch in October 2007 and sail five Mediterranean itineraries before heading to the US in December, where Gem makes her winter home in New York with a seven-day Bahamas and Florida itinerary, or 10- and 11-day Exotic Southern Caribbean itineraries through April.
Come summer, Gem repositions to Europe for seven-day Western Mediterranean cruises roundtrip from Barcelona until November, which include stops in Valletta, Malta; Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia) and Florence/Pisa. And while this may be the finale of the Jewel series, something bigger is already on the way. In 2009, NCL will unveil its new 'F3'series, the line's first post-Panamax ships, registering more than 100,000 gross tons. Among the highlights will be private balconies for every outside cabin - 1415 in all!
Written by MT SCHWARTZMAN - Issue 29 Spring 07