Name: Southern Caribbean - Miami
Brand: Norwegian Cruise Line
Rating: 4.8 (11 reviews)

Overview

Setting sail from Tampa, Norwegian Gem invites you on a memorable 8-night Norwegian Cruise Line cruise through the stunning waters of North America and South America. You'll step ashore at 3 ports across North America and South America, with standout stops at Cozumel and Falmouth along the way. From exploring ashore to relaxing on board, every day of this North America and South America cruise brings a new experience to savour. With fares from £584 per person, this is a wonderful way to experience North America and South America by sea.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Founded in 1966, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), part of global cruise company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (which also owns Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises), is the third-largest cruise line in the world in terms of cruise passengers. NCL has become well-known for its colourful ships featuring a pop-icon style painted hull.

Cruise Itinerary

Day 1

Tampa, Florida

Tampa's history is teeming with maritime commerce, the city's harbor serving as a vital hub for trade since the 19th century. From shipping phosphate and cigars to supporting the military during wartime, the port played a pivotal role in Tampa's growth and prosperity. Today, it stands as one of Florida's largest and busiest ports, welcoming cruise ships and cargo vessels from around the world.

Day 2

At sea

Day 3

Cozumel

"In Cozumel, you don't find the essence of Mexico; you find Mexico's heart." This famous quote perfectly captures the allure of Cozumel, renowned as a heritage hotspot for its ancient Mayan ruins, including the impressive San Gervasio archaeological site. Dive into the crystal-clear waters to explore the world's second-largest barrier reef, teeming with colorful marine life and vibrant coral formations. The island's lush jungles hide sacred cenotes, natural sinkholes believed to be portals to the Mayan underworld. Cozumel's rich history and natural wonders make it a truly special destination, pulsating with Mexico's vibrant energy and cultural heritage.

Day 4

Georgetown, Grand Cayman

Day 5

Falmouth

Falmouth oozes with Jamaica's Caribbean cool, serving as the vibrant center of local culture and entertainment. Dive into the bustling streets and discover local establishments like the Glistening Waters Luminous Lagoon, where bioluminescent organisms light up the night. For history buffs, the Falmouth Historic District offers a glimpse into the island's colonial past, with beautifully preserved Georgian architecture and the historic Water Square.

Day 6

At sea

Day 7

Nassau

Day 8

At sea

Day 9

Tampa, Florida

Day 1

Tampa, Florida

Day 2

At sea

Day 3

Cozumel

Day 4

Georgetown, Grand Cayman

Day 5

Falmouth

Day 6

At sea

Day 7

Nassau

Day 8

At sea

Day 9

Tampa, Florida

2344

Passengers

1070

Crew

2007

Launched

2026

Last refit

93530t

Tonnage

294m

Length

32m

Width

24kts

Speed

Decks

USD

Currency

Norwegian Gem

Enjoy the more intimate, relaxed atmosphere of our mid-size ship, Norwegian Gem® whilst sailing to top destinations

All Prices

Customer reviews

Reviews

Excellent Ship great staff

A beautiful ship with plenty of top class entertainment and activities if you want them . Good choices are first class and the itinerary on t hi s cruise was just what I wanted

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Viva

Reviews

The scenery made up for the shortfalls of the actual cruise experience

It was largely what we were expecting - re: accommodation and entertainment. We thought the food offerings were not very good. As it was an Alaskan cruise we were expecting at least a salmon and crab evening. I thought the buffet would be a bit like the Las Vegas offerings but standard was pedestrian. However, food cooked well and presented nicely. Enjoyed being able to eat in three speciality restaurants and our favourite was the French restaurant - that we really liked. Staff on board all brilliant. Entertainment very loud so we avoided the shows after the first night. Evening music in the main bar was excellent when it was a guy called Randon, otherwise not so good. Port side tours were good. Organisation and communication excellent - never felt left to find out important information for ourselves - daily newspaper listing all activities. Very impressed with that. We would probably not choose an American cruise company again. We are definitely European and our cultures seem so different!

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Jade

Reviews

Great Getaway on Norwegian Getaway

Fantastic round trip cruise from New York up to Halifax. The entertainment was good and the cruise co-ordinator made sure everyone was having a great time. We missed the Beatles bar that Epic had and there wasn't quite the same amount of choices when it came to watching tribute bands/entertainment, but Staff were really friendly and accommodating and did their best to make our trip an enjoyable one. The stops were really interesting and we saw plenty of wildlife - would definitely go back to Boston as a separate trip too as we simply didn't have enough time to see everything. Gave us a taste of that side of America and Canada and we would definitely recommend the cruise and the location. Just booked our 4th cruise with Norwegian around the Med and back on Epic so looking to compare our last few trips and see what has changed.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Getaway

Reviews

Less than impressive, NCL could do much better

British Isles, France, Netherlands and Belgium 11-night cruise Having had more than 35 cruises across several cruise lines (including Holland-America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, P&O, Marella and others), this for me was one of the worst. The quality of main dining-room meals at dinner was poor with a sluggish service to match (often two-and-a-half hours for a three-course serving). So the service was so poor that towards the end of the cruise, I gave up and decided to eat in the buffet! Very many of the on-board activities seemed aimed at extracting as much money as possible from guests. And the entertainment was hit-and-miss. A good British magician/illusionist but a less-than-funny comedian. Edinburgh and Dublin were good destinations, but both involved time-consuming tenders as well as transport from harbour to city centre. Docking at Belfast, too, was a bus or taxi ride from the city centre, or even the Titanic Exhibition (which was one of the highlights of the cruise for me).

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Sky

Reviews

Cruise from port of Jacksonville

Had another fantastic cruise with Norwegian, great staff, entertainment, brilliant food, with a disappointment in the Bahamas. So as typical Norwegian, staff and food fantastic, the shows are brilliant, however our 1 island stop was a disaster with everything on the Island closed for Good Friday. Everyone was boarding taxis to the town centre and getting there to find everything closed, so felt a bit of a rip off with none of the drivers saying so. Went to Norwegian's private island for the first time also which was amazing definitely would return there. All in all it was a great cruise with a great company in Norwegian.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Gem

Reviews

A mixed experience

The cruise was from Auckland to Sydney with ports in NZ and Tasmania en route. The ship itself was smaller size and older but very nicely refurbished. Weather was mainly fine en route except for 2 very rough days in the Tasman sea. I am a single traveller and the Norwegian website would not allow me to book the 3 speciality restaurants as encouraged pre embarkation. The package of Freedom at Sea was dining time and table size as required daily so there were no pre booked tables for singles. The meetings for the 35 or so sole travellers were at 5 pm every day which didn’t really suit me. Similarly the fitness classes tended to be very early morning too. The two main restaurants were fine in terms of food quality but the menu was rather repetitive. The speciality restaurants offered variety of choice. I avoided the buffet as even though staff were encouraging passengers to sanitise their hands, many just walked past and ignored them. I have been on larger ships where buffet items were served rather than hundreds of people using the utensils. The staff were invariably pleasant and helpful with the exception of some excursion staff who yelled instructions at people patronisingly and made the waiting experience needlessly stressful. My main concern was the lack of any dress code at all save that men must wear long trousers in the French restaurant.In the lounges and at dinner, many passengers had not even changed from daytime casuals and shorts ,caps and t shirts were considered acceptable. I guess this was just the wrong cruise line for me as I had made an erroneous assumption that it would be like Olsen. The vast majority of passengers were American and Canadian who perhaps prefer a more informal atmosphere. The entertainment on this American owned liner was very poor indeed to my mind though seemingly enjoyed by others. Two poorly choreographed and screechy song and dance shows plus Mr Penguin, a magician and an unfunny comedian. The lounge entertainment was dire too with the exception of Leon , an excellent young entertainer. So I chose this cruise for the itinerary but the anything goes atmosphere on board just didn’t suit me. Norwegian have some great cruise routes but the onboard experience was disappointing and I would be very hesitant to travel with NCL again.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Spirit

Reviews

First time, probably last

Ship was spotless and crew were fabulous. Entertainment lacklustre, food only OK. Itinerary 8 out of ten, however port timings disappointing. Booked complete package including hotels and transfers, these were all very good. Also had more at sea which worked very well for us, very good value for money overall

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Spirit

Reviews

Alaska and the Inside Passage

This was our 5th cruise with NCL (all on different ships) and whilst we had a good time, we were slightly disappointed with the Joy. The food was not as good as we have had on previous NCL cruises and the entertainment on offer was decidedly "underwhelming"

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Joy