Thread: GEM Aft Balconies

Anyone sailed a BA Aft Balcony on the gem? If so how was it?

Anyone get the smaller suite, AF ? Is that worth the few extra bucks?

Thinking about the 10 day NYC 1/2011...

Or should I just save and get the cheapest balcony (BD) with the free upgrade to the second best balcony (BB)... ? Money really is not much of an object, but if it is not worth the money why not save it right?

Thanks!

The main advantage to going with a "full suite" are the perks. You will have access to the Concierge to make your reservation to the specialty restaurants if you are so inclined. The Concierge will also provide you with priority tender tickets for the tender ports.

The best perk is access to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, where you will be waited on hand and foot. You will also have access to a butler but in my mind this luxury has been diminished with having access to Cagney's unless of course you prefer to have breakfast brought to your cabin for in-suite dining.

Another advantage to booking a suite is priority embarkation. You will be escorted onboard the ship before anyone else.

Suffice it to say that nobody does suite perks like NCL in the mass market cruise industry.

PE

We had a suite on the Gem at the back of the ship and really enjoyed it on sea days you don't have the wind that you get at the front. We really enjoyed the perks of the suite. Our own restaurant for breakfast, couple of extra receptions, getting off first in all the ports.

I don't believe the AF is worth the upgrade from the balcony because you don't get any of the perks we were in category AE 9070, very quiet.

Yeah realistically we really should not pay for anything higher then the cost of the AF. So you get no suite perks at that level, just more square footage?

I know many of you guys/gals love Aft Balconies, they worth it ? Do you feel like you miss stuff not having that "side view?"

That is correct. We looked at AF on the Jade for our Nov. cruise and decided the extra cost wasn't worth the upgrade and went with the highest level balcony. I would take another AE anytime. On the Gem in January 2009 we were backing out of the dock as the sun set, it was spectacular then as the ship turned the moon was coming up between two mountains, a site I will never forget. Pictures that were on available because we were in an AFT cabin. As I said before you are protected from the wind on sea days.

Thanks a million for your input. We are going to book the aft cabin since they are available, I hear 10th floor is the best.

We are both unsure about the whole aft balcony business. We totally see the pros - such as getting the entire view, not just one side, you just see it last...

Even though we are native New Yorkers (one of the reasons we are doing this cruise), seeing NYC skyline is always a plus, esp on a cruise ship.

Anyway, my rambling point... We think it would be easier to move out of that cabin down the road if we decided too, rather then move in since afts fill fast and are are only a few of them..

I was wondering if anyone knows if the AB penthouse has two bathrooms or just one...

I see one room is like a master suite and the other is just an extra bedroom, hard to tell if that has a shower and toilet/sink or what inside of it....

I blew up the floor plan and it does look like the second bathroom contains a shower,

Originally Posted by canpass

I blew up the floor plan and it does look like the second bathroom contains a shower,

That is what it looked like when I did it too. Thanks for that second set of eyes

Think we are going to stay put in 10668 (could be wrong, I think that is the cabin). An Aft Balcony on the 10th floor (obviously).

I was thinking since there is at least 4 of us we could have got a bigger room and shared (close in price but not benefits ~ suite perks for one). After a nice chat with the misses, we both agreed that is a bad idea. If people we ask(ed) want to come, they can book whatever stateroom they want. After all, just because we are traveling together does not mean we will want to have the exact same vacation, and when you share a room you feel like you do....(and that was only 1 of the MANY cons we spoke about ).

Thanks again!

Another question about the aft balcony. We enjoy watching as we pull out of port, and into port on days it gets in later then 6am... Do you miss that being in the rear of the ship?