Norwegian Gem: Sanitation Record & Health Report

The Norwegian Gem is a 2007 Meyer Werft build that just went through a 2026 refurbishment, and on paper it's doing exactly what you want from a nearly-two-decade-old ship after a facelift: showing up to its first inspection in this dataset and pulling a 94. That's a comfortable pass with room to spare above the 86 cutoff, though it's worth noting this is a single data point — one inspection, one score — so there isn't a trend to speak of yet, just a solid opening statement. The food safety side backs that up too, with a spotless 100 rating that suggests the galley crew didn't get the memo that this ship is old enough to legally rent a car in some states.

Context matters here: this is a Jewel-class ship, and Jewel-class has always been the workhorse tier of the Norwegian fleet — not flashy, not experimental, just solid mid-size ships that get the job done. A 94 on the first post-refurb inspection is a good sign that the money spent on the 2026 refresh went where it needed to, rather than just new carpet in the atrium while the kitchens got ignored. At 93,530 tons and carrying under 2,400 guests, the Gem is smaller than the newer NCL mega-ships, which for some travelers is the whole appeal — fewer bodies competing for the buffet, shorter lines, a ship that still feels like a ship instead of a floating mall.

Who it's for: New York-based cruisers who want a proven, right-sized ship with a clean bill of health and don't need the latest bells and whistles — go-slide, laser tag, all of that. If a strong inspection score and a fresh refurbishment matter more to you than having the newest toys onboard, the Gem earns its green light. Who should skip it: anyone chasing the biggest, newest NCL has to offer, or travelers who want years of inspection history to pore over before booking — right now there's only one data point on the board, so if you need a longer track record before you trust a ship, give this one a little more time to build a file.