Our family of four included two kids, age 9 and 17. We had a couple of days in Seattle prior to boarding, so we stayed at the conveniently located Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel. All we had to do was roll our bags across the street to board the Pearl.

The embarkation process was painfully long with the line to get our bags x-rayed snaking through the terminal building. Once the bags were checked, the registration process to get our key cards for Lattitude members was a breeze. Next time I will have lunch on shore and board the ship a little later to avoid the lines at boarding and at Garden Cafe - the buffet restaurant.

The Pearl has a climbing wall (fee), bowling alley ($5/game), basketball court, golf swing area, three ping pong tables, pool with waterslide and a couple of jacuzzis - plenty of to keep our family busy. Read more