Norwegian Pearl Review

Smooth Sailing on the Pearl

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Pearl
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Cruiser Bruiser
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Dec 2013
Traveled with children

I'm a forty-something single guy who loves to cruise. My sister's three daughters are all graduating from high school, so Uncle John is taking each one on a cruise. It's an opportunity to bond, to celebrate each niece's achievements, and to introduce them to my favorite hobby. This was my middle niece Courtney's first cruise. She was three months shy of her 18th birthday when we sailed, and I specifically chose the Western Caribbean itinerary with her in mind. Courtney is the captain of the high school swim team, teaches swim lessons, and generally loves the water, so I figured we'd have plenty of time to snorkel and swim on this cruise.

Flying from Portland, Oregon to Fort Lauderdale takes all day. We left at 7 a.m. Pacific time and arrived in Florida at 6 p.m. The original plan was to stay at the InterContinental in downtown Miami so that we could walk to Bayside and have plenty to do, but we wouldn't have arrived there until nearly 8 p.m., so instead we stayed at the Holiday Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport. A free shuttle picked us up from the airport, we checked in, had dinner at Denny's across the street, and then used the large hotel pool. The room was nice, the pool was nice, but the “hot tub” was freezing! I would stay at this hotel again, though. We used SAS Transportation to get from the hotel to Port Miami. They arrived at the hotel on time and couldn't have been easier or more affordable.

I loved the Norwegian Pearl and her crew. (This was my third sailing aboard the Pearl, but my first in warm weather.) Everyone was helpful and friendly. Archie, our Cruise Director, was particularly friendly and outgoing, and managed to remember our names throughout the week. (I don't know how crew members do it, but it makes a lasting impression!) Captain Gunnar was a delight, too, and he personally invited Meet & Mingle attendees to attend a bridge tour. We were told there were 2,900 passengers aboard the Pearl on our sailing, but it didn't feel too crowded. The pool deck was particularly busy, but most folks seemed to play well with others. Surprisingly, Bar City seemed empty most nights.

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