First, a little background. We are a married couple-early 40's. Our college age son accompanied us on this cruise. This was only our second cruise ever; previously sailing on RCI. We didn't have a lot to compare it too, and we're not hard to please. So keep that in mind as you read.
We decided to book the Pearl because of it's Glacier Bay itinerary, the newness of the ship and the Seattle departure. We also loved the idea of freestyle. We have to dress for work every day so not having to dress up was very welcomed. We also don't like being told when to eat. We booked our own air and arrived in Seattle May 19-the day before sailing. We had made reservations for the SeaTac Marriott and their shuttle picked us at the airport. The hotel was close by and very nice. Without transportation, we were compelled to eat at Yukon Landing which is the hotel restaurant. The food was very good. They had an especially good crab bisque. The hotel arranged for a town car to transport us the next morning. The cost for the town car to the pier was about $40 plus tip.
EMBARKATION: Upon arrival, the lines looked long, but it only took us about 20 minutes to get aboard. I think we arrived at the pier about 11:30. It was painless and easy. It was actually quite surprising how fast the line went.