Norwegian Pearl Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,401 reviews

Great time in Alaska

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Pearl
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austinblue
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jun 2008
Cabin: Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

During the months prior to our Alaska Cruise on the Pearl I gained a large amount of valuable information from reading the numerous Cruise Critic postings. This may be a little long in form but hopefully someone else will get that one little piece of information that will help the planning and allow the trip be as successful as ours was.

My wife and I flew into Seattle the day prior to the Alaska cruise on the Pearl. We had researched the various methods and costs of transportation from the airport to downtown and chose "Driver for Hire". We were picked up by a town car and transported to the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel for $35, this is virtually the same cost as a taxi. The driver was waiting on us and was very informative on the way to the hotel. This was a great way to start off the week. The Marriott Waterfront is literally directly across the street from the where the Pearl docks, it is absolutely the most convenient location possible. We asked for a room with a view of the Pearl docking area and were placed in room 402. If you decide to stay at the Marriott I would recommend doing the research on the hotel lay out in order to get the best view, 402 was about as good as it is going to get. The weather was fabulous and we enjoyed doing the usual touristy things; Seattle Tower, the Locks, Pikes Market, and walked the town. The hotel was in excellent condition and the staff was great. I had read a few negative comments relating to the hotel and the area around it; we found the comments very misleading. The area is extremely clean, the location excellent, and using a little common sense we did not find the surroundings in any way threatening.

It breaks day very early in Seattle, add in the two hour time change from home and I was up very early. Went to the lobby and got my coffee, then stepped outside Sunday morning around 5:00 a.m. just as the Pearl was docking from the previous cruise. I then spent the next couple of hours watching and being amazed at the preparation of the Pearl for the departure later that day. My wife and I walked across the street with our luggage and were at door 7 at the pier at 10:30 a.m. to drop off our luggage (no need for assistance from the Marriott unless you have an extremely large amount of luggage) and then we were directed upstairs to complete the paperwork and get the cabin key cards. There were no issues with the process and at 11:30 a.m. we boarded the ship. During the process you are given the first day copy of the Freestyle Daily and each day after one is left in your cabin in the evening. It provides excellent information and you really need to pay attention to the opening times for the buffet and dining options as the times do change depending on the time of port arrival in the various cities. As the cabins were still being made ready the announcements kept directing everyone to the Garden Cafe (Buffet) for lunch while waiting. Instead of the buffet we went to the Summer Palace (Deck 7, aft.) and had an enjoyable meal, seated next to a window allowing for a great view. There were very few people in the Summer Palace and it was a much better start to the week than fighting the crowd at the buffet. I have no idea why they only announce and advertise the Garden Cafe.

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cabin MA

Adequate storage and closet space. Great bath (tub / shower combination. Really comfortable bed. Great black out curtains. No problems with noise other than kids running up and down the hall every now and then.

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