I cruised Glacier Bay, Alaska on the Norwegian Pearl June 29th-July 6th with my husband and parents. This was the first cruise for my husband and I and we are hooked! Arrive early to the airport - every single flight in our group was delayed or cancelled. With airlines cutting and rerouting so many flights, don't take a chance. Our flight was cancelled upon check-in - we were never notified prior. They rebooked us on another airline and we made it to Seattle with time to spare. We took a cab to the port - 4 people/$45. Embarkation was a breeze. There were plenty of people to keep the process moving and answer questions. Walking up the gangplank to the ship was an experience I'll never forget. It's amazing that we can travel this way! The crew who passed out champagne and orange juice greeted us, and then it was straight to the Summer Palace for lunch. We easily got a window seat as not many people were in the dining room. I didn't know that the staff expects to hear what you'll have for all of your courses when they take your order instead of checking after the meal to see what you'd like for dessert - I had to make up my mind sooner than expected! Seattle is a beautiful harbor and before I realized it, we were sailing away. The Great Outdoor Cafe was our favorite spot to sit through most of the cruise: outside smelling the fresh air, out of the headwinds and close to coffee and ice cream!

The Ship: The Pearl is a beautiful ship, although I'm not sure why decorating in hotels and such is always bright oranges and busy patterns. We had an interior room that was much bigger than I'd imagined. The little time we spent in our room, we enjoyed the movie channels and the blackout. If you like to know what time it is, pack a travel clock - we didn't, but slept little because each day we were so excited to see where we were and didn't want to miss a moment.

The first day was spent at sea. The Pearl has so much to do onboard: golfing cages, putt-putt tournaments (we won!), rock climbing, soccer games, quiz shows, dancing, etc. We got a kick out of the bingo excitement. People bought tickets like crazy! Paul Scally and the rest of the cruise director staff were great. They provided endless energy and included everyone in the fun. On our sail, there was a comedian, a juggling team two theatrical shows, the Four Tops Review and a crew talent show. My favorite onboard activity was dancing to Kenosis - the crew band. They were fabulous! I don't think they played the same song twice the whole week. Read more