My partner and I (53 and 44 respectively) had never cruised before but always wanted to try an Alaska cruise. We got our wish on the 9/14 sailing of the Norwegian Pearl. The trip was fantastic. Any issue I mention below is really just picky stuff that didn't affect the overall cruise at all; I just didn't want this review to sound like an NCL advertisement! :) I had scoured the Cruise Critic boards and you all have been a tremendous help, so I wanted to give back a bit by writing this review.

Pre-Cruise

Since our flight got into Seattle pretty late the day prior to the cruise, we just stayed at the Sleep Inn near the airport. The hotel was in good condition and had free internet terminals in the lobby as well as a decent breakfast. There's also a Safeway within walking distance where we did our grocery shopping. It was a bit of a walk (with it being uphill part of the way) but definitely doable. Read more