As of this cruise, we have been on eight cruises with our daughter, with the first cruise being when she was almost two years old. Much has been written about the Pearl. Your overall experience, will depend on whether your personality matches that of the "freestyle" concept. My goal in this review, is to provide my experience of being a parent of a child with special needs. My daughter is on the mild end of the ASD spectrum, and she also has ADHD. A parent of a child with special needs who hasn't experienced the embarkation process, might find it a bit hectic, unless you're travelling in a cabin class that gives you priority boarding.

However, based on my recent experience with NCL, ask your travel agent to reach out to them; notify them of what your needs are, prior to arriving at the pier. Your travel agent will be a great asset to you in securing what both you and your child needs. The youth staff of the Pearl were very accommodating to our daughters interests and abilities. They assured me, that they have experience in working with special needs children. They do not provided assistance with toileting needs. They will provide you with a "handy" phone, so that they can contact you if needed. Our daughter thoroughly enjoyed going to the youth group. With the exception of time spent in port, she requested to spend time with the other kids. The youth staff spoke with me about how the other kids were benefiting, by my daughter being included with the group.

Be forewarned, that strobe lights may be used during theater performances. They were good about announcing this before the shows that used them. When booking a cabin on the Pearl, you'll want to pay close attention to the cabin size and category you choose. However, if your child has a mobility issue, your travel agent will have (hopefully) secured an accessible cabin. As to mobility issues, the cabin corridors are tight and winding in some spots (we were on deck 8). Read more