Norwegian Pearl Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,401 reviews

Enjoyable cruise, but disliked being chiseled.

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Pearl
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Cool Cruise Curmudgeon
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jul 2016

PRO's: We have cruised several times, and the Norwegian Pearl was a nice cruise ship, with a mixed group of passengers (families, seniors, young couples, etc.). The food was generally good and varied, but virtually everything was over-salted. We prefer interior cabins because the quiet and darkness makes sleeping so nice, and these were excellent. The staff couldn't be nicer and more helpful. The shore excursions offered thru the ship were interesting and generally well-run.

CON's: This cruise line will squeeze every extra nickel from you that it can, in new, inventive (and often infuriating) ways. If you sign up for internet access, you will find that the ship's server is VERY slow, whether you pay by the minute or take the unbelievably expensive package. I believe this is intentional to maximize profits. It took me 5 minutes just to sign onto the internet. At 95 cents a minute, that means it cost me $4.75 before ever accessing the 'net, PLUS a $3.95 "one-time registration charge". It tried to charge me double for my cell phone, which was never able to connect to their server. Only after I complained a second time did they withdraw the charge.

Norwegian absolutely prohibits outside alcoholic beverages so it can charge you outrageous prices. A bottle of Stolitchnya vodka that costs you $29 ashore will cost you $109 aboard ship. It will be even more if you decide to pay "by the drink". But the thing that really jerked my chain the hardest was the "service charge" of $13.50 per day/per passenger for "staff tips". Maybe you're the kind that reads all the fine print; I'm not. When it came time to settle up the bill, it was added automatically. On other cruises, I at least had the option to personally hand the tip envelopes to the room steward and servers who worked hard to deserve it. When I told the counter person this was dishonest, she sullenly muttered that "it was in the contract of carriage." Yippee. Book at your own risk.

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