Norwegian Pearl Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,401 reviews

Greatest vacation ever

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Pearl
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1stcruiser59
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jul 2010
Cabin: Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

My wife and I went our first ever cruise to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary. I did a good amount of research but settled on NCL pretty quickly due to Freestyle Cruising. I think being told when and where to eat is little like work. We appreciated the freedom that came with NCL, We left Boston early Saturday morning and flew Jet Blue to Seattle. Seamless, perfect flight. Based on what we learned on Cruise Critic we had previously ordered transportation to the hotel through A Plus Town Car. I ordered this service online. I called them when we hit the ground as directed and again after we picked up our many bags. They pulled up outside of baggage claim and off we went to the hotel. Through Expedia we booked the night before and the night after the cruise at the Fairmount Olympic. I was shocked when we pulled up. It is absolutely gorgeous, an old fashioned, beautiful hotel. The entire staff falls all over themselves to ensure your enjoyment. They had a room ready so we were able to check in right away, get the bags right away and head out to see Seattle. What a nice city. We walked down to the Pike Place Market where we browsed some of the stalls, had a bite to eat and watched the street performers. The juggler was amazing and funny. We took a bus down to Pioneer Square to do the Underground Tour but the three and four o'clock shows were sold out. Disappointed, we pressed on and found a nice Irish bar down the street and enjoyed a cold beverage. We walked back to the hotel and had a quick nap. We went out that night to The Blarney Stone for dinner. A pretty good place but great bartenders. We were well taken care of. Early night and back to the hotel. We were looking for a simple breakfast and the concierge recommended a place called Bacco down by the market. We walked down and had a great breakfast. Great coffee, freshly squeezed juice, omelets and roasted potatoes. Everything was delicious. Back to the hotel and get ready to cruise. About 11:15 we called the bell captain and they immediately retrieved our bags and we were outside getting a cab. A short ride to Pier 66 (about a nine dollar cab ride) and we were at the ship. First you have to check your bags, which was relatively quick and then you go through security. There was a long line but it moved quickly. Don't take any pictures in this area as they confiscated one gentlemen's cell phone for that "security breach". Then you are on the ship where they definitely push you to the Garden Cafe buffet. We ignored that and based on what we learned on CC we made our way to the Summer Palace for a nice sit down lunch. We went topside to the pool for what is advertised as a party but is really just a giant sales presentation, skip it unless you want to buy something. By then the cabins were ready so we headed back to check out the room. We had a mini-suite #11072. More than adequate for two and centrally located. We attended the safety muster that everyone must go to. It only took about fifiteen minutes and then back to the cabin. Our luggage was waiting outside the room. We unpacked, cleaned up a bit and headed out. We went to the Blue Lagoon for a snack and a drink. Then we went to the Martini bar for another drink. By now it's about 6:45 so we head over to the Stardust theatre to the show that highlights all the shows you can see during the week. It was well worth going to and we picked out the shows we wanted to attend. Up to the Garden Cafe for dinner. Now I don't understand all the negative reviews about the food. Yes it is a buffet and no, it's not gourmet but the choices were fabulous and tasty. Their fresh fruit was great. We went to the Spinnaker Lounge for karaoke and it was a riot. There was also some real talent. Well, it's been a long day, since we're still kind of operating on Boston time, so early night and off to bed. A little about the room. The bed is really comfortable. Sitting on the couch not so much but it's not going to get used much. You'll have the hair dryer, the coffee maker, the flat screen TV and the safe for your valuables. We had four large suitcases and everything fit in the closet and the drawers. There are only three outlets in the room. One is in the bathroom and two by the desk. So if you have cell phones, cameras, laptop, a Kindle and a CPAP like I do then you really need a power strip. I also brought an extension cord so I could place the CPAP next to the bed.

Day 2 Ship Day Got up early and went for a walk on the 13th deck. Wind and more wind outside. We had breakfast in the Garden Cafe. There was plenty of variety and good food. We attended trivia and Bingo in the Spinnaker Lounge. Both were great fun. Had a couple of Bloody Marys as they were on special this morning. They were very good. About 12:30 we went back to the Garden Cafe for lunch. The food was good but was jammed. We ended carrying our plates into La Cuccina to eat. My wife attended the seminar on the ports and shopping. She said it's just a big sales pitch. We saw "Oh What A Night", the tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Great show! Dinner at Cagney's was very good. Day 3 Juneau Juneau is pretty much a tourist trap. The whole city is jewelry stores and they're vultures when you poke your head in the door. Who needs that? The Evening Whale Quest was pretty great. The crew was very attuned to make sure everybody had a great time. And they had a catered meal including beef tenderloin. Wow! Day 4 Skagway I loved this place. We walked the town about 6:30 a.m. before anything was open. It's a beautiful town with wooden sidewalks. We bought some gifts at the Alaska Christmas Store. I'm not a shopper but check this place out. They have gorgeous handmade, "real Alaska" items and they're friendly. We rode the railroad to the Yukon. Great ride to undisturbed areas. Day 5 Glacier Bay There's not much to say about Glacier Bay. It is breathtaking! One of the best experiences of my life. We ordered room service for breakfast but they never showed up or we didn't hear them. Up one deck to the buffet and got breakfast and brought it back to the room. Thank God for digital cameras as I took probably three hundred pictures here. Dinner at La Cuchina was very good. We followed that up by seeing The Second City group in the Stardust Theatre. They were okay. Day Six Ketchikan We had to get up at 5:30 for an early excursion. We took Lighthouses, Totems and Eagles. It was great! I don't know how many eagles we saw but it was a bunch. Also saw harbor seals and sea lions. Very friendly and attentive crew. The Captain/Narrator was a real hoot and made the trip for us. Did some quick shopping in Ketchikan especially at Tall Tale Taxidermy. A nice shop with lots of real Alaskan goods. All aboard at 1:00 p.m. and we're on our way to Victoria. We had dinner at Indigo. We both had steak. It was outstanding. We split a bottle of wine. Day Seven Victoria NCL is extremely well organized. Plenty of information on disembarkation delivered to your room and also on the TV. We packed before leaving for our excursion. The Butchart Gardens are amazing but we were both pretty beat by this point. Back to the ship and finished packing. It is incredibly easy. You get colored tags indicating what time you want to disembark. You just leave your bags in the hallway and the next time you see them is when you get home (if you avail yourself of the BAGS plan) or in the terminal. In conclusion The best vacation ever. The Pearl was great, the food was great, the crew was great, the shows were great and Alaska was amazing.

Bon Voyage!

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cabin MA
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