My husband and I have just returned from our 2-night mini cruise to Great Stirrup Cay on the NCL Pearl. I felt somewhat compelled to write my first cruise review due to the fact that many of the reviews I had read prior to the sailing were alarmly uncomplimentary. And fortunately, we found our fears were very much unfounded!
Some background: I have previously cruised with Carnival on 4 occasions, on Royal Caribbean on 16 cruises, and with NCL on 5 sailings. It has been my experience that there are pros and cons to each of the cruise lines, and we don't tend to dwell on the cons too much.
We both agreed that the NCL Pearl is a great ship. Although I had read many complaints about substandard service, we happily found this not to be the case. On the contrary, this staff was one of the friendliest we have encountered in all our cruises! From the embarkation staff, to the wait staff in all the restaurants we visited, to the stateroom attendants...all were friendly and hospitable.
8066 Obstructed Oceanview, room was horizontal...layout made it seem more crowded. Bathroom door when opened, obstructed the closet door and the vanity area. Would book a vertical room next time.