We (DW and I late 40's, DS 14 and DD's 13 and 16) just returned from the June 5th sailing of the Seattle round trip to Alaska. Our 1st trip to Alaska, 3rd cruise, kids 1st cruise. I would like to preface this review by saying I can't understand why anyone would not sail with NCL. They have a magnificent product, and if they keep this up, they will be a true frontrunner in the cruise industry before long. I have sailed Princess and RCI, and NCL has them beat HANDS DOWN!! I have nothing to gain by writing this review other than to simply state my opinion and let good folks know how we feel about NCL as a cruise line.We are from the Sacramento area and decided to drive to Seattle due to higher airfare prices, as far as that is concerned, NEVER AGAIN. I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation with 3 screaming teenagers and after expecting a 12 hour drive to Seattle to be a nice scenic drive, 16.5 hours later and after being nearly run off the road 4 times, and heavy traffic in Portland, Tacoma and Seattle (this was a Saturday) I will choose to fly next timeWe drove up the day before and I was a bumbling idiot by the time I reached Seattle, and the Hotel. I was completely useless and a frazzled mess, I lost my driver's license, and I couldn't find my cars keys to pull into the parking structure after checking in. Fortunately my DW came to the rescue with her set of keys to save the day, only to learn I lost them in my front pants pocket!I learned not to squeak when I walk anymore, just by the darn plane tickets Craig!! GEEEZ! (I ended up spending more on the drive with the coffee, gas and food stops, if we had just FLOWN!!)OK enough of the self-abuse for now.Parking: A street event was taking place at the same time as our trip to the pier, so we were met with some challenges getting to the pier due to roadblocks. We were only 6 blocks from the pier but had to drive about 5 miles in bumper to bumper traffic to get there, but eventually found our way. Once in the parking structure, we were there right at 11am and were immediately directed toward the cruise parking section and were assisted with our luggage and on our way to the terminal. Excellent service!Embarkation: We were booked in a Category SC 2 Bedroom Family Suite, so we had VIP check-in, and it was a breeze. The person at the pier after security check asked us our room number and we were led to the Concierge Lounge for check-in. We were on-board within 30 minutes after munching on cookies, coffee and juice and checking in, and were escorted by our butler to Cagney's for lunch. Outstanding!!Service: Carlos was our Concierge and we made a new friend in Carlos, he was on top of everything! He is a true pro! Manu was our Butler and he is a gem! He must never sleep. Our kids were room service junkies and he met EVERY request even at the wee hours of the morning. I can't say enough about the service from NCL, EVERYONE was amazing, from Kaj the Hotel director to Mario our Steward. We were met with smiles everywhere we went. If we looked confused as to where we were going, immediately someone asked us what we were looking for.Our Cabin 11512: The 2 Bedroom Family Suite was amazing! The Master bedroom was beautiful as was the Master bath, and I now know I will never enjoy a shower at home again until I have the mutli-nozzle rain shower installed at home, like that'll ever happen! The Living/ Dining area was spacious, we really enjoyed the balcony, and the kids enjoyed their room. I am a large man and never felt crowded. The best part was the Lavazza Espresso maker, again, we were spoiled.Dining: The French Specialty Restaurant Le Bistro was to die for, the Italian Restaurant La Cucina was wonderful with the 6 course meal, and Teppanyaki Benihana Style restaurant, the Sushi Bar and Mambo's Latin food were also incredible. The Main Dining Rooms Summer Palace and Indigo were also great; the dEcor in Summer Palace was beautiful. The buffet was also great with so many choices, although a bit crowded sometimes we never didn't find a place to sit. The highlight of the dining experience was Cagney's Steakhouse perk for breakfast and lunch and the Le Bistro Côte de Boeuf (an additional $10 surcharge but well worth it). The only poor experience in dining I had was a club sandwich in the Summer Place for lunch which was awful, other than that, dining was superb everywhere.The Suite Life: We were treated like royalty. We were invited to the Captain's Cocktail Party and an exclusive viewing of Glacier Bay on the Private Sundeck above the Courtyard. Our Butler Manu, and our Concierge Carlos were true professionals, we have made new friends in them. Our teens loved the Family Suite and the room service. Cagney's free breakfast and lunch perk was awesome, as was VIP embark/ disembark.Shore Excursions: In Juneau we took the Mendenhall Glacier/Mt.Roberts Tramway combo Tour. The Glacier was an awesome sight, the kids walked up to the waterfall and had a great time, Carol and I browsed around in the Visitors Center and took pics of the exhibit. Mt. Roberts Tramway was fun, we shopped in the gift shop on top and took in the view overlooking the harbor. In Skagway we took the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway tour. We loved the tour, and the guide was very informative and funny. The views were amazing. I believe there are a few mystic places on our beautiful planet and Glacier Bay is definitely one of them. Words cannot describe the experience and cameras cannot capture the true beauty of this place. In Ketchikan it was a bit rainy, but not too much, we just browsed the shops and walked around town. Victoria was a beautiful city, we decided to take a local limo tour which was quite reasonable for the money, and we were very impressed with the knowledge of our driver of the local history. We went to the Lt. Governor's mansion and Craigdarroch Castle. He took us to the Beacon Hill park and then through the City right after sunset and we saw the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Building. It is quite a site with the waterfront and the people bustling about.The Overall Experience: The food was fabulous, the entertainment fantastic and the crew bent over backwards to accommodate our every request. The service was impeccable. We were met with smiles and greetings everywhere we went. What a beautiful ship the Norwegian Pearl is. Absolutely fantastic! We were blessed with good weather for most of the trip, although there was a night of exceptionally rough seas which left our kids feeling a bit squeamish, but not seasick. After a dose of Bonine all was well with them. DW and I may be a bit bent because we really enjoyed the experience of the not so calm seas.I highly recommend the NCL Pearl for anyone who may be considering this as their ship to experience Alaska or any other destination for that matter. Our trip overall was the trip of a lifetime, and we can't imagine sailing with anyone else. Freestyle Cruising is definitely for us. We purchased a FCC and will be sailing somewhere in April 2012 with NCL.Pics at this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/idonetw...e52011NCLPearl