we had cruised with carnival in the past and wanted to test out another cruise line. So, when it was time to book our cruise to alaska, we went with ncl. The process of booking it went very smooth. Before we checked in, we dropped our luggage off with a porter and spent an hour and a half exploring the seattle pier area and pikes market. When we got back to check in, the line was even longer than before, but it only took about 45 minutes to get onto the ship.

We were on the pearl. It looked like they had just resurfaced the decks. It was not slippery and looked nice. As for inside, i believe they need to take some time to deep clean the entire interior of the ship. Some specific areas that could use some tlc are the complimentary dining facilities. There was old food in all the cracks of the chairs and on the bases of the tables. There was also crud on the window sills. Carnival was way cleaner!

We had a room with a window which was a great choice. My husband did have to wipe finger and nose prints off of the window and mirrors that had been left by prior occupants. Unfortunately, even though it had not been raining, the outside of the window was spotted terribly. It remained that way throughout the cruise. The carpet and sheets had stains on them. The beds were wore out and way to soft as we were sinking into the center of the mattress. Carnival's rooms were cleaner, linen fresher and beds more comfortable. They also provided a basket of free samples! Storage and space was equivalent. Read more