Norwegian Pearl Review
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I had taken this cruise about 8 years ago with a friend from work and had a great time. Fast forward and I retook this same ship/destination on a delayed honeymoon with my DH. We left on the September 15th cruise booked to Alaska via the inside passage. Hubster was a cruise ‘virgin’ and wasn’t sure about cruising – act of faith going with me on this for our honeymoon while I’ve done multiple cruises all steaming out of US. We aren’t young – late in life first marriage for both of us – he’s 43 and I’m 53. No kids. We both have careers that involve a huge slice of customer care so that is very important to us. Probably in the lower 40 percentile of middle class. He’s a career chef; I have a masters and work in healthcare. Sorry for the bio, but one thing I find frustrating on cruises is trying to get feel for what the trip is like – is the person reviewing like me? How did they find the staff, etc? How were things handled that went well? What about when not? So hopefully this helps you when trying to figure out if a holiday on the Pearl is going to be your cup of tea.
Dining
Room service is free (except Pizza or middle of night munchies) and so we decided to try breakfast from our balcony the first morning. Our server, Frazier, quickly learned our preferences for when we liked to eat and what we enjoyed. Soon we were simply greeted by a phone call each morning to let us know he was on his way with our breakfast (fresh fruit, chocolate croissants, juice, coffee and milk) – we didn’t even have to call him. Mid-afternoon at sea he recommended we try the cheese platter with a little fruit - for two – excellent recommendation and a standing order for whenever we were on board. Evenings he brought us a plate of fruit and chocolate treats to finish the day watching the light fade on our balcony. Discrete – always a call first to let us know he was coming, then a quiet knock on the door once there – never barging in like I have had happen on other cruise lines. Frazier always made a beautiful presentation of whatever he brought and never failed to ask if there was anything else we would like. If you have a balcony I cannot recommend this option too highly.
Cabin Review
Confirmed inside cabin gal - but after staying in mini-suite will be balcony sailings from here on out. When not on excursions, taking in entertainment or relaxing at the thermal spa – we were living here. The closet was large and well stocked for hangers. I loved the bathroom having sliders for the shower and toilet areas so that while one was using the sink area the other could have privacy and use the other areas. Bedding was comfy soft – we kept our balcony door open a crack at night for the fresh air and sound of the waves – the bedding was perfect for warmth. The first morning we woke up to find dolphins leaping in the water alongside the ship. Whales and other wildlife were regularly sighted once at sea. Each day our steward, Edward, created towel animals for us and each night we would arrive in our room and find a new one waiting for us. A daily notice of the next day’s activities would be placed on our bed each evening during turndown so we could look at what was offered, times and where on the ship. The refrigerator is small, but not too small – we would bring home leftover wine from our dinners for drinking later while watching sunsets on our balcony and the bottles fit just fine. There was single drawback - we were in 11596. I think the shuffleboard was directly above our room. The shuffleboard is outside and we were sitting outside. Some of the players “smack talk” was very graphic and loud. Fortunately, after about 2 days at sea, the novelty wore off and the competitors spent time elsewhere on the ship – probably talking smack at the bowling alley. Aside from that one thing – we found the room perfect.