Norwegian Pearl Review
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My husband, Kevin, and I have sailed on a Norwegian ship every Christmas for the last six years. We find it to be the most stress-free way to spend the holidays. This was our second holiday cruise on the Pearl. The first cruise was in 2011, when we embarked on Christmas Day, and disembarked on New Year's Day (which was not a pretty sight!).
Our Holiday Cruise 2014 was special in a few ways: 1) We would embark on December 21, which was a Monday; 2) it was an 11-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean, which included three islands we had not visited before, and; 3) we would spend both Christmas and New Year's on the ship.
I organized the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet with the Pearl. As usual, over 100 people said they planned to attend, and about 35 actually attended. (Why does this happen?) The Captain and senior crew were very friendly and welcoming. The Pearl takes Cruise Critic more seriously than any other ship I have sailed on. All the Norwegian ships throw the welcome party and have the senior crew attend, sometimes with the Captain, sometimes without, but the Pearl goes an extra step and has a follow-up meeting on the last sea day. The senior crews' graciousness in the face of complaints from a few passengers was impressive. Hats off to Tony Rosa and the rest of the senior crew!
Cabin Review
Aft-Facing Mini-Suite with Balcony
Cabin 11654 is not only an Aft-Facing Mini-Suite, it is also Handicapped Accessible. There is plenty of room to maneuver, and if you need a larger bathroom, this is the place for you! The bed was a little hard for my back and shoulder, but our room steward, Pablo, added padding until it was comfortable for me. I really appreciated his efforts! The room is quiet for the most part. A few mornings towards the end of the cruise, we were woken up around 5 a.m. by the sound of tables and chairs being moved around above us in the Great Outdoors. The seas got a little rough, so we think the crew had to secure them differently. Otherwise, this was a very quiet, spacious cabin, and we enjoyed the great view off the balcony.