Norwegian Pearl Review

Accessible and Gluten Free info here. Fabulous Family Vacation. Thanks Dad!

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Pearl
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andym888
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jun 2016

lorifl2 reviewed this same cruise taken the week before ours. I will only write about different experiences, so read hers too. This was our first cruise, so we can't compare to other lines. Scroll to the end for details on accessibility and gluten free info. We chose this cruise based on price, destination, and accessibility. We had the economical inside cabin and my disabled Father had an ocean view accessible room. We opted for the large bed option where they combine the small bed frames and slap on a larger mattress. They call it a queen, but it seemed larger than our queen at home. This removed any floor space, so if you prefer walking to cuddling, stick with separate bunks. The bathroom is tiny, but the shower was roomier than expected. Hot water was always available, and the pressure was good too. The steward cleans every day and brings fresh towels, including an adorable animal sculpture made out of towels. The ship and cabin are immaculate. They are constantly cleaning. Germs don't have a prayer surviving on this ship. We were located on the 8th deck near O'Sheehan's Pub, a complimentary venue. We loved this and ate breakfast there every morning. We ate dinner there when prime rib was the special. Wonderful meal! We also enjoyed the two nights we ate at the Summer Palace, one of the two complimentary main dining rooms. Indigo was the other main dining room. My meal there was just ok. Our favorite dining experience was Moderno's Brazillian steakhouse. This was an upcharge, $26.00 per person, but sooooo worth it. I agree with everything lorifl2 said about this place. We mostly ate lunch at the Garden Buffet on deck 12. This was often crowded and difficult to navigate, but there was plenty to choose from and it was an easy way to stay healthy for at least one meal in the day. My 25 year old son found he was hungry at different times than we were, and loved to pop up there on his own. One day they had a salmon bake by the pool. YUMMY!. Another day they had a Bavarian Buffet. We had a pretzel because we had already eaten. We had the Ultimate Beverage Package. I really enjoyed splurging on a second glass of wine, or trying a new cocktail guilt free. One thing we didn't get with that was coffee or hot chocolate. You can have that in the dining rooms, but not the bars. I wanted a Baily's hot chocolate, but that was a no go. So frustrating! My brother needs to have constant water due to medications he takes. The bottled water was not included either. Those bottles were $5.50! He just refilled the ones he had. The entertainment is fabulous. Don't miss Tim Kaminsky, the comedian. Jimmy, can't remember his last name, sang a wonderful tribute concert to Tony Bennett. The NCL dance troupe was great and did a nice job on the variety show. There were other singers that joined them for various tributes, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Elton John. Madonna was amazing!!!! We did several excursions. The one I want to mention is one we did not book through NCL. You won't find it on their list. It was in Ketchikan, and was a hike through the rainforest and Bight Totem Park. This is not accessible. Wild Wolf Tours offers this excursion. The maximum number of people she takes is 12, but we three had her to ourselves! She grew up there and was very knowledgeable. The hike was beautiful and interesting. The trainride in Skagway is a must, and accessible as well. In Juneau we took the Bike and Brew tour. We rode 8 miles to see two sides of the Mendenhall Glacier, then had a beer tasting in town. I am not overly fit and don't ride, but I managed this tour. In Victoria we didn't do an excursion. The bus to town had a nice lift for the chair, so we all went in to town for a delicious dinner at Cactus Cafe. Ok, now for the accessible and Gluten free info...

GLUTEN FREE

I give NCL an A for effort but a B for execution. My keycard was tied to my profile so anytime I used it, they knew I was GF. My son is also GF. We started referring to the waiters and hosts as the gluten nazi's. lol They wouldn't let us order any dish with sauces because they had soy. I am not that strict, but I have to admit, the ever present hives on my neck and face cleared up. Here is how NCL prefer's to handle GF passengers. We are asked to give them 24 hours notice which dining room we plan to eat at, and what we would like to have made GF. Seriously, who plans meals a day in advance on vacation, especially with 6 in our party? However, right when they were telling me this, we already knew we were eating at the pub for my son's birthday the next night. They made us au jus for the prime rib without soy. I was so pleased, but then they ruined it by bringing him a birthday cake that wasn't GF. Why didn't they just bring a dish of ice cream or a GF blueberry muffin we later learned they keep on hand? But wait! They made it right later. We happened to attend a Q&A session with the chef, so my son mentioned that incident. He spoke with us afterwards and made him a flourless GF chocolate cake the next day at my sister's birthday dinner. It was to die for! We nibbled on that the rest of the week. At O'Sheehans, since we ate breakfast there every morning, they knew us and brought me gf toast and muffins. The oatmeal on the buffet there was the best, creamy and hot. I am not that strict about GF oatmeal. At Moderno's, there were several items on the salad bar we could not have, and out of the 11 meats you get, we could only eat 5. Only, 5 lol. Who cares. It was still my favorite meal. The salad bar was amazing too! When we didn't preorder, the waiters were very good to help us find something we could eat. I had the pork roast, and they brought me cranberries and mint jelly instead of the sauce it came with. The roast was dry, so not my favorite meal, but still, they tried. The Garden buffet has pizza, and I'm told you can have GF pizza, but I never tried. I was happy with the cold cuts, cheese, and fruit I ate every day. I would say the worst thing about being GF on the cruise was the conflicting info I was given. For instance, I know I could have GF pizza, but was unclear if I had to preorder the day before or not. I didn't have to preoder my toast and muffins, but thought I did. That waitress was wonderful to offer those to me. You can't bring any food onboard that isn't sealed, so don't bake your own bread or cookies. I hope this helps you GF peeps.

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