Norwegian Pearl Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Background info: I’m 31 and DH is 32, no kids. This was our 3rd cruise together (first on NCL together), and my 10th cruise overall (5th on NCL). I had not sailed on NCL since 2005 on the Dawn. We traveled in a group of 10 (me and DH, MIL, FIL, SIL, DH’s aunt and uncle, and their 2 married friends). I was the only one who had been to Alaska previously (this was my fourth trip!).
Embarkation: We arrived at the pier around 10:30 am on Sunday July 3 and found the Haven/Suite check in table. We had to wait a while to get escorted to the lounge due to a broken escalator. Going through security was a bit messy, as the rep had a large group of suite guests to get through. I think maybe this could have been handled better. Anyway, once in the lounge, it was very quick to check us in, get our photo taken, and get onboard the ship. We met our two concierges, Susana and Yahira (more on them below). We were then escorted directly to lunch in Cagney’s for suite guests. Lunch was delicious- I had the shrimp and scallops over risotto, and DH had the swordfish burger. Then we were on our own to find our room!
Stateroom: 10664, Category SF, Aft Penthouse Suite, Deck 10. This was a wonderful suite! It was a corner aft suite, so we only had neighbors on one side, and a crew stair on the other. It was a super quiet location; the only time there was noise was once on a day with an early docking time, for about 5 minutes, and then again on debarkation day, but that’s to be expected as the crew bustles about for the next group of guests. Otherwise, very quiet! Loved the soft hum of the engines and loved watching our wake from the balcony, it was very soothing! And of course, great views of everything. The balcony was always wet from washing down the Great Outdoors on Deck 12 (also, it’s Alaska, so definitely from rain and mist too), but we only found a few rogue coffee stirrers on the balcony once. This did not bother us at all. The room was well-appointed and the bed was super comfy! Our butler was Lazaro and our room steward was Danilo (we called him Dan). Lazaro was quick to address our needs, which we didn’t have many except for the espresso machine, which broke twice! He replaced it twice, right away, and was always friendly. Dan kept our room spotless, made the best towel animals, and was so friendly and personable. I highly recommend this room for anyone looking into an aft suite.
Cabin Review
Penthouse with Large Balcony
This was a wonderful suite! It was a corner aft suite, so we only had neighbors on one side, and a crew stair on the other. It was a super quiet location; the only time there was noise was once on a day with an early docking time, for about 5 minutes, and then again on debarkation day, but that’s to be expected as the crew bustles about for the next group of guests. Otherwise, very quiet! Loved the soft hum of the engines and loved watching our wake from the balcony, it was very soothing! And of course, great views of everything. The balcony was always wet from washing down the Great Outdoors on Deck 12 (also, it’s Alaska, so definitely from rain and mist too), but we only found a few rogue coffee stirrers on the balcony once. This did not bother us at all. The room was well-appointed and the bed was super comfy! Our butler was Lazaro and our room steward was Danilo (we called him Dan). Lazaro was quick to address our needs, which we didn’t have many except for the espresso machine, which broke twice! He replaced it twice, right away, and was always friendly. Dan kept our room spotless, made the best towel animals, and was so friendly and personable. I highly recommend this room for anyone looking into an aft suite.
Port Reviews
Seattle
We stayed one night in Seattle on both ends of the cruise. Before going to the pier on Sunday, we walked over to the Space Needle from our hotel. Then off to the pier! It was convenient to get to from the hotel with an UberXL. The day we returned, we dropped our bags off at the hotel (same one as before) and took the monorail downtown. We went to Pike Place Market and Pike Brewing Company, and then headed up to Kerry Park for some photos. For dinner, we went to Elliott’s Oyster House on the waterfront for delicious seafood and good times!
Glacier Bay
There are no words to describe this beautiful place. I had been here before in 1999 and 2003. Unfortunately, the glaciers aren’t in such good shape; there isn’t nearly as much ice as there once had been. But it still looks like you’re on another planet. We saw some wildlife, including sea otters, sea lions, and mountain goats. The ship stopped at Grand Pacific Glacier and Margerie Glacier, as well as John Hopkins Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier. The ship does a couple 360 degree rotations so that everyone can see. The National Park rangers came onboard and did commentary over the loudspeakers in public areas, and over the tv in the staterooms. It was very informative. The weather was absolutely fantastic; at one point in the afternoon sun, DH put on shorts and a t-shirt! (which may be sad, if you think about it, because of climate change). But in the morning, it was cold and we were wearing coats and gloves. It was a great day and we were very lucky weather-wise!