Norwegian Pearl Review
Rating by category
Additional details
My Cruise History: Carnival Fascination 2000 D Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas 2005 A Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas 2006 A++ Norwegian Pearl 2008 A+
EMBARKATION: We flew from Philly to Ft. Lauderdale the night before and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. (Very nice hotel for the money-Will stay there again). There were 6 of us, so we arranged for a private shuttle to the Port of Miami. Arriving at the NCL terminal was pretty easy but it was very crowded. We were booked in a Penthouse so we were directed to VIP check in. This alone is worth the extra money, as the regular line for check in was extremely long and appeared to be slow moving. VIP check in's enter a private room where you get your Sea Pass and are then escorted through security and met by your Concierge. From there you bypass all lines are are escorted directly to Cagney's Steakhouse for a sit down lunch.
OUR CABIN: The six of us received complimentary cruises from an Atlantic City casino and chose to upgrade from our outside cabins. We chose the Penthouse 10,000 (cat AC) complete with butler and concierge service. Our location was directly on the front on the ship right under the bridge. We loved this room!!! (we actually have the same cabin, on the same shipped booked for this December). It had a king size bed with a 42" flat panel TV in direct view. An average sized bathroom (actually same size as Jr. Suite) with separate tub and toilet areas with sink vanity in between. Outside the bathroom, there is a vanity with a large mirror and stool. There were extra outlets and a hairdryer and storage drawers for cosmetics. There was a full size sofa, coffee table and chair situated in front of floor to ceiling windows looking out onto our deck! (Yes, I said deck...more on that in a bit) There was also a dining table for two. Closet and storage space was plentiful. The double closet was accessible from both sides. As if it could get better, one of the highlights was the Expresso/Cappucino/Coffee/Tea maker. ($2900 machine as I found out later). This was fully stocked with a variety of flavors of coffee and tea and all the accompaniments needed including real coffee cups, not paper cups. The deck was awesome. It had two chaise lounges with thick plush cushions, a comfy wicker chair and a table. You could easily fit 20 people out there if you wanted. The days at sea, I laid out on my deck and did not bother with the pool. Despite being on the front of the ship, there was not an issue with wind even when we were moving.
Cabin Review
Penthouse with Large Balcony
We chose the Penthouse 10,000 (cat AC) complete with butler and concierge service. Our location was directly on the front on the ship right under the bridge. We loved this room!!! (we actually have the same cabin, on the same shipped booked for this December). It had a king size bed with a 42" flat panel TV in direct view. An average sized bathroom (actually same size as Jr. Suite) with separate tub and toilet areas with sink vanity in between. Outside the bathroom, there is a vanity with a large mirror and stool. There were extra outlets and a hairdryer and storage drawers for cosmetics. There was a full size sofa, coffee table and chair situated in front of floor to ceiling windows looking out onto our deck! (Yes, I said deck…more on that in a bit) There was also a dining table for two. Closet and storage space was plentiful. The double closet was accessible from both sides. As if it could get better, one of the highlights was the Expresso/Cappucino/Coffee/Tea maker. ($2900 machine as I found out later). This was fully stocked with a variety of flavors of coffee and tea and all the accompaniments needed including real coffee cups, not paper cups. The deck was awesome. It had two chaise lounges with thick plush cushions, a comfy wicker chair and a table. You could easily fit 20 people out there if you wanted. The days at sea, I laid out on my deck and did not bother with the pool. Despite being on the front of the ship, there was not an issue with wind even when we were moving.