My husband and I took our first cruise last week aboard the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska (june 18-25). We really didn't know what to expect too much. We were a clean slate hoping for a trip of a lifetime since we were celebrating our 20 year wedding anniversary. I found Cruise Critic through searching for excursions and wished that we I had found this site much earlier. I think that really is helpful and I know that our trip was made better for more reasons than one since I found this site and posted in the Norwegian Pearl boards and on our Roll Call.

We are from San Diego, Ca, and flew in the afternoon before. We met some friends for dinner Saturday night and then we took the Seattle Duck tour ( $35 a person for a 90 minute tour) the morning of the cruise. We found it a fun and fast way to see the city. Very enjoyable. We just walked up to the Space Needle, and the tour company was right there next to it. Super easy and fun. It went all around downtown and to Fremont area and into Lake Union———>

We stayed at the Edgewater Noble, which is the hotel right next to the Cruise terminal. We just walked with our bags from the hotel right over to the terminal after our morning in Seattle. Took 5 minutes. VERY easy and I highly recommend staying at this hotel also!! The rooms were big, beautiful and clean. Fireplace in our room and a balcony that we could view the Space Needle from. Downstairs lobby has HUGE picture windows to look into Puget Sound and we saw our boat, The Pearl there in the morning. Read more