My husband, 14-year-old son, and I traveled on the Norwegian Pearl from July 30 - August 6, 2017. It was a round-trip cruise from Seattle that made short stops primarily in Alaska. This was my family’s first cruise, and - very likely - our last (certainly our last with NCL!).
The cruise should probably get 2.5 stars but I rounded up to a 3. We were really disappointed. I expected the cruise would be the best part of our summer vacation, but it was not. It also makes me sad because there are so many staff members who deserve a higher rating than a “3”. They worked hard without complaining to make the week pleasant for the passengers, and they did so with smiles on their faces and a commitment to customer service (our cabin steward, Jenny, deserves mention here). But the company’s policies and practices that bring the cruise’s ratings down are absolutely maddening.
NEED TO DISCLOSE MATERIAL FACTS TO CONSUMERS
This should not be offered as a cabin that can accommodate 3 people. We didn't expect it to be spacious. But I think it's reasonable that a passenger should be able to sit up in bed without banging her head on the bunk bed that folds down, which was directly above my head. It was awful! Otherwise, the cabin is small but fine.
We loved Seattle, but it had nothing to do with NCL. We arrived a few days early and did lots of sightseeing on our own.
We really enjoyed our time in Ketchikan. We had a beautiful, sunny day and walked for a couple of hours. There's a walking map that we used to see various interesting sites.
This is a RIDICULOUS stop. If you don't buy an excursion through the ship, you'll get off last. By the time you get to town, everything except restaurants will be closed. It's a chance to stretch your legs, but you could just walk around on the ship. It shouldn't be considered a port of call because it's only for a couple of hours and everything is closed!
Skagway was a bust. We looked into independent excursions but they were all so expensive! If we could do it over again, research "Free Things to do in Skagway" and for each other port you visit. Do it before you get on the ship because the internet is awful (and expensive!) on the ship.