Norwegian Pearl Review
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Additional details
This was our second 7-day cruise on NCL. The other was Pride of America in Hawaii. We are a retired couple 70 years old. This was our 10th cruise on four different lines. We prefer this "smaller" ship vs. the mega ships in that movement around is much easier. My wife has mobility limitations. Access to main dining, gym, pool deck and the theater was very easy using her walker. The theater has along row of good seating reserved for handicapped.
Our cabin was a minisuite on deck 11. This is such a convenient spot, only one deck below the buffet and the pool deck. No need to room service (extra $) when I could just go up one flight of stairs for coffee , breakfast, snacks and bring them back to our cabin.
Dining options were very good.. We really like the FreeStyle ability to choose your time and place that is preferred for each meal. Our favorite dining spot was the Summer Palace main dining room. Complementary dining was all we experienced. In addition to the two main dining options, there were other options including the Irish pub and an Asian restaurant, both of which were excellent.
Cabin Review
Mini-Suite with Balcony
GET THIS CABIN IF YOU WANT MINISUITE - This balcony has about 30% more space than all the other minisuites because it is at the end of a very long row of balconies. We had a three glass panel wrap-around view where all other minisuites had only two. What a bonus. PLUS, this cabin sells for MX classification, the lowest cost minisuite. We were two 70 yr olds. This cabin was the perfect layout for us. One is an early riser and the other is a night-owl. The curtain dividing the living area from the sleeping area was heavy and sealed out light and some noise...a great asset. This is such a convenient spot, only one deck below the buffet and the pool deck. No need to room service (extra $) when I could just go up one flight of stairs for coffee , breakfast, snacks and bring them back to our cabin. Very close to elevators which helped my mobility limited wife. One challenge was the bathtub sides were very high and hard for her to step over. But we found the locker room at the gym had convenient showers and dressing area easy and safe for her to use.
Port Reviews
Harvest Caye
Beautiful private island. Golf carts to assist transporting down pier. Everything clean and new. Beautiful pool with plenty of loungers and umbrellas. Our favorite port.
Costa Maya
CAUTION - the cruise companies have this port all tied up with vendors and touir operators near the pier tied into the cruise lines excursion plans. After walking forever through restaurants and shops, I finally found the independent operators and taxis. Do not give up. This company rented us a golf cart for 2 hours for $45 and we drove at our leisure over to the beach resorts in the fishing village. A relaxing stress-free way to visit without spending a lot and feeling like we had to stay all day.