Norwegian Pearl Review
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Our group of four was comprised of me and my husband (early 30s) and my in-laws (mid 60s). It was our second cruise, with the first being a Caribbean itinerary on Carnival. We loved the mixed age groups on board and found that there was something for everyone on the Pearl.
Embarkment - As others have said, this is one area that NCL shines. After having been warned not to arrive before 11:00am, we arrived at Pier 66 at 10:30am and - surprisingly - were able to check our bags and begin the check-in process. Very smooth and organized. We were done with everything and in the waiting area all within about 20 minutes. Once we boarded the ship we went to Summer Palace where they had begun serving lunch. I think most everyone goes to the buffet, Garden Cafe, but we were far happier and more relaxed sitting in the MDR while everyone was boarding. Our rooms were ready at about 1:00pm and the luggage arrived shortly thereafter.
Food/Drink - Over the course of our cruise, we sampled a healthy variety of what the Pearl had to offer including both MDRs (Summer Palace and Indigo), the buffet (Garden Cafe), Topsiders Grill (outdoor, aft), La Cucina (2 for 1 night), and Cagney's ($25pp). We also ordered room service twice and on neither occasion did we have to wait very long for our food. All in all, the food on board was good, but then again we didn't go into this cruise expecting 5-star dining, as many people apparently do. It's easy to forget that there are thousands of other people on board. So when you consider the sheer number of people that are being fed on this ship, NCL does a pretty good job with the quality of food. Additionally, the specialty dining experience at Cagney's was well worth the surcharge. Both service and food were amazing! Since we shy away from soda, we felt no need to buy a soda pass while on board, but do wish there were more "water/ice stations" around the ship and regret not having brought a refillable water bottle to carry around with us. Alcoholic beverages were good and if you take advantage of the drink specials - like half-price martini's - they're comparable in price to what you'd find ashore. Star Bar was a great place to have a drink, chat and listen to Sinatra in the evenings. Bliss was also fun when my husband and I wanted to get away and get some music/dancing/drinks in the evenings.
Cabin Review
Aft-Facing Balcony
We were fortunate to book two side-by-side BA staterooms on the very back of the ship, deck 9. I cannot say enough good things about the view from these rooms! Wake view and you can see both port and starboard views as well. We saw so many whales feeding in our wake while heading into Juneau. Amazing! The room was fine with regards to size. Suitcases fit under the bed perfectly. Another tip with the rooms is to buy a clear over-the-door shoe holder to hang over the towel bar on the bathroom door. Great suggestion from another CC member to hold all of our toiletries without cluttering the counter of the bathroom. Also, we definitely made use out of the in-room coffee maker while in Glacier Bay. Bring some of the hot chocolate packets back to your room from the Garden Cafe, heat up some water, and voila! Yummy goodness while viewing the glaciers from our balcony.