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New ship, wonderful food and service. by
Marcus from Sacramento, CA Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: The food and the friendly, attentive crew. The Norwegian Pearl was less than a year old and in spotless condition. There were many aspects of the cruise that exceeded my expectations. We were upgraded from a mini-suite to a penthouse and got VIP treatment, staff were extremely friendly and responsive, the food was wonderful, and Alaska is beautiful. Dining/FoodFood and service in Summer Palace was wonderful. Food quality and freshness at the buffet was very good and much better than my previous experience on another line. Le Bistro was my only disappointment - I found the food less enticing and the service less gracious than in the main dining rooms.
Stateroom QualityHuge balcony, bathtub, nice linens, spacious. Air conditioning was weak while in port in Seattle.
Ship Staff QualityThe staff were extraordinarily attentive and friendly and many routinely went above and beyond expectations. My only difficulties were attempting to exchange some of the complimentary alcohol for bottled water since I don't drink (impossible). I only saw one crew member who didn't smile at me - a bartender at Java Cafe in the mornings.
Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: Beautiful gym, fascinating bridge observation room and behind the scenes lecture by the captain. The marketing of gems and shopping opportunities was more aggressive than I enjoyed; for example, I went to a lecture which promised to discuss upcoming ports and left after about 7 minutes of promotion of the duty free shops on the ship.
Entertainment: There was a good variety of entertainment, but the performances did not leave me amazed the way they did on my prior cruise on another line.  
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Cruise Glacier BayMarjorie Glacier was amazing.
We had an unusually sunny day in Glacier Bay National Park and the Marjorie Glacier was brilliant. We saw some bears at the base. We didn't get very close to Johns Hopkins Glacier because of the harbor seals.
Don't Miss: Marjorie Glacier. Cruise Inside Passage, AlaskaInside passage is beautiful.
This was a relaxing day gliding tranquil waters between islands and mountains.
Don't Miss: The views from the ship. Juneau, AlaskaCheck out Mendenhall glacier.
We went canoing near Mendenhall glacier and had a great time. I've never touched an iceberg before. My only gripe was that the shore excursion was shorter, didn't have snack, and transported us in a beat up old van. The scenery was gorgeous though.
Don't Miss: Mendenhall glacier. Skagway, AlaskaLoved the Eagle Preserve Float & Fjord Exploration.
We went rafting through a bald eagle preserve with mountains and glaciers towering on both sides - beautiful. The railroad was also beautiful but a little expensive.
Don't Miss: Eagle Preserve Float & Fjord Exploration. 29 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
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  To all cruise lovers: by
A Traveler from Ct. Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: none Cons: free-style dining I would like to take this opportunity to offer feedback on a (Norwegian
Cruise Line) NCL vacation from, which my husband and I just returned. We
consider ourselves experience "cruisers". This vacation was our 10th cruise.
We have cruise on a variety of cruise lines i.e. 3 on Carnival, 2 on
Princess and 4 on Celebrity. We have a level of expectation for quality and
service based upon our past experiences. ( This is why we love to cruise.)
Because my husband and I were vacationing alone, we decided to try the less
formal type of experience that NCL so highly advertises. Unfortunately the
NCL "free-style" cruising translated to "NO STYLE" cruising. We gave up all
the personalized pampering and service that you automatically receive on all
the other cruise lines. The food selection and quality in the main dining
rooms was inferior and tasteless. If you wanted anything approaching quality
food, you were forced to pay a cover-charge of $15 to $25 per person for the
"Specialty" restaurants. (Is this NCL's way of increasing their profits?)
Cabin service was totally lacking also. We repeatedly had to call reception
for service.
Unfortunately our experience with NCL was disappointing, to say the least,
and will NEVER be repeated. NCL's marketing for "free-style" is deceiving
and definitely not what is advertised.
Dining/Food
Ship Staff Quality
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Excellent service, great staff, ate when by
Mary from Aubrey, Texas Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: Free style cruising and staff. IT WAS TERRIFIC. The shore excursions were excellent, on time, well planned and plenty to chose from. The daily "newsletter" outlining the events for the day are delivered the night before. That is nice. Always something to do or you can choose to do nothing but sit on the balcony and see the magnificent scenery. Dining/FoodEverything was nice, many choices of food and dining.
Stateroom QualityWas perfect, couldn't have asked for anything better for the price.
Ship Staff QualityExcellent staff.
Entertainment & Activities
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Cruise Glacier BayBeautiful, spent the whole day on the balcony and walking the deck.
It was a "spiritual" experience. The beauty is overwhelming.
Don't Miss: Don't miss any of this. Cruise Inside Passage, AlaskaKetchikan, Alaska is a great port. Full of history and has maintained its culture. Wish we could have had a longer time there. The excursion on the catamaran into the Misty Fjords was EXCELLENT.
Great would do this all over again. Saw beautiful scenery in the Tongass Rain Forrest, seals, and lots of bald eagles.
Don't Miss: Don't miss any of the ports and in particular Glacier Bay. Juneau, AlaskaGreat.
In Juneau, we took the Whale watching trip. We experienced a rare site. The whales were Bubble feeding. We saw in excess of 20 whales on this trip and many seals and bald eagles.
Don't Miss: The Whale watching trip. Skagway, AlaskaSkagway, nice town, enjoyed the train ride. Great back country scenery. Would not do the added bus trip to the Yukon.
It was ok, but wouldn't do this excursion again. Not worth the cost.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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"Very disapointing" by
A Traveler from Philadelphia, Pa Sailing date: Nov 2009Pros: The Sharkbait Show Cons: Everything else Not impressed. I have cruised Royal Caribbean and Celebrity in the past and NCL and the Pearl doesn't compare. You are nickle and dimed for everything on the ship. Dining rooms too small, they force you to pay for surcharge resturaunts. Service very slow. I will probably never book with NCL again. Ship QualityShip was clean Dining/FoodFood very bad for a cruise, even in specialty rest. Stateroom QualityBalcony room small but clean. Ship Staff QualityBar waiters very pushy for buckets of beer. resturant staff very slow and not too friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesThank god for Sharkbait. Children's ProgramsThe girls were very nice. thought the child activities program was included but ended up paying 6 dollars a day for that also. 12 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Think twice about taking a cruise! by
Karen B. from Nashville, TN Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: The food and food choices were the absolute best! Cons: Felt like a prisoner on a schedule! If your in the market for a vacation...please look into something other than a cruise. On the first day you could check in at 12 pm. to get on the boat, but you could not get to your room until 2pm. and your luggage was not delivered until 7pm. So if you had medication or anything that you needed... forget it unless it is packed in your carry on. This was called freestyle cruising, but the only thing free about it was when you could eat, use the pool or go to a few shows that didn't cost anything. They don't tell you that you MUST pay for your water $4.50 each unless you get it from the tap, soda $2.50 each unless you buy the $6.25 a day glass for refills, alcohol at $7 + up (and you cannot buy it by the bottle and take it to your room to save money, they confiscate it right there til you leave the ship), automatic 15% gratuity added to every bill you make, $12 per day gratuity per person added to your stateroom bill, only 2 small pools (one for kids & one for adults) and not enough chairs for everyone so there's never a place to lounge unless your there very first thing, and don't take any kind of on shore excursion that is over 3 hrs. because you will not have time to spend in the port. When you do get to go shopping in a port - it's not like going on a vacation to an island where you will fiind bargains. These people are oriented to the cruise line and prices and they are NOT cheap or reasonable for the average person on a limited budget! We did play bingo, but it ranged from $20 for 4 paper cards - one paper with 3 cards for each game - on up to $160 for an electronic bingo card. All 4 games took 40 min. and you were done. The casino was decent and you did win some depending on what you played and of course if you knew when to quit. Plenty of kids zones though. They seemed to have the best time. There is more that I could warn you about I'm sure, but at the moment I've hit the highlights. All I also know is that at the end of a week I received a bill for $756 and $113 of it was shopping at their shops and the casino took cash so that was't included. This was for 3 shore excursions, transportation to the boat, 2 games of bingo and a few drinks. So be prepared to spend lots of money if you go on one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ship QualityClean ship, but sometimes you couldn't get there from here sort of thing. Dining/FoodBest food, but be aware of the time schedules and some have charges. Stateroom QualityVery small room and bathroom. Nice balcony. 3 times they made up the room and we got no washcloths, also dirty tissues on the floor when we checked in. Ship Staff QualityExcellent staff and organized Entertainment & ActivitiesLots of activities, but be aware that you will be charged for some.
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Belize City, BelizeDid the mayan ruins and the old belize river. Nice boat ride (boat was in poor shape). Saw some wildlife. Great guide on the way to and including the ruins. She was like a historian. Very well educated. Could climb a mayan temple
Cozumel, MexicoGreat port for shopping. Did the submarine ride. Not too good unless you just want the experience of going on a small sub.
Don't Miss: Shopping Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), BahamasNot much to do. Snorkeling was poor.
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasPoor area. Went snorkeling and was made to follow the guide in the water. Gumbalimba park was ok. Cool monkeys.
13 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
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Picture perfect views everyday! by
Rachelle S from Pittsburgh, PA Sailing date: May 2009Pros: I loved the views from our balcony, the cleanliness of the ship and the great food. Cons: Honestly, I can't think of anything I would change or do differently. I've been on 6 cruises and by far, this was the best. The staff were nice and accomodating, the shows were great, the food was delicious and the views were better than I could have ever imagined. I highly recommend it to anyone in any age range! Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityWe decided to get a balcony and it was worth every penny. The shower/tub was a nice upgrade and not having to share the view was the best part. We woke up several mornings, made a pot of coffee, grabbed a blanket and sat outside on the private balcony to enjoy the early morning views. We even enjoyed a few sunsets that were absolutely breathtaking. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Juneau, AlaskaWe saw several humpback and orca's too. The excursion comes with a money back guarantee if you don't see anything.
Don't Miss: Whale watching! Ketchikan, Alaska
Skagway, AlaskaThe views were better than expected; looked like a post card in every shot. We even saw a black bear climbing the mountain.
Don't Miss: 4 hour train tour into the mountains Victoria, British Columbia
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Great Family Excursion. by
A Traveler from NH Sailing date: Feb 2007Pros: New & Clean. Lots of restaurants. Excellent pool area. Crew is polite, pleasant, helpful, and they smile! 5-night family trip. Choosing 2 adjoining balcony rooms meant 2 bathrooms. This allowed us to all get ready quicker for all the things to do! Tons of great food choices. The on-board theatre was something to look forward to each evening! We had peace & quiet each night (not much noise from nearby cabins.) We were mid ship... deck 10. Entertainment & Activities
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Heidi from Rehoboth, MA Sailing date: May 2007Pros: Free style dinning.
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Cruise Glacier Bay
Cruise Inside Passage, AlaskaDon't Miss: Skagway Juneau, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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It's ok, but I am done with NCL....... by
Alex V from Boston, Mass Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Clean ship, some atcivites here and there Cons: Too crowded, too many kids, medicare food, lousy crew, bad disembarkation process The ship itself is fine, but the food, crapy night life, the uhappy misreable crew, the embarkation and worst of all the disembarkation process, places you visit (Samana, is a dump! St. thomas is allright, tortola it's ok and the prviate island is nothing to brag about), surrounded by tons and tons of kids (Good luck trying to use any jacusi during your trip., unless you want to spend additonal $100.00 dollars for less crowded jacusi) and it's not exactly you thought it would be............... By the way I am not picky person at all and very easy going NCL pride itself as free style, all that really means is you don;t have a set time for main dining room that's all and nothing else! Comparing this with Celebrity cruises or Royal Caribean, and well you set yourself up for dissapointment., Ship Qualityhip itself is laid out well. No compalin about that. very collor full and nicely decorated. over all looked very clean
Dining/FoodMain bufffet is mediocare to say the least!! there is nothing there that makes you want to go there! no exotic fruit or pastries, always out of crossants, afternoon buffet is even worst (all you can get is hot dog and hamburger bascially!) bunch of resturants all requiring reservation and payments from $10 to $25 dollars per person.
(After you have coughed up 2500 dollars excluding air fare, you are not exactly lin a mood to pay additional money for food.......................
Main dining room is good but very limited selections, Le bistro resturant is good, but at $25.00 dollar per person, well it ain't exactly a bargain. Stateroom Qualitydecoration is basic but fine, size of a room is a typical of any cruise ships. Beds are exceptionaly comfportable. T.V is very small. Majority of channels are dedicated to NCL advertising. The only channels you could get were : ESPN2, CNBC and E and that's about it! No pay per view option, NO DVD.
Ship Staff Quality
Pittyfull! with an exception of some people here and there, the crew looked misreable, not exactly there to help you or even pretend. For get about any one of them going an extra mile for you. Just about the worst part is the disembarkation process! instead oif having people situated in different locations directing traffic, they had one short girl standing at the door trying to answer questions.
Hint: Check as late as possible! no point chekcing out early because it will take you some time any way. Entertainment & ActivitiesGood entertianments pretty much has a cost associated with it (Wine tasting, beer tasting,pub crwaling, etc) lot's of seminars to seperate you from your money (buying craps that you don't really need), bliss lounge which acts as a night club plays meiocare music and despite signs for 18+ audiance, it was full of teenagers and kids.
By the way instead of having multiple tenders ready after another to take you to an island, they will only use two, which will take you some time before you get on them, unless you want to wake up early and be first in line.
Children's Programs
For kids this is probably good cruise but other than that for two adults there are better otions out there.
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Road Town, Tortola, B.V.I.It's ok, may be better if you had more time.
Don't Miss: N/A Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), BahamasVery small (reminds of you some of small beaches in New England)
Don't Miss: Nothing to miss Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Nice island but you probably need more time to enjoy it.
Don't Miss: N/A Samana, Dominican RepublicPoor, poor place! the water fall is ok but I won;t go crazy over it, beaches are full of people traying to sell you crap
Don't Miss: Nothing 9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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on a scale of 10 this cruise was a 5 by
A Traveler from Seattle, WA Sailing date: Feb 2010Pros: we didn't sink Cons: nickle and diming The staff was not very friendly and had a difficult time communicating - especially on the phone. It seemed lke they were constantly selling something rather than affording us to have a relaxing time. The excursions that we went on were not worth the $ and were really rushed. The food was very average compared to Holland America. Ship Quality
Dining/Foodspecialty restaurants are not worth the $. One of the 2 that we visited charged an extra $10/person and promised a free marguarita which turned out to be an oversized shot glass filled with ice and some liquid. This was an out and out lie on their part. Stateroom Qualitythe stateroom was smaller than the bathroom and the beds were not comfortable. Ship Staff Qualitymost could barely speak English and didn't seem to care alot about their jobs. Entertainment & Activitieswith the exception of a singing group and a comedian the shows were mediocre versions of Las Vegas performances. 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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