Norwegian Pearl

Reluctant cruiser enjoys herself

June

Pros: variety of foods - with high degree of health awareness,great spa services, game shows in early afternoon, quality theatrical pm programs

Cons: some confusion on check out statement but it got cleared fairly fast

Recommended: Yes

This introvert felt a tad anxious that she would be in a little hellscape of bouncy house antics but I really enjoyed my cruise experience. There were some physical places that did suggest peace and quiet for those who liked/needed that. I liked having a variety of imaginable foods in portion sizes that encouraged one to stay healthy vs eating to excess. The evening theatrics were quality. If anything maybe give the performers about 10 more minutes because some I thought needed more time to do their thing. Either I have changed as a person an was able to handle thousands of folks or the Pearl does a good job of handling a variety of personality types. Either way I returned home feeling better for going on a cruise.

Greek Isle trip

June

Pros: Excellent staff. High quality ship maintenance is apparent. The 11 day cruise ran like a well oiled machine and I appreciate their commitment.

Cons: Entertainment talent was not the best.

Recommended: Yes

We were pleased with every aspect of staff and service crew. We are not regular cruise clients and our last cruise was 20 years ago so we have nothing to compare it to, but I think that the value is excellent. We felt safe and well cared for all of the time. Shore excursions were all excellent. NCL does very well in scoping out these tours and it all runs like you expect. Communications were always well done and nothing left to chance.

Greek Isle trip

June

Pros: Excellent staff. High quality ship maintenance is apparent. The 11 day cruise ran like a well oiled machine and I appreciate their commitment.

Cons: Entertainment talent was not the best.

Recommended: Yes

We were pleased with every aspect of staff and service crew. We are not regular cruise clients and our last cruise was 20 years ago so we have nothing to compare it to, but I think that the value is excellent. We felt safe and well cared for all of the time. Shore excursions were all excellent. NCL does very well in scoping out these tours and it all runs like you expect. Communications were always well done and nothing left to chance.

Norwegian Pearl

March

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Average Ship

October

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: No

The ship itself was redone a few years back but some areas are a little goddy. I am a non drinker, so water and tea are about all I drink. I continually had to go to deck 12 to get a cup of tea in a very small cup. Hot tea and coffee should be readily available all over. Shows were adequate but nothing like some I have seen on other ships. Food and service was marginal unless you ate at specialty dining which of course was great. Balcony rooms are smaller than I have had on other ships and dont have any drawers to put clothes in so I basically lived out of the suitcase as my wife had the closet. Room steward was excellent as was the personel in the specialty dining. Would like to see main dining room menu change more often as after a few days I was eating the same thing each day after that. Thge plus side was the group I was with made it fun.

First time Cruisers can't wait to go back!

October

Pros: Loved the freestyle dining and wonderful entertainment!

Cons: Don't have any cons

Recommended: Yes

We were pleasantly surprised how much fun cruising can be. Didn't know what to expect, but loved the freestyle dining and felt so relaxed. The crew was amazing and so friendly and helpful! The entertainment was very enjoyable and always something to do. We can't wait to plan our next cruise with Norwegian!

Cruise to Bermuda

May

Pros: Great staff. Great food

Cons: Lengthy wait to get on tender

Recommended: Yes

Had a great experience on the Pearl. From embarking to disembarking. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Food was very good in the Indigo dining room and O’Sheehans (except the wings were not). Room was clean with a surprising amount of storage.

great ship

June

Pros: very clean and the staff is extremely friendly

Cons: they didnt give out enough info as to what is happening or how to exit the ship

Recommended: Yes

i loved the pearl. It was very clean staff was friendly. The food was very good. and i loved the hand dipped ice cream. The entertainment was great and the game shows.

Relaxation at its best

May

Pros: Clean ship, friendly staff, great food, fun atmosphere

Cons: No music on tv to listen to in room

Recommended: Yes

NCL provides an overall great cruise package from efficient embarkation practices to fun friendly staff, comfortable modern accommodations, endless delicious food and beverages to efficient disembarkation. Definitely had a fun relating time. Thank you NCL

Great time on the NCL Pearl

March

Pros: Great food, staff and clean rooms

Cons: A couple of days were very windy

Recommended: Yes

If you are thinking about taking a cruise, this was a great trip. The staff and food were great.

Panama Canal

November

Pros: Food was generally good but specialty dining was exceptional. The staff was friendly and efficient. We enjoyed the days at sea. The Panama Canal was a unique experience.

Cons: Ports were mostly okay but the visit to Cartagena was marred by the agressiveness of the street vendors. They were the worst we have experienced on any of our cruises.

Recommended: Yes

We had an excellent time. We have sailed NCL before and would gladly do so again

Alaska with Friends

July

Pros: Free style dining is a favorite of ours - casual attire, go when you want; great specialty restaurants (Le Bistro and Cagney's were our favorites). We had a penthouse and particularly liked having access to the specialty restaurant Moderno for breakfast and lunch; it was far from the crowd and a welcomed break from the craziness of the main dining rooms and buffet. Another pro was the staff who were friendly and efficient. It was not a mega ship which we prefer.

Cons: Our forward-facing cabin (9002) was disappointingly dark with a large window, but the door to access the balcony had no window. The space next to the door to the balcony had a floor to ceiling drapery, but there was no window behind it. For a penthouse price, I was disappointed. The view once on the balcony was great, but there was a sign on the door that said we should not open the door or be on the balcony while underway, that it should only be opened while in port. Maintenance on the Pearl was better than the Sun, but still needed some work. Chairs were pretty comfortable in most areas of the ship except in Cagney’s Steakhouse which were by far the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat in. Norwegian’s communications have never been as good as Princess who provides a check list and, in our opinion, makes things clearer overall. Norwegian encourages you to prepay things but neglects to tell you that you could use your shipboard credit if you wait to pay on the ship.

Recommended: Yes

The port stops for the cruise were very desirable, but the port times were weird. We did not get into Juneau until 2pm – granted we didn’t leave until 10pm, but it didn’t give much time to actually see it. Skagway was good, getting in at 7am and leaving at 8:15 pm. Ketchikan arrival was at 6am and departure was at 1:30pm. The worst was Victoria where we did not arrive until 6pm and departure was at midnight. Granted this did allow us to see Butchart Gardens in the evening and see their fireworks which were great, but this was the night before disembarkation, so we totally missed dinner (the last meal on the ship) and were stressed about packing as we had no time to finish packing once our shore excursion ended (we didn’t get back to the ship until 11:45pm! This being said, we had a great time – especially in Glacier Bay where the weather was gorgeous.

Norwegian Pearl 7 night cruise to Alaska

July

Pros: Freestyle Dining, drink package perk, excursions, friendly staff

Cons: Entertainment sound quality had issues with microphone

Recommended: Yes

Overall this cruise was amazing. Shore excursions were great, food was great, staff was great.

A Pearl with minor flaws

February

Pros: Spacious Buffet, Clean and spacious balcony suite, courteous and efficient staff, good entertainment, best port (Harvest Caye)

Cons: Theater seating very uncomfortable with no leg room, No lobster or escargot served at dining (except at pay venues), limited activities on-board, no ship diagram handouts available

Recommended: Yes

We will hopefully take a cruise on one of the new ships in the near future. Overall, we had a great time with our family and friends. We took advantage of the unlimited beverage and specialty restaurant discount packages. The beverage package is great and the restaurant package is good. If you take a restaurant package, book as soon as you get on the ship because the good slots fill up quickly. I neglected to mention that the photos on board are far too expensive and gift shop items are minimal.

First-time Cruisers

November

Pros: Excellent food (lots of variety), excellent service, good entertainment, beautiful private island with sufficient accommodations for the large numbers of guests

Cons: Delays (onboarding and disembarking), we expected larger ports, too many tempting desserts

Recommended: Yes

Met people from all over the globe, staff are very helpful and friendly, ship was very large and well maintained.

Best Sailing

October

Pros: Everything

Cons: Zero

Recommended: Yes

Everything was exceptional,I have no complaints

Pearl was a great ship

October

Pros: All facilities, food, venues and staff

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

Totally enjoyed cruise from 10/21 - 10/28/17

We love the layout of the Norwegian Pearl

October

Pros: Layout and amenities

Cons: N/A

Recommended: Yes

We love the layout of the Pearl and the amenities. We love the free style dining. Our cabin steward was fantastic. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. We did not care for Harvest Caye but the $20 round trip ferry ride to Placencia, Belize made up for it. We didn't bother leaving the port at Roatan, Honduras because of all the harassment from the beggars from our previous trips. Our friends that did all complained about the beggars still harassing everyone. NCL needs to find a new destination. It is not worth the aggravation to the passengers.

Good time

October

Pros: Clean, food was good,lots to do. Loved the restaurant that stayed open late!

Cons: The staff wasn't overly friendly this cruise. Not rude either. Pool was closed at night

Recommended: Yes

1st time on NCL. Not that impressed .

Christmas cruise thru the Panama Canal

December

Pros: Clean, friendly staff, especially

Cons: TV in room too small, seats in Spinnaker terrible. They slip forward. Worse piano bar ever had on a ship. Player could not sing and no audience participation. Wish they had more

Recommended: Yes

Overall we enjoyed the cruise especially our room and its location. Hope our next Norwegian cruise onMarch 6th on the Jade is as enjoyable. Nice staff and they worked very hard in making our vacation fun.

Panama on the Pearl

November

Pros: Beautiful ship with lots of character, phenom food, great staff, fun things to do

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

We had a blast! This ship is a perfect size - never felt overcrowded - lots of food options - great entertainment - our stateroom was so nice with comfy bedding. Can't say enough. The itinerary is great - this particular trip a storm kept us from visiting Costa Rica but that didn't deter us from enjoying the ship and everything it had to offer.

Amazing trip

September

Pros: The whole staff on the exceeded our expectations

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

We loved the atmosphere and all the staff on the Norwegian Pearl. They make you feel comfortable, and at ease. The ship was beautiful and we'll maintained. I would definitely travel with them again.

Alaskan cruise

September

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Great time! Great food, gracious personnel, fabulous entertainment! Wonderful vacation!

Alaska

August

Pros: Alaska is beautiful no mattr how you get there

Cons: ship felt very crowded and smoking was permitted in too many designated areas

Recommended: Yes

We had to change rooms on the fifth night due to a flood and were downgraded to a porthole room. However, we were compensated well for the inconvenience. Entertainment was good. Having Rangers on board for Glacier Bay was great. Tours booked through Frosch were wonderful.

Alaska

July

Pros: The food and staff

Cons: Victoria CB port call

Recommended: Yes

At Victoria BC port call 2 other cruise ships arrived making a very congested visit to downtown.

Alaska

July

Pros: The food and staff

Cons: Victoria CB port call

Recommended: Yes

At Victoria BC port call 2 other cruise ships arrived making a very congested visit to downtown.

June 2016 NCL Pearl Alaska

June

Pros: NCL is a good cruise line for families. Prices are pretty average for the Alaskan destination. Dress code is very flexible and that helps cut down on what must be packed. Alaska has plenty of scenery to look at during the cruise and the cruise staff provides many activities to interest you.

Cons: The food is average for the most part, but you can pay more ( per meal ) and have the same old favorites of years ago -- like crab and lobster. The Pearl's cabins are small but manageable. The ship offers too many bars --- but I understand drinking is a big money maker for the ships.

Recommended: Yes

We have cruised to Alaska 7 times. We really enjoy the scenery, the easily-walked ports, the value and the relaxed dress code.

The Norwegian Pearl Cruise Experience

June

Pros: Variety of venues for dining and entertainment. Good food and great service.

Cons: Tiny cabins. The lovely Spinnaker Lounge was constantly noisy with loud bingo games, etc.

Recommended: Yes

We traveled with 3 children and 6 grandchildren, a total of 11. There were a variety of formal and informal dining areas and we had no trouble making reservations to eat dinner together. The young people enjoyed karaoke, trivia games, music, the climbing wall, games and just hanging out together. My husband and I could take part or rest as we wished. The entertainment included a variety of musical shows, magic, and comedy, which we all enjoyed. I loved how the ship took us right into Glacier Bay so that we could enjoy the glaciers up close right from the ship. On a practical note, the facilities were clean, the food was good, and the service was excellent.

Norwegian Pearl cruise

April

Pros: I have very little to complaint

Cons: The staff were outstanding in every aspects.

Recommended: Yes

Overall it was an outstanding cruise. the food, the activities, there were plenty to do at all times.

A Pearl of a journey

April

Pros: Destination and food.

Cons: In our room we could hear the service people slamming doors.

Recommended: Yes

The food was beyond great. All the workers were very polite and friendly and helpful.

Alaska Cruise

July

Pros: Loved the specialty restaurants. Rooms were nice

Cons: Had to request some things. Robes in room...ice I didn't think the information on disembarking was helpful and couldn't get help from front desk about rides to airport.

Recommended: Yes

Spa staff was exceptional. Very friendly and helpful

alaska inland passage

July

Pros: very good

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes

Alaskan Family Cruise

June

Pros: Great activities for children (5-10) years of age. Freestyle dining, very casual dress code were other features that were attractive to our family. The Pearl has some very friendly staff who were willing to meet the needs of a large family.

Cons: We have been on the Pearl several times--and it is obvious she needs some repairs, and a good cleaning. We were disappointed that some of the ports had a very limited visit time.

Recommended: Yes

Alaskan Cruise

June

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

On the first day we heard a very noisy kid on the balcony next to ours. But to our surprise, inside our room, we never heard anyone else unless they were on their balcony and were very noisy. That was a big plus for the rooms. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. Cabin was in very good condition. Dining was a big disappointment. We had heard the quality and selection had gone down and that is our opinion as well. We opted for the premium dining twice and decided it wasn't much better, but sure did cost more.

Norwegian Pearl cruise review

May

Pros: The room was wonderful, and so was the food.

Cons: Some of our excursions were scheduled too tight, time wise.

Recommended: Yes

At Liarsville we were given about 45 minutes to eat and get on the bus for the return trip to the ship. My husband has Parkinson's desease and its hard for him to eat fast. Overall this was a great experience, our steward took extremely good care of us, and all the staff was very helpful. The shows at the Stardust were of the highest quality.

Service with style and a smile

December

Pros: You can be as active as you want. The shows were top class.

Cons: Martinique. BAD. Don't like US, our money, or our language.

Recommended: Yes

Lots of fun and relaxation. Just what we needed. Great service, style and staff.

Our Pacific Coast Cruise

September

Pros: Very friendly attitude from the crew.

Cons: Escessively long time boarding the tenders at Astoria, Oregon.

Recommended: Yes

We had to wait in line for one and one half hours to get aboard a tender to take us back to the ship in Astoria. The food was the best we have had on a cruise ship to include the so called upscale lines. Unless you just wanted to go to one of the special resturants, there was no desire on our part to do so. Lots of activities and things to do for all interests throughout the entire cruise, especially on sea days. We were disappointed we did not get to go to one of the original ports (San Francisco). Other than that, a great cruise and time.

Alaska Cruise

September

Pros: Very engaged staff from the Captain to the room steward. Great experience.

Cons: Departure from Seattle with Disembarkation at Vancouver was a bit more expensive than using the same port, but it gave us a great chance to see two superior cities on the coast.

Recommended: Yes

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

August

Pros: DELICIOUS FOOD, BEST DEBARKATION OF ANY CRUISE, FRIENDLY SERVICE, WONDERFUL PORTS OF CALL

Cons: VERY SMALL CABINS, LACKLUSTER ENTERTAINMENT, COMMON AREAS NEED TLC

Recommended: Yes

OVERALL AN EXCELLENT VALUE FOR A BIG SHIP! USUALLY EAT ONLY IN THE SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS BUT THE LARGE DINING ROOM WAS LOVELY AND THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT SO WE ATE THERE INSTEAD. ATTENDED THE CHEFS TABLE AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT. THE GYM AND SWIMMING POOLS WERE PERFECT. BAR SERVICE WAS PROMPT WITHOUT BEING PUSHY.

Our cruise experience

May

Pros: The staff on board were great and the rooms were very nice

Cons: The food was okay, just ordinary and the organization needs improvement

Recommended: No

Wonderful Cruise

March

Pros: Ship officers were around and available, expecially the captain

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes