Pearl to Alaska June 5th Review, We Love NCL!!

[craig-n-carol]

We (DW and I late 40's, DS 14 and DD's 13 and 16) just returned from the June 5th sailing of the Seattle round trip to Alaska. Our 1st trip to Alaska, 3rd cruise, kids 1st cruise. I would like to preface this review by saying I can't understand why anyone would not sail with NCL. They have a magnificent product, and if they keep this up, they will be a true frontrunner in the cruise industry before long. I have sailed Princess and RCI, and NCL has them beat HANDS DOWN!! I have nothing to gain by writing this review other than to simply state my opinion and let good folks know how we feel about NCL as a cruise line.

 

We are from the Sacramento area and decided to drive to Seattle due to higher airfare prices, as far as that is concerned, NEVER AGAIN. I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation with 3 screaming teenagers and after expecting a 12 hour drive to Seattle to be a nice scenic drive, 16.5 hours later and after being nearly run off the road 4 times, and heavy traffic in Portland, Tacoma and Seattle (this was a Saturday) I will choose to fly next time :D

 

We drove up the day before and I was a bumbling idiot by the time I reached Seattle, and the Hotel. I was completely useless and a frazzled mess, I lost my driver's license, and I couldn't find my cars keys to pull into the parking structure after checking in. Fortunately my DW came to the rescue with her set of keys to save the day, only to learn I lost them in my front pants pocket! :cool:

 

I learned not to squeak when I walk anymore, just by the darn plane tickets Craig!! GEEEZ! (I ended up spending more on the drive with the coffee, gas and food stops, if we had just FLOWN!!)

 

OK enough of the self-abuse for now.

 

Parking: A street event was taking place at the same time as our trip to the pier, so we were met with some challenges getting to the pier due to roadblocks. We were only 6 blocks from the pier but had to drive about 5 miles in bumper to bumper traffic to get there, but eventually found our way. Once in the parking structure, we were there right at 11am and were immediately directed toward the cruise parking section and were assisted with our luggage and on our way to the terminal. Excellent service!

 

Embarkation: We were booked in a Category SC 2 Bedroom Family Suite, so we had VIP check-in, and it was a breeze. The person at the pier after security check asked us our room number and we were led to the Concierge Lounge for check-in. We were on-board within 30 minutes after munching on cookies, coffee and juice and checking in, and were escorted by our butler to Cagney's for lunch. Outstanding!!

 

Service: Carlos was our Concierge and we made a new friend in Carlos, he was on top of everything! He is a true pro! Manu was our Butler and he is a gem! He must never sleep. Our kids were room service junkies and he met EVERY request even at the wee hours of the morning. I can't say enough about the service from NCL, EVERYONE was amazing, from Kaj the Hotel director to Mario our Steward. We were met with smiles everywhere we went. If we looked confused as to where we were going, immediately someone asked us what we were looking for.

 

Our Cabin 11512: The 2 Bedroom Family Suite was amazing! The Master bedroom was beautiful as was the Master bath, and I now know I will never enjoy a shower at home again until I have the mutli-nozzle rain shower installed at home, like that'll ever happen! :) The Living/ Dining area was spacious, we really enjoyed the balcony, and the kids enjoyed their room. I am a large man and never felt crowded. The best part was the Lavazza Espresso maker, again, we were spoiled.

 

 

Dining: The French Specialty Restaurant Le Bistro was to die for, the Italian Restaurant La Cucina was wonderful with the 6 course meal, and Teppanyaki Benihana Style restaurant, the Sushi Bar and Mambo’s Latin food were also incredible. The Main Dining Rooms Summer Palace and Indigo were also great; the décor in Summer Palace was beautiful. The buffet was also great with so many choices, although a bit crowded sometimes we never didn’t find a place to sit. The highlight of the dining experience was Cagney’s Steakhouse perk for breakfast and lunch and the Le Bistro Côte de Boeuf (an additional $10 surcharge but well worth it). The only poor experience in dining I had was a club sandwich in the Summer Place for lunch which was awful, other than that, dining was superb everywhere.

 

 

The Suite Life: We were treated like royalty. We were invited to the Captain’s Cocktail Party and an exclusive viewing of Glacier Bay on the Private Sundeck above the Courtyard. Our Butler Manu, and our Concierge Carlos were true professionals, we have made new friends in them. Our teens loved the Family Suite and the room service. Cagney's free breakfast and lunch perk was awesome, as was VIP embark/ disembark.

 

 

 

Shore Excursions: In Juneau we took the Mendenhall Glacier/Mt.Roberts Tramway combo Tour. The Glacier was an awesome sight, the kids walked up to the waterfall and had a great time, Carol and I browsed around in the Visitors Center and took pics of the exhibit. Mt. Roberts Tramway was fun, we shopped in the gift shop on top and took in the view overlooking the harbor. In Skagway we took the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway tour. We loved the tour, and the guide was very informative and funny. The views were amazing. I believe there are a few mystic places on our beautiful planet and Glacier Bay is definitely one of them. Words cannot describe the experience and cameras cannot capture the true beauty of this place. In Ketchikan it was a bit rainy, but not too much, we just browsed the shops and walked around town. Victoria was a beautiful city, we decided to take a local limo tour which was quite reasonable for the money, and we were very impressed with the knowledge of our driver of the local history. We went to the Lt. Governor's mansion and Craigdarroch Castle. He took us to the Beacon Hill park and then through the City right after sunset and we saw the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Building. It is quite a site with the waterfront and the people bustling about.

 

 

The Overall Experience: The food was fabulous, the entertainment fantastic and the crew bent over backwards to accommodate our every request. The service was impeccable. We were met with smiles and greetings everywhere we went. What a beautiful ship the Norwegian Pearl is. Absolutely fantastic! We were blessed with good weather for most of the trip, although there was a night of exceptionally rough seas which left our kids feeling a bit squeamish, but not seasick. After a dose of Bonine all was well with them. DW and I may be a bit bent because we really enjoyed the experience of the not so calm seas.

 

 

I highly recommend the NCL Pearl for anyone who may be considering this as their ship to experience Alaska or any other destination for that matter. Our trip overall was the trip of a lifetime, and we can’t imagine sailing with anyone else. Freestyle Cruising is definitely for us. We purchased a FCC and will be sailing somewhere in April 2012 with NCL.

 

 

 

Pics at this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/idonetwrx/AlaskaJune52011NCLPearl

[hello]

What a great review ... thank you for taking the time to share it with us ... I enjoyed reading it!

[sxmnov08]

Great report. We will sail this trip in 2 weeks. What non-specialty, non-buffet restaurants can we eat at for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Is there a surcharge for room service?

[AussieKathy]

Thanks for the great review and pictures!

[wibeachbum]

Thanks for the review. We we originally booked to sail on the Pearl that week but changed it to the week before due to a family wedding. We were in an aft Penthouse, our first suite. We also enjoyed the special treatment and breakfast in Cagney's

 

How was the weather?

[Jenbo57]

Nice review! I was also on that sailing, and would second that NCL, and the Pearl herself, are wonderful (this was my 2nd NCL cruise). We were content to eat all of our meals in the Garden Cafe, and the food was very good. Loved all of the staff members we came in contact with, and thought the "Oh What a Night" Frankie Valle tribute group was great.

 

I wish the weather had been better in Glacier Bay. When I was there in '09 there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was stunning, stunning, stunning! Oh well, I guess for someone who'd not been before, it was pretty magnificent even shrouded in clouds...

[sparks1093]

Great review and glad to hear that the 2 bedroom family suite is a hit.

[yoyocruiser]

I loved your reviw. It brought back such happy memories!! Last year DH and I, and our FOUR college kids (3 girls and 1 boy) were in an AB suite. yes, it was crowded, but like your kids, my kids loved the room service (they were very polite thought--they didn't take advantage). The balcony is great. I loved our master bedroom and bath!! It was such an incredible experience. And when you put all thsoe people in the suite it actually comes out to be a very good deal for the money. In fact, we got the 6of us in the 2 bedroom suite for less that a balcony and an inside!! (and then those in the inside would not have had the suite perks). It was one of the best experiences of our lives. When your kids get older the vacation is a bit of a challenge, so it is great to be in a beautiful setting that has so many different options!!

 

Your car ride up there gave me a chuckle--how about trying AMTRAK? we did a fantastic AMTRAK (starlight coast or something?) from LA up to Seattle!

 

I love to hear about families with teens and older kids getting together and having a great time!! :D

[mr&mrscruiselover]

Enjoyed your review. Glad you enjoyed the Suite Life and NCL.

 

Sherri and Clay

[drarill]

Great review!!! We are cruising on the Pearl this Sunday!!!

[Hikini]

Glad to hear you loved it! We enjoyed the Pearl too and we LOVE NCL!

[retired rascal]

Thank you...we are also from Sacramento and are on the Pearl to Alaska in September. We've sailed the Pearl for 14 days out of Miami and did the Star Panama Canal from LA so we are confirmed NCL cruisers and suite lovers!!! I agree...NCL is the way to go....I appreciate the detail of your review. It confirms that we WILL fly.

[mrs cruise]

We fly to Seattle this Saturday for our 6/19 sail. Can't wait!! Did your teens join any of the teen clubs? Were they in the pools?

[craig-n-carol]

We fly to Seattle this Saturday for our 6/19 sail. Can't wait!! Did your teens join any of the teen clubs? Were they in the pools?

 

They didn't really care for the teen clubs, it was a bit too cold for the regular pool and the water slide was closed, so they went to the hot tubs. They still found plenty to do onboard, mostly shop and eat :)

 

I loved your reviw. It brought back such happy memories!! Last year DH and I, and our FOUR college kids (3 girls and 1 boy) were in an AB suite. yes, it was crowded, but like your kids, my kids loved the room service (they were very polite thought--they didn't take advantage). The balcony is great. I loved our master bedroom and bath!! It was such an incredible experience. And when you put all thsoe people in the suite it actually comes out to be a very good deal for the money. In fact, we got the 6of us in the 2 bedroom suite for less that a balcony and an inside!! (and then those in the inside would not have had the suite perks). It was one of the best experiences of our lives. When your kids get older the vacation is a bit of a challenge, so it is great to be in a beautiful setting that has so many different options!!

 

Your car ride up there gave me a chuckle--how about trying AMTRAK? we did a fantastic AMTRAK (starlight coast or something?) from LA up to Seattle!

 

I love to hear about families with teens and older kids getting together and having a great time!! :D

 

We considered Amtrak, but didn't want to spend 20 hours on the train, we spent it in the car in stead :eek:

[craig-n-carol]

Thanks for the kind words everyone, we had a fabulous time. I would be happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

[Hikini]

Thanks for the kind words everyone, we had a fabulous time. I would be happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

 

Any chance you have menus? Or do you remember some of the dinner items that you had in the MDR?

[craig-n-carol]

Any chance you have menus? Or do you remember some of the dinner items that you had in the MDR?

 

We ate in the MDR's 3 times for dinner, I did not shoot pics of the menus, sorry. But we had the Chef's Choice Salmon with Marinara and Pasta in the Summer Palace Monday that was great. And Swordfish also in Summer Palace Saturday was also delicious. Indigo was the Leg of Lamb Wednesday, and it was also very good. We ate every other night at specialty restaurants,

 

Sunday Teppanyaki, Land and Sea (Filet and Shrimp) excellent and entertaining

Monday Summer Palace Chef's Choice Salmon with Marinara and Pasta

Tuesday at La Cucina This was the most food and best value, awesome Chicken Parmesan, appetizers and bread

Wednesday Indigo Leg of Lamb

Thursday at Mambos I didn't care for this place so much

Friday at Le Bistro Best onboard IMHO Cote de Boufe per Deux well worth the extra $$

Saturday Summer Palace Swordfish

[Cruise_More_Often]

Craig, I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. I'm seeing more and more people who have cruised other lines saying how much they liked NCL. We cruise other lines, but we always come back to NCL. For us, it's like coming home.

[craig-n-carol]

Craig, I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. I'm seeing more and more people who have cruised other lines saying how much they liked NCL. We cruise other lines, but we always come back to NCL. For us, it's like coming home.

 

That's exactly what our concierge Carlos said when we first met him in the Concierge Lounge, "Welcome Home". :)

[Cubechick]

Thank you for your wonderful review. You brought my own memories of the Pearl and Alaska sharply into focus! I've been toying with returning next year, but you've made me determined!!! :D

[craig-n-carol]

Thank you for your wonderful review. You brought my own memories of the Pearl and Alaska sharply into focus! I've been toying with returning next year, but you've made me determined!!! :D

 

That's AWESOME!!! Thanks! Enjoy, I just booked April 1, 2012 on the GEM out of NYC to Florida/ Bahamas!!:D April Foos Cruise!!!:D:D

[craig-n-carol]

Craig, I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. I'm seeing more and more people who have cruised other lines saying how much they liked NCL. We cruise other lines, but we always come back to NCL. For us, it's like coming home.

 

Let's Go Giants!!!!! :D :D :D:D:D

[InternetAgeTraveler]

You didnt mention in in your review, but you were very fortunate to take a slight different course than many of the Pearl trips. The normal route is to go west of Vancouver Island, but apparently because of rough seas, this time you went east of the Island. Similarly when you got close to Prince Rupert, the route is typically not inside the islands. So you got to see a lot of scenery that many don't. We have done the Pearl twice and did the regular route despite having some "rough" seas the second time (see review below in my signature).

 

If you would like to relive the cruise in just 3 minutes, click on this time lapse video link.

 

Thanks for the review.

[Prnsessmoi]

Great review. Thanks for sharing.

[craig-n-carol]

You didnt mention in in your review, but you were very fortunate to take a slight different course than many of the Pearl trips. The normal route is to go west of Vancouver Island, but apparently because of rough seas, this time you went east of the Island. Similarly when you got close to Prince Rupert, the route is typically not inside the islands. So you got to see a lot of scenery that many don't. We have done the Pearl twice and did the regular route despite having some "rough" seas the second time (see review below in my signature).

 

If you would like to relive the cruise in just 3 minutes, click on this time lapse video link.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Thanks InternetAgeTraveler! Cool time lapse video. We really enjoyed the scenery. We weren't aware that the route was different or I would have mentioned it in the review. It's good to know we avoided what would have been rougher seas than we experienced. There were a couple of times in the night Monday where I couldn't sleep due to the ship motion, I turned on the TV and saw we were experiencing Storm Force 7 winds. Ship was rocking pretty good and we were getting bow splash over our balcony on deck 11.

 

At our M&G earlier in the day, we were watching people fight the wind coming around the front of the Star Bar and getting wind swept (we experienced this ourselves, and me being a pretty big guy, felt like I couldn't stay on my feet either). There also were some teenage boys on the Sun Deck jumping up trying to catch air with their shirts off. :) With the 30MPH cross wind and the ship moving at 22 knots, it was pretty crazy wind!