NCL Pearls of Wisdom?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Hi- I just booked a 5-night Pacific Coastal cruise on the Norwegian Pearl and have not sailed NCL in a while.

 

For anyone who has sailed NCL (and the Pearl if possible) what were the highlights for you and which of the restaurants did you like best?

 

Any other helpful tips would be appreciated. We are doing an outside cabin midship deck 5- because i worry about motion.

[mjroseville]

We traveled on the Pearl to Alaska back in 2010. Loved it! The main dining rooms didn't vary much; both were fine. We did special meals at the steakhouse and teppanyaki places, and really liked both meals.

 

Not sure if the entertainment has changed (which is likely, since it's been a while), but there were a couple of amazing jugglers when we were there. Didn't go in with high expectations, but they put on a terrific show. Very entertaining. If they're still performing on the Pearl, don't miss them. We also went to the Second City improv sessions and had a lot of fun.

 

Also, a big tip: Bring motion sickness medication for the section just north of San Francisco Bay. Yikes! Went through there on another NCL cruise. My mother-in-law warned me it's rough there and it was terrible. The rough patch was the talk of the ship that evening. A lot of people, including me, were very sick.

Edited March 6, 2014 by mjroseville

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Thank you so much for the helpful hints! I know what you mean about sailing from San Francisco. I did the Grand Princess last July sailing from San Francisco. I was on the Lido deck close to the bow and it was so rough during the night- things clanging and I was really nervous but that was the worst of it and thankfully I don't get seasick.

 

This time I booked low down and midship because it's usually a bit better down the lower you are on the ship.

 

But I'll bring Bonine to be on the safe side.

[Lulubelle45]

Did this route southbound in 2011. Very rough seas so we missed Astoria completely. We ate at the Italian one night. Nice atmosphere and dessert was amazing. Entertainment was great. See my review for more details. September 2011 enjoy the Pearl. I did hear they removed the water slide but other than that it's pretty much the same I think

 

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[gi_pam]

We were on the Pearl in 2012 to Alaska. They had just started a new kids program then. Our group had 10, including 4 kids, boys ages 7, 9 and 11 and a girl age 9. They enjoyed the ship. It was too cold to swim except the first and last day, but they did like the pool. The kids program had a circus theme, and they put on an awesome show at the end. The boys wanted to be in the arcade more than in the kids centre, but they did enjoy themselves. The youth staff was excellent.

 

Buffet was a big hit for the kids, but they weren't very patient in the dining room. We only dined as a group of 10 a couple of times because it was just too much! Two of the kids weren't very adventurous eaters and stuck to the kids' menu in the dining room. That's one reason they preferred the buffet, it felt like they had more choice there.

 

 

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[gi_pam]

Sorry, you didn't say you wanted info about kids' things...I just assumed because it was the family board!

 

We were in a balcony cabin, towards the rear on deck 10, but I didn't feel any significant movement. Different itinerary, though.

 

We ate at Cagney's one night and it was amazing! The Italian place was good too. A hidden gem was the Blue Lagoon. No extra cost, but different than the dining room. Food was really good there. Great place for lunch.

 

 

 

 

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[rebeccalouiseagain]

Thanks for all the info. I am traveling with my 13 year old- so it is good to hear about the ship. He is at that in between age where he would really prefer the structured activities of the younger kids instead of the Teen ones but he loves cruises and exploring the ships- just like his Mom.

[mitsugirly]

We were on the Pearl in 2012 (and on her sister, the Jewel a few months ago). I have a complete review and TONS of pictures of the Pearl in my signature line if you are interested in reading up on her and seeing pictures. :)

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Thank you for your link. I'm getting excited now

Edited March 31, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain