Pearl 9/13-9/20/2015 to Alaska

[herdingdogmom]

Thanks so much for mentioning Apple. I'm on the Pearl now on a 3 day cruise without any of the usual perks of a longer cruise such Latitudes parties and M & G's. But she cheerfully followed up on a last minute email I sent via Miami and was just delightful. I hope to sail on another NCL ship with her.

[Shellbelle28]

Thanks so much for mentioning Apple. I'm on the Pearl now on a 3 day cruise without any of the usual perks of a longer cruise such Latitudes parties and M & G's. But she cheerfully followed up on a last minute email I sent via Miami and was just delightful. I hope to sail on another NCL ship with her.

Yes, I liked Apple a lot and made sure to submit a positive comment card on her and gave her a small tip the last time I saw her. (I wasn't sure of her status regarding tips and hope she wasn't offended!)

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[Xers]

Many thanks to Michelle who set up our roll call group for our meet and greet. It was so nice to meet the officers on the first day and meet with them again on the last day for a wrap up. We really appreciated the captain inviting us for a bridge tour. My husband was thrilled to see the operation of the ship from the bridge. I enjoyed seeing the different types of cabins within our group, and know what to aspire to in the future. ��

 

I read all the reviews that I could as I planned our trip and tackled my packing. These are some thoughts about the items that I packed and about the Pearl:

 

Our balcony cabin had at least two extra plugs, so I didn't need to use the extension cord or extender that I brought. The hairdryer is adequate but is in the room, not in the bathroom area. I brought my own toiletries, so I can't speak to the quality of the ship's.

I used magnetic clips and a highlighter to mark and hang our dailies on the wall. We liked knowing where to always find our schedule for the day. I brought yellow post it notes that were useful in communicating with our steward.

I brought a light throw for use in our room and wished I had brought some slipper socks.

I brought clothes pins, but never used these on the clothesline in the shower because we never used our swimsuits and thus never needed to hang them to dry. We did always see people in the hot tubs on deck.

I ordered a book on Alaskan cruises with a removable map. I used this all week to track our progress. Several people on the ship asked me where I got it, and wished they had thought to bring one. One TV channel in the cabin has a map, but it doesn't show much detail.

We purchased a case of waters and Diet Cokes in Seattle and checked these with our luggage. Our cabin steward always left ice in our cabin. If you don't have a beverage package or don't like Pepsi products, this is an economical way to have these available.

We packed some nuts for snacking, but I wished we had packed a few more snacks. I sometimes wanted a little snack of chips or chocolate, and the ship's store was expensive in a small selection of these items.

Layering is definitely the way to dress in Alaska. I purchased a pair of waterproof Merrells for this trip. They kept my feet dry during our excursions, especially in Ketchikan where the rain was blowing sideways! Our rain jackets with hoods were more useful than an umbrella when the wind was blowing. Gloves and a hat were needed on the deck in Glacier Bay, and as we walked on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.

We took advantage of the laundry special on Wednesday. I followed other reviewers advice and rolled all of our items tightly. It was amazing how many items that I could get in the bag for $19.95. It came back on Thursday, folded neatly in a basket wrapped in tissue.

Since we were in a balcony cabin, we usually ate lunch from the Garden Cafe, but usually sat outside in the Great Outdoors or in the La Cucina. La Cucina was cosey when the weather was too cold to sit outside. We had the dining plan, so we ate in the evening at all the restaurants onboard. My husband enjoyed the Indian selections for lunch that the Garden Cafe had every day. We followed other reviewers advice and always got coffee from the machine between the garden cafe and the great outdoors, where it ground the beans fresh for each cup. The specialty restaurants were all delicious, and I enjoyed the varied selection. There was a discussion in our wrap up about the food quality. My research showed that I could pay a much higher fare for cruise lines with higher rated food, but I felt the Pearl was excellent for the price. We so enjoyed the casual freestyle dining.

The entertainment was all wonderful, starting with Dan, our cruise director. He was always so pleasant and energetic, whether he was hosting a show or visiting with guests on the ship. Tim the comedian was hilarious. I enjoyed seeing him through out the cruise, visiting with guests. The singers, dancers and performers were all excellent and very professional. Jim the piano man was hilarious each night that he entertained. Both Jim and Tim were so skilled at including their audience in their performances.

The excursions were pricey, but gave you a view of Alaska that you couldn't get from the ship. We especially enjoyed Glacier Bay. Watch for the park rangers who board the ship about 7am with a rope ladder. They are in the Spinnaker Lounge all morning to answer questions. The Pearl staff kept coffee, hot chocolate, pastries, and sandwiches available in the Spinaker, for everyone as they chose that location for glacier viewing. The bow is opened up, and accessible by a door on deck 8. This is an amazing way to feel like you can almost touch the glacier. Throughout the cruise, we often visited the bridge viewing room.

 

Thru the Roll Call Group, I felt like we personally got to know the officers. The Pearl staff all mingles on board thru the week, so you feel like part of the "Pearl Family's". Like Michelle mentioned in her recap, it was a little sad leaving the ship, knowing that we left our "friends" behind to greet another cruise. I left a piece of my heart in Alaska and with the Pearl!

Edited September 30, 2015 by Xers

[herdingdogmom]

Many thanks to Michelle who set up our roll call group for our meet and greet. The entertainment was all wonderful, starting with Dan, our cruise director. He was always so pleasant and energetic, whether he was hosting a show or visiting with guests on the ship. Tim the comedian was hilarious.

 

This is my first 3 night cruise and I wasn't sure how I'd like it with none of my Platinum benefits. But, I've really enjoyed it so far. I mentioned Apple already. Tonight Dan the Cruise Director was in the MDR introducing himself. In my 10+ NCL cruises, this is the first time I've ever met the Cruise director. I love that he has been with Norwegian for 10 years and started in the production cast.

 

Re: entertainment, Tim K. the comedian is no longer on board. Another comedian had a show last night and it was ok. Tonight was the Legends show and I agree with Michelle about the odd Madonna performance. I thought Cyndi Lauper when I heard her too. Tomorrow night is Man from Mars and I will be sure to not miss it.

 

Looks like we will get to meet Cary the HD and some other officers tomorrow night at a "non" Latitudes cocktail party. Very nice of him to pull it together for us on this quick cruise.

 

Thanks for all the tips and sharing your cruise experience.

[Shellbelle28]

 

Looks like we will get to meet Cary the HD and some other officers tomorrow night at a "non" Latitudes cocktail party. Very nice of him to pull it together for us on this quick cruise.

 

That's neat!