Review of NCL Pearl to Southern Carribean Jan. 11

[SailingSuzy]

NCL Pearl

January 11, 2008 sailing

Southern Carribean

 

My hubby and I are about 50 years old:eek: and have cruised the Carribean at least 5 times but this was our first trip on the Southern Carribean itinerary.

 

Embarkation – Thanks to my dear hubby, we didn’t arrive to the port till about 2:40. No lines. We breezed right in to our room. Hint: If you drive, bring cash for parking. In Miami, it was $20 per day paid on entry.

 

Dining – I like Freestyle dining because I like to eat on my schedule, not some arbitrary assignment. And I don’t always feel like socializing with strangers. The buffet food was very good. No waiting in line because you just walk up to the food you want and dip as much as you want. Plenty of selection – soup, pizza, burgers, salads, vegetarian Indian food, multiple entrée meats, fresh vegetables (not overcooked and mushy), pasta dishes cooked to order, breads, cheeses, fresh fruit. Deserts were not very impressive. They were small but tasty and there was always a sugar-free option. About a dozen flavors of ice cream with at least 1 sugar-free option each time. The only 2 specialty restaurants we ate at were Mambo’s and Tepanyaki. First of all, Mambo’s is not a tapas bar as advertised. It is just Tex-Mex food. The Il Popo was good but not outstanding. Service was not attentive. Tepanyaki was fabulous. The service was supreme and the food outstanding. The filet mignon was “like butta”. :p Hint: Don’t trust the electronic screens scattered about the ship which indicate available seating in each restaurant. We were turned away from Mambo’s even though the screen said no waiting.

 

Itinerary – THIS IS NOT A SHOPPING TOUR. But for those to want to enjoy the shear natural beauty of the islands, you will not be disappointed. But you will need to take some excursions which will really run up the cost of your bill quickly.

 

Samana, Dominican Republic – This port is not commercially developed yet. We did not take a tour. We just walked off the tender to experience local life. The village is very small and people seem very poor. The traffic is taxi vans and motorcycles. I actually saw a family of 5 on one motorcycle! (I know, hard to believe!) There is a small local market with the usual tourist junk. And a few bars to sit, have a beer and watch the unusual traffic go by. We were back on the boat in about 2 hours.

 

Tortola – We took the tour to the Virgin Gorda Baths and Snorkeling. Beautiful! If you are a camera buff, the lighting around the baths is outstanding. Very enjoyable and worth the trip.

 

St. Johns, Antiqua – My hubby went golfing. He said he enjoyed it but the course was not in great shape. I enjoyed the shopping. They have a small shopping district with the usual stores, Diamonds International, Columbian Emeralds, etc. Nothing very distinctive.

 

Barbados – My hubby went golfing again and he said this course was beautiful. (He also discovered from others golfers that there are many more golf courses on all the islands for cheaper than the NCL price.) Unfortunately, I caught a cold and did not feel well so I only went to the shopping “warehouse” at the end of the pier. Usual tourist cr#p. I purchased some liquor and quickly went back to the ship to rest.

 

St. Lucia – Beautiful port. The scenery is idyllic. Nice little outdoor shopping mall just as you get off the ship. The usual stuff, nothing distinctive. We caught a cab to the downtown area and found some interesting markets with spices and baskets. Then we went back on the ship to lounge and enjoy the scenery from the deck 7 promenade.

 

Entertainment and Activities on Board – Sorry, but the Jean Ann Ryan Dancers need a lot more work. Almost comical how bad they were. We loved the Second City Improvisation. They held 2 informal workshops for everyone to participate. It had a small group of about 20 so it was very fun. Several musical performers were about the ship. I recommend the Trio los Hernandez. Secret places to hang out and read a book include Deck 7 lounge chairs (there are not very many), the funky velvet lounges in the Spinnaker Lounge, and the couches in the Bliss Lounge. Check out the Thermal Suite in the Spa. It was $20 for one day but it is as relaxing as a $100 massage and the steam room was great for my cold.

 

Service – with few exceptions, the staff was very polite, friendly and efficient. Always a greeting in the hallways. Some of the bar staff was less than acceptable. I recommend the martini bar.

 

Rooms – Very small, hard to get around the bed. But a nice bathroom with room to actually turn around in the shower. 2 channels of movies running constantly. Bed was a little on the firm side but I liked it. Comfortable duvet to cover with and extra pillows. Plenty of storage room for a 9 day cruise (with golf clubs).

 

We will probably cruise this itinerary again. Make sure to bring plenty of money for excursions or book your own before you go.

 

Our vacation video by my dear hubby.:D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FfWvyRSJc

[luvdznee]

Hi!

 

I don't know if you remember us, but my husband and I were on the same catamaran as you all on the Baths and Snorkel tour in Tortola. We were actually sitting right across from you and your husband..I'm the one who was afraid to snorkel...and after several miserable failed attempts at putting on my mask and trying to breathe through the tube, ended up not snorkeling after all. I'm sure I probably missed out on a great time, but I did get to enjoy the Baths and they were awesome!

 

Anyhow, I'm glad you all enjoyed your cruise and thanks for the great review!

 

Adriana

[dshefter]

Thanks for the informative review. We sail on the Pearl in two days.

 

Was it tough getting reservations for the restaurants? We can dine at any hour, but we'll probably look for early times since we have a 4 1/2-year-old.

 

Did you see any cigar shops at any of the ports?

 

What is included for the spa at the daily rate?

 

Thanks.

[lhall85917]

Thanks for taking the time to share your review. We enjoy hearing from others sailing on this itinerary and ship.

[CrusinAgain]

So still no game style activities to do during the day even though a different cruise director is in place? My gosh you would think on a 9 day cruise there would be lots of interesting activities for the passengers who can't take the sun and pool. It appears NCL wants you to pay for any activities thus the bowling, casino, and bars. No movies shown still on that beautiful big screen? Guess no one knows what I am talking about unless they experienced another cruiseline before NCL.

[mmitch999]

I know some people like to have activities while onboard but I prefer to just take in the views the sun and relax ...I dont want a cruise director (or anyone else) blaring over the tanoy trying to get folks to do one thing or another...........peace and quite and good company in great surroundings thats me...............well maybe a rum punch or two;)

[SailingSuzy]

Reservations: It didn't seem to be difficult to get reservations especially if you dine early. We eat about 5:30 - 7:00. Leaves room for a bedtime snack.

 

Cigars: Lots of cigar shops in every port. But you must smoke your cubans before debarking in Miami.

 

Spa: The thermal suite fee include a steam room (smelled like eucalyptus), dry sauna, cold plunge pool, individual whirlpools, ice water, orange juice, showers, lounges that have a great view over the back of the ship. All of this was in the gender specific section. The coed section had a large whirlpool, a thermolasso (?) pool (lots of massage bubbles and waves), and these cool lounges covered with heated tiles. Also had the wicker lounges looking at the view and fluffy towels/robes. Very relaxing, quiet pleasing music, very zen-like.

 

I am not into the pool side games so I can't comment on that. I go on a cruise to relax and seek out the quiet places.

 

They did use the giant screen TV to show some of the football games that weekend. Fun atmospere but was distracting to the people eating in Mambo's.

[emilee]

Thanks for the review. Did you happen to meet anyone who did the Barbados yacht racing? If so, did they like it. Appreciate your input as I have been trying to get some feedback on this excursion.

[dshefter]

Thanks for the info on the cigar shops. I plan to get a few Cubans back into this country. As long as you don't take back cartons of cigars, you can get them through Customs. I have done it before.

[SailingSuzy]

Although the customs lines in Miami were long and slow, they seemed very lenient. They looked at our passports and claim forms and waived us on through. The two of us had claimed 8 bottles of liquor. Our carry off luggage was not checked at all.

[katier825]

Thanks for the info on the cigar shops. I plan to get a few Cubans back into this country. As long as you don't take back cartons of cigars, you can get them through Customs. I have done it before.

 

Gee, that's not good advice for others! :eek:

 

When we were coming back from our Panama cruise on Princess we were seriously delayed because Customs stopped people trying to sneak cuban cigars back in. They do use dogs at the ports. The lines STOPPED for nearly an hour. They pulled the agents off the line to have them search bags. I'm sure some people missed their flights. Kind of selfish in my opinion.

[dshefter]

It's not like I am bringing back 50 cigars. Usually 3 or 4.

 

I've never seen a dog used to sniff for cigars. They are checking for illegal drugs, which is a much bigger problem for the U.S. than a few Cuban cigars.

[CrusinAgain]

I know some people like to have activities while onboard but I prefer to just take in the views the sun and relax ...I dont want a cruise director (or anyone else) blaring over the tanoy trying to get folks to do one thing or another...........peace and quite and good company in great surroundings thats me...............well maybe a rum punch or two;)

 

That is what I am referring to - looks like all you know is NCL. The CD does not "blaring over the tanoy trying to get folks to do one thing or another" you look in your dailies, called the Patters on Princess, called the Capers on Carnival. The only "blaring" done on any of them including NCL is the Art Auction and Bingo and Bingo of course is another paid activity.

 

Glad it doesn't take much to make you happy and keep you occupied. We will pay the same price as you and go on a different cruiseline that is full of good activities and several different shows to go to each evening and then more activities. The movie screens will be utilized to show new releases giving us relief from the sun and time to vegetate.

 

And to the other person who talked about not caring for pool game activities: I don't sit by the pool any longer - those days are over so poolside activities I could care less about but they are popular on other ships.

[eyzwdeshut]

So still no game style activities to do during the day even though a different cruise director is in place? My gosh you would think on a 9 day cruise there would be lots of interesting activities for the passengers who can't take the sun and pool. It appears NCL wants you to pay for any activities thus the bowling, casino, and bars. No movies shown still on that beautiful big screen? Guess no one knows what I am talking about unless they experienced another cruiseline before NCL.

 

There was no time for movies when there was football on all the time... well, at least all the times i was in the area - trying to have a peaceful meal!:mad:

 

They had a few midnight movies in the theater though...