Golden Princess vs. NCL Pearl

[linjangg]

My Family is planning a cruise to Alaska next Aug. We will be traveling with 2 children ages 8 and 10 and also MIL and FIL. Trying to decide which ship, the Golden Princess or NCL pearl. I have never traved either cruise line. We have cruised (3) times on Disney. MIL and FIL have also cruised Disney with us once. Does anyone have any idea which ship would be best for all these ages?

[monakayk]

We cruised on the Golden last Oct. and had a wonderful time. The ship was beautiful, the staff was great. Food was fabo. If you would like to veiw some photos of the ship click the link below. They may help you decide:

http://family.webshots.com/album/561943179YzAyhQ

[DrivesLikeMario]

I've been on an NCL ship that's a sister to the Pearl and I've been on the Golden.

 

If you've been on Disney and enjoyed their excellent service, then I believe you might be disappointed with NCL. They are very laid-back and casual and are not your typical cruise experience. If you don't like to dress up and you like to eat "whenever" as the ads say, then NCL is for you. If you don't mind getting to know your waiter, then again, NCL is for you. It's a more relaxed atmosphere.

 

Princess does Alaska really well. They, along with HAL, are the Alaska pros. Princess will usually have better docking locations than NCL, who may tender more than Princess, and I know for sure they have the onboard nature lecturers. It's a more elegant atmosphere than NCL.

 

Just depends on what you want out of this particular cruise. ;)

[linjangg]

I've been on an NCL ship that's a sister to the Pearl and I've been on the Golden.

 

If you've been on Disney and enjoyed their excellent service, then I believe you might be disappointed with NCL. They are very laid-back and casual and are not your typical cruise experience. If you don't like to dress up and you like to eat "whenever" as the ads say, then NCL is for you. If you don't mind getting to know your waiter, then again, NCL is for you. It's a more relaxed atmosphere.

 

Princess does Alaska really well. They, along with HAL, are the Alaska pros. Princess will usually have better docking locations than NCL, who may tender more than Princess, and I know for sure they have the onboard nature lecturers. It's a more elegant atmosphere than NCL.

 

Just depends on what you want out of this particular cruise. ;)

Thank you for the reply. This is the info I need! It is really hard to choose a cruise line when you havent sailed with them before. Its hard to beat Disney, and I know it will be a different experience, so all the info I can get is helpful in choosing.

[jla418]

I haven't cruised with Princess yet, but looking forward to my trip on the Crown Princess in October.

 

We sailed the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska last June with the whole family and had a great time. They have the park rangers on board during the Glacier Bay portion of the trip providing narration and some hands on activities. On the cruise were my parents, my sister and brother in law and their children 11 & 7, and my partner and myself. The kids LOVED the Kids Crew activities on board.

 

We did not have to tender in any of the ports on our cruise, and did not have sub-standard docking locations. The pier Norwegian uses in Seattle is actually a much better location in my opinion than the pier used by Princess and HAL.

 

As far as the service goes, while Freestyle Cruising is more relaxed, it is possible to get to know your waiters and bar staff. In fact, my partner and I have been recognized by staff that we met on a previous NCL cruise on a different ship! I honestly don't know how they do it. We have always had excellent service, and you will see the waiters working in various restaurants depending on where the demand is for that night. You can always request to be seated in their section, as long as they are working in that venue. During our cruise, we had a favorite waiter in Bar City who always saw us approaching, and always made sure we had everything we needed! Freestyle also allowed us various dining combinations. We did not all eat together every night. It was nice to be able for us to take the kids to one place giving my sister and her husband the opportunity to have a nice meal together in a different location without having to worry about the kids. We enjoy the range of dining choices on the NCL ships. I believe there are 13 different restaurants on the Pearl.

 

The Norwegian Pearl is a beautiful, well maintained, and well run ship with a lot of activities for all age ranges. If you choose the Pearl, be sure to try the bowling. It is a blast, and if the ship is in motion, can become quite comical!

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thank you for the reply. This is the info I need! It is really hard to choose a cruise line when you havent sailed with them before. Its hard to beat Disney, and I know it will be a different experience, so all the info I can get is helpful in choosing.

 

You're very welcome! Hope you have a terrific time! ;)