Review Pearl July 20 - 27

[scaaty]

About us, me (57) this was my 9th cruise and second on NCL. This was the second cruise for my mom (83) and my sister (she won’t tell). My cousin had picked the ship and there was a total group of 11 celebrating my Aunt’s 80th birthday.

 

To be honest, I had very low expectations based upon my previous NCL cruise experience, feedback from friends and mixed reviews on cruise critic. I’m happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised and we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise.

 

Embarkation:

This was the only misstep that we experienced and I believe the problem is with the port facilities and lack of coordinated handicapped waiting area. NCL needs to work with the port since while NCL doesn’t have complete control, it does make them “seem” at fault since the majority of the folks you talk to have NCL name tags. My mom walks with a cane and cannot walk long distances nor stand for long periods of time. At the baggage drop off we asked for a wheelchair and were told they were hard to come by. They did find a chair for her to sit on, but it was in the middle of people crossing every which way and she was very uncomfortable. After about 5 – 10 minutes an NCL rep did offer to walk her to the head of the line, and about half way there a port employee showed up with a wheel chair. The port employee took us right up to the second floor where we were then handed over to an NCL employee. From there it was smooth sailing. We checked in, had our pictures taken and were on the ship with mom being wheeled by NCL the whole time. The NCL staff person even made sure we had a table for mom to sit at before he left us.

 

 

Cabin:

We had a handicapped cabin with balcony on deck 10. The layout was great and the bathroom setup was perfect for mom’s needs. The one surprise was that there was no couch and the 3rd bed was a drop down bunk. We discovered that evening that the bunk just wasn’t going to work out for myself or my sister. A quick call to housekeeping and the next day we had a roll up bed that also served as a couch during the day which worked out perfectly. Our room stewards (Jen and Elvis) were great and anything we asked for was supplied. NOTE: I had read reviews with complaints that the room stewards were not very friendly, and that is So WRONG! Everyone we met in the halls always had a smile and warm greeting. They just don’t have very much time to talk since the have 35 cabins to take care of! That’s the most I’ve ever heard on any of the ships we sailed and I think is way too many.

 

The Ship:

The Pearl is a little over a year old and very well maintained. You constantly see people cleaning and polishing everywhere. We had rented a scooter for mom and the only areas that were a little tight were deck 8 when trying to pass around the restaurants and the garden café because of so many people. Since our cabin was right by the aft elevators, she didn’t always use the scooter if we were going to the Summer Palace or the Great Outdoors since the walking was within her range with the cane. She did need to use the scooter whenever heading to venues that were mid ship or towards the bow.

 

Meet and Greet:

 

Our roll call was small and just about everyone showed up for the meet and greet. In addition to Traci, the events coordinator we had the Captain, the Hotel Director, the Food and Beverage Manager, and a few others. They were very gracious and answered all of our questions. NCL supplied coffee, juice, water and pastries. Traci also offered a sign up sheet for bowling (I didn’t sign up so someone else will have to report how it went). She also offered a tour of the Garden Villa on the last day if folks had vacated early enough. I was the only one to show up, and the occupants had checked out so I had a private tour. All I can say is WOW!

 

Dining:

This is the most subjective area since everyone’s tastes are different. This was also where I had the lowest expectations based upon my previous experience with NCL (tough meat, no substitutions allowed, food was very bland, and service just plain bad). I must say that on the Pearl, the food was very good to excellent as was the service. We had all but two dinners in Summer Palace and not a single complaint from our table which varied from 3 up to 11 people depending upon our group member’s schedules. We were also able to ask for substitutions (for example no scallops just asparagus for one appetizer) and the food had some great varied flavors. We did two specialty restaurants, Le Bistro and Cagney’s, and preferred Cagney’s. At Cagney’s the steaks were tender and the sides were great, I especially enjoyed the au’gratin potatoes. Also, don’t miss the molten chocolate cake! We had made reservations ahead of time for both the Le Bistro and Cagney’s and for the night in Summer Palace where all 11 of us gathered for the birthday celebration dinner. Otherwise we usually just walked right into the Summer Palace and got a table (usually around 6pm). The only night that we had a long wait for a table (20 min) was on Monday, and that was due to poor planning on our part. We showed up at 7pm with everyone else! Mom and I usually had breakfast and lunch in Indigo or Cagney’s while my sister usually did breakfast at the garden buffet and then lunch with us at the sit down restaurants.

 

Shore Excursions:

We booked two excursions through the ship with accessibility for my mom in mind. In Juneau, mom and I went on the whale watching tour (catamaran not jet boats). Due to port rules, NCL staff was only allowed to take her to just off the gangway in a wheel chair and she had to walk up to where the buses were parked, and of course ours was almost at the end. We had left plenty of time since we were told what to expect and mom did just fine. When we got to the bus, the tour coordinator said front seats were for handicapped persons when present and requested the folks occupying them to move. This was done with no problems, THANKS to both the tour coordinators and the folks who moved. When we got to the dock, one of the boat crew escorted my mom down the ramp and onto the boat. The cabin was heated and we both enjoyed the trip. She was able to have great views from the cabin, and I was able to go topside for views and picture taking. Upon return to the ship, NCL staff were waiting with wheel chairs for whomever needed them.

 

In Skagway my mom and sister took the White Pass Train ride (I had done this on my previous Alaskan cruise). Here NCL staff were able to wheel mom directly to the train and were there to take her back when the train returned. They both enjoyed the train ride and the views.

 

Mom and I stayed on the ship in Ketchikan and Victoria. I had seen others getting off the ship in Ketchikan with scooters but mom was hesitant to do so. My sister toured Ketchikan and Juneau on her own. She also stayed on the ship in Victoria.

 

Other thoughts:

 

The service throughout the ship was excellent. Everyone greeted you with a smile and did everything they could to please you.

 

I didn’t experience “hard sell” that others have mentioned. Maybe I’m just use to cruising and all ships hawk bingo and drinks. A polite no thank you suffices.

 

We rented the scooter for mom through Carevacations. It was in the room as promised and gave mom the ability to enjoy the ship without tiring out from walking.

 

One of our favorite places to hang out was the Great Outdoors on Deck 12. It was usually less windy then our balcony and was warm enough for mom to stay outside for a bit.

 

 

Sorry for being long winded. Let me know if you have any questions.

[familia_solis]

I truly appreciate your review and glad you enjoyed your family cruise! We will be on the Pearl in November and I cant wait!!!

[brunolvr]

About us, me (57) this was my 9th cruise and second on NCL. This was the second cruise for my mom (83) and my sister (she won’t tell). My cousin had picked the ship and there was a total group of 11 celebrating my Aunt’s 80th birthday.

 

To be honest, I had very low expectations based upon my previous NCL cruise experience, feedback from friends and mixed reviews on cruise critic. I’m happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised and we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise.

 

Embarkation:

This was the only misstep that we experienced and I believe the problem is with the port facilities and lack of coordinated handicapped waiting area. NCL needs to work with the port since while NCL doesn’t have complete control, it does make them “seem” at fault since the majority of the folks you talk to have NCL name tags. My mom walks with a cane and cannot walk long distances nor stand for long periods of time. At the baggage drop off we asked for a wheelchair and were told they were hard to come by. They did find a chair for her to sit on, but it was in the middle of people crossing every which way and she was very uncomfortable. After about 5 – 10 minutes an NCL rep did offer to walk her to the head of the line, and about half way there a port employee showed up with a wheel chair. The port employee took us right up to the second floor where we were then handed over to an NCL employee. From there it was smooth sailing. We checked in, had our pictures taken and were on the ship with mom being wheeled by NCL the whole time. The NCL staff person even made sure we had a table for mom to sit at before he left us.

 

 

Cabin:

We had a handicapped cabin with balcony on deck 10. The layout was great and the bathroom setup was perfect for mom’s needs. The one surprise was that there was no couch and the 3rd bed was a drop down bunk. We discovered that evening that the bunk just wasn’t going to work out for myself or my sister. A quick call to housekeeping and the next day we had a roll up bed that also served as a couch during the day which worked out perfectly. Our room stewards (Jen and Elvis) were great and anything we asked for was supplied. NOTE: I had read reviews with complaints that the room stewards were not very friendly, and that is So WRONG! Everyone we met in the halls always had a smile and warm greeting. They just don’t have very much time to talk since the have 35 cabins to take care of! That’s the most I’ve ever heard on any of the ships we sailed and I think is way too many.

 

The Ship:

The Pearl is a little over a year old and very well maintained. You constantly see people cleaning and polishing everywhere. We had rented a scooter for mom and the only areas that were a little tight were deck 8 when trying to pass around the restaurants and the garden café because of so many people. Since our cabin was right by the aft elevators, she didn’t always use the scooter if we were going to the Summer Palace or the Great Outdoors since the walking was within her range with the cane. She did need to use the scooter whenever heading to venues that were mid ship or towards the bow.

 

Meet and Greet:

 

Our roll call was small and just about everyone showed up for the meet and greet. In addition to Traci, the events coordinator we had the Captain, the Hotel Director, the Food and Beverage Manager, and a few others. They were very gracious and answered all of our questions. NCL supplied coffee, juice, water and pastries. Traci also offered a sign up sheet for bowling (I didn’t sign up so someone else will have to report how it went). She also offered a tour of the Garden Villa on the last day if folks had vacated early enough. I was the only one to show up, and the occupants had checked out so I had a private tour. All I can say is WOW!

 

Dining:

This is the most subjective area since everyone’s tastes are different. This was also where I had the lowest expectations based upon my previous experience with NCL (tough meat, no substitutions allowed, food was very bland, and service just plain bad). I must say that on the Pearl, the food was very good to excellent as was the service. We had all but two dinners in Summer Palace and not a single complaint from our table which varied from 3 up to 11 people depending upon our group member’s schedules. We were also able to ask for substitutions (for example no scallops just asparagus for one appetizer) and the food had some great varied flavors. We did two specialty restaurants, Le Bistro and Cagney’s, and preferred Cagney’s. At Cagney’s the steaks were tender and the sides were great, I especially enjoyed the au’gratin potatoes. Also, don’t miss the molten chocolate cake! We had made reservations ahead of time for both the Le Bistro and Cagney’s and for the night in Summer Palace where all 11 of us gathered for the birthday celebration dinner. Otherwise we usually just walked right into the Summer Palace and got a table (usually around 6pm). The only night that we had a long wait for a table (20 min) was on Monday, and that was due to poor planning on our part. We showed up at 7pm with everyone else! Mom and I usually had breakfast and lunch in Indigo or Cagney’s while my sister usually did breakfast at the garden buffet and then lunch with us at the sit down restaurants.

 

Shore Excursions:

We booked two excursions through the ship with accessibility for my mom in mind. In Juneau, mom and I went on the whale watching tour (catamaran not jet boats). Due to port rules, NCL staff was only allowed to take her to just off the gangway in a wheel chair and she had to walk up to where the buses were parked, and of course ours was almost at the end. We had left plenty of time since we were told what to expect and mom did just fine. When we got to the bus, the tour coordinator said front seats were for handicapped persons when present and requested the folks occupying them to move. This was done with no problems, THANKS to both the tour coordinators and the folks who moved. When we got to the dock, one of the boat crew escorted my mom down the ramp and onto the boat. The cabin was heated and we both enjoyed the trip. She was able to have great views from the cabin, and I was able to go topside for views and picture taking. Upon return to the ship, NCL staff were waiting with wheel chairs for whomever needed them.

 

In Skagway my mom and sister took the White Pass Train ride (I had done this on my previous Alaskan cruise). Here NCL staff were able to wheel mom directly to the train and were there to take her back when the train returned. They both enjoyed the train ride and the views.

 

Mom and I stayed on the ship in Ketchikan and Victoria. I had seen others getting off the ship in Ketchikan with scooters but mom was hesitant to do so. My sister toured Ketchikan and Juneau on her own. She also stayed on the ship in Victoria.

 

Other thoughts:

 

The service throughout the ship was excellent. Everyone greeted you with a smile and did everything they could to please you.

 

I didn’t experience “hard sell” that others have mentioned. Maybe I’m just use to cruising and all ships hawk bingo and drinks. A polite no thank you suffices.

 

We rented the scooter for mom through Carevacations. It was in the room as promised and gave mom the ability to enjoy the ship without tiring out from walking.

 

One of our favorite places to hang out was the Great Outdoors on Deck 12. It was usually less windy then our balcony and was warm enough for mom to stay outside for a bit.

 

 

Sorry for being long winded. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Great review and glad to hear you enjoyed the Pearl and Alaska! How was the weather? Much rain? Cold?

 

Who was your Captain? How long of a delay did you have because of the emergency stop in Port Angeles, WA? Hopefully the little boy made a full recovery!

[scaaty]

How was the weather? Much rain? Cold?

 

We had a sunny day in Seattle for sail away. After that we had cloudy days with rain showers and cool temperatures. The coldest day was in Skagway due to high winds.

 

 

Who was your Captain?

 

Sorry I don't remember the captains name.

 

How long of a delay did you have because of the emergency stop in Port Angeles, WA? Hopefully the little boy made a full recovery!

 

We had no delays as a result of the emergency stop. We too hope the little boy made a full recovery!

[Love to Cook!]

Dianne

 

Thanks for the great review!! We are sailing on the Pearl next May. I found the same thing when we sailed the Pride of America. I had read so many negative things that I was really prepared for a bad experience. Much to my surprise - everything was fantastic! Just a couple small things, but certainly nothing to ruin our trip.

 

I even went to James (concierge) and told him how pleased we were.

 

I guess like everything else, it is subjective :)

[rebeljohn]

Enjoyed your review................Thanks for posting.............

[Adventure Seeker]

I'm glad you had a nice time despite the weather. We were on the same cruise. We had been on the ship in February and found the staff to be much more polite this time around. We also thought the food had improved quite a bit. For those interested, the chocolate fondue is back on the menu at Le Bistro....

[NW Pacific]

We were also aboard this sailing, had a great time, 24 of us total, no complaints that I heard. We had a balcony on deck 9, it was nice, had some of our group in the Garden Villa, so got to see that area also, quite nice! Do hope the little boy taken off ship really recovered, we were right there when it happened, watching our grandaughter in the pool, scared the you know what out of me! In spite of this we all had a great cruise, I thought the food was very good, a little tip, the Blue Lagoon serves a very good breakfast, excellent sit down service, we opted for this two mornings because of the crowds on Sea days in the buffet.

[Got2Cruise]

I'm glad you had a nice time despite the weather. We were on the same cruise. We had been on the ship in February and found the staff to be much more polite this time around. We also thought the food had improved quite a bit. For those interested, the chocolate fondue is back on the menu at Le Bistro....

 

It seems that the managment of the NCL is taking the constructive criticism to heart. As has been previously mentioned on CC, the Hotel Directors meet with the CC M&G groups. Also, I received the email for the online survey after my cruise and one of the questions was about receiving information from online sources such as Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor.

[AnotherTripPlease]

What cabin did you have?

Cause we might have the same cabin (I also have a Handicapped Balcony room on the tenth Floor.

[scaaty]

What cabin did you have?

Cause we might have the same cabin (I also have a Handicapped Balcony room on the tenth Floor.

 

We were in 10644. The cabin has a desk area with mirror and hairdryer, no drawers so a wheel chair can pull up. There was a small table and chair, plus a small stool. There were three small drawers next to the fridge. Otherwise it was all shelf space for storage. The closet bar for hanging clothes could be pulled down if needed. There was more than enough space for the three of us for clothes, etc.

 

I'm still sorting through my pics, but can send you some of the cabin if you want. Just email me at scaatynj at yahoo. Just put cruise critic in the subject just in case you email ends up in the spam folder.

[scaaty]

If anyone is interested I posted pictures, including the handicapped cabin.

 

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/scaaty

[mcmomny]

wonderful pictures thank you!