Live from the Pearl

[reporterjen]

Despite some dreary weather, we've had a wonderful time aboard the Pearl as we sail through the Western Caribbean. For my husband and I, it's our first time on this ship; our past NCL cruises have been on the Sun and on the Gem (in October 2008, during its inaugural multi-day sailing).

 

Although the Pearl is nearly identical to the Gem, there are some differences. One that caught our eye right away is the disappearance of laundry rooms onboard. During the meet and greet and the subsequent Latitudes party, the Pearl's hotel manager said the laundry rooms were being replaced with staterooms fleetwide. However, he said guests could check out an iron and ironing board for short-term use.

 

This trip is a real treat for Christopher and I, as our family was able to take advantage of great last-minute pricing and upgrade to a suite on the ship. We've never had anything more than a picture window, so our original plans for a balcony were a big upgrade. This is beyond that. I can report that while we don't take advantage of the concierge service that comes with the suite, we have enjoyed one lunch and one breakfast in Cagney's, it's nice having a DVD player at the ready (ours actually is broken and is set to be repaired tomorrow) and the extended room service breakfast menu is a real treat. I have also fallen in love with the Lavazza espresso machine in our room. The room also comes equipped with a real hair dryer -- one that is incredibly powerful, too -- and that is something I had not expected. I packed my own, based largely on my experience in the other staterooms with the wall-mounted machine. I know it will be a long, long time before we can ever do a suite again, so I hope this experience doesn't ruin us for our porthole staterooms in the future!

 

The crew has been wonderful, as we fully expected on NCL, given our previous cruises. Our cruise director is Linda; she actually was our cruise director on our first NCL trip, on the Sun, a couple of years ago.

 

We think the photo staff is taking more pictures than they did on the Gem and Sun during our previous sailings. They also have posted signs in the photo gallery warning that some photos will be removed during the sailing, so we should "buy early to avoid disappointment." That's something I don't remember seeing before.

 

Our sailaway Sunday from Miami was marked by clouds. Overcast skies continued Monday during our first day at sea, though the sun started to peek out midday.

 

Sunday night, we had a pleasant meal in Mambo's, the Mexican specialty restaurant on deck eight. The restaurant was free when we were on the Gem a year ago, but this time we were prepared for the $10 per person cover charge. I don't believe the food alone is worth the $10, but it's a fine diversion, and the fee includes a complimentary margarita.

 

Monday afternoon, we enjoyed a great martini clinic with Gede. Though we've heard about him on these boards, we've never had the pleasure before. He's as great as advertised, offering plenty of information, good recipes and quality entertainment.

 

Our meet and greet on Monday was well attended, and two staff from the hotel management came to welcome the Cruise Critic guests in Le Bistro.

 

Monday night, my husband, parents and I dined in Le Bistro, as part of our two romance packages. I am convinced that's still one of the best deals on NCL.

 

Tuesday morning, we arrived in Roatan. Unfortunately, so had the rain. It dampened our experience slightly, but we still had a great time exploring the island, along with our guide, Ben. (We had arranged for a day of sightseeing through one of the major operators who gets lots of mentions on the boards here). There were no signs of the protests that have taken place on the island recently. We especially enjoyed ziplining for the very first time. I was terrified at the beginning -- and, frankly, I had to get over nerves 10 out of the 14 times I jumped off to head down the wire. But it was exhilarating (and, I have no problems boasting that I was the most adventurous of my group in dangling upside down and hands-free as I zipped among the trees). :)

 

We're headed to Belize tomorrow. My parents are taking an NCL excursion to the Lamanai (sp?) ruins. Christopher and I are doing a cave tubing trip with one of the groups frequently mentioned in the ports of call boards here. Thursday, we're in Cozumel, and all four of us are doing an ATV excursion.

 

We're keeping our fingers crossed for good weather for the rest of the trip!

 

Jen.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Please tell Concierge Carlos James says hello. I'm glad your having a great time and enjoying the Suite.

[ddakrt]

Please find out if the ship's time is indeed the same as the local time in Cozumel if you can. I need to meet my dive master at 10am Cozumel time, but I'm not sure if Cozumel changes their clocks for DST like the ship does.

[terrymtex01]

Please find out if the ship's time is indeed the same as the local time in Cozumel if you can. I need to meet my dive master at 10am Cozumel time, but I'm not sure if Cozumel changes their clocks for DST like the ship does.

 

ddakrt.. are you not going back and checking the postings where you have asked this??? I have seen at least one person answer this for you.

 

Yes... the ships time will be exactly the same time as it is in Cozumel.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=882668&highlight=

 

Here is how you can verify it. If you know, based on what you have been told by someone just off the Pearl, that they change to Central Standard Time (CST) before reaching Roatan, and they do not change back to Eastern Standard Time until the last day of the cruise, go to timeanddate.com. Pick a place that you know is in the Central Standard Time Zone, say Texas and look up the current time in Dallas, Tx. Then open up another web browser for timeanddate.com and put in Cozumel. If the times match, then you know the ships time, when it changes to Central Standard Time will match.

 

Hope that helps.

[ddakrt]

ddakrt.. are you not going back and checking the postings where you have asked this??? I have seen at least one person answer this for you.

 

Yes... the ships time will be exactly the same time as it is in Cozumel.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=882668&highlight=

 

Here is how you can verify it. If you know, based on what you have been told by someone just off the Pearl, that they change to Central Standard Time (CST) before reaching Roatan, and they do not change back to Eastern Standard Time until the last day of the cruise, go to timeanddate.com. Pick a place that you know is in the Central Standard Time Zone, say Texas and look up the current time in Dallas, Tx. Then open up another web browser for timeanddate.com and put in Cozumel. If the times match, then you know the ships time, when it changes to Central Standard Time will match.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Terry,

 

I have been going back and forth asking this question, but all answers I have gotten is that the ship changes time from EST to CST, which I am already aware of.

What I am not aware of is whether Cozumel changes their clocks to reflect DST (Daylight Savings Time). The answer to this question will determine whether the ship's time will be one hour ahead of local time. This is the answer I haven't found yet...

 

Belize for example, does not observes Daylight Savings Time, so while some cruise lines will change their ship's clock to reflect the timezone the ship is in, ship's time will still be off from local time.

 

Edit: Having said that, it just occurred to me that I think we are on Standard time right now, so the whole DST thing might not matter at all...

[ohioNCLcruiser]

DDakrt:

 

Someone here said once they saw a ship on different time then the port of call, but in my two years working on them and and all my cruises the ship has always been the same time as its current port. The night before you should get a "time change notice" delivered to your room.

[zamboni_girl]

We think the photo staff is taking more pictures than they did on the Gem and Sun during our previous sailings. They also have posted signs in the photo gallery warning that some photos will be removed during the sailing, so we should "buy early to avoid disappointment." That's something I don't remember seeing before.

 

Oh what a brilliant strategy. A) keeps the cluter down in the photo area b) evens out demand throughout the cruise, rather than a rush at the end c) creates demand simply by having you go up often to check (and thus more likely to implus by, by fear of having it not there later).

 

d) is it weird that I get excited about great business strategies?

[NCL DancerMom]

Jen,

Have a great cruise, and continue to post your reviews. Makes me wish it was still last week!!

Please tell Denis (the Hotel Director) and Carlos (the Concierge) that the Socklers had a WONDERFUL time last week. Also, find Ioanna the bar waitress and give her a huge hug for us.

One more thing - go to the JAR shows! The current cast is leaving on Sunday, so this week's performances are their "swan's song"! If you see a dancer named Lindsay around the boat - tell her that her mom and dad can't WAIT to see her on Sunday!

Danice

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Jen,

Have a great cruise, and continue to post your reviews. Makes me wish it was still last week!!

Please tell Denis (the Hotel Director) and Carlos (the Concierge) that the Socklers had a WONDERFUL time last week. Also, find Ioanna the bar waitress and give her a huge hug for us.

One more thing - go to the JAR shows! The current cast is leaving on Sunday, so this week's performances are their "swan's song"! If you see a dancer named Lindsay around the boat - tell her that her mom and dad can't WAIT to see her on Sunday!

Danice

 

 

NCL mom so the entire cast leaves together, does the entire cast return together or do they get split up over vacation?

[NCL DancerMom]

NCL mom so the entire cast leaves together, does the entire cast return together or do they get split up over vacation?

 

The JAR cast is on a 6 month contract - they can extend with JAR if they want to, but most of them have opted to go on to other things for now. Often the entertainers will go do something else for a while, then contact Jean Ann Ryan and sign up again. A whole new group started their 6 months on Sunday. I think a couple of cast members may be going on to other ships later in the Spring (the Jewel and the Star, maybe?). They all LOVED the Pearl, but I think they start itching for a job on land :)! Those "Sea Legs" need a little terra firma!

[terrymtex01]

Oh what a brilliant strategy. A) keeps the cluter down in the photo area b) evens out demand throughout the cruise, rather than a rush at the end c) creates demand simply by having you go up often to check (and thus more likely to implus by, by fear of having it not there later).

 

d) is it weird that I get excited about great business strategies?

 

Well.. I think as you are saying it is just a way to get people to buy.. LOL.. when we were on the Pearl at the end of October, our pics were there through the whole cruise.

 

Terry,

 

I have been going back and forth asking this question, but all answers I have gotten is that the ship changes time from EST to CST, which I am already aware of.

What I am not aware of is whether Cozumel changes their clocks to reflect DST (Daylight Savings Time). The answer to this question will determine whether the ship's time will be one hour ahead of local time. This is the answer I haven't found yet...

 

Belize for example, does not observes Daylight Savings Time, so while some cruise lines will change their ship's clock to reflect the timezone the ship is in, ship's time will still be off from local time.

 

Edit: Having said that, it just occurred to me that I think we are on Standard time right now, so the whole DST thing might not matter at all...

 

That is why I gave you that website so you can compare, not just now, but at anytime, the time zones and see if one place in the time zone practices DST or not. 8-)

[ohioNCLcruiser]

The JAR cast is on a 6 month contract - they can extend with JAR if they want to, but most of them have opted to go on to other things for now. Often the entertainers will go do something else for a while, then contact Jean Ann Ryan and sign up again. A whole new group started their 6 months on Sunday. I think a couple of cast members may be going on to other ships later in the Spring (the Jewel and the Star, maybe?). They all LOVED the Pearl, but I think they start itching for a job on land :)! Those "Sea Legs" need a little terra firma!

 

 

Well I have heard great things about the Pearl's current cast. I know some JAR people think they are above the rest of the crew but everything I heard about the current Pearl cast has been great! My friend said he is going to miss them because of this reason lol

[runnerandme]

Reporterjen, Thanks so much for the laundry room info. I was planning on washing my husband's running clothes..now I will just toss them..not really. I will send them out and will bring extra. ( anyone who jogs everyday for an hour on a trip is crazy anyway!) Your zipline sounds like it was great. By this time you are probably tubing down the river.Have fun.

 

Connie

[NCL DancerMom]

Well I have heard great things about the Pearl's current cast. I know some JAR people think they are above the rest of the crew but everything I heard about the current Pearl cast has been great! My friend said he is going to miss them because of this reason lol

 

 

That's very sweet - I will say they all got along with each other so well, and there was none of the "drama" that usually goes hand in hand with creative types! They also seemed to have tons of buddies throughout the ship, and didn't just stick with the "show cast".

[ketzelacruising]

What a shame about the laundry room! Now my DDW will have to hang out at the casino more with me instead of washing the kiddies pajamas and such!

 

M

[momofmeg]

Despite some dreary weather, we've had a wonderful time aboard the Pearl as we sail through the Western Caribbean. For my husband and I, it's our first time on this ship; our past NCL cruises have been on the Sun and on the Gem (in October 2008, during its inaugural multi-day sailing).

 

Although the Pearl is nearly identical to the Gem, there are some differences. One that caught our eye right away is the disappearance of laundry rooms onboard. During the meet and greet and the subsequent Latitudes party, the Pearl's hotel manager said the laundry rooms were being replaced with staterooms fleetwide. However, he said guests could check out an iron and ironing board for short-term use.

 

This trip is a real treat for Christopher and I, as our family was able to take advantage of great last-minute pricing and upgrade to a suite on the ship. We've never had anything more than a picture window, so our original plans for a balcony were a big upgrade. This is beyond that. I can report that while we don't take advantage of the concierge service that comes with the suite, we have enjoyed one lunch and one breakfast in Cagney's, it's nice having a DVD player at the ready (ours actually is broken and is set to be repaired tomorrow) and the extended room service breakfast menu is a real treat. I have also fallen in love with the Lavazza espresso machine in our room. The room also comes equipped with a real hair dryer -- one that is incredibly powerful, too -- and that is something I had not expected. I packed my own, based largely on my experience in the other staterooms with the wall-mounted machine. I know it will be a long, long time before we can ever do a suite again, so I hope this experience doesn't ruin us for our porthole staterooms in the future!

 

The crew has been wonderful, as we fully expected on NCL, given our previous cruises. Our cruise director is Linda; she actually was our cruise director on our first NCL trip, on the Sun, a couple of years ago.

 

We think the photo staff is taking more pictures than they did on the Gem and Sun during our previous sailings. They also have posted signs in the photo gallery warning that some photos will be removed during the sailing, so we should "buy early to avoid disappointment." That's something I don't remember seeing before.

 

Our sailaway Sunday from Miami was marked by clouds. Overcast skies continued Monday during our first day at sea, though the sun started to peek out midday.

 

Sunday night, we had a pleasant meal in Mambo's, the Mexican specialty restaurant on deck eight. The restaurant was free when we were on the Gem a year ago, but this time we were prepared for the $10 per person cover charge. I don't believe the food alone is worth the $10, but it's a fine diversion, and the fee includes a complimentary margarita.

 

Monday afternoon, we enjoyed a great martini clinic with Gede. Though we've heard about him on these boards, we've never had the pleasure before. He's as great as advertised, offering plenty of information, good recipes and quality entertainment.

 

Our meet and greet on Monday was well attended, and two staff from the hotel management came to welcome the Cruise Critic guests in Le Bistro.

 

Monday night, my husband, parents and I dined in Le Bistro, as part of our two romance packages. I am convinced that's still one of the best deals on NCL.

 

Tuesday morning, we arrived in Roatan. Unfortunately, so had the rain. It dampened our experience slightly, but we still had a great time exploring the island, along with our guide, Ben. (We had arranged for a day of sightseeing through one of the major operators who gets lots of mentions on the boards here). There were no signs of the protests that have taken place on the island recently. We especially enjoyed ziplining for the very first time. I was terrified at the beginning -- and, frankly, I had to get over nerves 10 out of the 14 times I jumped off to head down the wire. But it was exhilarating (and, I have no problems boasting that I was the most adventurous of my group in dangling upside down and hands-free as I zipped among the trees). :)

 

We're headed to Belize tomorrow. My parents are taking an NCL excursion to the Lamanai (sp?) ruins. Christopher and I are doing a cave tubing trip with one of the groups frequently mentioned in the ports of call boards here. Thursday, we're in Cozumel, and all four of us are doing an ATV excursion.

 

We're keeping our fingers crossed for good weather for the rest of the trip!

 

Jen.

 

Jen, go to deck 10 and look for 10082-across fromit is the laundry room. I used it last week.

[momofmeg]

What a shame about the laundry room! Now my DDW will have to hang out at the casino more with me instead of washing the kiddies pajamas and such!

 

M

 

I called and asked and as we were on deck 11, I was directed to deck 10-the laundry room is across from 10082-midship starboard. I used this just last week as we were on the Thanksgiving cruise.

[momofmeg]

That's very sweet - I will say they all got along with each other so well, and there was none of the "drama" that usually goes hand in hand with creative types! They also seemed to have tons of buddies throughout the ship, and didn't just stick with the "show cast".

 

and you should know since your daughter Lindsey is a dancer on the Pearl. BTW, we loved meeting Lindsey at the meet and greet.

[momofmeg]

Please find out if the ship's time is indeed the same as the local time in Cozumel if you can. I need to meet my dive master at 10am Cozumel time, but I'm not sure if Cozumel changes their clocks for DST like the ship does.

 

It is-central time zone. We went to central our first sea day and then back to eastern our last sea day. The only port that is eastern time is Great Stirrup Cay.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

I called and asked and as we were on deck 11, I was directed to deck 10-the laundry room is across from 10082-midship starboard. I used this just last week as we were on the Thanksgiving cruise.

 

 

You can say you were the last person to use it now! The rooms were removed this week.

[momofmeg]

ddakrt.. are you not going back and checking the postings where you have asked this??? I have seen at least one person answer this for you.

 

Yes... the ships time will be exactly the same time as it is in Cozumel.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=882668&highlight=

 

Here is how you can verify it. If you know, based on what you have been told by someone just off the Pearl, that they change to Central Standard Time (CST) before reaching Roatan, and they do not change back to Eastern Standard Time until the last day of the cruise, go to timeanddate.com. Pick a place that you know is in the Central Standard Time Zone, say Texas and look up the current time in Dallas, Tx. Then open up another web browser for timeanddate.com and put in Cozumel. If the times match, then you know the ships time, when it changes to Central Standard Time will match.

 

Hope that helps.

Yep, I know I have replied to him/her? twice now!

[momofmeg]

Terry,

 

I have been going back and forth asking this question, but all answers I have gotten is that the ship changes time from EST to CST, which I am already aware of.

What I am not aware of is whether Cozumel changes their clocks to reflect DST (Daylight Savings Time). The answer to this question will determine whether the ship's time will be one hour ahead of local time. This is the answer I haven't found yet...

 

Belize for example, does not observes Daylight Savings Time, so while some cruise lines will change their ship's clock to reflect the timezone the ship is in, ship's time will still be off from local time.

 

Edit: Having said that, it just occurred to me that I think we are on Standard time right now, so the whole DST thing might not matter at all...

 

YES they do-same time as ship's time-but if you are that fearful just tell your taxi driver to bring you back an hour earlier.

[momofmeg]

Oh what a brilliant strategy. A) keeps the cluter down in the photo area b) evens out demand throughout the cruise, rather than a rush at the end c) creates demand simply by having you go up often to check (and thus more likely to implus by, by fear of having it not there later).

 

d) is it weird that I get excited about great business strategies?

 

they "warned "but did nto follow through-the area was COVERED by Saturday night. "Empty threat" I guess.

[ddakrt]

Yep, I know I have replied to him/her? twice now!

 

Yes you did, but both times your answer was:

 

It is-central time zone. We went to central our first sea day and then back to eastern our last sea day. The only port that is eastern time is Great Stirrup Cay.

 

Which didn't answer the question I was inquiring about (which was whether the port observe Daylight Savings Time/DST, NOT which timezone the port is in).

[ddakrt]

That is why I gave you that website so you can compare, not just now, but at anytime, the time zones and see if one place in the time zone practices DST or not. 8-)

 

Gotcha! Thanks for the help Terry, the site and your idea provided the information I was looking for.