(Lengthy) Pearl review, 2/22-3/1

[9illi9an]

ABOUT US:

 

We are a family of five: myself and my wife (both 40ish) and our three sons, ages 12, 8 and 5. This was our second cruise together as a family – both on the NCL Pearl. For me and my wife, this was our fourth cruise together, and the third time we’ve visited the Western Caribbean.

 

EMBARKATION:

 

We arrived at around 11:00am, and had no problem whatsoever. Maybe because we arrived earlier than we had before, the chaos we’ve witnessed in the past was nonexistent. We simply unloaded the car, were greeted by a friendly porter, and were pointed toward the terminal. After about an hour wait, we were ushered onto the ship. We did miss the cookies and water NCL had provided in the past while waiting in line, but this is probably another victim of “new-economy cost-cutting.”

 

THE SHIP:

 

We sailed on the Pearl in February of 2007, and it didn’t look as though she had aged a day since then. NCL does a remarkable job of maintaining the ship, and all of the public areas, from the restaurants to the buffet to the restrooms, were very clean. At one point, we saw them reupholstering one of the booths in the Garden Café. At another point, my wife commented on the remarkable cleanliness of the rugs, given the high volume of traffic. She then saw the crew shampooing the rugs at 5:00 the next morning.

 

OUR CABINS:

 

Because we travel with three kids, and because our last name isn't Rockefeller or Gates, we have little choice but to stay in an inside cabin. Since we’ve never stayed in anything but an inside cabin, we don’t miss what we have never experienced. And since we spend so little time in our rooms, it’s not a big deal.

 

We stayed on the ninth floor in two inside cabins. You get what you pay for, and when you pay for the cheapest room on the ship, you should expect to be a bit claustrophobic. In particular, the toilet in the bathroom is situated at such an angle that you either have to sit “side-saddle” or adopt the “wide stance” made famous by Senator Larry Craig.

 

FOOD:

 

Food is so subjective, it’s almost not worth reviewing. Suffice it to say that if you’re used to eating gourmet meals at high-end restaurants, you will probably be disappointed by the food on any cruise. If you usually eat at family restaurants like Chili’s, Applebees, TGI Friday’s, etc., then you’ll probably enjoy the food on the Pearl.

 

We usually ate at the Garden Café (buffet) for breakfast and lunch, and we all enjoyed the variety and quality of the food. My wife, my oldest son and I dined at Cagney’s one night, and really enjoyed a good meal well worth the $20 cover charge. We each had the filet, which was cooked perfectly, and added sides such as au gratin potatoes, fries, onion rings, string beans, asparagus and salad. Everything was delicious.

 

The only other pay restaurant we visited was Mambo’s, where the three of us ate beef and chicken fajitas, a burrito, tortilla soup and several appetizers. Again, everything was delicious, and I’d highly recommend Mambo’s at a cover charge of only $5/person (see my tips below.)

 

We also ate a few times at the Blue Lagoon. The first time we were on the Pearl, our favorite dish on the entire ship was the Blue Lagoon’s chili, so we were a bit disappointed that it’s no longer on the menu. But the kids all enjoyed the appetizers, burgers and chicken, and the adults found something to eat as well (I personally liked the meatloaf.) IMHO, the Blue Lagoon works better as a lunch or snack place than as a dinner destination.

 

We also dined in the Summer Palace on our first night, and we all enjoyed it. We didn’t see anything on the menu the rest of the week that motivated us to go again, however.

 

THE CREW:

 

I have never paid much attention to the friendliness or helpfulness of the crew on any past cruise, but after reading so many negative reviews of the Pearl’s crew on this board right before we sailed, I made it a point to pay attention. I have to say that our experience with this crew was completely different than those negative posters. The Pearl’s crew couldn’t have been any friendlier, more personable or more accommodating. I was especially impressed with several of the servers and event coordinators who greeted us by name throughout the week. They all went out of their way to ensure that we had everything we needed at all times.

 

ENTERTAINMENT:

 

Our whole family (excluding our 5-year-old, who stayed in the Kid’s Club) really enjoyed all of the comedians on the ship: Second City, Jeff Harms and Peter Sasso. Those were the only shows we attended. A lot of the jokes told by Harms and Sasso I’ve heard before, and some of them were a bit dated, but they were still funny.

 

ROATAN:

 

Since I’ve discovered CruiseCritic, I’ve become a big believer in independent excursions. However, my wife really wanted to visit Gumbalimba Park after reading the reviews here, and I really wanted to snorkel around Tabayana Beach. And after I tallied up the expense of hiring a driver, paying admission to the park, lunch, and a place to stay on the beach, I determined that the price was comparable enough that it was just more convenient to go with NCL’s Gumbalimba/Tabayana excursion.

 

Gumbalimba was a bit different than I had imagined, as it was almost completely a man-made park. Everything from the monkeys to the parrots to the flowers and plants were imported from the mainland. And much of the scenery, including waterfalls, ponds and a cave, were manufactured by the family that owns the land.

 

The highlight of the park is the visit with the monkeys, and this was also different than I imagined. I expected to see dozens of monkeys swinging freely from the trees and descending upon the people walking through their section of the jungle. Instead, there were maybe half a dozen monkeys, some tethered by their handlers, that were placed on people’s shoulders long enough to snap a quick photo.

 

There was another section with parrots that was similar, in that most of the parrots were caged and brought out by the handlers to sit on our shoulders for a quick photo. It was, however, a unique and breathtaking sight to see three scarlet macaws flying freely throughout the park. The tour ended with a walk over a rope bridge and a visit to the “pirate cave,” which featured life-sized pirate statues and exhibits that helped explain a brief history of the island. We could have done without the cave tour, but I can see where some would enjoy it.

 

Tabayana was also a bit different than I had imagined. For starters, it was extremely crowded. It seemed as though every passenger on the Pearl was there, and by the time we arrived, the only chairs available were at the very back end of the beach, where the view consisted of the backs of the chairs in front of us. When the buffet opened at noon, there was a mad rush, and the lines soon grew extremely long.

 

I had read rave reviews of the snorkeling at Tabayana, but was a bit disappointed in both the clarity of the water and the number and variety of fish. It’s possible that I was just snorkeling in the wrong spot, though I explored quite a bit and asked several of the people there where the best spots were.

 

Despite all the negative aspects I just mentioned, this was the highlight of the trip for my kids, and I would do it all over again. I just want to make sure people understand exactly what they’ll be getting, as my impressions didn’t match my expectations. If I had to do it over, however, I would go with an independent tour.

 

BELIZE:

 

This was the third time we’ve visited Belize, and we’ve never left the port area. When my wife and I cruised without the kids, we planned to go cave-tubing, but the weather didn’t cooperate. With three kids (one of whom is five years old), the options in Belize just didn’t make sense for us, so we just tendered into the port and shopped around for souvenirs.

 

COZUMEL:

 

I’ve been reading a lot about Paradise Beach here on CruiseCritic, and I was looking forward to seeing it in person. Although it was a bit crowded (there were two other ships in port), and we were once again stuck at the back of the beach, staring at the chairs in front of us, we all had a great time. The kids really enjoyed the floating toys, and the food and drinks were excellent.

 

My only criticism is that the drinks seemed very light on alcohol. I had three drinks, and if there were any alcohol in any of them, it was hardly noticeable.

 

GREAT STIRRUP CAY:

 

The last time we were scheduled to visit GSC, we ended up in Nassau because of the weather. After reading the reviews of GSC on this board, I was hoping the same would happen with this cruise. But the weather cooperated, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this island. Yes, it’s very crowded. And yes, the water is a little cold. But it’s a beautiful island, and there is plenty of shade, plenty of activities and plenty of food.

 

DISEMBARKATION:

 

One word: chaos. We always carry out our own luggage, and usually leave the ship between 8:00-9:00am, but because we had a late flight, we didn’t leave until around 10:00. And by then, there was a very long line waiting to pass through customs, and a frenzied crowd mobbing the taxi area in front of the port. It got so heated at one point that one of the porters nearly came to blows with one of the passengers. But we managed to make it out of there in one piece.

 

OBLIGATORY HORROR STORY:

 

My sister-in-law works for an airline, so we get to fly for a nominal fee. The catch is that we have to fly stand-by. That morning, there were plenty of seats remaining on several flights heading from Ft. Lauderdale to Boston. But because of a blizzard that was moving up the east coast, several flights were canceled. My SIL told us that our best bet was to fly out of Tampa.

 

So…we rented a car and drove the 5.5 hours from Miami to Tampa, only to find that the flight we were hoping to catch was full. We were then forced to stay overnight in Tampa, and after spending an entire day in a car full of kids, I decided to fork over the $260 for a room at the Marriot (which is connected to the airport.) We finally caught a flight Monday morning – a day later than expected. So in the end, I missed a day of work, and it cost us about $350 for a car and a hotel room. But all’s well that ends well.

 

RANDOM PEARL TIPS:

 

-- At some point in the cruise (I believe it was the second “at sea” day), NCL set up a table in front of the duty free shop that was covered with various jewelry, watches and scarves. A big sign announced that every item on the table was $10. I only noticed this because: a) there was a MOB of people at this table, so large that it was difficult to navigate around it, and b) my wife just happened to be looking for a cheap watch. People were walking away with shopping baskets filled with items from this table, evidently believing that they were getting bargain items discounted from the duty free shop. Later, however, we found the same exact items in an airport store named “Bijoux Terner.” Every item in this store is $10.

 

-- Two or three times during the week, several of the pay restaurants offered a 2-for-1 deal between 5:00 and 6:30. High-end restaurants such as Cagney’s, Teppanyaki and Le Bistro are excluded, but places like Mambo’s and La Cucina are included. One helpful tip that we learned is that if you show up with three people during these 2-for-1 nights, that third person is only charged half-price. So when three of us ate at Mambo’s, we paid just $15 in total, and received three free margaritas (one virgin) as well. Note: the reservations fill up very quickly for these nights, so you’ll want to reserve ASAP (up to 24 hours in advance.)

 

-- When the ship is in port, they offer 2-for-1 bowling at Bliss. This offer is good until 5:00pm on those days.

 

-- If you’re going to drink cocktails (or “fru-fru drinks”), the souvenir glasses are $9 for the first drink and $7 for refills. You just have to remember to hold onto your glass, and you can continue to refill it throughout the week. If you ask for a drink in a regular glass, you’ll pay $6.50 for it, and it doesn’t hold nearly as much as the souvenir glass.

 

-- In the Stardust Theater, the upper balcony sections on the far left-and-right ends of the theater are the last ones to be filled, and are very close to the stage. So if you arrive late, just make your way up to those sections and you’ll probably find a good seat.

 

-- Since our first sailing on the Pearl, they’ve added deck chairs to the 7th level. We didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy them, but if you’re looking for a quiet place to read a book and enjoy the view, this is probably where you want to be.

 

-- At breakfast, the Garden Café is very crowded, and it can be very difficult to find a table. The back end of the ship is also usually crowded. But the area by the pool includes most of the same breakfast items, and tables are much easier to find.

 

-- In the Garden Café, near the very back end of the ship, there is a section consisting solely of “kid’s food” at both breakfast (pancakes, juice, milk, bacon, etc.) and lunch (fries, burgers, dogs, chicken fingers, etc..)

 

-- Here is a tip that cost me $5. When you get to Great Stirrup Cay, they provide water, coffee and juice at a section way in the back, behind the buffet. I didn’t see this area, and paid $5 for a bottle of water before I figured it out.

 

-- The first time we sailed the Pearl, we purchased soda bracelets for all three kids. Since then, NCL has switched to a soda sticker that attaches to the stateroom card. We only purchased one of these stickers, and simply passed the card from one kid to another, as needed. No one seemed to care.

 

FINAL STATS:

 

On-board charges: $1,500

Bar bill: approx. $600

Tips: $420 (mandatory), plus another $150 or so

Weight gained: approx. 4 pounds (myself only)

Experience: PRICELESS

[punkmuse]

great review!

thanks for the tips i hope i remember them, we leave this weekend!! :D

[macdadsjaw]

Good review, I agree with everything, especially the crew. Everyone was nice, friendly, and accomodating (which they should be). We asked for guacamole and chips from the mambos bar an hour before they opened and they went back and made us up a plate of chips, salsa, and guac. It was margarita night, what could be better.

 

Was it your son that was in the talent show? I remeber he was 8 and from Salem......I thought he was funnier than Sasso.......

[LaShelle2]

Thanks for the tips. I got bashed by other members on the board for suggesting you buy 1 soda card and share it w/ the whole family. I see someone else on here is a sensible budget traveller too!!!

 

I a single mom travelling w/ my 16 year old son and need to save any way I can. I am not poor, but far fom rich, and I appreciate your tips.

[mlmagic]

What a great review! I enjoyed all of it. I just booked our first NCL trip on the Pearl for next spring...have only cruised X and Princess, so looking forward to trying them out. Did you like the ship? How was the nightlife? Dancing, etc? Thanks for all the tips...:)

[canuckgal]

thanks for the awesome review! glad to hear that it is still possible to enjoy a trip on the Pearl- i was beginning to wonder!!

 

can anyone else comment on sharing a soda card on other ships? dirty looks? thrown overboard if caught? it's a great tip!

[fieldmom35215]

 

 

 

In particular, the toilet in the bathroom is situated at such an angle that you either have to sit “side-saddle” or adopt the “wide stance” made famous by Senator Larry Craig.

wooo! I got a real laugh outta that one. thx

 

Food is so subjective, it’s almost not worth reviewing. Suffice it to say that if you’re used to eating gourmet meals at high-end restaurants, you will probably be disappointed by the food on any cruise. If you usually eat at family restaurants like Chili’s, Applebees, TGI Friday’s, etc., then you’ll probably enjoy the food on the Pearl.

THX for saying that. You are the FIRST I've read to report it in such a manner. I now know that we will definitely enjoy the food since we have 2 kids who LOVE Chilis and Applebees :D. However, we are on the STAR to Alaska so I'm not sure if the food will be the same.

 

DISEMBARKATION:

 

One word: chaos. We always carry out our own luggage, and usually leave the ship between 8:00-9:00am, but because we had a late flight, we didn’t leave until around 10:00. And by then, there was a very long line waiting to pass through customs, and a frenzied crowd mobbing the taxi area in front of the port. It got so heated at one point that one of the porters nearly came to blows with one of the passengers. But we managed to make it out of there in one piece.

Another mixed review. I've read so many who experienced no problems the later they got off the ship. I had already resigned myself to a late disembarkation, but now I'm fickle again:cool:

 

OBLIGATORY HORROR STORY:

My sister-in-law works for an airline, so we get to fly for a nominal fee. The catch is that we have to fly stand-by.

So…we rented a car and drove the 5.5 hours from Miami to Tampa, only to find that the flight we were hoping to catch was full. We were then forced to stay overnight in Tampa, and after spending an entire day in a car full of kids, I decided to fork over the $260 for a room at the Marriot (which is connected to the airport.) We finally caught a flight Monday morning – a day later than expected. So in the end, I missed a day of work, and it cost us about $350 for a car and a hotel room. But all’s well that ends well.

Don't you just love flying standby? :p We do the same since my husband works for the airline. Sometimes we get passes that are the same as a paid fare and I like those best. Last year we flew standby to Orlando for our Disney vacation and it was an adventure:eek:. We were bumped so many times; however, we had planned accordingly and we had a blast. Actually made it to Orlando before 2 pm, picked up our car and went along. The return trip home was not eventful at all. We flew straight out of Orlando with no problem. I'm glad somebody else knows how to have a true adventure. ;)

-- If you’re going to drink cocktails (or “fru-fru drinks”), the souvenir glasses are $9 for the first drink and $7 for refills. You just have to remember to hold onto your glass, and you can continue to refill it throughout the week. If you ask for a drink in a regular glass, you’ll pay $6.50 for it, and it doesn’t hold nearly as much as the souvenir glass.

Are they watered down? I HATE watered down drinks.

 

-- The first time we sailed the Pearl, we purchased soda bracelets for all three kids. Since then, NCL has switched to a soda sticker that attaches to the stateroom card. We only purchased one of these stickers, and simply passed the card from one kid to another, as needed. No one seemed to care.

 

VERY valuable info for parents with kids

FINAL STATS:

 

On-board charges: $1,500

Bar bill: approx. $600

Tips: $420 (mandatory), plus another $150 or so

Weight gained: approx. 4 pounds (myself only)

Experience: PRICELESS

Oh, I almost passed out! Thax for your candid reviews. MUCH appreciated

[LadyShiva]

I really enjoyed the humor in your review, and I appreciate the tips. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this!

[Traveller20074]

A question about your excursion to Tabayana beach and the park. Was this the Jolly Roger Catamaran tour? I sure hope not, as the snorkelling sounded disappointing, and that's the part of this I'm looking forward to the most...snorkelling....thank you for your extensive review!!

[Mooder]

Great review. Thank you!

 

Thanks for the tips. I got bashed by other members on the board for suggesting you buy 1 soda card and share it w/ the whole family. I see someone else on here is a sensible budget traveller too!!!

 

I a single mom travelling w/ my 16 year old son and need to save any way I can. I am not poor, but far fom rich, and I appreciate your tips.

 

LaShelle, I am sorry you felt bashed. I am all for saving money. If I recall correctly what put your post over the top for me was that your son was "buying" sodas for all his buddies as well. You don't need to save the other parents money. But I respect your efforts to share money-saving tips and make every penny count in this economy.

[jan6182]

Great review! I leave in less than 6 weeks for the Pearl!

 

I loved the drink tip... I drink those 'fru-fru' drinks and had no intentions of ever getting a souvenir glass (so I could save the extra dollars), but I never thought of getting one and re-using it for refills and getting a little more drink for $.50!

 

Thanks!

[9illi9an]

Macdadsjaw, yes, that was my son in the talent show! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll pass along your comment, as I'm sure he'll get a kick out of it.

 

Mlmagic, I absolutely love the Pearl. As for nightlife, we didn't get to experience much of it with three kids (including one who refused to attend the Kid's Club.) But we really enjoy the atmosphere in the Bliss, and we did get to do a bit of dancing. We even attended a class on the "Cha-Cha" (and I don't dance.)

 

Fieldmom, I wouldn't say the drinks were very strong, with the exception of the drinks made by a certain bartender (and I wish I could remember his name) in the Bliss. My wife refused to buy a drink from anyone but him!

 

Traveller, as far as I know the Jolly Roger Catamaran tour doesn't stop at Tabayana. The entire island is surrounded by a barrier reef, and I understand there is very good snorkeling throughout the island. I just didn't think the snorkeling was particularly good at the area in front of Tabayana. (But it's possible I just wasn't in the right area.) Unfortunately, the only other place I've snorkeled is Maui, so I'm thinking that everything else pales in comparison!

 

Re. the soda card, I understand the issue some may have with sharing the card. But I doubt we got our $32 worth from it, even with four people using it. And given the nickle-and-diming that is prevalent throughout the ship ($5/person for bowling, $10.35 for a drink, a 15% gratuity applied to everything on the ship -- including the items you remove from your room's fridge yourself! -- etc., etc.) I didn't feel too guilty about it.

[MIAMIMEDIA]

Nice to know I am not the only one with 3 kids. We always get two inside connecting cabins too! You can not beat 2 bathrooms. I have stay in a suite where we all fit but the one bathroom for 5 people was not good! We will be sailing April 5, for Spring Break, on the Pearl. How did your kids enjoy the kids culb? My kids did not like NCL's kids club at all. RCCL has a great program with activities versus NCL "babysitting" club as my kids called it last year.

Thanks for your tips

[9illi9an]

Miamimedia, I meant to include a review on the Kid's Club. All three of my kids loved it last time (two years ago.) They were excited to go every day, and it gave my wife and me some quality time together.

 

Of course, at that time they were each among the youngest in their group. This time around, they were among the oldest. The two younger ones (ages 5 and 8) didn't mind, and still enjoyed going. But our oldest (who is six weeks away from turning 13) absolutely hated it. He only went the first night, and discovered there were only two other kids his age.

 

I commented on this on another thread, but basically the problem is that the Kid's Club includes ages 2-12, and many times, they all play games together. And for an almost 13-year-old, playing "Blue's Clues" and "Pirate Party" with a bunch of elementary schoolers was a bit insulting.

 

We sent him back to the Kid's Club the following day, but when we dropped him off, we saw him standing in the middle of the room, looking completely sad and lost, and we didn't have the heart to leave him there. So we signed him out and he never went back.

 

On the plus side, at 12 years old, he can sign himself out of the Kid's Club. On the negative side, they require kids to stay there for two hours before they'll allow them to sign out. So if they go to the club and see that there is nothing to do, they're stuck there for two hours (unless you return to sign them out yourself.)

 

The staff in the Kid's Club (with one exception) was also much younger than the last time we sailed the Pearl. You could tell they all thought it would be a great gig working on a cruise ship, but that it wasn't quite as much fun as they expected. From the first day, they just looked worn out and disgruntled. My kids said a couple of them were "bossy" and "yelled a lot." But maybe we just caught them on a bad week.

 

Just to give you some idea on the activities they did in the club, these are the ones I can remember:

 

-- Blue's Clues party

-- Pirates party

-- T-shirt making

-- Pizza making (family)

-- Egg drop contest

-- Movies ("Dennis the Menace," "Finding Nemo," etc.)

-- Pajama party (final night)

-- Fun games (my kid's favorite was called "Grandma's Smelly Underwear.")

-- Lego-building contest

[watchdiva]

Thanks for the tips. I got bashed by other members on the board for suggesting you buy 1 soda card and share it w/ the whole family. I see someone else on here is a sensible budget traveller too!!!]

 

LaShelle2 - I'm sorry you feel "bashed" but the comment about your son sharing his soda card with all of his buddies was just too OTT (over the top) and that's what elicited so many strong comments.

 

OP - what a great, well-balanced review. Thanks for sharing. We're going back on the Pearl again for the second time and cannot wait. :)

[jlmza2350]

Thanks for the detailed review. It sounds like you had a great trip.

 

My family of 5 will be on the Pearl in a few weeks and I have a couple of questions for you. :)

 

Did you have to wait to get a seat at dinner (either free or pay)?

 

If you did not wait, what time did you usually eat?

 

My youngest is 8 years old. Did your 8 year old "get the comedy" of Second City?

 

Any bug problem (sand fleas) in Roatan while on the beach and snorkeling?

 

Thanks!

[9illi9an]

Jlmza, we didn't wait once for dinner. But then again, of our seven nights, we made reservations for pay restaurants twice and did the buffet one night. We did the Summer Palace on the first night of the cruise, and walked right in at around 5:30, without waiting. By the time we left, however, there was a decent-sized line waiting outside (around 6:30.) There was never a wait at Blue Lagoon, as far as I could see.

 

My 8-year-old really enjoyed Jeff Harms, but I'd say at least half of Peter Sasso's jokes went over his head. I believe Sasso's last week on the Pearl was our week, so you'll probably see someone new, regardless.

 

My kids all played on the beach at Tabayana, and didn't experience any problems with sand fleas. However, the staff at Tabayana sprays the beach daily. From what I've read, if you go anywhere else on the West End you'll encounter sand fleas.

[dalgirl]

Great review - very detailed. I am also on the fence about the Gumbalimba Park excursion - you said your wife wanted to go - did she think it was worth seeing? I am going with the DS (not a child) and he is not into "cute." If you did not have the kids, would this have been something you enjoyed?

[Raine1306]

Great review. I was on the Pearl the week of 2/8/09. I have a few things to add.

 

1. You mentioned that Le Bistro wasn't offered as a 2 for 1, but it was the week I sailed. I wonder if they change those deals periodically.

 

2. Join or start a Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. Ours was wonderful and "knowing" these people during our cruise was fantastic. Some in our group buddied up for private tours and saved money. We enjoyed going to the night clubs with other couples. You can do as much or as little with your group. Our group even collected school items for a needy school in Belize. Members of the crew attended our Meet & Greet & made us feel so welcomed. I highly recommend it.

 

3. Don't waste your time just staying around the docks. Go out & see the island! You paid big bucks for this cruise, might as well pay a bit more and make a memory. In Roatan I hired a private tour guide from Victor Bodden Tours (check the boards under "Roatan") It was the best money I spent. The more people in your tour group the less you pay. The Cruise Critic members buddied up and only paid $25. each. I paid $40 p.p. cos it was only my daughter and myself. The tour guy is at your side watching over you the whole time. So I felt wonderfully safe no matter where we went. I booked Ali and he was great.

 

4. Someone asked about the nightclubs. We did attend the White Hot Party. It was a lot of fun. Everyone is dressed in white and the dancers have wings attached to their outfits. (Try to pack something white if possible)

 

Every night they have some sort of late entertainment after the big shows are over. One night they had strippers in the Bliss Lounge. The strippers were guys that worked on the ship.

 

5. On the last day I left the ship around 10:00 and just walked out. There was no wait what so ever. We had to leave our rooms around 9, but we just relaxed around the pool. It was a bit crowded trying to get a taxi, but I bet it was worse if we left earlier.

 

I had a wonderful time on the Pearl and would go again in a heartbeat!

Raine

[9illi9an]

Dalgirl, I think the entire family (including myself) enjoyed Gumbalimba. It wasn't what I expected, but it was still a beautiful place (see the photo below), and the experience of having a monkey sit on your head is something my kids won't soon forget.

 

It really depends on your (and your son's) interests. If you like monkeys, birds and scenic views, then Gumbalimba may be for you. If you're more into adventure, then I'd recommend ziplining at South Shore or snorkeling on the West End.

 

Another option would be to do a private tour by hiring a driver to take you to Gumbalimba. From what I've read on this board, if you tell them you're staying on the island, the admission is something like $15/person. If they find out you're from a cruise ship, though, the price jumps to something like $50.

 

[sc425]

Just wondered about the soda card. How did you handle that in the restaurants? Thanks!

[coka]

9illi9an, my sister thought your son was the funniest and the best! She told me I missed some great jokes he told. I wish my review could be just as succint as yours. lol,

 

coka

[Ladder55]

Thanks for the tips. I got bashed by other members on the board for suggesting you buy 1 soda card and share it w/ the whole family. I see someone else on here is a sensible budget traveller too!!!

 

I a single mom travelling w/ my 16 year old son and need to save any way I can. I am not poor, but far fom rich, and I appreciate your tips.

 

Yea your right you did get bashed, seems like they pick and choose:rolleyes:

it shouldnt happen at all imo

 

Op great review!

[caseythegr]

We were on the Pearl along with you and had a great time too. My 10yr old had the same feeling for the kids club, but he did meet someone there to buddy around with for the week. Were you part of the New Hampshire cheer during one of the shows? There seemed to be alot of us onboard.

[Princess Pearl]

Thanks for the great review. I'm especially interested in your kids views of the Kids Club. My boyz are about the same as yours (9 & 12) so I'll have to keep an eye out for their reaction. Good to know that that age wouldn't be inappropriate in the Comedy Show in case they'd rather do that.

 

Also, the food comparison was awesome. We're a Chili's/Applebee's family so I think we'll be just fine! :-)

 

I (still) can't wait!!!