Is it really Free Style Cruising
Norwegian Pearl Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Deck Hand
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 37
5 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: April 08, 2007
Ship: Norwegian Pearl
Cabin type: Balcony
Traveled as: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 14 years ago
Review summary
First the idea of free style cruising with a baby, sound great. You can eat when ever you want, (at the babys schedule). Once you get on the ship, you realize that you have to make reservations to any restaurant on board, except the buffet. We where actually turned away on more then one occasion, because we didnt have reservations, they wouldn't even let us wait. They advertise all these great restaurants, what they dont tell you is that if you want to enjoy them, you have to pay a cover, yes a per person cover to eat there. You have to pay a 15.00 cover to get to all the rest. Except the Tex mex rest and the Italian rest. and oh yeah, the steak house had a 20.00 cover to it. Lets not forget the industry first of a bowling alley on the ship. Its great 4 lanes for 3000 passengers, I take my son down to go bowling the man tending the lanes tells me that it would be about an hour wait, we go walk around the ship some more, to come back to the lanes in the hour that we were originally told, just so that the same man can tell me that I have 24 people in front of me to please check back in one hour. We never did get a chance to bowl, but I did see people handing over their ship card after the games, oh yeah, another hiding charge of 5.00 per game, per person. Room service.... Another joke. Menu was small, personal pizza, tea, and coffee, as assortment of the chef daily desserts. After a long day, we figured we would order as assortment of desserts, something for the wife, my son, and me to share. Well apparentently an assortment for NCL means one, thats right we got one piece of dessert. Room Steward. I dont believe they go the extra mile, being how you get a service charge to you onboard account daily for their tip, thats right they get their tips automatically, so why go the extra mile. Our lady wouldnt take out dirty plates, from the wonderful room service order, we had 2 adults and 2 children in our room, granted my daughter was 10 months and didnt need any bath supplies from them, we brought our own. That still leaves 2 adults and a child, they would leave just 2 towels, and 2 wash clothes, every night I had to call and ask for additional towel, and wash clothes, yes every night. I wouldnt recommend NCL to anyone that has cruised before, you will be highly disappointed.Ports of call
city is very dirty, i recommend anyone NOT doing an excusion with the boat to walk down, the peir and find a better deal, for taxi. The first person wanted to charge us 20 per adult each way to the beach, then we had to pay 5.00 each to get into the beach, then 20 buck back to the peir. After walking down to the wet lizzard we found this great taxi, Gully, he took us for 25 per person round trip and he paid for the entrance to the beach. PS the beach was no very nice, it was more of a lagoon, and the water was dirty.
Thumbs Up
0
most of the people where very pushing, wanting you to by things, and to come into their shops, one guy actually told us to come in and see what he had, it was almost free
city is very dirty, i recommend anyone NOT doing an excusion with the boat to walk down, the peir and find a better deal, for taxi. The first person wanted to charge us 20 per adult each way to the beach, then we had to pay 5.00 each to get into the beach, then 20 buck back to the peir. After walking down to the wet lizzard we found this great taxi, Gully, he took us for 25 per person round trip and he paid for the entrance to the beach. PS the beach was no very nice, it was more of a lagoon, and the water was dirty.
most of the people where very pushing, wanting you to by things, and to come into their shops, one guy actually told us to come in and see what he had, it was almost free
Pros: not much
Cons: free style cruise