The Pearl Inside Passage Alaska
Norwegian Pearl Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
7 Night Alaska & Glacier Bay (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 02, 2013
Ship: Norwegian Pearl
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 8633
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 10 years ago
Review summary
This was our third Alaska cruise and first time with NCL. Nice surprises: 1. Entertainment. We greatly enjoyed the "Oh What a Night to Remember Tribute" (4 Seasons Tribute band). Professional and worth seeing. Jana Seale was a "not to miss" performer...if you love Folk/Pop music by a great voice and a great picker (guitar music accompaniment)...Jana is your girl! Also worthy of mention is Arvin and Emily...a fantastic duo with a great blend (Their rendition of "A Prayer", rocked the boat!). 2. Debarkation in Seattle...about as quick and smooth as we've experienced. 3. Itinerary: The "must sees" on any Alaskan cruise must include Glacier Bay and Skagway (for the rail trip). This itinerary included both! 4. Dress code. Loved the option to stay in jeans the whole trip...not for everyone, I know, but I loved the simplicity and ability to travel light! As expected: 1. Tiny, tiny cabins (141 sq ft inside). Only way to get on/off bed was over the end (side space further reduced by stowed upper bunk). 2. Good variety in ages...singles/families/seniors. Room for Improvement: 1. Service Charge. NCL has a mandatory service charge ($12/pp) above which you are encouraged to "tip" for exceptional service. This is BS! The other lines charge a gratuity/tip fee which you may adjust...NCL, please follow suit! 2. The Summer Cafe (usually called the Lido Restaraunt on the other lines) is very undersized in stations and seating! Always felt very crowded. 3. Embarkation at Seattle was very inefficiently run with exceptional long lines and waiting times. Need an efficiency expert to look at this! All in all, we enjoyed our week on the Pearl and would recommend it to anyone on a tight budget (as long as you stay with the non-add-ons). 2.Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Best coffee (fresh ground and brewed) at AFT/Starboard in Summer Cafe