BJ's / Norwegian poor experience

How disappointing that you missed your first day on the cruise.  It is always recommended to fly in a day early to avoid this happening.  I hope that your next cruise is more enjoyable for you both.

I'm sorry that BJ's left you with a bad taste in your mouth for the rest of your adventure.  This was the fault of the TA and not NCL.   I am glad that you gave a balanced review and did give good ratings to the staff and cabin.   

I agree the food on NCL is not the greatest.  Did you try any of the extra pay dining options ?  The steak house is good as is the French, Mexican and the Sushi.   If I ever book NCL again I would consider the premium dining package so that I would get good food.  Ncl is typically less then other cruise lines so I see the dining package as just part of the cruise cost.

For your next cruise I would suggest if you have to fly in,  get in a day or two early so no mishaps with missing the ship.  I tend to book my own flights and hotels so I know what I'll be getting.   I also tend to get better hotels for less then through a TA (the internet is my TA,  finding hotels and reviews before booking.   I check a few sites before booking.)   If you book yourself,  get enough travel Insurance to cover your flight and hotel.

I hope your next cruise goes smoothly. 

Interesting review. I'm curious though about what you expected after being so let down by what you went through just to get aboard. We know from experience it takes at least a whole day to get oriented on a ship. Missing the first day is THE WORST. Constantly playing "hurry up and relax" is itself stressing. Anyway, it just makes it a bit harder to be completely  unbiased if you arrive with a sour taste already. Since you've been on another couple of cruises, how did you compare the Pearl's kitchen output and service to the other ship(s) aboard which you cruised? Were your expectations along the lines of a 3-star Michelin restaurant, or IHOP? Did you have a fair sampling of dishes, or were you steadfast in ordering the "tried and true?"