Alaska CruiseTypical

Item: Norwegian Pearl
Rating: 3
Author: Boaz

Norwegian Pearl Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

Boaz

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 94

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Alaska Glacier Bay (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 10, 2016

Ship: Norwegian Pearl

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10160

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

The cruise started in Seattle and with all the excitement of leaving port it was quickly diminished at sea. Norwegian has an open format for meals but the buffet and the restaurant are the same. Tried several different restaurants and the buffet the entire cruise and did not find a satisfying meal the entire cruise. The service on board is great as the waiters and waitress are helpful and accommodating. One bartender in the great outdoors area needs to be educated on how to service guest but the wife and I refused to let him ruin our cruise so we just went to other bars for drinks then went to the great outdoor area or waited until he was not working in that area to enjoy this portion. Juneau was our first stop and whale watching was excellent. Skagway was the second stop and 4 blocks of tourist stops and 12 hours of being in port could have been better served in another area. Glacier Bay has to be the highlight of this cruise. Will definitely come back if for nothing else than Glacier bay. Ketchikan is a great stop and a flight to Misty Fjords was the highlight and a last minute addition. Our last stop was Victoria and would have preferred a longer time in port to enjoy this great Canadian town.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Typical buffet food and the restaurants were no better. The Specialty restaurants might be worth a try but the cost seems a little high with the quality of the buffet and regular restaurants.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Bingo is over priced and the other shows are the same on other Norwegian cruises. Deal or No Deal and Who wants to be a Billionaire are the same and not worth the cost.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Comedy show was okay but not over the top hilarious. It is a cruise so if you have come for Broadway or Las Vegas quality you will be disappointed.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The ship is starting to show its age. Balcony door difficult to open. Curtain showing small holes and dry rot areas.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great room not as great as the balconies at the back of the ship. We did find that we were able to hear other guest and the toilet flushing at times. On our last cruise we did not hear this at the back of the ship. We like the back of the ship to avoid the traffic in the halls.

Ship tip

Seriously consider booking excursions off the ship if at all possible. Most if not all of the excursions occur with other ships in port so it is competitive. You can usually get better pricing you go straight to the operator.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

5 out of 5

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5

We took the White Pass railway which has awesome scenery. If you have taken the Durango Silverton railroad much of the same. We ate at the Bonanza Bar great food and service. 4 blocks of tourist traps for a 12 hour stop.

Thumbs Up 0

Cruise Glacier Bay

5 out of 5

Park rangers come on the ship and describe details of the surrounding area and glaciers.

Thumbs Up 0

Ketchikan, Alaska

5 out of 5

We took a float plane out to Misty Fjords. This was by far one of the highlights of the excursions we took.

Thumbs Up 0

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5

5.5 hours is not long enough in this great Canadian town. Beautiful inner harbor and a nice walk from the cruise terminal.