Nowegian Pearl
Norwegian Pearl Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America
11 Night Panama Canal & Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 29, 2016
Ship: Norwegian Pearl
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 11104
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
My favourite part of the cruise was the Ferry excursion through the Panama Canal.
Generally, however the on-board organization of excursions left a lot to be desired. The crew in charge did not speak English clearly and it was difficult to understand directions and instructions. All excursions started in the Starlight Theater. A less than perfect venue for people with mobility limitations
The "Scenic tour" of Cartegena was nothing more than a shopping tour. The Guide appeared to be more interested in getting us to the next market than explaining or showing the landmarks of the city.
Overall I do like the freestyle cruising presented by NCL.
I was more impressed with last year's experience on the Getaway than I was with the Pearl. Although the Getaway had double the number of passengers everything seemed to run smoother.
The food and Beverage aspects of the cruise were excellent
The direct contact crew, as ever, were excellent. the management left a lot to be desired. I had a couple of issues and nobody contacted me to address my concerns.
My overall experience was such that I'm not sure I would go back to NCL.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
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Ports of call
Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
2 Comments
MrChocoholic 7 years ago
What do you want them to do, have a separate meeting place for people mobility issues and THEN separate into group by SHOREX? You chose a bad tour of Cartagena, mine was excellent. Not ONE shopping stop. I thought Colon was great, that place rated a "smiley face." On the other hand I thought Costa Maya was a total waste of money and time. I had to GET OUT of that place and its artificial EPCOT-ambience and go climb a ruin. As for MIA, whatchagonnado? Your alternative is FTL which is near Port Everglades, homeport of Holland-America, Princess and RCCL. Perhaps you should have re-considered your flight arrangements and choice of cruise line. I'm curious if your experience on the same cruise I took in November is anything like mine. Check my videos and compare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6D7uj1nR3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9NrFlItA0&t=59s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcnEhzY52oE&t=265s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rHlexxSUMM&t=25s