Magnificent Glacier Bay
Norwegian Pearl Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
7 Night Alaska Glacier Bay (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 14, 2017
Ship: Norwegian Pearl
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 10636
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
First trip with NCL, will absolutely cruise with them again. Took a chance booking a guaranteed balcony category stateroom and were happy with the result.
Stops at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan disappointing unless you've booked an excursion. Overwhelming push by cruise line to shop at their sponsored jewellery shops, towns economies fueled by tourists. 4 to 5 ships in port at every stop, crowds insane. Victoria stop pointless, 6 to 11pm on the last night of trip, stop not walking distance from dock unless you're athletic and you must pack luggage to be put out for collection before midnight.
Buffet extremely crowded, service in the main dining rooms spotty. Dining choices disappointing, one night buffet dinner entirely Asian, unknown, unpronouceable and frightening.
Bed hard and uncomfortable, toilet section of partitioned bathroom requires acrobatic manouvering. Bad knees? Downright dangerous.
Daytime "entertainment" childish or non-existent, nighttime entertainment too late.
Staff, trained to be obsequious.
Used NCL'S airport transfer service, didn't get our luggage until after the ship had sailed 😕
GLACIER BAY, worth everything.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ports of call
3 Comments
glomarrone 7 years ago
Considering your comments, I am surprised you gave it a Very Good rating. I loved my cruise on HAL to Alaska. I do find it funny when passenger walk around a port & then say that there was nothing to see in port. If you do not want to take the ship excursions, book your own independently.
CelticWolf 7 years ago
Well apparently you haven't cruised on other cruise lines. Royal Caribbean is parent of Celebrity. And it has way too many kids. Their food is only so-so. Norweigan's staterooms suck, unless you stay in the Haven. Their food is garbage. Carnival caters to the younger adults and their food is so bad, they serve the same thing 4 times but give it another name with a different sauce. Queen Mary makes you feel like a peasant if you don't book their top of the line, the Queen's Grill, but the food is good. And there is absolutely nothing pleasant about Holland America. Princess comes close to Celebrity but you pay for a nice suite just like NCL or Carnival. Next time on Celebrity, book a sky suite, the perks are 100% better than a spa room.