Overall, this was a great cruise. When we booked a Thanksgiving sailing, we knew it would be crowded and full of kids, and it was. As a childfree couple, we only found it grating a few times. (Don't shoot me, I'm just being honest). We liked the relaxing vibe of many of the ports, and we had a nice time.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
We had heard some horror stories about the New Orleans port, and thankfully we didn't experience anything too horrible. There is a serious lack of signage at the port, which just leads you to join herds of people and hope you are going the right way. We arrived for our 11 am time slot at 11:30 - there is A LOT of traffic getting into the NCL area of the port - and we were on the ship by 12:30, so not so bad.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We had the UDP, so we stayed away from the buffet except for a few quick breakfasts. We had great meals at both MDR's (although we prefer the ambiance and service at Summer Palace) and Le Bistro, Cagney's and La Cucina. The only dining experience I didn't love was Lotus Garden. The menu is limited and just kind of meh. I do love the sushi bar, though.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We like to stay active, so my husband & I did a few group exercise classes, the rock wall, and the tennis courts. At night, we did karaoke, enjoyed the main stage shows, and I have a guilty pleasure love of the Deal or No Deal game.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Overall, we found the entertainment was very good. The Legends Show (and Tina Turner in particular) was fantastic! We didn't much care for the comic on the 1st night. But others seemed to love him.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone on the Pearl is so friendly and helpful. We love the staff!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The refurbishment of the Pearl looked great! We also sailed on the Pearl last year to Alaska. The cabin re-do's looked great! And I hear they will continue to upgrade the common areas in the future.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Standard balcony. Close to the stairs/elevator but never loud. A great room!
Cozumel was just ok, but I think that was due to our choice of beach club. We chose Nachi Cocum and didn't care for it. We did get massages on the beach which were lovely, but other than that we felt nickeled and dimed and surrounded by children. Not relaxing.
LOVED Roatan. We took an excursion to Little French Key, which is just perfection. Our only complaint about Roatan is that it is a tender port, and we were VERY delayed getting off the ship, which cut into our time at LFK. Also, they kept us on ship time which meant we lost another hour. Aside from all that, I would go back to LFK in a heartbeat.
We loved Mahahual. We did an excursion through NCL to Chachahobben and it was fantastic. Only 4 hours long, very friendly & informative guide, and an active tour of the ruins.
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