The price paid for this cruise was far higher than the level of service we received on board. We will think twice before ever sailing with NCL again.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation in New Orleans was slightly chaotic. We were dropped off across the alley/railroad tracks from the port terminal in an area where we unloaded our luggage into carts. We then had to walk back across the alley/railroad tracks to the terminal building. The terminal building was a bit cramped...not sure it was meant to hold this many people at once.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Dinner in the Indigo Dining Room on the first night was amazing. Best food I'd ever had on a ship. From there, the dining in the main dining rooms went down hill. La Cucina was a great overall experience, but I would consider the food to be average. Le Bistro and Cagney's were awesome. Great food and great service in both.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Not a lot to do on board other than drink, gamble, or go to the spa. Many activities have surcharges. We did enjoy our experience at the Le Bistro wine tasting on the first day, but with so many surcharges, we had to limit what we did on board.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The Production cast was mediocre, at best...with the exception of one phenomenal female dancer (Abby). Duo Quintecence was INCREDIBLE, and I can't believe that they did a full aerial act on a moving ship. Comic juggler Dan Bennett repeated jokes in his various shows and then got annoyed when no one laughed (uh, we'd heard it before). The other comedian was just so-so. The male singer in Energy Plus (the band in the Spinnaker Lounge and out by the pool) went off key constantly.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Okay, now this is where our experience really went down the drain. I am a six-year veteran employee of cruise ships. It HAS been many years since I have sailed as a crew member, but I am SHOCKED at how the level of service seems to have declined. Bar staff was inattentive...you had to flag someone down in an EMPTY room to be served. And, we had many occasions where we would say "Thank you!" or "Have a great day!" to various members of staff and be completely ignored...and occasionally sneered at. The front desk staff also needs some work. They seemed to be uncaring when issues would be brought to them (like when our balcony started flooding or our friend lost her phone in one of the lounges).
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was generally clean, but I find the layout odd. I had previously sailed on the Dawn, and that ship seemed to be set up in a more logical fashion. There were many things that seemed to break during the course of the cruise (paper towel dispensers, hand dryers, etc.).
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
The cabin was a bit smaller than we were expecting based on the level of cabin purchased (and the amount of money spent). The cabin was generally clean, but we had an issue on the last night of the cruise where the drain on our balcony started regurgitating water up that had flecks of brown residue in it. This occurred after the ship had undergone a severe list after almost colliding with another vessel in the Mississippi River.
Ship tip
Don't sail on the Pearl. Find another ship...or spend a little extra and sail on a different cruise line.
I was most excited about this port, but it did not live up to the expectations. The beach was crowded with lounge chairs, and the area allowed for swimming is very small. You also have to dodge massive heaps of seaweed while swimming. There is a Landshark restaurant in the port which only adds to the feeling that the sole purpose of this port is to be a tourist trap, as it feels very American.
Great excursions in this port. We did a Salsa Cooking and Dancing excursion that I would highly recommend. Lots of things to do at the port...but also has the feeling of a built up tourist trap. I recommend getting out of the port area to truly experience the culture.
After everyone in our party had had several guest service issues on board, we were escorted off the ship by the Guest Relations Manager...so disembarkation was a breeze for us. Easy to catch an Uber right outside.
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