Oftentimes uncomfortable this boat is not a bargain. The food is enough to fill you up, but you better buy the highest drink package if you want speciality coffee or water bottles available. The stops are nothing to write home about if you’re already a seasoned traveler. The sad part is that the majority of people on this boat don’t realize they could have so much better on a line like Celebrity.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Flew in to Miami and waited in line for our room cards for about an hour. They told us to fill out a health questionnaire, but there were no pens on the writing counter so people kept skipping us in line. This was the first sign of mistreating customers.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Didn’t try the specialty dining because they were booked up. The buffet was okay most days, but it was hard to find a variety of chicken options. Seems like everyone was fighting to get in line and skipping people. Drink cups are very small and the water smells like ocean, so you end up buying a drink package of $5 water so you don’t dehydrate. Main dining was nice and made a few good dishes. Main dining and the buffet eggs Benedict kept me from giving this one star. However the waiters at Summer Palace kept screwing up my order and giving us the wrong plates. They also wouldn’t acknowledge us as we asked for decaf coffee. The bruschetta was a cold piece of white bread with cold cheese and tomatoes on it with no seasoning or oil or toasted anything. What a shame.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I used the gym twice and the cold towels were nice. The rock wall only opens for an hour and a half each day and shuts down of it rains. Golf is just a net type cage with a piece of turf, but it was never open either. This boat has only 4 public jacuzzis compared to Celebrity boats which have 6-8 jacuzzis. They were maxed out the whole time and you had to squeeze in between a lot of obese people to get time in the tub.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Good live music, good cover bands, fun karaoke, dancers were solid, bad attempt at a beatboxing accapella song on stage. The performers are all young and inexperienced but they try hard. The last night “we are all Norwegian now” is lame. I don’t want to be a member of your brand. I’ll go back to Celebrity where I’m treated like royalty for a few more dollars.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Room steward was great, very sneaky, and he made our beds a lot. Bartenders were pretty lame and acted annoyed at small requests. Very very few deck attendants would bring you drinks or take your order. You have to get up and do it yourself. This is not what we pay for.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Ship is old and too small to fit 800 plus people so it was overwhelming and overcrowded to get around on max capacity elevators/ hallways/buffet. The waiters do not clean the tables or sanitize them at all. They hand sanitizer you upon entry to the buffet but you can avoid them if you want at your own risk.
Room was always spotless.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Good size for two people, but the little window was not worth the extra money at all. I couldn’t see out of it. It was always clean and comfortable.
Ship tip
Do not sail on Norwegian Pearl unless you want to be scowled at by customer service, ignored by bartenders, jammed in a boat with a lot of people and minimal outdoor activities.
I enjoyed the Mayan Ruins and Blue Lagoon Excursion which was the most expensive. It included a tour bus ride to the ruins and a lunch on a private beach spot with kayaks included in a small little closed off beach/river bank.
And look at the difference in prices! You want higher class cruising instead of casual dress cruising, stick with the Celebrity. Luckily we all have choices available for our styles of cruising.
I was on this exact cruise. Had an outstanding time. Any halfway intelligent person these days, can research, read reviews, watch videos, etc and know EXACTLY what they are getting into on a particular ship and ports. How much did Celebrity pay you to give a poor review?? Lol. I enjoyed the Pearl alot!
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