Our First Time on NCL Honeymoon Cruise Review (Norwegian Pearl May 5-15)

My husband and I recently got back from a 10-day Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian Pearl, May 5-15. My husband had never cruised before, and I have cruised twice before with Carnival (a 5 day and 7 day Mexican Riviera itinerary). This was our first time visiting Alaska, and this was our honeymoon trip. We actually got married in October, but decided to wait until May for the real trip we wanted to do, instead of doing a trip then that we weren’t as excited about.

We chose the 10 day itinerary because the ports just sounded too good to pass up. Embark in Vancouver and stop in Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Victoria, and then end in Seattle. Neither one of us had been to Canada before, so we were excited to explore Vancouver (as well as take advantage of the cheaper airfare out of Seattle at the end!).

It has been 10 years since my last Carnival cruise, and about 16 years since my first one, so I don’t have a ton of comparisons to offer, but there were noticeable differences that I will try to point out. I am also going to include some things in my review that are probably completely obvious to seasoned cruisers, but which confused us since we were fairly new to it. Please be kind!

I will also post some photos later once I finish going through the 10,000 that my husband took…that is not an exaggeration. Some other passengers nicknamed him “the clicker” because he was always out snapping shots with his Canon 70D and several telephoto lenses. If you were on this cruise with us you probably saw him at some point, out on the deck with a tripod and his Indiana Jones fedora.

Vancouver

We loved this city! I am not a city girl at all, but if I had to choose one to live in it would be Vancouver. We especially enjoyed Stanley Park, and spent several hours walking around and felt like we barely scratched the surface of it! I was also very pleased with the cab services and the hotel. We stayed at the Empire Landmark Hotel, and because it was our honeymoon they gave us a king bed on a higher floor. The views were wonderful from the balcony, and the room even had a mini kitchen area. We were within walking distance of so much. I would definitely stay here again.

Embarkation

This did not go well. Things were disorganized from the moment the cab dropped us off, and I felt confused about the luggage. We were driven into a parking garage (which I thought was odd) where apparently the entrance to the port exists. Immediately there was a man in what looked like a port uniform taking our baggage and putting it on a cart. We had planned to keep our carry ons with us, but he ended up picking those up as well and things were happening so fast I didn’t think to ask for them back. Oh well, we had our most important things in a backpack and purse that stayed on us. My husband tipped him (I think that’s what we were supposed to do, honestly I’m still not sure) and then no one told us where to go, so we wandered through a set of doors where people were milling about looking confused. Glad we weren’t the only ones!

Finally a port person asked us which cruise line we were with and then directed us to the security line. Got through security easily and quickly, then were ushered into a holding area with rows of tiny chairs packed tightly together. We sat on those for about 30 minutes, with each row being escorted away every few minutes. A woman walked through the rows telling everyone to put their cell phones away, but they all blatantly ignored her. Finally it was our turn and we were taken to customs, where there was a short five minute wait (if that), and then we were emptied into the check-in area, which contained a huge line snaking through the room. We stood in line for about 2 hours, then got to the desk and checked in in about 2 minutes. The whole process was very disorganized and took about 3 hours total.

Actually getting on the ship was the other part that confused us…staff seemed to assume we knew where to go and what to do. After leaving the check in room there was an NCL photographer who took our picture, and then nothing…we just stood around until we finally asked a crew member walking by where we were supposed to go. There were a couple of different paths to take and we didn’t want to go down the wrong one! They directed us, and then we were on the ship, got our first washy washy, and then again, nothing…no welcome, no announcements, no grand atrium entrance like at Carnival. We were just suddenly in a hallway on deck 7. The whole thing seemed rather strange and different from what I seem to remember happening on my Carnival cruises. A crew member must have seen my confusion, because he stopped to tell us that the cabins were ready. But hey, I don’t need a welcoming committee to have fun, so I was still in a great mood!

Though to be honest, if I hadn’t done so much research on the ship and through Cruise Critic before my trip, I think I would have been even more bewildered!

Cabin

Since it was our honeymoon, we decided to splurge on a balcony room. I had been in an interior and oceanview before, so this was new. We loved it! The room was the perfect size for the two of us, the balcony was used often, there was plenty of storage space, and I actually liked the shower more than the one I have at home (I live in a 100+ year old Victorian house, plumbing is not it’s best feature). I was afraid the bed would be too hard after reading comments here, especially as I prefer a really soft bed, but I thought It was fine. The pillows were super soft and I wanted to take them home with me! The hair dryer is dismal. However long it takes you to blow dry your hair at home, at least triple it.

In the future, I would love to have a balcony, but it isn’t likely we will be able to afford it. However I find oceanview to be a big step up from an interior, so I will try my hardest to at least get oceanview every time.

Service

The crew was excellent, and I never felt that we received poor service. However, our room steward could have used some improvement. We had Edilaine, and I think she was new. Even though we looked for her, we didn’t see her until our 3rd day. There were little things here and there that she would forget to do, like replace a glass that was clearly dirty, or replace the female sanitary napkin disposal bags (yes, on my honeymoon, what fun…). Some night for turn down service she would turn on the little lights next to the bed, other nights she didn’t. I also came back from breakfast or dinner a few times expecting the room to be done when it wasn’t. It was certainly nothing worth complaining about, and we still tipped her well at the end of the trip, it just seemed a bit inconsistent and like she didn’t yet have ease and skill that comes with experience.

Food

This is one of the areas (of several) where NCL definitely beat out Carnival! First of all, we LOVED freestyle dining. Having to eat at a set time and with other people was one of the main reasons my husband didn’t want to do a cruise, and also we are not formal people at all. Being a photographer, he is not going to let a scheduled meal get in the way of his great shots!

I didn’t really have any expectations coming in, but I thought we would probably eat in the MDR for dinner, and if we weren’t happy with the food I was willing to pay for the specialties, even though looking online beforehand, their menus didn’t really appeal to us much. However, going to a specialty was never even a thought in our mind because we were so satisfied with the free offerings. In fact, we rarely even ate at the restaurants at all. Almost every meal was at the buffet. The variety was just too good to pass up. Why go to a restaurant where my plate is just one item with a side or two, when you can go to the buffet and sample 6 different cuisines at once??

Also, our experiences in the restaurants weren’t the best. Summer Palace was great both times – excellent service, great view, beautiful décor. At Indigo the service was so-so, a bit slow, and the décor was just too “loud.” O’Sheehans had a very limited menu with only one thing I liked, so we ate there one time and that was enough. Also, the service was really slow even though it wasn’t a busy time. My husband ended up ditching me to finish the meal on my own because the captain made an announcement about whale sightings. But, what I did have was good (the pot pie).

Lotus Garden (or as my husband liked to call it, Locust Garden) was the worst. I wasn’t thrilled with the menu but my husband loves Asian food, so we stopped here for dinner. It was later and the place seemed to be mostly cleared out. Yet the wait took forever. It was at least 10 minutes before anyone came by to give us water, and longer to have our order taken. And for some reason even though the place was mostly empty we were seated in the middle right in between two other full tables, so close to each other that we felt like a part of their conversations.

The food took so long that I started to feel really lightheaded, so I had to dig in to my granola bar supply. We had an excursion that day so it had been a while since lunch. After waiting another 30 minutes, I gave up and raced to the buffet, leaving my husband to eat my meal (which he did happily).

But man was the buffet awesome! Way better than Carnival’s, in my opinion. And I loved the strawberry kiwi juice!

The other slight disappointment was dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth, but found the desserts on board to all be a bit bland. Nothing really stood out as that amazing, even the chocolate lava cake.

Entertainment

The entertainment was great, even if it didn’t always fit our interests. My husband and I aren’t really interested in musical offerings, so we skipped those shows or only caught portions of them. The onboard singers and dancers were very good, we just didn’t find the shows that entertaining. However we loved the guest entertainers, especially the magician, ventriloquist, and two guys who did a circus act like show called “Something Ridiculous” (I think). I have the Freestyle Dailies at home and will be sure to come back and give actual names! The ventriloquist in particular was HILARIOUS! We thought he was a better comedian than the actual comedian that performed a couple of times.

Ports

I don’t have much to say about the ports, not because the experiences were lacking (they were amazing), but because they speak for themselves! Each place was beautiful and unique and special. If I had to choose, I would say that my favorite was Icy Strait Point, because the whale watching right from the cruise ship/dock was so great. We were the first ship to use the new dock and buildings that come along with it, and it really worked out well. The museum in the old cannery was really excellently put together. I studied museum science for one of my degrees, and trust me, they did a lot of things right!

My least favorite was probably Ketchikan, because it seemed the most touristy to me. It was a good place to go shopping, but I am really not into shopping much so that aspect didn’t appeal to me.

Excursions

We purchased our excursions through NCL, partly because we were new to all of this and wanted the peace of mind of knowing we were in good hands, and partly because we opted for the $50 per port shore excursion credit when we made our reservation (neither one of us drinks, we weren’t interested in the specialty restaurant menus, and we were happy to get away from the internet!). Our experiences were for the most part very positive.

In Juneau we did the Whale Quest & Mendenhall Glacier excursion. Whale quest was first, and my husband and I have very different opinions of it. He is an amateur wildlife photographer, so was on the upper deck the entire time trying to get those great shots. I was inside most of the time, because it was a cold and windy day and I actually had a great seat, so I could see quite a bit through the windows. I was disappointed in the experience, mostly due to the other passengers and the vendor (Allen Marine).

We actually didn’t see many whales (saw way more from the cruise ship, and closer even!), but wildlife is fickle, I’m used to that. What I wasn’t used to was the completely rude passengers who would push and shove to get the spot they wanted. Right in front of me, a couple was about to sit in the last pair of window seats available when this woman comes dashing over from the other side of the boat saying “I saw those first, they’re mine!” It made me uncomfortable but I tried to forget about it, except this same woman and her companion continued to display this rude behavior throughout the trip, often complaining loudly (so the person could hear) about someone who tried to “take her spot” or “get in her way.”

And then there were the two local women who were completely drunk. Who takes a whale watching excursion at 2pm on a Monday to get drunk?! My only idea is that they were friends of the crew, because they talked about being in the same line of work and were about the same age. Many of us tried to ignore them, but they became loud and very obnoxious. By the end they were loudly giggling and talking over the naturalists and those around us were mumbling about throwing them overboard. The crew seemed not to care at all about their behavior and certainly didn’t stop selling them alcohol.

This was the only excursion where the description was, I felt, misleading. It claims that you will be getting snacks, including a salmon dip. Don’t be fooled, you will go hungry. The “snack” was a tray of about 20 chocolate donut holes, the processed kind you buy in a bag from the dollar store. They were gone in 20 minutes. I’m “lucky” I got to eat one of them. The “salmon dip” was a miniscule amount of dip on a single Ritz cracker. The whole excursion was several hours long (including Mendenhall Glacier), so I was starving by the time we got back on the ship!

Mendenhall Glacier was wonderful. The bus driver stated that this year NCL is giving more time at the glacier, since past tours complained about not having enough. It is about 75 minutes at the glacier. We had enough time to hike out to Nugget Falls as well as spend about 10 minutes in the Visitor’s Center.

In Skagway we did the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition. This meant a bus ride up to Caribou Crossing, where we stopped for lunch, then backtracking a bit until Fraser, where we boarded the train. Both the up and down trip were amazing. From the bus we had four different bear sightings, and saw several mountain goats. It was a beautiful sunny day and Emerald Lake was shimmering. The train also had gorgeous views, and is my favorite experience of the whole trip. I think it helped having so much snow still on the ground. It was a beautiful wonderland of white, looking shiny and new and so different from what I see living in the valley of California!

We didn’t do excursions in Sitka or Icy Strait Point, but enjoyed walking around and just taking everything in, especially Sitka National Historical Park. In Ketchikan we did the lumberjack show, which was cheesy but fun. A little short for what you are paying (thankfully we had the $50 credit so it made it feel more worth it to us). In Victoria we did Butchart Gardens. I’m glad we went, it was pleasant, but we didn’t think it was really worth all the hype. I think I would have enjoyed Craigdarroch Castle more, being into history.

Overall NCL did a great job with coordinating excursions. I did feel like the logistics were really taken care of for us and all we had to do was hand over our ticket. Being more comfortable with cruising and with each port, were I to go back to any of these ports in the future I would be more likely to go with independent excursions, for cheaper prices and different options, but I’m glad we went with NCL this first time.

Disembarkation

We carried off our own luggage. Had to be out of our rooms by 9 and off the ship by 10, so we made sure everything was packed up, left the luggage in our room, and went to breakfast at 8. After breakfast and exploring the ship one last time, we gathered our luggage and waited on deck 7 until about 9:45. When we walked off there were no lines and we were on our shuttle to the airport by 10. NCL seemed to be very organized about this, much more so than Carnival. Both times on Carnival it seemed like things were always behind and a bit chaotic, but here the groups were being called before the times they were supposed to be.

Conclusion

This was the trip of a lifetime. What this review can’t describe well is all of the new and amazing sights we saw. Glacier Bay was an outstanding day, actually warm and sunny, can you believe it? We saw SO many whales, even a few breaching. It was such a good trip. There are so many other things I could write about, such as what I packed and what I actually ended up using, the weather, how we spent our time on the ship each day, etc. but this review is already crazy long!!

I really liked NCL and definitely have a special place in my heart for the Pearl now. I think that itinerary and price will always be driving factors for us, but in the future I will check with NCL first before considering other lines. It really fit our style and the service was wonderful. The husband says we aren’t going on such a big trip again for a long while (especially because we need to build back up that vacation time at work), but he’s already dropped comments like “if you see any cheap cruises out of San Francisco or Southern California, let me know.” :D

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you so much for this! Haven't seen a recent review of the Pearl (to Alaska, that is), so this was very helpful! Heading out in 2 weeks...can't wait! :D

Loved your review, thank you! We are on the Pearl in 14 short weeks!!!

Thanks for the review. We are also on the Pearl first week of September. Was especially happy about your dining info. We are taking our 2 boys and decided after all the money we've spent on excursions and 2 days before in Seattle that we would try out the free food and then see if we needed to do any specialty dining. Your review makes this sound definitely doable. I do think they'd like the buffets too.

Very nice review, thanks.

Thanks for the review. We are also on the Pearl first week of September. Was especially happy about your dining info. We are taking our 2 boys and decided after all the money we've spent on excursions and 2 days before in Seattle that we would try out the free food and then see if we needed to do any specialty dining. Your review makes this sound definitely doable. I do think they'd like the buffets too.

I think that your boys will be more than satisfied with the buffet. The MDRs are nice too, if only for a change in scenery, there is just less variety and they take a bit more time. But that's one thing I really like about NCL - not satisfied with your food, there is always another choice.

My favorite dish of the cruise was the Idaho Pot Pie at Summer Palace one night. Whatever creamy sauce was in it was SO good.

I should also note that the slow service we received in some restaurants may sort itself out in time. We were on the first Alaska cruise of the season and I believe a large proportion of the crew were new. By the end of the season they will probably be running even more smoothly.

Thank you for the comprehensive review.

It may pass as un-noticed to many readers and I'm not saying it trumps content, but the way you wrote and organised the review was really helpful. Good writing style, clean and useful paragraphs and sections.... makes it a pleasure to read.

Thanks for the review! We will be on the Pearl for our very first cruise in just 26 days. I love reading these to get as much information as I can about what to expect.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Thank you for the comprehensive review.

 

It may pass as un-noticed to many readers and I'm not saying it trumps content, but the way you wrote and organised the review was really helpful. Good writing style, clean and useful paragraphs and sections.... makes it a pleasure to read.

Thank you! I enjoyed writing the review. I think that writing skills are one of the most important proficiencies that one can possess!

Very good review! I like your writing style as well!

Thanks so much for your review. I love the Pearl, my favorite ship.

Thanks for the review.

Great review. Did you tender in Icy Strait or dock? The Pearl was my first ever cruise and 3 others later, ill be back with my first love this Sept. Are you able to post any dailies on here?? Did they have any formal if you wish nights??? Butchard Gardens is beautiful in the summer especially fireworks Saturdays. You may have been early in the season. Never been inside Craigdarrock Castle. Loved your review!!!!

We were on the same cruise and we docked and used the new "bridge" or walkway. Easy as can be.......

We were on the same cruise and we docked and used the new "bridge" or walkway. Easy as can be.......

Can you post a photo???

Can you post a photo???

We were on the same 10 Day Pearl cruise - - our 17th cruise with Norwegian and our 2nd favorite. I posted several photos from Icy Strait Point on the Alaska board .... here is link

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2347114

It was our first visit to both Sitka and Icy Strait Point - really enjoyed both of them. Icy Strait Point is perfect for laid back nature viewing kind of day. The port area is very well done and blends wonderfully with the surroundings. We couldn't have asked for better weather or more cooperative whales - it was amazing.

Thank you!!! How nice not to have to tender there!!!

Thank you!!! How nice not to have to tender there!!!

I just discovered another great shot of the dock, as the ship was pulling away (attached). Once I get some actually uploaded I can post more photos, including the Freestyle Dailies!

Freestyle Dailies! These are the fronts and schedule pages, I also have photos of the 2nd page and the back if anyone is interested in those. Also, I have no idea why these are appearing as different sizes when all of the images are the same size...

Hope you don't mind the highlighting!

And just for fun, here is one of my favorite photos from the trip, taken on the train in Skagway.