Pearl - What's Best????

[Hvnfuninmn33]

Booked a cruise on the Pearl departing Miami on 3/6/10 (Eastern Caribbean). If you have cruised the Pearl previously....do you have any insider info that you can pass along? Best bar, best place to do happy hour, best food, etc.

 

Also, if you have done this itinerary previously (St. Thomas, Samona, Tortola, Great Stirrup Cay)......things you loved about each port city and the "don't miss" things and the "you can skip this" things.

[islandgirlejfan]

Booked a cruise on the Pearl departing Miami on 3/6/10 (Eastern Caribbean). If you have cruised the Pearl previously....do you have any insider info that you can pass along? Best bar, best place to do happy hour, best food, etc.

 

Also, if you have done this itinerary previously (St. Thomas, Samona, Tortola, Great Stirrup Cay)......things you loved about each port city and the "don't miss" things and the "you can skip this" things.

 

I'm booked on the same cruise for 5 December and have never sailed on the Pearl, but I have been to Great Stirrup Cay a couple times. It's a lazy day on the beach (one of my favorite days actually!) where they have a beach BBQ, hammocks, a hiking trail over to a lighthouse on the island, swimming, snorkling and so forth. We get on one of the first tenders over, make our way left and enjoy the beach. We usually pick up a cheapy air mattress to float around and we take our fins, mask and snorkle. We come back after lunch to a quiet ship because it tends to get crowded over there as people make there way there.

[Jamrenjer]

We loved the Pearl!:) You will too! I am trying to remember some of the great things... if you like cappucino-- at the far end of the buffet towards the children's buffet-- there was a machine where you could get those or expresso-- it was always open.... speaking of buffet.... we are not big buffet people at all-- but this was the best cruise buffet that we had ever experienced... we ended up eating most breakfast and lunches there.

If I think of anything else-- will let you know... it is a wonderful ship! Try the bowling!

[roger001]

The Great Outdoors (open deck in back) for breakfast, the Spinnaker lounge for early evening (before dinner) adult beverages. No crowd then, big windows to just look out and enjoy the sea. Actually, I liked everythinig about the Pearl.

[bakerintn]

Not for everyone, but there is a navigation bridge viewing room all the way forward on deck 11 on the port side. You can see the bridge, some officers working, there are navigation console repeaters in the viewing room so that you can see lots of information and there is a looping video about the construction of the Pearl.

 

I also vote for the espresso machine aft on Deck 12 and the Great Outdoors area...my favorite place for breakfast. I made a pseudo mocha java by adding a half of a package of the cocoa mix to the caupoccino (sp?)

[emsiam]

The Great Outdoors (open deck in back) for breakfast, the Spinnaker lounge for early evening (before dinner) adult beverages. No crowd then, big windows to just look out and enjoy the sea. Actually, I liked everythinig about the Pearl.

 

the other thing about the spinnaker lounge is the really neat seating they have by the big windows they are neat!!

[jollycruise]

Took this same cruise except on the Dawn. The Pearl is a beautiful ship and we loved sailing on her. You will love it!

 

Here is what we did at the ports...

 

Samana ~ Do your research, this port is best enjoyed through an excursion. We did the ATV tour through NCL and had a wonderful day!

 

Tortola ~ We rented a car here and had a blast! Tortola is beautiful! We ended up at Brewers Bay and it is a very nice beach with very few people. So nice and relaxing.

 

St. Thomas ~ Our excursion here was cancelled so we just spent the day shopping in town then we took the Tram up to Paradise Point and enjoyed a short nature hike to a beautiful overlook.

 

GSC ~ If you want to get away from crowds...once you get off the tender head off to your left to the nature trail. You can walk this to the other side of the island. You will see old WWII building's and heli pad, a lighthouse and at the end there is a small dock. There was no one else there and it was so enjoyable. Once we got back to the main area we rented a large raft float and floated in the ocean for a few hours. We ate at the BBQ and then headed back to the ship.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[zazou]

Love the Bliss for a 5 to 7 drink. Great atmosphere. Here is my tips, the drink of the day in the outside bar come in a cheap plastic cup but in the Bliss, for the same price, they serve it in a souvenir glass engrave with the ship name. They have many glasses of different forms and you can ask for the one you want. Make a great souvenir of your trip, back home.

 

For us, the spa pass really worth it. Love the hot ceramic tiles chair for reading.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I'll soon find out, as I will be aboard the Pearl on Sept. 26 for the 14 day cruise through the Panama Canal.

 

Can't wait.

 

Barb

[the pook]

We loved the spinnaker lounge. We found it on the first night of our Alaskan cruise before everyone else made their way up to it, bagged ourselves a couch bed and stayed there all night. It was brilliant watching small sparkling lights on the coast get closer and closer as we approached coastal towns etc.

 

I didn't like the espresso machine just before the Great Outdoors in the buffet area! The day I went the coffee was so strong it almost made my hair curl :p.

 

The apple muesli on the breakfast bar is to die for and my favourite cocktail was at Shakers Martini Bar, called "Hypnotize Me" if I remember correctly. Yum!

[cruiseat50]

Love the Bliss for a 5 to 7 drink. Great atmosphere. Here is my tips, the drink of the day in the outside bar come in a cheap plastic cup but in the Bliss, for the same price, they serve it in a souvenir glass engrave with the ship name. They have many glasses of different forms and you can ask for the one you want. Make a great souvenir of your trip, back home. I never knew about this one but will have to get one for our bar collection in January. :)

 

For us, the spa pass really worth it. Love the hot ceramic tiles chair for reading.

 

For us, the spa pass really worth it. Love the hot ceramic tiles chair for reading. I wholeheartedly agree!

[roger001]

We loved the spinnaker lounge. We found it on the first night of our Alaskan cruise before everyone else made their way up to it, bagged ourselves a couch bed and stayed there all night.!

 

 

You might have found that couch bed still warm. You boarded the Pearl the afternoon we had left the ship that morning.

[Hvnfuninmn33]

Thanks for sharing.....for those of you going on the Pearl prior to my trip I'd love to hear from you afterwards as to what you enjoyed! I have started a trip file and have a small notebook where I am keeping notes.:D

[islandgirlejfan]

Thanks for sharing.....for those of you going on the Pearl prior to my trip I'd love to hear from you afterwards as to what you enjoyed! I have started a trip file and have a small notebook where I am keeping notes.:D

 

 

I'm sure I will be posting here, VirtualTourist and our blogger. I so prefer *word of mouth* information from real people and not some book I buy at the bookstore. There is just some questions those books ever seem to answer! I am so totally excited about our cruise....last year this time it seemed like it was a million miles away and now I am arranging our shore excursions! I think my only concern is that the hubby and I either want to try Princess or Celebrity, but I know when I get onboard that I will be thinking about buying the future cruise credit!:p

[Corkybob]

We sailed the Pearl to Alaska in July 2007. It was new and a great ship. Really liked the Spinnaker lounge. Good cocoa if it is early and you don't want a "drink." Deck 7 is super for doing a lot of walking, the distance is marked. We leave in the moring for Panama on the Pearl and very excited. We've also booked the coastal cruise next April ion the Pearl. The Pearl has a lot of people but everyone always seems to busy in different areas.

Good buffet food. The summer palace is a nice quiet restaurant with some formality to it Good windows for viewing.

 

Have fun

 

Sherry

[Cruz-On]

October 10 , 2009 same cruise very excited! Love the Pearl, Spinnaker lounge, great outdoors for breakfast, fruit soups, and the piano dude near the martini bar.

[mypleasure]

October 10 , 2009 same cruise very excited! Love the Pearl, Spinnaker lounge, great outdoors for breakfast, fruit soups, and the piano dude near the martini bar.

 

 

Agree with everything you say except the piano dude. I am an Elton John fan and that guy does not have the voice to sing Elton John. Everything else he sang was good but not the Elton John, he doesn't have the vocal range for it.

[Powriv]

have never been cruising on the Pearl, but have to say on our visit of the Pearl the Spinnaker lounge is the perfect place and we have chosen it for our wedding ceremony next year. We will also have our reception there too as its a large lounge with unique furniture and large windows all around the lounge