Just back from NORWEGIAN PEARL

[eroller]

A few friends and I just returned today from the short 2-day cruise on NORWEGIAN PEARL. It was out of Miami to Great Stirrup Cay.

 

Overall I really enjoyed myself. I thought NCL did a great job and everything was so much improved over my experience on the SKY back in July. Everything from check-in to disembarkation went very well.

 

The ship looked great, and everything was very clean and in great condition. The staff and crew also seemed like a very happy bunch and the organization was spot on. Everything just seemed so much better managed than on the SKY that I almost felt like I was on a different cruise line.

 

I thought the food and service were very good so no complaints there. The Garden Cafe buffet is one of the best I have experienced on any ship. I thought the choice and quality were excellent and I loved the aft seating overlooking the wake of the ship. For dinner we dined in The Summer Palace main dining room which is the aft dining room. This is probably my least favorite public space on the ship (looks like a cheap floating Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong) but the food and service were very good and the layout is spacious. We never had to wait for a table and we ate dinner around 8pm-8:30pm.

 

The Cruise Director did an excellent job of scheduling lots of activities and there was always something going on. I especially enjoyed bowling in Bliss Ultra Lounge and the White Hot Party up in Spinnaker's Lounge last night. Great music and dancing!

 

We had a balcony cabin (9544) and it was very nice. I liked the layout, the bright colors, and the bathroom set up. The balcony was a little narrow but certainly not a deal breaker.

 

Having sailed on NORWEGIAN DAWN and STAR and not really caring too much for either ship, I wasn't expecting PEARL to be much different. I was quite surprised and pleased how much I liked the ship. NCL made enough subtle design and decor changes that the "Jewel Class" really does feel different than the "Star Class", and I much prefer them.

 

Personally I preferred PEARL so much more over EPIC that I will probably move my future EPIC cruise over to PEARL or GEM. Overall I just found it much more to my liking, more bright, more windows to the sea, and I fell in love with the forward facing spa (probably one of the nicest at sea).

 

Our only port was GSC (Great Stirrup Cay) and it was a gorgeous day. No wait getting to or from the ship, and I enjoyed tendering on Little Norway I and II as these are some of the last remnants of the late, great SS NORWAY. It's hard to believe NORWAY carried both of them on her bow. They were in great condition and I'm happy to see NCL is taking good care of them and left their original names in tact. There is construction on GSC as NCL is making improvements. As many of you know, GSC is the very first of the private islands, and probably the least developed. Many would consider this a plus but if you are expecting a more built up, amenity filled experience like Labadee or Castaway Cay you might be disappointed. GSC does offer nice beaches and clear water and that is really what these islands are supposed to be about. It's the only private beach island with beach landings which is kind of fun and old school. I will say GSC was very busy and chairs were hard to find, so I would not want to stop there on EPIC unless the island is substantially upgraded and expanded. I could not imagine the island accommodating double the amount of passengers that were there.

 

I'm really glad I experienced such a great trip on PEARL because honestly I was beginning to lose faith in NCL. I wasn't blown away with EPIC and my last sailing on SKY left a lot of room for improvement. I look forward to returning to PEARL or GEM for a much longer cruise, perhaps even in EUROPE.

 

As this was such a short cruise and we were having such a great time there wasn't much opportunity for picture taking. In fact all the pictures are from my iPhone so they are not the best quality. Anyway attached is a link as well as a few preview pictures.

 

NORWEGIAN PEARL Pictures Link

 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

 

Ernie

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mafig]

I'm very happy you enjoyed Pearl.

 

We'll be on her in two weeks.:D I enjoyed Jewel very much (it's the only ship I've been on twice), and I expect I'll like Pearl just as much.

 

Thanks for the review.:)

[david_sobe]

Welcome back

I once flirted with the idea of taking this cruise since I live in Miami but I am spending enough as it is for my Epic cruise in December.

It is not really fair to compare the Pearl to the Sky. It is apples and oranges. They are 2 entirely different ships. The weather has been great, so I am glad you had a wonderful beach day at GSC.

 

I am curious. Since this was a short 2 day cruise with one port, was it a party ship? Were most people young?

 

THANKS AGAIN for the wonderful review and welcome back!

 

BTW, if you loved the Pearl, the Jewel is almost identical just without bowling and rock climbing. You always take amazing pictures Ernie.

[eroller]

Welcome back

I once flirted with the idea of taking this cruise since I live in Miami but I am spending enough as it is for my Epic cruise in December.

It is not really fair to compare the Pearl to the Sky. It is apples and oranges. They are 2 entirely different ships. The weather has been great, so I am glad you had a wonderful beach day at GSC.

 

I am curious. Since this was a short 2 day cruise with one port, was it a party ship? Were most people young?

 

THANKS AGAIN for the wonderful review and welcome back!

 

BTW, if you loved the Pearl, the Jewel is almost identical just without bowling and rock climbing. You always take amazing pictures Ernie.

 

 

Yes there were a lot of fairly young people having fun and it was a party atmosphere, but it felt very different than the party atmosphere I experienced on the SKY (more innocent and not so hard core and trashy). I didn't witness any bad behavior and most everyone just seemed to be really enjoying themselves. There was the blow up doll (male) being bounced around the dance floor in Bliss but I thought it was hilarious (especially after several drinks!). It was actually a really nice mix of people. Lot's of diversity just like Miami and most were locals from South Florida. I actually had to park on the top level of the parking garage. It was packed!

 

If you were a straight male and single, this would have been the cruise for you. There were tons of bachelorette parties on the ship, all with large groups of young girls really enjoying themselves. I would say the girls outnumbered the guys at least 2 to 1.

 

Ernie

[rikatine]

Thanks for posting. We leave in one week.

[Pamster]

Beautiful pics. We just sailed on the Pearly from Vancouver to LA. It was a second time on her, and we really love it. We've sailed 2 other NCL ships, and the Pearl is definitely my favorite. We sailed on her first when she was brand new and she still looks great. This was our first cruise with a balcony, and now we're going to want one every time.

 

Sounds like you had a great time.

[Panhandle Cruiser]

On Friday, October 8th we finished sailing on the Pearl from from LA to Miami. We thoroughly enjoyed it. This cruise is definitely for you if you have the time (14 days), and enjoy a mix of ports of call and days at sea. We also enjoyed the fact that there were a very small number of school aged children.

[Pamster]

On Friday, October 8th we finished sailing on the Pearl from from LA to Miami. We thoroughly enjoyed it. This cruise is definitely for you if you have the time (14 days), and enjoy a mix of ports of call and days at sea. We also enjoyed the fact that there were a very small number of school aged children.

 

We were booked for the Miami to LA version in December, but had to change it because of work. I'm still hoping to do that someday. Next year is Alaska, so maybe 2012.

[Pszaffveauhraunne]

Nice pictures. Thanks!

[philly50's]

Thanks for your brief review and the beautiful pictures. We'll be on the Pearl next month and it's always nice to see photos, hear comments and just get some overall general information.

[kimala]

We will be on the Pearl Next Sunday. Our cabin is on the 8th Deck. I was wondering what deck you embarked on. Was it Deck 7? I can't imagine that one could get that far up on the gangway from that realatively short building(terminal) in Miami but Deck 7 is the main Lobby thus the WOW factor. Just wondering.

[sjbdtz]

Great pics, Ernie.

 

Compared to the Dawn or the Star, what was it about the Pearl that you liked so much better?

 

 

We've sailed on the Dawn, Jewel, Jade, Gem (aside from the epic/sky, etc.) which are all fairly similar. What differences did Pearl provide?

 

Thanks,

Stephen

[eroller]

We will be on the Pearl Next Sunday. Our cabin is on the 8th Deck. I was wondering what deck you embarked on. Was it Deck 7? I can't imagine that one could get that far up on the gangway from that realatively short building(terminal) in Miami but Deck 7 is the main Lobby thus the WOW factor. Just wondering.

 

 

 

Yes, we entered on Deck 7 but not directly into the atrium. I suppose your entry point into the ship depends on how many ships are in port, and how the gangway is positioned. We entered the ship aft by Bliss and the photo gallery. We exited the ship forward, closer to where the shops are. It is a new style gangway and I think it's pretty versatile to reach a lot of different entry points on the ship.

 

I'll also add we were greeted by a very nice cruise staff member to welcome us aboard who also handed out a map of the ship. Pierside while checking in, we were provided with our key card and also given a little slip of paper that had our stateroom number written on it, plus the approx. location of the cabin (forward, aft, port, starboard, etc.). Nice touch.

 

Also greeting us was the hand sanitizer person. It's hard to sanitize your hands when you are carrying bags and papers. I think the sanitizer program on PEARL was the most aggressive I've seen on any ship. They were at the entrance to every main dining venue and also whenever you entered the ship. I'm not complaining as hopefully it's an effective way to combat noro-virus. Every time they squirted your hands, they would say something like "soapy soapy, happy happy". That part got a little annoying after about the second time. ;)

 

Ernie

[rp23g7]

Great review eroller, we are on the Pearl for the Oct 24 sailing. I had not been able to find recent pics of the ship online, thanks for posting them, never cruised Norweigan before, looking forward to it.

[eroller]

Great pics, Ernie.

 

Compared to the Dawn or the Star, what was it about the Pearl that you liked so much better?

 

 

We've sailed on the Dawn, Jewel, Jade, Gem (aside from the epic/sky, etc.) which are all fairly similar. What differences did Pearl provide?

 

Thanks,

Stephen

 

I'll compare with the DAWN, as I sailed on the STAR many years ago when the ship was new, and I know NCL has made modifications since then. The DAWN was much more recent.

 

Overall, to me at least, NCL has made a lot of positive small changes to the PEARL that really enhanced the ship experience. Please keep in mind these observations are subjective and are just my opinion. Others may actually prefer the DAWN.

 

1. Decor - I really liked the decor of the PEARL. It was bright, very light, and colorful without being over the top. I remember the DAWN being a bit more drab.

 

2. Atrium - Much better on PEARL. They turned around the staircase and moved the bar, and overall it felt more open and bright to me. Of course they also added the huge video screen and that was kind of fun. Gone are all the fake plants that I remember on DAWN and didn't care for. On PEARL, the atrium seemed much more of a gathering spot, and it was fun to hang out there. I never really felt that way on DAWN.

 

3. Bliss Ultra Lounge - Loved this venue and had a great time here. The decor was really cool (better than EPIC I thought) and the bowling was great. This lounge doesn't exist on DAWN and as I recall, the nightclub on DAWN was pretty lame, more like just a random lounge off the corridor. Bliss really felt like a true nightclub similar to something I would find on South Beach.

 

4. The Blue Lagoon - on DAWN this was located in a small space where everyone walked through. I remember the chairs being really small, almost like they were made for kids and a low, slanted glass ceiling. On PEARL it's a wonderful space on the second level of the atrium with a full bar and great view of all the action below. On the downside, the chili and mac & cheese are no longer on the menu. :(

 

5. Shops - On DAWN I think there was one main shop where Bliss is on PEARL. I prefer the shopping "arcade" on PEARL that you actually walk through and can window shop. The location was too removed on DAWN and most of the time I forgot it was even there.

 

6. Bar Central - Vastly improved over the same space on DAWN. There are several bars and really nice seating areas, and Le Bistro was moved which makes this area on PEARL even larger and more appealing.

 

7. Garden Cafe & Great Outdoors Buffet - this is a big one. On DAWN I remember it being small, hard to find seats, not very attractive, and the selection limited. On PEARL it was well laid out, attractive, much larger, and a fantastic selection of food. Most of all, on PEARL there is a huge aft seating area outside along with a great bar. I loved sitting outside and what a great place to watch the sunset as well. The outside seating area doesn't even exist on DAWN because the fitness center is located there.

 

8. Fitness Center - much better on PEARL because there are expansive views of the ocean! On DAWN there was a view of nothing. A mirror I think and overall the fitness center was pretty dark. I didn't enjoy working out on DAWN but I did on PEARL because of the environment. Equipment was first rate on PEARL as well.

 

9. The Spa - I fell in love with it on PEARL. It's all the way forward and the views are amazing. The sauna is right above the Bridge and has wrap-around windows in it. The spa was nice on DAWN too (good aft views), but I prefer the forward location and layout on PEARL. Overall it just felt more upscale and "spa like" compared to DAWN.

 

10. The pool area - gone is the terraced seating on DAWN and replaced with a much needed second pool. I liked the waterfall in the adults pool and I thought both pools were a really nice size. Overall the pool deck just seemed larger and much more spacious to me. Having two decent sized pools meant they never looked like "people soup" where they were so crowded you couldn't move.

 

I guess that's it. My top 10 reasons why I greatly preferred the PEARL over the DAWN/STAR.

 

Hopefully it makes some sense, probably more so to those that have sailed on both ships.

 

Ernie

[rikatine]

I'll compare with the DAWN, as I sailed on the STAR many years ago when the ship was new, and I know NCL has made modifications since then. The DAWN was much more recent.

 

Overall, to me at least, NCL has made a lot of positive small changes to the PEARL that really enhanced the ship experience. Please keep in mind these observations are subjective and are just my opinion. Others may actually prefer the DAWN.

 

1. Decor - I really liked the decor of the PEARL. It was bright, very light, and colorful without being over the top. I remember the DAWN being a bit more drab.

 

2. Atrium - Much better on PEARL. They turned around the staircase and moved the bar, and overall it felt more open and bright to me. Of course they also added the huge video screen and that was kind of fun. Gone are all the fake plants that I remember on DAWN and didn't care for. On PEARL, the atrium seemed much more of a gathering spot, and it was fun to hang out there. I never really felt that way on DAWN.

 

3. Bliss Ultra Lounge - Loved this venue and had a great time here. The decor was really cool (better than EPIC I thought) and the bowling was great. This lounge doesn't exist on DAWN and as I recall, the nightclub on DAWN was pretty lame, more like just a random lounge off the corridor. Bliss really felt like a true nightclub similar to something I would find on South Beach.

 

4. The Blue Lagoon - on DAWN this was located in a small space where everyone walked through. I remember the chairs being really small, almost like they were made for kids and a low, slanted glass ceiling. On PEARL it's a wonderful space on the second level of the atrium with a full bar and great view of all the action below. On the downside, the chili and mac & cheese are no longer on the menu. :(

 

5. Shops - On DAWN I think there was one main shop where Bliss is on PEARL. I prefer the shopping "arcade" on PEARL that you actually walk through and can window shop. The location was too removed on DAWN and most of the time I forgot it was even there.

 

6. Bar Central - Vastly improved over the same space on DAWN. There are several bars and really nice seating areas, and Le Bistro was moved which makes this area on PEARL even larger and more appealing.

 

7. Garden Cafe & Great Outdoors Buffet - this is a big one. On DAWN I remember it being small, hard to find seats, not very attractive, and the selection limited. On PEARL it was well laid out, attractive, much larger, and a fantastic selection of food. Most of all, on PEARL there is a huge aft seating area outside along with a great bar. I loved sitting outside and what a great place to watch the sunset as well. The outside seating area doesn't even exist on DAWN because the fitness center is located there.

 

8. Fitness Center - much better on PEARL because there are expansive views of the ocean! On DAWN there was a view of nothing. A mirror I think and overall the fitness center was pretty dark. I didn't enjoy working out on DAWN but I did on PEARL because of the environment. Equipment was first rate on PEARL as well.

 

9. The Spa - I fell in love with it on PEARL. It's all the way forward and the views are amazing. The sauna is right above the Bridge and has wrap-around windows in it. The spa was nice on DAWN too (good aft views), but I prefer the forward location and layout on PEARL. Overall it just felt more upscale and "spa like" compared to DAWN.

 

10. The pool area - gone is the terraced seating on DAWN and replaced with a much needed second pool. I liked the waterfall in the adults pool and I thought both pools were a really nice size. Overall the pool deck just seemed larger and much more spacious to me. Having two decent sized pools meant they never looked like "people soup" where they were so crowded you couldn't move.

 

I guess that's it. My top 10 reasons why I greatly preferred the PEARL over the DAWN/STAR.

 

Hopefully it makes some sense, probably more so to those that have sailed on both ships.

 

Ernie

 

Great post! I have only been on the Dawn, so this post makes me really excited for my upcoming Pearl cruise.

[sjbdtz]

I'll compare with the DAWN, as I sailed on the STAR many years ago when the ship was new, and I know NCL has made modifications since then. The DAWN was much more recent.

 

Overall, to me at least, NCL has made a lot of positive small changes to the PEARL that really enhanced the ship experience. Please keep in mind these observations are subjective and are just my opinion. Others may actually prefer the DAWN.

 

1. Decor - I really liked the decor of the PEARL. It was bright, very light, and colorful without being over the top. I remember the DAWN being a bit more drab.

 

2. Atrium - Much better on PEARL. They turned around the staircase and moved the bar, and overall it felt more open and bright to me. Of course they also added the huge video screen and that was kind of fun. Gone are all the fake plants that I remember on DAWN and didn't care for. On PEARL, the atrium seemed much more of a gathering spot, and it was fun to hang out there. I never really felt that way on DAWN.

 

3. Bliss Ultra Lounge - Loved this venue and had a great time here. The decor was really cool (better than EPIC I thought) and the bowling was great. This lounge doesn't exist on DAWN and as I recall, the nightclub on DAWN was pretty lame, more like just a random lounge off the corridor. Bliss really felt like a true nightclub similar to something I would find on South Beach.

 

4. The Blue Lagoon - on DAWN this was located in a small space where everyone walked through. I remember the chairs being really small, almost like they were made for kids and a low, slanted glass ceiling. On PEARL it's a wonderful space on the second level of the atrium with a full bar and great view of all the action below. On the downside, the chili and mac & cheese are no longer on the menu. :(

 

5. Shops - On DAWN I think there was one main shop where Bliss is on PEARL. I prefer the shopping "arcade" on PEARL that you actually walk through and can window shop. The location was too removed on DAWN and most of the time I forgot it was even there.

 

6. Bar Central - Vastly improved over the same space on DAWN. There are several bars and really nice seating areas, and Le Bistro was moved which makes this area on PEARL even larger and more appealing.

 

7. Garden Cafe & Great Outdoors Buffet - this is a big one. On DAWN I remember it being small, hard to find seats, not very attractive, and the selection limited. On PEARL it was well laid out, attractive, much larger, and a fantastic selection of food. Most of all, on PEARL there is a huge aft seating area outside along with a great bar. I loved sitting outside and what a great place to watch the sunset as well. The outside seating area doesn't even exist on DAWN because the fitness center is located there.

 

8. Fitness Center - much better on PEARL because there are expansive views of the ocean! On DAWN there was a view of nothing. A mirror I think and overall the fitness center was pretty dark. I didn't enjoy working out on DAWN but I did on PEARL because of the environment. Equipment was first rate on PEARL as well.

 

9. The Spa - I fell in love with it on PEARL. It's all the way forward and the views are amazing. The sauna is right above the Bridge and has wrap-around windows in it. The spa was nice on DAWN too (good aft views), but I prefer the forward location and layout on PEARL. Overall it just felt more upscale and "spa like" compared to DAWN.

 

10. The pool area - gone is the terraced seating on DAWN and replaced with a much needed second pool. I liked the waterfall in the adults pool and I thought both pools were a really nice size. Overall the pool deck just seemed larger and much more spacious to me. Having two decent sized pools meant they never looked like "people soup" where they were so crowded you couldn't move.

 

I guess that's it. My top 10 reasons why I greatly preferred the PEARL over the DAWN/STAR.

 

Hopefully it makes some sense, probably more so to those that have sailed on both ships.

 

Ernie

 

 

Makes perfect sense. Thanks!

[kimala]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH ERNIE! I told my hubby that I believed we would enter on 7 and he couldn't believe we could get that far up 7 stories from the Miami terminal! You helped me win one!!!LOL Also thanks so much for posting your practical comparisons and impressions of the ship. You know until we get on her ourselves we just live through you!!! I am curious about the buffet as many people have the same favorable impression as you. I am lucky or unlucky maybe though that I basically like everything and am not very hard to please.

[eroller]

I am lucky or unlucky maybe though that I basically like everything and am not very hard to please.

 

 

LOL! I think I'm the same as you. There was so much in the buffet that was appealing to me I wanted it all. I had to control myself or end up as big as a house! On most ships I walk through the buffet and some things look good, and others not so much. On PEARL everything just seemed to be calling my name.

 

You're welcome about the Deck 7 thing. Glad I could help you win one!

 

Ernie

[SuiteRose]

Ernie, thank you so much for the review. We'll be sailing on the Pearl right after New Years along with my brother and sister-in-law who have never cruised before...I love hearing good reviews as I am the one that picked the ship!

[Kaboochi]

Thank you,

 

This is our 1st NCL cruise I think, from your comments, we will be very happy. Now that summer has wound down it is time to start doing CC searches for our winter trip. What a nice way to start.

 

You said you liked the buffet more than on any other ship. I really like the station concept on Carnival, much better than other lines I;ve been on. Could you elaborate on why you liked the buffet? Thanks

[eroller]

 

You said you liked the buffet more than on any other ship. I really like the station concept on Carnival, much better than other lines I;ve been on. Could you elaborate on why you liked the buffet? Thanks

 

 

It's also a station concept on PEARL although the set up is not "islands" like on some ships. It's still a long row of food but you don't wait in any lines. Just go to the section you want. They have sectioned the buffet into different cuisines, such as the grill, sandwiches, salads, Italian, Asian, soups, deserts, fruit, bread, etc.

 

I think what made it appealing to me is the layout (one long walk down the line on both sides and you see everything offered), the presentation (everything looked fresh), the selection (there was something for everyone), and of course the taste. Everything I tried was pretty good.

 

One thing I could not resist anytime I went was the pretzel bread. Delicious!

 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

A couple hints:

1. Walk aft to find more tables and you should always find empty ones.

2. Enjoy eating outside. There are tons of tables and you can't beat the view.

3. The outdoor section has it's own mini-buffet, a drink station, and soft serve ice cream. There is also a full bar.

 

Ernie

[catlady922]

Thanks so much for the wonderful review. I'm a long time dreamer, first time cruiser and will be sailing on the Pearl 2/20/11 with my DS and BIL. I found some great video on youtube of the ship including the Garden Buffet. The ship is beautiful and I can't wait to get aboard and start an amazing adventure! I'm sure this won't be my last cruise!

[kitsVA]

Thanks for a great review. We cruised on it in Spring and on Epic couple of weeks back. While Epic is great looking ship we prefer Pearl over it any day for some of these reasons:

 

1. Better and COMFORTABLE Sea view from several public areas.

2. We enjoyed the theater entertainment more on Pearl than Epic.

3. Didn't have to pass through any smoking areas to places we frequently visited.

4. AND

:-)

 

What we will miss on Pearl that we loved on Epic?

1. Water Slides.

2. O' Sheehan's.

3. Noodles Bar