Pearl Review - 6/8 - 6/15

[JHA65]

We were also on the June 8th sailing and we had a great time. I thought our mini suite was nice, the excursions that we did were good, and the crew was very friendly. I only have three complaints: the food is not very good, its not horrible its just not very good. I thought the entertainment was just o.k. and the last complaint I have is that the Garden cafe (buffet) is a mad house, it is very crowded which makes it very hard to find a seat. The last night we ate in the Garden cafe for dinner, it was so crowded that we had to take our food make to our suite becasue we could not find a table.

 

Also, by the 4th day the norwalk virus was going around which I cant understand because they have hand sanitizers everywhere.

 

We enjoyed the cruise and will sail NCL again.

 

JHA

[Longhorn Cruiser]

the Garden cafe (buffet) is a mad house, it is very crowded which makes it very hard to find a seat.

JHA

 

I would agree with this. They clearly do not provide enough seats in the Garden Cafe. At lunch time you can sit in the La Cucina restaurant.

[FLAlaska]

Also, by the 4th day the norwalk virus was going around which I cant understand because they have hand sanitizers everywhere.

 

 

 

JHA

 

On that cruise too and had no idea the virus was going around especially since they never went into "virus containing mode". Gotta agree with you , with all those sanitizers everywhere, seems hard to understand. Good thing I didnt know or I would have driven my son even MORE crazy sanitizing LOL!

[FLAlaska]

I would agree with this. They clearly do not provide enough seats in the Garden Cafe. At lunch time you can sit in the La Cucina restaurant.

 

We ate in the buffet alot and managed to find seats each time even if it was at La Cusina for all meals. The main part could get busy for breakfast and lunch so we just kept to the Great Outdoors . Worked great and easy access to extra seating while avoiding the masses inside.

 

The buffet might have been designed a bit better by being more central to seating instead of having the seating areas start at the buffet and work down towards the back, but that's just my opinion.

[JHA65]

One of the reasons it is hard to find a table in the buffet is that after people are done eating they stay at the table and talk or look out the window. There are so many other places to sit and visit or look out the window on the ship why do they have to do it at one of the busiest places?

 

When it is busy in the buffet people should eat and when they are done they should leave so someone else can use the table. I just think that is the polite thing to do.

 

JHA

[grangermom]

We were also on the June 8th sailing and we had a great time. I thought our mini suite was nice, the excursions that we did were good, and the crew was very friendly. I only have three complaints: the food is not very good, its not horrible its just not very good. I thought the entertainment was just o.k. and the last complaint I have is that the Garden cafe (buffet) is a mad house, it is very crowded which makes it very hard to find a seat. The last night we ate in the Garden cafe for dinner, it was so crowded that we had to take our food make to our suite becasue we could not find a table.

 

Also, by the 4th day the norwalk virus was going around which I cant understand because they have hand sanitizers everywhere.

 

We enjoyed the cruise and will sail NCL again.

 

JHA

 

I am so curious to hear about the virus. We were on that sailing too.My husband got violently ill on Thurs. night and vomited all night long. We thought it was motion sickness. We figured there was no way it could be Norwalk because of all the sanitizing. I watched at the buffet the next day, and they did not go into "virus mode" for serving. I guess my sons and I are extremely lucky that we didn't get it. How do you know it was going around? I thought about calling the doctor that night because I was scared at how sick he was. However, I was afraid they would quarantine our entire family. He felt lousy the next day, but no more vomiting. Do you think that's what it was?

[JHA65]

I knew it was on the ship because one night I was in one of the ships stores and someone was trying to buy diarrhea medicine for his friend. The sales lady told him they had to take the medicine off the shelves and that he needed to call the ships doctor. A day earlier (I think this was thursday) I was at the reception desk and someone came up saying her friend was vomiting and had diarrhea she needed to see the doctor. I asked the lady working the reception desk if it was starting and she said yes. That same day I over heard some kids (around 16yrs old) talking about someone in there family had been quarantine to his room.

 

If you called the ships doctor your family would of been quarantine. After I knew it was on the ship every sanitizer I passed I used it and if my son was with me he had to use it also. I was driving him crazy..Before we got on the ship I read some reviews and they talked about the virus being on previous cruises so I made sure my son knew what he had to do. Before the cruise I bought some sanitizer spray and sprayed down our entire room before any one in my family could touch anything. Also we made sure we never touchd the elevator buttons with our fingers or touched the stair railing.

 

JHA

[Longhorn Cruiser]

I knew it was on the ship because one night I was in one of the ships stores and someone was trying to buy diarrhea medicine for his friend. The sales lady told him they had to take the medicine off the shelves and that he needed to call the ships doctor. A day earlier (I think this was thursday) I was at the reception desk and someone came up saying her friend was vomiting and had diarrhea she needed to see the doctor. I asked the lady working the reception desk if it was starting and she said yes. That same day I over heard some kids (around 16yrs old) talking about someone in there family had been quarantine to his room.

 

If you called the ships doctor your family would of been quarantine. After I knew it was on the ship every sanitizer I passed I used it and if my son was with me he had to use it also. I was driving him crazy..Before we got on the ship I read some reviews and they talked about the virus being on previous cruises so I made sure my son knew what he had to do. Before the cruise I bought some sanitizer spray and sprayed down our entire room before any one in my family could touch anything. Also we made sure we never touchd the elevator buttons with our fingers or touched the stair railing.

 

JHA

 

My son was sick all day Thursday and part of Friday. He didn't eat anything and had nausea among other symptoms. We didn't think it was Noro but now that you mention it ....

Luckily no one else got sick.

[Uncle Tony]

Thanks for the review.

We were looking for inport things to do and your review helps.

I see a few of you are booked on the 7/20 cruise as well. Terrific. See you there! You will know me. If there is a more formal dinner I will be wearing my miniature military medals. I am such a show off!

We were in AK in 2002. I spent 9 months on Kodiak with the USCG. The Mrs came up at the end of my tour and we met in Anchorage. Stayed at the North Country Castle B&B in Anchorage (excellent and recommended). A moose would have its supper on the corner lot. Did the train trip to The Talkeetna Lodge and took a 6 passenger plane trip up onto Mt. McKinley. Room had an unobstructed view of the mountain. Took a day trip down to the Portage Glacier and did some gold panning at a tourist trap along the way. I would not call the Anchorage Zoo a must but the Mr Whitekeys show and Spam Museum should not be missed. (Am I boring anyone?) We then went back to Kodiak to do some whale watching. We cannot wait to go back. If I like the Juneau area I told them at work that I wasn't coming back!

BTW we are flying in to Seattle on Sat and of course staying at a hotel overnight. The hotels downtown or near the dock do not have shuttles. There is a bus that leaves everry 1/2 hour and does the tour of the major hotels. The question is how does everyone find the bus as a means of transport?

I will write a review when the trip is done.

God Bless America!

[grangermom]

Thanks for the review.

We were looking for inport things to do and your review helps.

I see a few of you are booked on the 7/20 cruise as well. Terrific. See you there! You will know me. If there is a more formal dinner I will be wearing my miniature military medals. I am such a show off!

We were in AK in 2002. I spent 9 months on Kodiak with the USCG. The Mrs came up at the end of my tour and we met in Anchorage. Stayed at the North Country Castle B&B in Anchorage (excellent and recommended). A moose would have its supper on the corner lot. Did the train trip to The Talkeetna Lodge and took a 6 passenger plane trip up onto Mt. McKinley. Room had an unobstructed view of the mountain. Took a day trip down to the Portage Glacier and did some gold panning at a tourist trap along the way. I would not call the Anchorage Zoo a must but the Mr Whitekeys show and Spam Museum should not be missed. (Am I boring anyone?) We then went back to Kodiak to do some whale watching. We cannot wait to go back. If I like the Juneau area I told them at work that I wasn't coming back!

BTW we are flying in to Seattle on Sat and of course staying at a hotel overnight. The hotels downtown or near the dock do not have shuttles. There is a bus that leaves everry 1/2 hour and does the tour of the major hotels. The question is how does everyone find the bus as a means of transport?

I will write a review when the trip is done.

God Bless America!

We stayed at the Marriott Waterfront. It cost $33 for the taxi from the airport. In the morning, we literally walked across the street to board the Pearl. It was a nice hotel and within walking distance of Pike's Market, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Have a great trip!

[Kaki]

BTW we are flying in to Seattle on Sat and of course staying at a hotel overnight. The hotels downtown or near the dock do not have shuttles. There is a bus that leaves everry 1/2 hour and does the tour of the major hotels. The question is how does everyone find the bus as a means of transport?

I will write a review when the trip is done.

God Bless America!

We stayed at Seattle Spring Hill Suites, they called a shuttle for us that cost $4.50 pp (there were 5 of us-lots of luggage)

[happy cruzer]

Thanks for the great review of the suite life.

 

FYI, Bleach and washing your hands for about 1 min are the only things that have been proven to protect against the spread of Noro. The hand sanitizer and sprays work on other bugs but not Noro. I have read this on the CDC site and on many threads on CC. That's probably why Noro continues to go around schools, hospitals, cruise ships, hotels, airplanes, etc.