Pearl Weekend Cruise May 8-10

[Atomica]

Overall, we had a very good time on this cruise - my 3rd NCL, my girlfriend's first NCL, and her parents first cruise.

 

NCL has a special place for me, as I took my first cruise with them in 1998 on the Wind. I sailed on the Sun in 2005 and wasn't that taken with the whole Freestyle Cruising thing, but I've been looking for a chance to try NCL out again, and this weekend cruise was the perfect chance to do it!

 

Embarkation - as others have written, this was a complete mess for reasons that were out of NCL's control. I've sailed out of Vancouver many, many times and still can't believe they let things deteriorate like they did. A coworker of mine was also onboard, and she got in line outside almost to the new convention centre (for those who have never been to the port of Vancouver, that's almost a block away, outside the building). We got there at 11am, waited until 12:30 for security to open, and were onboard by 1. NCL did a great job with check-in.

 

The Ship - absolutely stunning. The Pearl is a real winner - everything from the colors to the funky furniture to the way the ship is laid out really sets her apart from other cruise ships.

 

We had three separate oceanview cabins on Deck 8, and were impressed with all of them. Loved the way NCL has the bathrooms set up on their new ships with separate areas for the shower and toilet. The beds were easily as comfortable as those on Holland America - maybe even moreso - and it was nice to see NCL using the Elemis toiletries. Our cabin stewards were excellent, and quickly brought us robes and unlocked the connecting door between the cabins, and did it all with a smile.

 

We purchased the two-day hydro-pool/thermal suite spa pass for $30pp and found it well worth the money. We've always enjoyed the hydro pools on Holland and Cunard, and the Pearl's lived up to both of the aforementioned. I enjoyed the split male/female changing areas, if only because I'm male and the male side was practically deserted, leaving me to enjoy the saunas, soaker tubs etc. at my leisure! The hydro pool was very relaxing, and the thermal beds and regular loungers overlooking the bow were tremendous. Loved the nice little touch of having ice water and orange juice, as well as an assortment of teas on hand - way to go, NCL!

 

We ate in Blue Lagoon the first night, and really enjoyed this public room and its huge windows. Food was good, and service was quick and friendly.

 

The next night, we ate in Mambos ($10pp cover charge). Excellent food, and excellent service - well worth $10pp.

 

Took in the comedian, who was quite funny. Wish I had time to enjoy more of the other shows, as I remember entertainment being a high point of NCL from past cruises.

 

Really liked the whole Bar Central concept - some of the most beautiful public rooms, I thought, were down on Deck 6. The martini menus were excellent, and service was prompt and friendly.

 

This brings me to the one and only thing that I still found disappointing on NCL, that bugged me in 2005: service is still kind of wishy-washy. While one server or bartender would engage you in conversation or prepare your drink with a smile, the next would be just as likely to ignore you. No one was ever rude, but a lot of conversations began and ended with 'I don't know' or 'go ask someone else'. I got turned around and asked a crewmember which way the atrium was from where I stood, to which he replied 'How should I know?' and walked away.

 

All in all, we had an excellent cruise. The NCL of 1998 is long dead and gone, and even the NCL of 2005 seems like a fleeting memory.

The NCL of 2009 is vastly improved: ships are well-designed (with a couple of quirky exceptions, like the weaving Deck 8 hallways and the Deck 6 dining room dead-end!).

 

The Freestyle 2.0 upgrades are real winners - champagne at embarkation, fantastic beds, better food. NCL is really trying hard to win over passengers, and it shows. They're close - so very close. Will we sail NCL again? Probably. If NCL offers a sailing that Princess or RCI don't, we'll be there. If we have to choose between NCL and Princess, RCI or HAL? More of a tossup.

 

If people out there haven't tried NCL, you should, if only to see if its for you. I was surprised at how close it came, and how much they have improved in four years.

 

Any questions, ask away! I will have photos up in a few days...