3rd Times the charm. Pearl to Alaska 6/21 review with pictures

Well, here goes...my review of our fabulous cruise to Alaska on the Pearl. This would be my third cruise to Alaska and the third time would prove to be the CHARM!!!

A bit of background...I'm a 49 year old widowed mother of two darling teen age girls (18 & 16). My 18 year old has decided she never wants to cruise again (which if she didn't look exactly like me it would make me wonder if she wasn't accidentally switched at the hospital) so it was just me and my 16 year old daughter, Jordan. Kudos to that kid for actually wanting to spend a week with her mother!!! We also had two friends from San Diego who would also be on the cruise.

As I stated earlier this was my THIRD trip to Alaska. The first was in 2012 on the Golden Princess. It rained at was 55 degrees everyday. A LOT of our excursions were cancelled and it just wasn't the experience I'd hoped for. Flash forward to 2014 and the celebration of my parents 50th anniversary. They took the all of us to Alaska on the Pearl. Once again the weather was a let down and excursions were cancelled. BUT, my 16 year old vowed to return until she could dog sled on the Mendenhall Glacier. So Jordan and I were bound and determined that THIS would be the PERFECT Alaskan cruise.

I booked several months in advance through Casinos at Sea, originally booking an OX (Outside obstructed guarantee) cabin. Through sheer luck and happenstance, we ended up in a mini suite - cabin 11590. More on that later...we booked all of our excursions in advance. Before the trip I'd also purchased a soda package for the two of us as well as 250 internet minutes.

We left the house early morning Saturday the 20th to start the trip westwards. We are from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and since I like to fly Southwest we flew this trip out of Milwaukee non-stop to Seattle. We were up at 6:00 and out the door for the 1.5 hour drive to MKE for our 10:45AM flight. The teenager slept the entire way...I know...just shocking! I'd pre-booked parking through "OneStop Parking" for the Crown Plaza for $45.24. They have a shuttle bus that runs around the clock. After dropping off Jordan and the luggage at the front door, I parked the car and went inside to fill out the required paper work. Within 10 minutes of arriving we were on our way to the airport.

Security had no line and we breezed right through. Jordan was hungry so we stopped at Chili's To Go and picked her up some breakfast. Here's Jordan with her "Breakfast of Champions"

Yes...she's eating chips and queso...what can I say? I'm only the mom...

Before we knew it we were ready to board. The plane was waiting for us...

Almost time for takeoff so we need a selfie!!!

A scant four hours later and we were in Seattle. Now all we needed to do was pick up our luggage and find the shuttle. Oh yeah...when I'd called the hotel and asked about there free airport to hotel shuttle I'd been told it wasn't available at the time we were going to arrive...so I'd pre-booked Spedi Shuttle on the recommendation of our hotel. The price was $38 for the two of us from SeaTac to our hotel downtown. The shuttle driver was to meet us at baggage claim...or so they said...

We finally received all of our bags but there was NO shuttle driver to be found. I called "Speedi" and they said he'd be there momentarily. Well, the moment was more like 10 minutes. He then walked us to the meeting point for the shuttle. Which, by the way, means up two flights on an escalator (with two bags in tow a piece) and down another escalator, a walk through the parking garage and finally end at the destination. There was another couple already waiting. He gave us the shuttle number, said it would be there in a few minutes and left. Well...the few minutes were more like 15 when the "Speedi" shuttle finally arrived. The driver jumped out of the van (a very nice van btw...it was a Mercedes) and told us that we were waiting for "Shuttle Express" and that they'd be there soon...So here's me..."Ummmmm...no...we aren't...we are waiting for you. The other gentleman who left us here gave us your van number. I booked my reservation through your company. We are waiting for you." To which he responded "I'll need to check on that." My response was a flat "There is NOTHING speedy about your service!" At which point my teenager is cringing with embarrassment. Nothing like getting the trip off to a good start!

Well, the driver didn't want to listen to me...he got back in the van and spent almost 5 minutes on the phone with heaven only knows before he got back out and exclaimed "Oh yeah, I guess you were right...I am here for you!" He was simply brilliant....

Traffic was a bit slow but we finally made it downtown. The other couple was dropped of first before we were finally deposited at our hotel - Quality Inn and Suites Hotel Seattle Center. From the time we landed, picked up the luggage and made it downtown is was just a bit over 2 hours. It was now 3:00 in the afternoon and Jordan and I both wanted to change before heading out to explore Pike's Place Market.

When I went to check us in I was informed that check in was not until 4:00. And by the way...the lobby was PACKED with people. They told us they could store our luggage. When I asked about a shuttle to Pikes Place I was told it wasn't available, we'd need to take a cab. So nix the changing into cooler clothes (it was warm in Seattle that day) and so much for the free shuttle that they advertised when I booked the room. The lack of availability of the shuttle was becoming the norm....

We stored the bags, hopped in the cab...and before we knew it we were at Pike's Place Market!

First place we hit up was the fish market...love seeing those fish fly!

Love the fresh seafood!!!!

I've learned if there's one thing my teen likes to do it's shop...so we wandered around for about an hour just looking at the various offerings. Before long it was time to stop and get a snack. So we opted for a crepe. This place was on the first floor of Pike's Place

And here's the menu

Jordan and I chose the number 16...nutella, strawberries and whipped cream. Sounded like heaven!

We watched them making the crepes

And before we knew it ours was finally ready!!! I wouldn't exactly call it a crepe...it really looked to be the size of a large burrito!!!!

Jordan was so excited to dig in :)

After finishing the crepe Jordan and I met up with my friend Tami who lives near Seattle. We wandered a bit more but Jordan was pretty tired...the two hour time difference and the fact that she'd gotten up at 6:00 in the morning had plumb wore that kid out! We decided to head to the hotel so she could rest for a bit before heading for dinner.

We got to the hotel around 5:00 and were finally able to check in. Then they announced it would be quite some time before our luggage was delivered to the room. Remember, I have an overheated, over tired teenager who was FADING FAST. When I told them to show me where the bags were stored and I'd carry them up myself they finally relented and said they'd be delivered shortly.

We went and checked out the room and waited for the luggage while Tami and I popped open a bottle of white wine.

The room...well, the room left a LOT to be desired. And I do mean a LOT to be desired...I forgot to take pictures when we first arrived so please disregard our mess :)

The room

TV, fridge, microwave and desk

There was a small safe located on the bedside table between the two beds

The amazing view of the parking lot from our window

And the best part...the view of the dumpster!!!

I almost forgot...when we first checked into the hotel and went up to our room neither of the two keys she gave me worked. I went back downstairs and this is what she gave me:

When was the last time you received an actual key key for a hotel room?

Anyway...here are some more pictures:

Shower

Vanity area

Here was a listing of the shuttle information:

Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled with the accommodations but I had no one to blame but myself. There was nothing left to do but drink wine so Tami and I headed downstairs to drink and visit while Jordan got a short nap in.

After drinking and laughing (and if you're wondering, the bottle of wine really didn't improve my mood when it came to the hotel room) we headed back upstairs around 6:15 to wake up Jordan and get ready for dinner. Tami had made reservations at a restaurant on Lake Union - Daniel's Broiler. After a quick change of clothes we were headed out for dinner!

The restaurant was only a few minutes drive from the hotel and we were seated inside with a beautiful view of the lake. Now I'm sitting right there, admiring the breathtaking view..camera in hand...and I take NO PICTURES of the view!!!

But...here's a picture of the yummy peach bellini I ordered!

And let's not forget the AMAZING Dungeness Crab appetizer!!!

Keep it coming FraudBroad!

Did you purchase your cruise earlier or later? Were you just assigned the mini because you booked an OX? Looking forward to the rest of your review:)

The room...well, the room left a LOT to be desired. And I do mean a LOT to be desired...I forgot to take pictures when we first arrived so please disregard our mess :)

 

The room

 

TV, fridge, microwave and desk

 

There was a small safe located on the bedside table between the two beds

 

The amazing view of the parking lot from our window

 

And the best part...the view of the dumpster!!!

I booked guests in this hotel once for an event because of its proximity to the Pacific Science Center... not a luxury experience!

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Love your review so far! Subscribing.

I am a recent widow. My DS (11) and I leave for Alaska on Friday morning. It is encouraging to me to see pics of you traveling with your daughter. This cruise/land trip was to be my beloved DH's retirement trip. :(

Did you purchase your cruise earlier or later? Were you just assigned the mini because you booked an OX? Looking forward to the rest of your review:)

To be honest I can't remember when I booked...I think it was November or December. I booked an OX and was originally assigned an OX. Three weeks prior to the cruise I called and they gave me a complimentary upgrade to a balcony cabin. Three days prior to the cruise I called and received a complimentary upgrade to the mini suite. The ship was far from sold out at that point but I did receive one of the only minis that was left! I guess all I can say is that the upgrade fairy was smiling on me that day!!!! Also, the bottom line is...it never hurts to ask!!!

I booked guests in this hotel once for an event because of its proximity to the Pacific Science Center... not a luxury experience!

 

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Luxury????

Not so much...more to come on these accommodations! I put out a pretty dismal review on Hotels.com. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Love your review so far! Subscribing.

 

I am a recent widow. My DS (11) and I leave for Alaska on Friday morning. It is encouraging to me to see pics of you traveling with your daughter. This cruise/land trip was to be my beloved DH's retirement trip. :(

Please let me extend my deepest condolences on your loss. I'm so sorry for what you are going through. This is the one club that never wants new members!

I'm so happy you've chosen to sail with your son! What an amazing way to build new memories for him. It will be so good for you both to have this time together. He will always remember this trip!

My daughters were 11 and 13 when my husband passed. They have grown into truly amazing young ladies. I know you have a tough road ahead of you but you can do it!!!!

For myself, I've found that cruising with the girls is the easiest vacation for me. I always say that I step on that ship and don't have to think for seven days...I don't have to drive, clean, cook, make my bed...in fact I get towel animals every night and a chocolate on my pillow. That just makes me HAPPY!!!

Regards,

Natalie

Okay...onward we go with this review that I think is going to turn into a novel!!

Dinner at Daniel's was simply AMAZING!!! Please understand...when I'm at home the most we do for a night out is the local Chili's (now you have a better understanding of the chips and queso for breakfast) so Daniel's was a HUGE treat!

I was enjoying dinner so much I never did get a picture of the menu...but here's the link. I will warn you...it is VERY expensive!!!

http://www.schwartzbros.com/daniels-broiler/daniels-lake-union/

Jordan ended up ordering the 13oz lobster tail. It was HUGE!!!

And I got the filet...we ended up splitting them so we each got surf and turf!

We each loved our meals and it was finally time for dessert. We ordered the deep dish chocolate chip cookie served warm with vanilla ice cream...it was FABULOUS!!!

And the best part about the dessert? It came with shot glasses of milk!

By the time we got done with dinner and back to the hotel it was almost 10:00 and Jordan and I were both exhausted...remember, we were still on midwest time so to us, it was midnight and we'd both been up since 6:00. It was time for a good night's sleep!

Well, Jordan slept well but me? Not so much...that hotel...what can I say? TERRIBLE!!! You could hear every single sound around you...from the halls, from the rooms above you and the rooms beside you. At 5:00 AM I finally called it quits and just got up. I don't think I got more than a couple of hours of sleep. After the wine and cocktails with dinner I should have had a good long snooze...but it wasn't happening.

I got up and got dressed and snuck out so that Jordan could try and get some more sleep. It was going to be a LONG day and the LAST think I needed was a CRABBY teenager!!! I came back upstairs around 8:00 and finished getting all ready and finally woke her around 9. While she was getting ready I headed over to a Walgreens that was only three blocks away and picked up a few things we'd forgotten. I don't care how many lists I make, I always leave something behind! This time it was cotton balls and and baby oil. I was just glad that there was something close by and I didn't have to pay crazy high prices on the ship!!!

On the way back I picked up some yogurt for Jordan at the breakfast buffet. Sorry, no pictures...it was super crowded with people! Normally we would have gone downstairs to eat something but I wanted her to sleep as late as possible so that her mood would be GOOD that day!!!

By the time she got finished eating and getting ready it was 10:00 and both of us had had it with the hotel. We figured why not just head to the port and get the party started!!!

After dragging the bags downstairs we found out that the shuttle was not available to take us to the port (Shocking). I asked them to call us a cab and he was there in less than 5 minutes. Before we knew it we were on our way! It took less than 7 minutes to get from the hotel to the port...and would have taken even less had we not been stopped by a train!!!

So we are here!!!!

It was almost 10:30 when we pulled up at the port and the porter was right there to take our bags. I asked if the security line was even open and he told us to go right in. Right before we got to the door I saw someone turn a group away telling them they couldn't come in yet. I figured if they weren't ready we'd just stroll down the pier a bit and walk around. When we got to the door someone asked us what time was on our boarding passes. I told her I didn't have an assigned time to board and she replied that they'd just told someone else to come back later! I'd heard here on the boards that the NCL website was asking you when you checked in online what time you'd be arriving at the pier. I didn't have that same experience on the website...maybe they don't do that for people who are platinum? I dunno....

 

I breezed...and I do mean breezed right through security as there was NO ONE ELSE IN LINE...straight up the escalator we went....and were greeted with...



 

There were probably 75-100 people already sitting waiting to board the ship. We walked right up to the platinum latitudes check in (again, NO LINE) and began the check in process. We turned over our passports to be swiped and my credit card for the onboard charges...the lady then said she was going to go get our key cards when a look of horror crossed her face and I saw her mouth something to the woman next to her. I was about to panic wondering what the heck could be wrong when she turned to us and said "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize that you're on the VIP list, please follow me to the lounge." It was simply music to my ears!!!!

 

When she escorted us to the VIP lounge we were introduced to our Concierge for the week, Elvina. I don't even know how to describe Elvina other than AMAZING!!! What a sweet, sweet, gal...she was so wonderful to us all week and definitely a highlight for us both!!! She gave us her card as well as our key cards. All that was left was to wait to board the ship.

 

Of course, we had to partake in some of the offering...fresh juices, pastries and sandwiches...oh and the pound cake was AWESOME!!!



 

Jordan finally had a real breakfast!



 

Before we knew it they announced that we were boarding...it was about 11:15. And Jordan and I were the first ones to set foot onboard!!!!

 

The Pearl looked GREAT as we were coming up the gangway



 

The butler then escorted us straight to Cagney's for lunch...important to note..we at lunch in Cagney's the first day...we ate breakfast there the last morning. The rest of the cruise we ate in Moderno.

My DH and I leave on the Pearl in August. I am looking forward to the rest of your review!! Thanks so much for posting it!!

My DH and I leave on the Pearl in August. I am looking forward to the rest of your review!! Thanks so much for posting it!!

You will have a fabulous time!!!!

Cagney's for lunch was wonderful! The only complaint I have is that the breakfast/lunch menus there hasn't changed in years. I don't even need to look at them anymore.

Here's a look at the menu:

https://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5d811b3127ccce10a2c50202600000010O08FaNWbZy5B7duOA/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00009963504020150701024339115.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/?tn=-900741649

I ordered the burger

While Jordan went straight for the strip steak!

A couple of pictures of Cagney's

We both skipped dessert (after all, we'd just had snacks in the lounge prior to boarding) so it was time to get out on deck to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, enjoy the skyline of Seattle and of course have a cocktail or two :)

We headed for the Bar on deck 13 Forward

I ordered a drink called an "Orange Crush" and Jordan got her kiddie cocktail (which always makes her happy). We were enjoying the view from the deck

We then headed to deck 12 to sign Jordan up for the teen club. My girls have always loved the teen club onboard and this cruise would prove no different. Jordan was the first to register and we learned that there were to be 200 teens on the cruise!

Before we knew it my friends, Rob & Jack had finally arrived. They flew in that morning from San Diego.

A bit after 1:00 they announced that the cabins were ready and Jack and Rob headed down to deck 11 to drop off their carry on luggage. Their cabin was almost right as you got off of the forward elevator and Jordan and I were further down. When Jordan and I headed down to our cabin a bit later we decided to stop and say hello.

Well Rob was fit to be tied. The cabin was NOT in good shape. The steward had obviously been there as the bed was made and the luggage protector was on the bed...but..there was lose change on the bedside table, fingerprints all over the mirror behind the sofa (I mean a LOT of finger/hand prints) there were water rings on the coffee table and a big hairball on the desk!!! Right as we arrived the head of housekeeping arrived to assess the situation. Jordan and I just went ahead on down to our "home" for the next seven days!

Jordan and I were THRILLED with our accommodations. When you are used to traveling with three women in an outside obstructed stateroom and get upgraded to a mini suite...well...it's kind of like winning the lotto!!!

Some cabin pictures:

Bathtub

Vanity Area

Storage drawers

Now, if I had one thing about the cabin I didn't care for it was part of the balcony. In this picture you can see the slight overhang. This normally wouldn't bother me one bit. But that overhang ended up in almost every picture I took in Glacier Bay!!!

Now, the other thing to be aware of with this particular cabin is that it is directly underneath the teen club. For the most part it wasn't a big deal. BUT, if you are sensitive to sounds, then you'll want to avoid this one. Daily you heard a lot of sounds coming from up above, almost sounded like furniture being pushed around. There was only one night where I felt like it was really loud...I could actually hear the music when I got into the cabin. By the time I got ready to go to sleep that night it had all quieted down!

Hi,

I am curious about your eating in cagneys moderno? I know they used to do that for certain levels of CAS players, and, of course for suite guests. However, you said you were in a mini suite, and I thought they discontinued giving VIP perks of that nature to CAS guests. And I'm am platinum, so I know it isn't for that?

Terry

Hi,

 

I am curious about your eating in cagneys moderno? I know they used to do that for certain levels of CAS players, and, of course for suite guests. However, you said you were in a mini suite, and I thought they discontinued giving VIP perks of that nature to CAS guests. And I'm am platinum, so I know it isn't for that?

 

Terry

Hi Terry,

To be very honest I have NO idea how I ended up on the VIP list. But my mamma always taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth! I just went with it an enjoyed!!!

Cheers,

Natalie

Hi Terry,

To be very honest I have NO idea how I ended up on the VIP list. But my mamma always taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth! I just went with it an enjoyed!!!

 

Cheers,

Natalie

Lol. I would have done the same. That is the CAS perk I miss most!

We didn't have our bags yet but shortly after we arrived at the room Rob called. They were working on their room and they wondered if they could store their bags in our room for an hour...of course!

So of course we went back upstairs for another cocktail!

Before we knew it it was getting close to time for the Muster Drill. Jordan and I headed back to the cabin (one again hoping for our baggage) only to find nothing. Oh well, off to Muster we went!

The Muster drill was held on deck 8 in O'Sheehans. It was easy, breezy and quick!! Got in and out in no time and it was time to head back on deck for sail away!

Some pictures as well sailed from Seattle

The sun was shinning and the weather was PERFECT! We couldn't have asked for a better day in Seattle!

Great review so far - can wait for the pics (even with the balcony overhang) from Glacier Bay!

Great play by play!! We leave on the Pearl on July 26th, so it's getting close. Thanks for all the detail....can't wait to see which excursions you took, and what you thought about them. Also interested in MDR fare, and any specialities you tried.

Another question....were there many folks with the UBP promotion, and was it slow/difficult getting drinks?

We just booked this cruise for next summer! It will be our first time on NCL. I'm enjoying your report. Can't wait to read more!!