Pearl to Alaska Review 5/26/13-6/2/13

Pearl – “One that is very choice or precious” We are so glad we chose the Pearl.

My husband and I planned a voyage on NCL Pearl for over one year. After hearing over and over from fellow cruisers about Alaska, we finally took the icy plunge to a cold water and weather cruise. Little did we know that our vacation would feature 80 degree temperatures! We sailed out of Seattle on Sunday, May 25th and returned June 2nd. The loud noises heard across Seattle on June 2nd were our cries of sorrow upon leaving the beautiful Pearl.

Seattle:

We decided to go a day before cruise embarkation to relax. We arrived in Seattle to a cloudy sky which quickly cleared up to a day of sunshine. It had been years since we visited Seattle so we decided to walk around and stop when the spirit hit us. The only thing I had on the list of must-dos was to ride the Seattle Great Wheel and on Sunday go to the market to pick up flowers for our cabin.

We stayed at Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue. Jenny at the front desk just sparkled with her smile and well wishes. Jenny said she would call my cell phone when our room was ready and our bags went with the bell captain. We strolled the brief blocks to the Pier in search of food and the Wheel. On Sunday we went out for a walk and breakfast and of course the flowers which stayed alive and beautiful the entire cruise. Note: there is a Target on the way in case you forget anything. The Red Lion also had a great place to eat, Frolics.

The Seattle Great Wheel is a must do event. Pricey especially the taxes but well worth the admission. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the romantic slow spin and stop of the wheel. Special note---LOL Don’t think of Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel and a crazed big brother with a “I can’t wait to scare you little sister moment”. It is an enclosed nestling bucket that was warm and cozy. Yes, very romantic.

Sunday embarkation:

A quick cab ride ($20) took us to the pier and a stevedore took our bags away. Happily skipping and singing with my flowers and holding hands with the hubby we went to board the Pearl. We stood in the Latitudes line all of three minutes before going up to take care of the credit card and picture taking. Next stop was the security check and then we were aboard the Pearl, with of cause taking the time to gape at her and really get excited. This is absolutely the fastest embarkation we ever had!

We decided to first take a walk around the ship after of course getting the spa pass ($119 ea.). I was so excited my husband decided to get one and use it too I was dancing. We had a spa cabin on the Epic and I could never get him to go to the spa with me. When we passed the Summer Palace we decided since there was food involved why not stop and eat. The food and service was good. With full stomachs we went to our cabin.

It was lobster night! We once again went to the Summer Palace. My husband was so excited about lobster night. He had seconds of the lobster which was offered to him and the entire dining experience was spectacular. We did not have to wait and the Summer Palace staff did a good job of keeping our plates full or removed. This is where it gets bad---I now have an addiction to the cheese cake. And worse yet they will feed your addiction until you are rolled over with a continuous smile plastered on your face.

Stateroom:

We loved our cabin especially with the beautiful newly added bouquet of flowers. My favorite part would be the large bathroom. I enjoyed having the tub/shower combo and the separate loo. There is so much storage space and dresser drawers we didn’t use some of them even with the extra cold weather clothes. Our cabin was always clean and our ice bucket full. Our balcony was cleaned too! Best of all there was always a towel animal to greet us every evening.

Monday – Sea Day

The Cruise Critic meet-up was held in the Cagney’s Restaurant (Extension Area). It was wonderful to meet the entire group putting faces to names. A very nice reception was put on by Raquel Nunez, Group Services Coordinator. Senior management team members, Prem Kainikkara, Hotel Director, Tony Rosa, Food & Beverage Director, Pedro Serra, Cruise Director, Osley Ollivieer, Executive Housekeeper, Al Almazan, Guest Services Manager, Messiah Ritinger, Executive Chef, Iulian Grumeza, Restaurant Manager, Petrus Emilaire, Beverage Manager, along with Patrick Berido, Concierge. I think the Prem Kainikkara, Hotel Director, said it best with the statement, “We want you to feel at home on Pearl, and think of us as your family” when sharing with those in attendance how he hoped our experience on the Pearl would be for us.

Well so far so good!

Spa:

We went to the Spa every day. Between the heated loungers and the warm therapy pool I was totally relaxed. The areas always had towels and robes clean and ready and someone came in on a constant basis to ensure the hot water, cold, water, and orange dispensers were full. One day we brought our Kindles up and read awhile. It was worth the price of admission. My husband is now a convert to spa going while we are on a cruise. Yes! Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?!

Dining and Entertainment:

We loved Cagney’s!!! The steaks are always cooked exactly how you ordered them. Le Bistro was a quiet romantic dinner with A+ food. Both of these venues had wonderful staff and great ambiance. We both wished we booked two nights at Cagney’s. For those of you worried about the change in menu on the Pearl the food was still great and we didn’t miss anything.

It’s not a cruise without chocolate! Somehow one craves more than the chocolates we get on our pillows and chocolate night was no exception. Chocolate…chocolate everywhere. We plated up and then went to Maltings for a Kahlua and coffee to enjoy with our treats.

Our favorite entertainment was, “Oh What a Night”. The singers really captured the songs and when they sang it was like turning back the clock to the Four Seasons. Our second favorite was the magician. We went to two of his shows because we enjoyed his acts so much.

Our favorite night-time after the show meet-up with friends place was Maltings Bar. We all had a great time and closed the place just about every night. We missed the tastings this trip due to falling asleep after the spa or other ship activities. Yikes…we are getting long in tooth must be those grandkids wearing us out!

Ship Shopping:

Of course I purchased my usual NCL ship ornaments. I waited until the Glacier Bay sale and picked up my Ulu knives and a few other souvenirs I had not already purchased on board ship. I had to have a Pearl T-shirt so I could talk about the ship once I got home.

Ports:

We booked excursions on our own and did not use the ship excursion desk. Each port had its own flavor. By far Glacier Bay won hands down as far as scenery and the ahhh moments. Ketchikan was our favorite walking port. There was a lot to see and everything is an easy walk even in the drizzle or rain.

Juneau:

We booked Harv and Marv’s Outback Alaska. Our boat had 10 people on it along with a Marine Biologist and Animal Behaviorist. We went out and spent the majority of our time with Orcas! Now how many times can you say, you have been able to get close up to the magnificent Orca. It was a grandmother and brothers traveling together. Since our professionals on board actually knew them and the daughter of the excursion owner wrote a book about them it was easy to spot who was who. We saw two humpbacks and those cute but not as friendly as you think sea otters. We even saw hawks. This was one of those trips of a lifetime. The town itself was overloaded with jewelry stores so we did not shop.

Skagway:

We booked with Dyea Dave’s for the Yukon, Emerald Lake, and dog sledding at Caribou Crossing. Our tour along with other tours did not make it to Emerald Lake due to construction. I had a great time visiting the puppies and the dogs. Luck was on my side and I had a sled and driver to myself and was able to ask many questions about the races and the care of the dogs. Let’s just say the dogs pulling me had a great time and when they jumped in their pools and drank their water the ones finished always seemed to be rushing the others to hurry and run again. If you enjoy railroads there is a museum a street away from the dock. This town also had many jewelry stores. Though I admit I did pick up a pair of $10 earrings. There is also a great shirt etc. outlet just before you reach the dock area. There are lots of inexpensive souvenir buys.

Ketchikan:

Yes, the usual jewelry stores but also many Alaskan vendors along with the Totem Museum. Hands down my favorite place was visiting Santa at the North Pole. Sure the store was in Alaska but there is no doubt that was Santa I took a picture with since his “sled” parked outside said North Pole on the license plate. We enjoyed the many carvings and it was a warm light rain.

Glacier Bay:

Absolute Beauty!! We had the best seat in the house; well I guess our neighboring cabins thought so as well from all of the screams of look over there! No kidding we saw so many calving moments I wondered what could be better than this. Most of them began with a loud rumbling, a sound of which I never heard before. It was just one exciting moment after another. Boy am I glad we ordered in Grizzly Bears at 9am and 11am. No not real bears but tasty warm drinks from the bar which come in their own hot NCL thermos mug. Yep, we were sucked into the drink of the day but happy with the drink and the thermos mug. Every time we put coffee in them at home we will think of the Pearl and Glacier Bay.

Victoria:

Some enchanted evening – you will go to Victoria. We took a cab to downtown and then decided on a Victorian carriage ride. It was wonderful and once again a senior handholding adventure. Far the most interesting way to see Victoria if you are not going to the Gardens or arrive after the Castle is closed. We saw some new cruise friends and had a great time waving; ok we waved at anybody who waved at us! LOL We decided to take the walk from downtown back to the ship. The flowers and neighborhoods were so pretty. It was an enchanted evening for us.

Disembarkation:

It was as simple as down the ship’s elevator and out the door. Down the escalator, hand over the customs sheet, grab bags and into a cab.

Wrap up:

So what do I think about the Pearl? We hope to sail on her once more. She is a beautiful ship. Remember to go forward on Deck 11 to the viewing room and watch the action on the bridge. No cost just the ability the watch through the glass. There is also a very cute story about the red and green sock. We loved every moment on the Pearl. From the great Latitudes Parties and other parties we attended to the everyday meeting of the officers and staff on the ship. We also got my favorite treat of chocolate strawberries.

Alaska was great and the ports interesting. Not only was it not cold and rainy we had continuous warm (80’s) and no rain until Ketchikan. We felt it was a good job at getting everyone on and off at the ports.

Pearl personal highlight:

When we returned from the Skagway outing I was feeling unhappy about things said during our excursion. We handed our cards over and we get this nice smile and the words, “welcome home”. I could have cried I was so overwhelmed with heartfelt thanks for hearing those two words. We felt like family returning home for a reunion instead of voyagers on vacation.

Thank you our Pearl family for an exceptional experience. And a special thanks to Prem Kainikkara for creating wonderful memories for us.

What a nice review! Glad that you had such a good time! We are going to be on NCL for the 9th time and I know the feeling you had when the staff said 'Welcome Home'. We absolutely cannot say enough good things about the staff and their hospitality we have had with every cruise aboard an NCL ship.

Thanks for writing out your thoughts.

Sounds like you had a similar experience to ours last summer on the Pearl. They really make you feel like home. Of the staff you listed only Raquel and Prem are the same as our cruise last year. I know that at the M&G Prem kept talking up how they really wanted to hear about any problem we had while we were on ship and let them have a chance to make things right - and not on forums like this after the fact.

Again I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful time in AK and on the Pearl.

Thanks for your great review of the Pearl and Alaska!

Thank you, thank you , thank you!

This is what i have been waiting to hear. This is just like our cruise on the Pearl in June 2011 and we are booked to go again this year. So excited now. :)

Thank you for taking the time to write this review. Although I have to wait until September, 2014 to cruise the Pearl, I am reading everything I can find about her and Alaska!

Kim

Thanks for the great review, Linda! Glad to hear the Pearl hasn't changed since we last cruised on her to Alaska in 2010. After reading several negatives from recent cruisers, I was beginning to worry maybe things had changed.

It's great that you got to see calving of Margerie Glacier--I love the sound of "white thunder"!:)

Any chance you might be scanning your dailies? Would love to see them!

Man you're quick! I was on the Jewel May 25-June 1 and have been dragging my feet to do a review. Good job! :)

Thank you, now you have us even more excited about our upcoming trip on the Pearl!

Going this Sunday on the Pearl and glad to read your review. We are so excited and looking forward to our cruise.

Thank you for your review. Even though we are not sailing until next year on the Pearl/Alaska, I love reading everything about the ship.

Thanks for the review! A couple questions:

Did you drop your luggage off before going to the market? What time did you head to the port?

It seems like embarkation was pretty easy for you, what time did you get off the ship? Did you find traffice bad from the port to the airport on sunday?

Thanks!

Thanx for the review, we will be on the Pearl in July. Reading your review just makes me more excited to be on the ship :D

Thanks for the review! A couple questions:

Did you drop your luggage off before going to the market? What time did you head to the port?

 

It seems like embarkation was pretty easy for you, what time did you get off the ship? Did you find traffice bad from the port to the airport on sunday?

 

Thanks!

We walked to the market early in the morning when we went to breakfast before we checked out from the hotel. We went to the port around noon and it was a breeze with no traffic just folks at the drop off point. The taxi and limo drivers seemed to have it under control even with family members dropping off loved ones.

We literally walked out the door and into a cab. We disembarked around 9:30. There was no traffic and our taxi got us to the airport for $40. We flew Southwest and there was not a long wait to drop off our bags at the street check-in point. We did hear from other coming later that the security lines grew very quickly and it took awhile to get through TSA. When we went through TSA it was not as bad and all total 20 minutes to get through the line and screening. I would say plan accordingly as some passengers missed their flight.

Thank you so much for your review...I liked the details. :):):):)

Thanks for the great trip review. We are doing our first cruise and Alaskan visit aboard the Pearl on June 1st - was unsure I made the right choice, but your post helps calm the nerves! :)