Review of Pearl Feb 6 to 13

[scchasgal]

Friday

We drove down to Boca Raton early Friday morning for our overnight before heading into Miami. We met up with my brother and sister in law from Canada, at the Embassy Suites. When you were checking into the hotel you got to choose Mardi Gras beads- either while and blue or black and gold. They were in full blown Superbowl mode.

8 hour drive to Boca no weather issues

Saturday

Left Boca at 930 am on Saturday to head to port of miamigot to port at 1030 unloaded luggage and parked the car in parking garage CWalked back from garage over to terminal to check insecurity no line at that time, warned them I had club soda in bottles before itgot scanned on the xray machine, they never even opened the knap sack tohave a closer lookGot in the mini suites line and there was no one in front of us, it took longer toweave through the ropes than to check in Got our key cards and our number for embarkation, yeah number 1my brother and sister in law got number 11 and they were right behind us in thecheck in headed over to get our pictures taken before heading up the escalator toget seated to await our number. We sat long enough to get a coffee and thennumber 1 was called. Whole process from security to coffee took about 20minutes

 

Got onboard and walked around checking everything out great first impressionThe ship had tons of room to explore and very easy to navigate around.We had a bar set up arranged with a couple of bottles of wine and some rum.I brought all the mix stuff for mojitos including the mortar and pestle.

We headed to Summer Palace for lunch and enjoyed it. Hardly anyone was

in there as they tell you to go to Garden Café for lunch,

Brother and sister in law headed to the spa to get the spa pass, 99 dollars each

and they only sell to the first 60 people

We ate at Cagney's the first night and had a great meal. Sister in laws birthday

Table beside us had HD and he kept looking at us and us at him we knew we had met him before on another ship.

Tired on Saturday night so did not attend any shows, matter of fact we onlywent to two the whole week

Sunday

Sunday we got ready for the meet and greet that I organized. We had a smallishgroup of 51 and the HD and assistant HD showed up and chatted witheveryone.We chatted with the HD and found he was on one of our Majesty sailings out of Charleston and we had talked with him then.

The rest of the day we spent around the pool getting some sungot back to our cabin and had one of the special treats that show up daily for thesuite passengers, We were in a mini suite this time and thought we wouldmiss this treat. We either got VIP due to organizing the M&G or from the HDwe don't know which but it was greatly appreciated expecially when tendering.

The superbowl set up on the ship was going on all day. Every lounge that had aTV had the game on including the two story one in the atriumThe game was not shown in the cabins for obvious reasons. We walkedaround the ship and caught bits and pieces of the game as it was everywhere.We sat down in the Great Outdoors and watched the last quarter of the game.

Dinner that night was in the Indigo, good service and we had some laughs without server, no dress up or not night as usual on the first sea day but probablydue to it being superbowl Sunday.

Monday

Arrived in Samana, this is the first time in a long time that I had to tender into port. We got the VIP tender tickets (thanks Matthias) and headed in.I had read on cc about the port and how it was so didn't have much expectations. Everyone was right and we should have booked Cayo Levantadobut I need to see everyone for myself and next time will not step foot in Samanaunless on an organized excursion.As you got off the tender seems every thirty seconds someone was buggingyou to take a tour.We politely said no thanks to all and just kept walking into town. The fewshops they had were very expensive for the usual tshirts and othersouvenirs. I ended up just buying a collector spoon and that was it.I had to have something from the DRI think if I am on a ship that stops in Samana I will take that opportunity to go to the rock climbing wall and down the water slide.

 

Tuesday

We arrived in Tortola around 9 in the morning. There were only two shipsin port that day and we were parked beside the Caribbean Princess. Thatship made us look pretty small. We had some conversation with some folks from our balcony to theirs.

On the Dailies they were already talking about the BAGS program and transfers

from Miami to the airport. I am sorry but we aren't even halfway through and theyare already talking about getting off the ship.

We booked an NCL shore excursion to Virgin Gorda. Tickets in hand we headedto the pier to meet we did not see the sign for Virgin Gorda and we finallyasked someone from NCL excursions and they told us the excursion wascancelled due to rough seas. We ended up going to Jost Van Dyke beachescape and had a good beach day. Very long boat ride though and notworth the 70.00 in my opinion. We did get a drink coupon for a "Pain Killer".

Dinner that night was at La Cucina. I have a yummy pasta carbonara and my DH has parmegiana. We had excellent service at this fairly casual restaurant. Matter of fact I was wearing a black skirt and they put a blacknapkin on my lap instead of the standard white.

Wednesday

 

Arrived in St Thomas and loved the area. We followed RCCL Independance of the Seas into port. We had three parked and we were the last one. CostaFortuna was the first one in the lineup. I can tell you that IOS made us look likea toy boat in a bathtub, that is one huge ship. I can just imagine what Oasislooks like in person.

When we got off in port there were a bunch of motorcycles (mostly Harley's) in the parking lot near IOS. I had forgotten that you can bring your bike on the ship and they will take it off for you at each port and you can drive all around.

Lots of shops all around the pier for me and DH to poke around in.

Not pushy and no one approaching us on the streets.

We did a shore excursion to Magen's Bay through NCL. We enjoyed

it as the open air bus that took us made two stops for pictures. Got somewonderful ones from high up above St Thomas. Wow those road are scaryI just kept thinking of those motorcycles and having to navigate the windyroads and the wrong side.Magen's Bay was a nice beach but way too many people there and it is a very narrow strip of beach.

 

That night I was looking forward to Sharkbait in the Stardust Theatre, they didnot disappoint. It was my first time seeing them but not the last. They wereso funny and talented. Matter of fact we went to their juggling class.

 

Dinner that night was at Teppanyaki. Not what we were used to (sauces etc) butvery good nonetheless. The show the chefs put on is very entertaining.

After dinner we went back to the cabin changed into our "whites" to head out to

the White Hot Party. I did not really like the DJ but we had fun watchingeveryone else getting their groove on, on the dance floor.

Thursday

 

Day at Sea and the seas were starting to get rough. I like it like that causethe buffet and other food venues have no line ups LOL.We grabbed a lounger and layed out in the sun. It was very windy so we foundsomewhere that the wind was blocked. We could definitely tell we wereheading north. I can tell you on this day the chair hogs were out in full force.We get up early in the morning (with coffee and juice room service at 630 am)and head up onto deck around 7 am. Towels were all over the chair right aroundboth pools. I just laughed imagining who drew the short straw to get up droptowels on the number of loungers they wanted.

 

Late in the afternoon we headed to the crew talent show. I can tell you the one

standout for me was one of the hostesses. Her name was Angel and shedefinitely sang like her namesake. Besides that highlight I was eagerlyawaiting Fountains. We sat about six rows from the front and I was laughing sohard tears were coming down my face.

 

Quest that I had heard so much about was also Thursday night. I had heard bits

and pieces and really wanted to see this interactive adult entertainment. I wasso tired I couldn't stay up to see the show. I really am disappointed that I missedit.

Friday

 

Next stop was Great Stirrup Cay. I really thought this was going to be a sea dayas the seas were still heaving early in the morning. Well as our luck was the seas calmed as we got into the area. We anchored out and watched the the Little Norway I and II as well the the other tenders started sidling up to the ship. The crew that was heading over as buffet workers, cooks and barservers on one of the tenders. We got on the first passengers tender (thanks Matthias) and were wisked over to a great beach day. We got choice loungersright in the first row. Only to notice later that a lot of people in the rows furtherback were moving their loungers in front of us, so much for the first row.My brother and sister in law arrived on another tender about three tenders afterwe did. By then the buckets of beer had already been ordered.My DH and I took a walk around the island. We took the path the winds aroundover toward the other private island that another cruiseline uses.

Saturday

 

We disembarked the ship as soon as all the luggage cleared customs. Wegot off the ship a little after 9 am found our luggage immediately and headed overto customs. We cleared customs quicked and then headed across the streetto pick up the car to head back north.

We stopped Saturday night in Port Canaveral to spend the night.

We headed over to see the Carnival Dream in port and take is one huge ship.It would take me all week to figure out the navigation around her decks.

Sunday

 

Had breakfast then headed back on the road. We only had about a 5 hour drive so it made for a unrushed drive home. As we got off I95 at exit 33 we startedto see remnant of snow in the bushes where the sun doesn't hit.The closer we got to Charleston we still saw the same bits of snow.I have lived in Charleston for almost 10 years and it has never snowed therein that time. Apparently on Friday night they got four inches of snow. The lasttime it snowed there was after Hurricane Hugo back in 1989.

All in all we had a great cruise and would jump at going on the Pearl or one of her sister ships again.

[Sports Dr]

okay, how do I get a VIP tender pass? Begging here.

[scchasgal]

okay, how do I get a VIP tender pass? Begging here.

 

We think it was one of two things either the HD we had befriended or for organizing the meet and greet. Either way it was the HD's call

[scchasgal]

Also forgot to say we had cabin 11106 and my brother and sister in law had 11100. We thought their cabin looked smaller ever though in the same category and just three doors down and it was. 11100 was 12 inches narrower.