Review Norwegian Pearl (Jan 30th - Feb 6th)

[2FLGuys]

So I have just arrived back from my 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. While not my first Cruise it provided me with many other first's. It was my first experience with NCL, first freestyle cruise, first time cruising using CruiseCritic.com, and first time at 2 of the 4 ports. Needless to say I was very excited.

 

This will be the first review of a Cruise Ship that I have written so forgive me if things are a little choppy. This review is written with a light heart and generally with some snarky humor. As a note I had starting writing this the day I got home and sure enough life got a hold of me so there is a little less detail than I would like for certain sections.

 

This review is written in story format so it tends to be rather long, if you have something in particular you are interested in reviewing please take note of the section titles and skip around.

 

Departure

Because we live in Florida we didn't have much of a travel experience to get to Miami where the Pearl was sailing from. We decided to park on an offsite parking facility seeing as the port of Miami charges $20/day to park there. We were able to park park off site for $10 a day that's a 50% saving. If interested you can find out more by searching United Airport Parking.

 

"Port of Miami Terminal"

The port of Miami is nothing new to me but the NCL Terminal was fairly basic. Where our shuttle dropped us off there were containers for our bags and within moments of arriving there was your typical unhelpful porter who was there with his hand out to collect the porter tax. ;) We then headed to the terminal to check in. Looking ahead at the line we were hopeful as the line outside the terminal did not seem all that long. Well as we got closer we realized that the line wrapped around the corner and down and back the side of the building :( Oh well it was still fairly early and we weren't in any rush.

 

We made it through security and were looking forward to "priority checkin" because my partner had been on a previous cruise with NCL and had Latitude Status. Well clearly many others were also looking forward to this because there were 4 lines 1 for Gold and Platinum members 2 for anyone and 1 for the other Latitude members. Well all the lines seemed equally long so we jumped in. They moved very quickly however and the lady who checked us in was superb! Great positive attitude and very friendly. We got checked in and were on the way to the Ship.

 

I've watched certain TV shows where you are greeted with a Champagne but that was not the case on the Pearl. There were however smiling faced staff welcoming us aboard. While not a tastable welcoming they were very cordial. We quickly made our way to the Spa hoping to be the guinea pig for one of their services during the spa tour. Well they no longer offer that, but we wanted to sign up for some services so it worked out.

 

Spa Review

We ended up purchasing the Spa V.I.P. package which allowed us access to the Thermal Suite. We have read on the boards that maybe the would offer a couples rate but alas they did not. The package included use of their therapy pool, hot tub, ceramic loungers, sauna, steam room, plunge pool, personal whirlpools and other minor services. At $99 a person for 6 days it was kinda pricy but we made sure to get the most out of it.

 

The entire spa staff was very friendly, slightly "sales-y" but all around excellent. The services/VIP package was very enjoyable but I would say I would probably not do it again if they did not offer some kind of special. An option you have would be to do a spa day, for $20 you can have a day package. I also understand if you purchase a service at the spa you have access to the thermal suite before and afterwards.

 

Of notable mention I did win a free service at the spa during the spa raffle drawing. It was the one item that I would never have considered, Ionithermie. As a relatively healthy and skinny guy I just didn't see a purpose for it but nonetheless I did it. Probably one of my favorite parts of the cruise. Shirley was wonderful as she strapped the electrodes to my back and stomach. She then continued to zap me for 30 minutes forcing my abs to spontaneously contract every 3 seconds. During that time she educated me on toxins, fat cells, water retention and why I was having such a hard time getting that perfect stomach that I have always wanted but never wanted to work for.

 

As she educated and zapped, she set up her sale of maintenance products. I informed her of my basically not existent budget and she recommended I consider this one item that was of course 2x my budget. Anyway I felt a little guilty getting the free service and not buying anything so I caved under the pressure and bought it. I will say I am a little upset that the item I purchased only cost about 20% what I paid on the ship. On the upside I did end up loosing 11 total inches most of which I'm sure I put back on the next day.

 

We then headed off to explore the ship and make some reservations at the restaurants. On the advice of others on the CC boards we went ahead and booked the Murder Mystery, Le Bistro, La Cuchina, Cagney's, and Mambo's. We were planning on eating at a Speciality Restaurant each 6 of the 7 nights on the ship. In the interest of full disclosure I classify myself as a bit of a foodie and I work in the food service business. I will say I went with pretty high standards and expectations especially on a cruise where food is included and then I opt to spend extra on specialty restaurants.

 

Restaurant Reviews

The first night we dinned at Le Bistro which I understand to be NCL's jewel of their specialty restaurants. We had a friendly hostess, excellent maitre d and good service staff. There was a large wedding party dining there the same night and took away from our receiving truly an excellent service experience. On the food side quality was mediocre, flavors were good, but presentation was below average.

 

At a cost of $20 extra a person I had expected an excellent bistro experience unfortunately it was not. Between the 4 of us we had many of the items on the menu. I would recommend the asparagus, the duck salad, and the beef tenderloin. My duck entree and scallops were overcooked though still moist, the french onion soup was very sweet, the mushroom soup was not very creamy and I felt it lacked flavor, the escargot and muscles were both chewy and lacking flavor. The lamb was average, the swordfish was very dry though the lentils it was served on were amazing, and the filet of beef was the best piece of meat I ate on the ship. For dessert we found the creme brulee to be a little soggy, the apple tart to be over cooked, the fondue for 2 was cold and oily, on the positive side however the cream puffs and flowerless cake were both delicious.

 

The next night we ate in the Indigo dining room. At the Indigo we chose to sit with others in order to keep from waiting. It reminded me of other cruises and we enjoyed the company and conversation. Service was extremely slow and lacking all around that evening much like the meal. This meal was entirely forgettable, nothing had flavor and the only other thing I remember was the pork loin which was so dry that not even the sauce could redeem it.

 

The third night we chose La Cucina to be our dining adventure. Little did we know that it was Lobster Night in the main dining room so luckily for we were one of 4 tables in the restaurant. Our service that night was exceptional with everyone from our 2 servers, the hostess, Maitre D, and pastry chef taking time to come speak with us.

 

At a cost of $10 extra a person I still had pretty high expectations but was a little more prepared after our past 2 nights. We took the recommendation of the Maitre D and started with a pizza as an appetizer, then each did our own appetizer followed by an entree. Whew! We were stuffed that night. My recommendations are the Margherita pizza (far from the best I've had but we ate all of it), the pasta fagioli soup, and the Pork Saltimbocca. Like the previous nights the presentation was lacking, flavors were average, and quality was spotty. The service however justified the $10 a person price tag.

 

We enjoyed it enough as well to return once more and bring 4 others with us. To break down the food the Carpaccio was average though lacking pizzazz, the calamari was tender but looked like hell, the tomato and mozzarella were delicious, the Ceasar was average though on a positive side it did have an anchovy on it. All entrees lacked presentation, the Farfalle was ok, the seafood fettuccina received rave reviews by my fellow dinners, my Ribeye was very thin and cooked to about medium well when I ordered it rare. The Chicken Parm and Ossobuco were very good but the Pork Saltimbocca was moist, flavorful and strongly recommended. The Cucina Chianiti is worth mentioning even if only to say it was average though a suitable value wine if you would like something with your dinner.

 

Dessert at La Cucina was nice our server was kind enough to fetch a fresh chocolate creme brulee from the main dining room. This one was not soggy and was so tasty another one of my dinner guests politely begged our server for another which he gracefully obliged. From the Cucina menu the Tiramisu was nice, the panna cotta were unique, the flowerless torte was rich and fabulous.

 

On Wednesday we found our way up to Mambos. Now let me preface this with review by saying we had a lot of Margaritas this night and this may have influenced my experience. At $10 a person this was a great value. The meal starts with Chips, Salsa, Guacamole, and a sample margarita. This was some of the best Guacamole I've had in a while, fresh made, chunky and delish.

 

My recommendations would be the Warm Lobster Tacos which were probably the best item I ate on the ship, the Fajitas were good as well however they were not sizzling, and the Quesadilla. Between the 8 of us we tried almost everything and we did not hear a single complaint about anything. Dessert was good as well but I can't give a detailed account as we were about 5 margaritas in at this point. While here I strongly suggest that you enjoy many margaritas. Between 5-8pm you will find $5 margaritas at Mambo's bar so kick back and enjoy.

 

Thursday we had reservations for the Murder Mystery. When booking the event we had high hopes based on some positive reviews we had read throughout the Cruise Critic site. We actually were under the impression that the event sells out rather quickly and we needed to be sure to book our reservations ASAP on the first day. Well without going into excruciating detail about the absurdity of this meal suffice it to say this was the worst $20/pp we spent on the ship.

 

If you are at all inclined to participate in the Murder Mystery let me recommend finding purchasing a game of Clue at $15 and playing that while dining in one of the included dining rooms. I assure you that you will have a far superior time and will have saved yourself the $20/pp. It was so ridiculous that we are aware of at least 20 of the 150 dinners that were unsatisfied and requested their money back. Which is not something NCL had any intention on granting.

 

We made a point to contact our Server, the Maitre D, Guest Services, the F&B Manager, all of which were unwilling to refund our money until we addressed the Hotel Director who within the hour we saw him off the ship had the amount refunded. Thanks Kaj you redeemed NCL Guest Services in my mind.

 

As for the dinner you had only 3 option of Appetizers, 2 options of entrees and 1 selection for dessert which in essence was a HoHo with Cherry Pie filling drizzled atop. I could write a whole review exclusively on the Murder Mystery and may in the future but for now let me simply say Very Disappointing!

 

Friday we dined again at La Cucina for dinner (described above) and did the all you can eat Sushi for lunch $10/pp. Of the 4 of us who were traveling together only 2 of us like Sushi so we left the others to explore the Sushi Arts on the Ship. I must say that I was very impressed. My fellow diner suggested that it was the best Lunch he had enjoyed on the ship. I suggest the Spicy Tuna Roll, the Eel roll, and the Godzilla. I won't get ahead of myself and say it was the best Sushi I've ever had however the quality and presentation surprised me! Make sure as well to enjoy the Green Tea Ice Cream and Cake for dessert!

 

Finally on Saturday we dined at Summer Palace for dinner. That evening the chef's special was some kind of Chicken Breast that was tasty but clearly not too memorable as I can not remember the details. The Spring Roll that was offered that night as well was a huge hit at the table as all 13 of us ordered it once a few had tried it. My personal favorite item that evening however was a Roasted Pepper Soup. The flavors were clean and robust. I could have enjoyed a few extra bowls of that in place of the rest of the meal. By this time I had given up on their menu desserts and chose instead to go with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Simple as it may be it was wonderful.

 

Otherwise throughout the ship I would suggest the Buffet as the place for some of the freshest food prepared on the Ship. I regularly visited the Ice Cream Bar in the Garden Cafe which was stocked with soft serve and a nice selection of hand scooped ice cream. During the mornings it served as a fresh juice bar. While not included in the cruise fare I did enjoy an Orange Carrot Juice one morning which I could have done everyday. The Chocolate buffet was average in my mind however I did arrive late due to the show running long. Blue Lagoon was as the rest of the ships food mediocre but none the less filling.

 

As you can tell from my overview of the restaurants I was less than impressed. To close out the restaurant portion I feel it important to mention that my high expectations came from what I feel is superior quality and presentation on the Carnival ships. My first experience at an "upcharge" restaurant was on Carnival in the Sun Steakhouse. The $25 fee for my meal was worth every penny and I chose to eat there 3 of my 7 days with them. The portions were exceptional, the quality that of Ruth's Chris, and the Presentation was Gourmet all the way. I can I believe fairly say that what you pay for on NCL for their specialty restaurants is not better quality, simply a more intimate setting and possibly more attentive service.

 

Ship Review

The ship however was for me amazing. With 2600 passengers and nearly 1400 crew I have to say there was only once when I felt like I was on a ship with that many people. I attribute the comfortable and never crowded feeling to the ships many rooms and intimate setting. No matter where you were save disembarkation at ports you felt like 1 of only maybe 200 people on the ship.

 

Our first stop was the Pool deck when arriving aboard. Setup on 2 levels with 2 pools and 4 hot tubs it was comfortable and fairly spacious. Overlooking the pool area was Sky Bar & Grill that provided food and drinks in a setting you could approach straight from the pool. As well there was Star Bar which I only made it into once but looked lovely and it also overlooked the pool deck. What surprised me the most was that NCL had a small casino (2 Card Tables) set up on the pool deck. What a great concept even to me who is not a gambler.

 

From there we found our way to Bliss Lounge which was a Plush Ultra Night Club. In Bliss you will find 4 bowling lanes, along with 2 private rooms and the main room complemented with rich looking loungers, couches and beds. It had a very high end Miami club feel. Bliss hosted Karaoke, late night parties, dance lessons, and various other events throughout the cruise.

 

As we continued to explore the ship everything was set up nicely and felt primo. I will say I think this is one of the nicest ships I have been on and I feel the setup and flow of the ship was excellent.

 

Rooms Review

We had an inside Cabin on this sailing. Seeing as we are in the middle of a recession I wanted to spend the money on this ship that we would save on an upgraded cabin. The room was simple and small but the large Mirror made the room open up nicely. The bathroom was one of the most spacious I have experienced on any ship. We as well had the opportunity to visit a Penthouse room, the Owners Suite, and a Balcony Room. The first 2 where amazing the Balcony was quite similar in size and setup of our room.

 

Service Review

The cruise continued and we enjoyed our time at Sea on the way to our first port. The Staff and their service throughout the ship was excellent. After our last terrible staffing experience on the Carnival Destiny it was a refreshing breath of fresh air to have such a positive, upbeat, pleasant, accommodating, caring and all around exceptional staff. Many of the staff went out of their way to remember our names, what we drank, and little details that go a long way. I am a believer that attitude is a reflection of leadership and so to me it is clear the the Captain and upper management on this ship have a positive and customer service attitude as well.

 

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I had intended to include a little more in this review however life got ahold of me. Below is my rating breakdown of the ship & its services. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Ship:* * * *

Freestyling: * * * *

Rooms: * * * *

Food: * * *

Service: * * * * *

Ports: * * * *

Spa: * * *

Activities: * * * *

Shows/Entmt: * * *

 

Best Dining: Mambos

Worst Dining: Murder Mystery

[cruisin07family]

I enjoyed your very thorough review of the ship and dining. Can you add a review of the ports? I've never been to the Western ports and we're considering the Pearl next year.

[Journey11]

Very interesting and informative review. We will sail on the Pearl later his year.

[LucyR.]

Thank you for an excellant review. I took notes. I am so glad you chose to try out the different restaurants. Does Mambo charge a fee and can you order from the main menu too?

 

Is the tipping on your account a service fee or do you still have to do extra tipping. I read somewhere that the service fee is not considered tipping the staff.

 

I used to love the free Murder Mystery game. I don't mind eating lousy food for that game. My question is.... was the game fun or lousy? It must have been lousy since most of you asked for your money back.

$20. dollars is a lot of money for lousy food and for the game especially if you get a group of people who don't really get into the acting parts of each person.

 

When I played the Murder Mystery game in 2007.... it was a wonderful game because everybody was willing to participate with a lot of acting.

I had so much fun. It was free too.

I am not willing to pay the $20. dollars if people are going to get upset over the lousy food. I loved that game. I will not pay the extra money unless NCL gives people a better dinner menu.

 

I have always loved the Blue Lagoon. I wonder if the food level has gone downhill. I plan to be prepared if it does. I used to enjoy eating there.

 

I am cruising solo on the Pearl soon. Nervous Nelly

[boca7]

Thank you for taking the time out for your experience which will be helpful in our Thanksgiving week cruise. We will be celebrating 50th Ann with a group of 20, would you suggest a specialty rest or just going to reg dining room to celebrate. I also read a comment that their are early bird prices in spec rest, is this true?

[wittyfellow]

Welcome back. Thanks so much for your review and details on the various restaurants. My partner and I will be on the Pearl in May for our first Alaska cruise and our first NCL cruise. We've been a bit worried about the quality of meals on NCL (X, HAL, and Silversea cruises prior) but it seems there are lots of options to be had, and the sushi was fresh.

 

I'm also glad to hear that the service was up to par. How did you find the overall crowd situation? And your take on entertainment and CD's staff?

 

Thanks again for the review.