NCL Pearl Alaska reviews needed!!

[WesC]

What was your favorite dining experience? Favorite show? On-board activity? Viewing point during Glacier Bay Cruise? Thanks!!

[Toyz711]

some recent reviews have been posted on the NCL board

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

[FLAlaska]

If anyone has any input as to onboard activites, I would really love to hear them, especially as compared to the Princess ships.

 

Thanks

[ute_fan]

I haven't been on Princess, so I'm not help with comparisons. I will say that we thought the activity selection onboard the Pearl was pretty weak -- and from reading the reviews of those who traveled the same week we did, that feeling was pretty mutual.

 

There were the normal nightly shows, which I didn't attend many of. After sailing on 5 NCL ships in the past 4 years, they're all starting to seem very repetitive. There was a Jean Ann Ryan show, which combined the music of some strange bedfellows, IMO. I just couldn't seem to get very excited about Frank Sinatra, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake :eek: . One night was Garden of the Geisha -- an acrobatic show. My DH and traveling companions enjoyed it, but I wasn't interested. There were a couple of the magician/illusionist/juggler type shows (not home, so I don't have the dailies handy and don't remember for sure what they were), and a performance by Second City. Most of their non-improv routines were the same ones I'd seen on the Jewel in November, and I slept through part of it.

 

They did a Not-so-newlywed show, which was funny (as usual), but I think they need to hold it in a larger venue. They do it in Spinnaker lounge, and there isn't enough seating. I didn't notice any other "game show" type events, which we've normally enjoyed watching, and was disappointed about the lack of such events. They had a class in towel animals and some trivia contests, but they tended to held at times that conflicted with our eating schedule. Bingo existed, in it's overpriced NCL format, so we didn't participate. The bowling alley was fun (we participated in a contest with our cruise critic guests), and I never did make it back to Bliss for the Karaoke.

 

If I'd been on a different itinerary other than Alaska, I might have been more bothered. As it was, I was content to sit on the promenade deck, or in the library, and gaze at the passing scenery and watch for whales.

 

PS -- I do have a review posted in the "reviews" section, if you're interested in more information.

[brunolvr]

What was your favorite dining experience? Favorite show? On-board activity? Viewing point during Glacier Bay Cruise? Thanks!!

 

Take a look here for member reviews of the Pearl:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=378

[Budget Queen]

I ate at Mambos, Le Bistro and Cagneys. All very good.

 

In my opinion, the Pearl has the worse crappy front deck viewing for Glacier Bay (along with all the other times). Better was side viewing from deck 7 on the port side. But for my priorities, this wasn't the ship for me.

 

I don't do any shows and don't care, my show is Alaska- outside. :)