VERY DISAPPOINTED with Feb 8 sailing aboard Pearl - will not sail NCL again!

[MakinMemries]

Sorry for the long review, but I wanted to share our opinion - for what it's worth - with others. Nothing is truly 100% bad, so I've tried to be impartial and have included the good as well. My background: Female age 47 travelling with husband 49 and son 20. We have been on five previous cruises: 1 with a private firm; 3 with Carnival; 1 with Princess. We are not particularly “sporty”; son enjoys group activities with others his age; we are not the “relax on the beach type” but would rather sightsee all day. We like plenty of onboard activities, games and shows – good food. We enjoy both a formal and casual atmosphere, truly go with the flow of things and are not general complainers.

We were hoping to take advantage of NCL’s new “Freestyle” services, but must say that were rather disappointed with our holiday for a number of reasons. NCL advertised that there were a range of age groups, but we found that during early February the average age seemed to be 70+.

Cabin – Since we spend so much time out and about the ship, we always chose an interior stateroom. Our cabin was only slightly smaller than our previous cruise cabins, however, the bathroom was larger. The shower stall was the largest we’d ever seen. For you large body types, I can image some difficulty fitting onto the toilet. Our’s was on a slight angle and for anyone with a large behind or long legs, you may experience some difficulty fitting into the allotted space. Tall or wide people may have to do their business sitting sideways on the seat. Other reviews have mentioned that they experienced problems with shower water drainage, but we had no such difficulty. There was always plenty of hot water and good drainage. The ceiling vents worked very well and there were no problems with excessive steam from the bathroom setting off smoke detectors ( This happens on many Carnival ships.). Shampoo and liquid soap is provided, but I would suggest you bring a bar of soap, since we found the liquid soap to be rather slippery and difficult to wash off one’s skin. The cabin includes a coffee machine, stocked fridge, LCD television. Beware of the mirror…. It’s slightly concave and we were shocked to see ourselves prior to this realization thinking we’d all already gained 20 lbs!

Ship’s Décor – All ships we’ve previously been on have had a décor theme…not the Pearl. It seems a different individual designed each room and no-one could decide what to do. You will find an elegant Summer Palace Dining Room fashioned after Russia’s Wintergarden Palace; a modern Indigo Dining Room; a Casino that looks like a circus carnival where a clown has thrown up colours; lotus flowers are painted on outdoor parts of the ship along with city landscapes.

The Pearl does not have a traditional grand central lobby, but rather a two-storey area housing a giant screen. The Nintendo Wii game is played here a short while each day, but there is very little seating to use the screen for anything more. There is a coffee shop, Java Café, in the central lobby which serves specialty coffees – for extra charge.

We found manoeuvring onboard difficult due to the many dead ends we encountered. Moving from one part of the ship to the other was often bothersome because inevitably you would run into a specialty restaurant placed smack dab in the way of walking across a deck. One then needs to either go up or down a floor to get around the restaurant. The swimming fish on the carpets of the cabin hallways were helpful – just remember that the fish are swimming toward the front of the ship.

THE GOOD:

Embarkation -- was the quickest we’d ever experienced. The staff was super efficient and very friendly.

Disembarkation -- was also just as excellent. We chose to use the self carry out option where if you can carry all your own luggage, and you don’t have to put your bags in the hallway the night before. As soon as the ship is cleared on your last morning (7:30 a.m. for us), you can walk off the ship. We were expecting crowded hallways and jammed elevators, but this was not the case.

Embarkation day - Rooms were promised for 2 p.m. but were ready much earlier.

Shopping -- Options onboard are typical – a jewellery store, a souvenir store selling t-shirts, liquors, costume jewellery, gold and silver by the inch, etc.

Music – The “Caribbean Vibes” were good, better than other typical cruise bands playing around the pool area. Kenosis did a good job livening up the dance floor. Our favourite was the “Trio los Hernandez” - excellent for easy listening.

Entertainment/Shows – Although some of the shows were a little on the short side, we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed all the evening shows. Special mention should go to the magician Richard Burr and wife Josette, the comedy of Hal Spear, and the variety show of Jeff Trachta. We would rate the evening shows as probably the best of any cruise.

Rock Climbing – A fun event for all ages. There are three paths for one to try: easy, medium and hard. The climbing staff are very friendly, fun and helpful. My only surprise was that NCL didn’t charge extra for this.

Food -- Free Ice cream available almost all day and evening – no extra charge! We enjoyed all our breakfasts and lunches at the Garden Café which offered a large selection of food choices. In fact, I can’t think of a single breakfast item that was not available! This was the first ship that offered fresh blueberries and eggs Benedict every single day! Beware, the outdoor breakfasts and lunches served in the Great Outdoors had no where near the same selection as the indoor buffet. The chocolate chip and nut cookies served in the evening buffet are fabulous !!!!

Shore Excursions – If you have not booked your shore excursions prior to embarkation, consider doing so immediately upon boarding. The excursions sold out quickly, but the staff was very accommodating putting us on waiting lists. In less than a few hours the same first day, all our tours were confirmed. We enjoyed and would highly recommend: Samana Caves & Mangroves Exploration; any ATV adventure; and the Barbados Atlantis Submarine.

Surprising - The Bliss Lounge is a surprising place that conjures up images of Arabian tents filled with large beds and fluffy pillows. Do people lay about and drink here? There are private rooms than can be curtained off for privacy. Off to the side of the lounge is the bowling alley available for an extra fee per game. The Bliss Lounge is off limits in the evening to those under 21 since here you will find adult “shadow dancing” (a woman dancing seductively behind a shaded screen) and one fun evening for women when the male “Shipendale” dancers strut their stuff.

The Pearl has a very friendly Captain Sverre Sovdsnes, who regularly made announcements concerning the ship’s location, the weather, pointing out whale sightings near the Dominican port, etc. always wishing us a “smashing day”. Deck 11 Forward, Port side has an interesting bridge viewing room.

THE BAD:

If you are a karaoke fan, you will find limited singing opportunities. There are some designated times at the Spinnaker Lounge, but there is no dedicated lounge for karaoke as on other ships.

Events advertised in “Freestyle Cruising” daily were not attended by entertainment crew – Eg. An advertised hockey game on the sports deck. I can understand if no-one is interested and there isn’t a game, but no-one from the crew even showed up to bring hockey sticks or to see if anyone wanted to play.

The entertainment staff has incomprehensible rules regarding putting away sports equipment strictly at 5 p.m. We can understand closing the basketball court because it makes noise for the downstairs restaurant but why close the shuffleboard so early WHILE people are in the middle of playing ?! People wanted to play outdoor chess, but that as well had to be immediately locked up at 5 ?! These rules are just plain silly and make no sense?

Who made up the vacuuming schedule so that the stairways on deck 10 were always vacuumed at 2:30 a.m. waking up those in the cabins close by? Could this not be rescheduled? Speaking of vacuuming, although the cabin looked clean, we dropped something on the floor and found all kinds of dust and dirt underneath the beds and in the corners under the tables. It’s clear that vacuuming is done only in the middle of the room and never in the corners.

We were disappointed with the restaurant opening and closing times. Although the Blue Lagoon is open 24 hours, this is a sit-down place where you have to order off the menu. The Great Outdoors is generally open also (9:30 to midnight) but the food selection in the evening is VERY poor! It’s obviously they are only serving what is left over from the dinner buffet or burgers. There were rarely any desserts left. The evening buffets on other cruise lines are far superior!

Speaking of superior buffets, other cruise lines have a “special” midnight buffet featuring ice sculptures, fancy tortes, elaborate food decorations all of which NCL has decided to forego, replacing this with a “chocolate buffet” instead. Although lovely, this was quite a disappointment. The buffet was also set up poorly in the Garden Cafe…passengers didn’t notice that the buffet repeated and walked around and around not realizing that they were looking at a repeat selection of chocolate….this caused much crowding and bumping which could easily be avoided by offering this at a different venue. Also, the timing of this event was poor…most people were out at shows and not able to participate.

The dinner food selection in the main ”free” dining rooms was inferior to other cruise lines. NCL has removed the lobster and crab dinners, escargots, etc. – replacing instead with an inferior seafood plate – very disappointing! Although one finally realized one could ask for larger portions, the initial amount of salad and food given during dinner was very small. Why is it not pointed out that you can order more? Or something not on the menu? Eg. Baked potatoe? We also found it strange that we were never asked if we wanted coffee with dessert.

We found the desserts to be incredibly poor quality. With a German chef one would think he’d do a marvellous job with the cakes, tortes and pastries. The mousse cakes tasted fake, and there was a very limited selection. The only thing we enjoyed of the desserts were the baked bread puddings. Other cruise lines have offered fabulous tortes with real whipped cream and butter frostings – tables laden with dozens and dozens of torte selections feature sugar sculptures and fruits - NCL’s selection was truly disappointing and almost non existent.

One evening the Cruise Director made a big deal out of inviting everyone to an “spectacular” outdoor party saying it was going to be the best party of the entire cruise. Again, what a disappointment, there was music and some people dancing, a “Miss NCL” contest, but that was all. Again, other cruise lines have deck parties that include decorations, streamers, food, hours of games and dancing. This was very disappointing and not even worth going to.

Is NCL overworking their cabin stewards? On all other cruise lines the room stewards introduce themselves and have a little time to chat each day. We never did meet who was cleaning our room for 9 days. Perhaps he has just too many rooms to look after?

Our entire party felt that there was way too much emphasis placed on the “specialty” restaurants; too much advertising for them by the cruise director and in the “Freestyle Daily”. It seems obvious to us that NCL has decided to lower the “free” food offered as part of the cruise to entice passengers to dine at the specialty restaurants to increase their profits.

If you have made a “no shorts” rule concerning dining rooms, why are these not enforced? People dressed truly as slobs with shorts stained with suntan lotion and sandals and were allowed into dining rooms. The computer boards meant to track how full each dining room and specialty restaurant was did not seem to work. The screens showed green with seats available while a long line stood waiting outside the door.

The dining room menus presented to us every evening were stained leaving a very poor and unprofessional impression. We noticed that these menus were not printed, but rather photocopied. How hard is it to place a clean photocopy between the covers? Not very appealing to have gravy and greased stained menus!

Although we knew that this was NCL’s policy in advance, we have learned that we truly do not like the “dress up or not” policy concerning formal evenings. Some people wore tux’s and evening gowns and sat next to others truly dressed poorly. It really ruined the evenings for us.

Our 20-year-old found the daily posted “schedule of events” lacking and found himself with nothing to do. If you didn’t gamble, have someone to dance with, or buy art, there wasn’t much else during the day. We found other cruise lines to have more daily events like pool games, volleyball, more trivia games, etc.

Although the “main” shows were very good, the timing of evening entertainment should be examined. Other cruise lines schedule main shows and smaller events so that one can attend everything. We found it difficult to get a seat in the dining room during peak periods and found ourselves constantly in lines, defeating the purpose of “freestyle”. We had to eat at peak periods in order to see as many shows as possible!

If you have never cruised before, you will enjoy your NCL experience. If you have had other cruises to compare this one to, you will probably be disappointed. Our opinion is that NCL is marketing their cruises appealing to vacationers with their lower price point. I would imagine that rather than raising their prices to offer fancier food selections, nicer parties, all the extras we’ve come to expect, they have decided to do away with a number of offerings presenting instead their specialty restaurants so that those who want higher end choices, can pay for them. This is a “basic” cruise for a “basic lower end” price.

Call them what they are “tips” for the crew or on NCL’s terms “service charges”, NCL does allow you to adjust their services charges, either reducing or removing them entirely. I am thankful that they allowed me to decide for myself who and with what amount I wished to reward someone.

[2fingers]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. :) Have a nice day. :) :) :)

[ntune]

No arguments from me, but you will get lots from others, probably people that have not cruised on NCL in a few months. When they next do, it might be another story when they see what has changed and how NCL has obviously cut back on a lot of things, including quality and service.

 

Our trip on the Dawn, at the same time as yours, sounds familiar (a couple of reviews are posted on these boards). One person posted that she would be happy if they delivered McD's burgers in a bag to her room three times a day. Well, in retrospect, we would have, too. At least those are edible. We never did figure out what the mystery seafood dish in the dining room was. Obviously, it was meant to be served cold, as was everything else.

 

Like you, there were many good things about our cruise (mostly because we made it that way) and we had a great time. But we are spending our money next year on another cruise line, in hopes of getting something more than substandard food and service.

[newmexicoNita]

Glad you took the time to write such a detailed review. others who have sailed at the same time have different opinions, but you have every right to yours. There are reasons for so many cruiselines, what fits one person doesn't another. Good luck with your future cruising, whatever line you choose.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

No arguments from me, but you will get lots from others, probably people that have not cruised on NCL in a few months. When they next do, it might be another story when they see what has changed and how NCL has obviously cut back on a lot of things, including quality and service.

 

Our trip on the Dawn, at the same time as yours, sounds familiar (a couple of reviews are posted on these boards). One person posted that she would be happy if they delivered McD's burgers in a bag to her room three times a day. Well, in retrospect, we would have, too. At least those are edible. We never did figure out what the mystery seafood dish in the dining room was. Obviously, it was meant to be served cold, as was everything else.

 

Like you, there were many good things about our cruise (mostly because we made it that way) and we had a great time. But we are spending our money next year on another cruise line, in hopes of getting something more than substandard food and service.

too bad you are mentioning how things have changed in the past few months on NCL but you have never cruised them before. Why would you make a comparison when you don't know anything about it?

 

If I understand you and I have read all your postings you have only cruised Carnival. I just want to say, "there is nothing like the first cruise" it is like the first anything. We have all been there. I remember our first cruise, It was a small, now defunk line with 2 old ships. That didn't make any difference, everything was perfect. About a year later we did our second cruise. What a disappointment though we too, had a great time. It just wasn't like the first one.

 

I do hope your next cruise is as good as your first.

 

Nita

[lazydaz]

We were hoping to take advantage of NCL’s new “Freestyle” services, but must say that were rather disappointed with our holiday for a number of reasons. NCL advertised that there were a range of age groups, but we found that during early February the average age seemed to be 70+.

 

 

Many seniors save a long time for their cruise - should NCL tell us we are in the wrong age group? Would you feel that way if your parents were travelling with you?

[ntune]

too bad you are mentioning how things have changed in the past few months on NCL but you have never cruised them before. Why would you make a comparison when you don't know anything about it?

 

If I understand you and I have read all your postings you have only cruised Carnival. I just want to say, "there is nothing like the first cruise" it is like the first anything. We have all been there. I remember our first cruise, It was a small, now defunk line with 2 old ships. That didn't make any difference, everything was perfect. About a year later we did our second cruise. What a disappointment though we too, had a great time. It just wasn't like the first one.

 

I do hope your next cruise is as good as your first.

 

Nita

 

 

New to these boards, not cruising.

 

Again, giving my opinions, just like everyone else. Sorry they don't match yours.

[Mooder]

Thanks, MaknMemories, for the detailed review. I really appreciate you including the positive as well as the negataive. My favorite cruise experience was on the Pearl so I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy it as much as I did. Good luck with your next one!!!

[BeachBumMama]

Sorry you were disappointed. I've recently read raving reviews about this sailing, so it just goes to show how much people differ. Personally, I'm not all into tons of activities (one of your complaints), I'm there to enjoy myself on my own terms. And I'm not saying that to be disagreeable with your review, I only say that to point out that all cruisers have different preferences which are important to them. You certainly have a right to be disappointed if that's important to you.:)

 

You didn't mention anything about how you liked the itinerary and the ports you visited. I take this to mean you are a cruiser who is more into the 'ship' and not the 'trip'. Maybe that isn't the case, and not that there's anything wrong with that, some people cruise only to be on the ship and don't even get off at ports. For me personally, the ship is merely a 'means of transportation' and as long as it gives me a comfortable room, the facilities to let me have a good time on my own, and good food, which I've always found somewhere, I'm a happy camper. Food is such a subjective issue to one's likes and dislikes I don't put much stock into someone's opinion of it. Again, I'm not trying to be disagreable because you didn't care for the food, what is appealing to different people are different things.

 

The time of year you sail, no matter what ship you cruise on, has a lot to do with the demographics of the people on board. You said the average age was about 70+, which is typical for this time of year. Had you gone in July, it would have been a ship full of families. Because this was so, this probably had alot to do with the activities that didn't pan out and the 'Spectacular' outdoor party you said was so disappointing. The ship and crew can't control or force people to be there, its the passengers that make these things fun. And because of the age of the passengers on this sailing, well, it just didn't pan out. Be disappointed in all the activities that didn't pan out, but you must know that this certainly isn't the ships fault. They try, but the 70+ age cruisers just weren't into it.:o

 

Again, no matter what ship or cruise line you sail, the average age of the ship will have much to do with how successful the activites, parties and such are. You might want to make this a factor in choosing your next cruise and the time of year you sail. Any ship is going to be alot more active in this department with sailings June - September.

 

We all have our expectations, I'm sorry yours weren't met. Have a wonderful trip next time.:)

[smeyer418]

each cruise is different. We just got off a 10 day on Feb 16 I guess that counts as early February and a long cruise and the age range was much lower...I would say it averaged about 45. I do think what you do on the ship does make a difference.

 

To the OP I see nothing in your review about bad service...only that your room stewards didn't introduce themselves.

 

It seems you were very happy with all the food except dinner, and I agree you shouldn't have to go to the pay restaurants for good(not great) food.

 

As for the midnight buffets....they are an enormous waste of food. The vast majority of us don't eat that late even when we were 20.

 

I like the new Blue Lagoon better than the old one. Its more like a coffee shop and not a snack bar but some people of course prefer the latter than the former.

 

I do think its hardest for the cruise lines for 20 years old. They don't know most of the time what they want anyway. They don't want to be in a formal(kids!) program and the adult stuff is still not what they want to do. They can't go the Casino and their drinking is limited. I wonder how the other lines handle it...Sometimes they have to make their own friends and play.

 

Thanks for the review....but as you state sometimes a cruise line is just not for you.

 

BTW as for the 3 am vacuuming, I would have called someone. They need to do it sometimes and unless their is a complaint I am sure they think that 3 am is fine.

 

I was just off the Gem and I thought the food quality and service had improved over the last few years.

[Cruisin'cockney]

Always disappointing to read negative reviews - especially a month before travelling on the same boat myself! However, I am comforted by the fact that there were many good points and the bad points focussed on a lot of areas that are unimportant to us. Also, this review shows how 2 people's experiences can be completely different from each other even tho' they were on the same boat at the same time. ClairDavid's review http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38268 of the same trip was glowing in it's tributes and many of the negative points raised by the OP were completely refuted! :confused: I quote:

 

"This is one of the best ships we have sailed on, the most state of the art, smoothest, with the friendliest staff we have ever encountered. We are completely spoiled now by freestyle dining - don't know how we'll ever return to the traditional set times. And thanks to this board, we met some really terrific people".

 

I guess I'll just have to make my own mind up.

[smeyer418]

New to these boards, not cruising.

 

Again, giving my opinions, just like everyone else. Sorry they don't match yours.

I am thoroughly confused by your posts. Do you cruise NCL? Have you cruised it more than once? Or are you just basing your opinion on the postings of others.

[RachieLnnn]

I am glad to hear that you had no major complaints about service (besides the fact that the room steward didn't introduce himself).

 

In light of this, I was wondering why you would want to alter your auto-tips? :confused:

[Mooder]

However' date=' I am comforted by the fact that there were many good points and the bad points focussed on a lot of areas that are unimportant to us. [/quote']

 

This is exactly why I enjoy and appreciate all DETAILED reviews. It is just like movie critics if they tell me why they didn't like a film and it is something unimportant to me (like it wasn't as good as the foreign language original I will never see), then I know I will still like it even if it gets a thumbs down. What disappoint me are only reviews that say everything was horrible. I don't know what another person thinks is horrible. Maybe someone is disappointed that they didn't meet their room steward, I don't care either way. Maybe someone hates that the people were in their 70's and the parties were quiet, I am thrilled I won't have the noise and chaos associated with cruises populated with children (I love children, I am just making a point). I care a lot about the shows, and other people have never gone to one. I agree with you that this is the beauty of these boards - there is so much to learn from everyone. I hope you have a fantastic cruise, Cruisin'Cockney, and I will be truly thankful if you post a detailed review when you return.

[newmexicoNita]

We were hoping to take advantage of NCL’s new “Freestyle” services, but must say that were rather disappointed with our holiday for a number of reasons. NCL advertised that there were a range of age groups, but we found that during early February the average age seemed to be 70+.

 

 

Many seniors save a long time for their cruise - should NCL tell us we are in the wrong age group? Would you feel that way if your parents were travelling with you?

Anyone who judges the age of cruisers by those sailing in early Feb knows nothing about cruisng. Of course the ships will be filled with seniors, even Carnival. it is the time of year for us to cruise and to the person making a statement, "the average age was 70 plus" know little about cruising. The average age of any line is younger than that. We were on princess a month ago, i never saw so many walkers, people using oxygen and people with canes, still the average age was probably mid 50s to 60. Let those who want to cruise with the 20 somethings find a line that is geared to them. BTW, NCL is known for having one of the best age range at sea, followed by RCI.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

New to these boards, not cruising.

 

Again, giving my opinions, just like everyone else. Sorry they don't match yours.

I wasn't trying to start anything or questioning you except if you haven't cruised NCL before you really can't compare what they were like a few months ago with what they are like today. that was my only point. That is why I asked you the question.

 

Nita

[riz]

I'll start this by saying that opinions on everything are relative - and I do enjoy hearing differing opinions of the same event or place.

 

I was on this cruise and had a great time....was it perfect ?...of course not but we still enjoyed ourselves.

 

I appreciate the OP's review and know that everyone has a different expectation from their cruise and unfortunately this cruise did not meet theirs.

 

The one point I do want to address is the age group on this particular cruise. We are in our 30's and truly felt all ages were represented quite evenly - both the young crowd and the older crowd.

[greywillow]

I wasn't trying to start anything or questioning you except if you haven't cruised NCL before you really can't compare what they were like a few months ago with what they are like today. that was my only point. That is why I asked you the question.

Nita, ntune has had one NCL cruise--on Dawn--and ended the negative review with the usual: "We love cruising and will definitely be going again, but not on NCL."

 

Despite this statement, however, ntune continues to frequent the NCL board, seeking out and reinforcing every negative review posted here in what appears to be some kind of personal crusade. One can only wonder the point of doing so over and over and over.

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for the review. I thought it was a balanced review. You seem to be a very detail-oriented person. I agree that NCL is not the cruiseline for the person who wants every little detail perfect. . .NCL is more for the "big picture" type of client. I think your review will be very helpful to those who are considering freestyle cruising and are not sure if it is right for them. There is a cruiseline for everyone, that is why it is important to read the various opinions to make an informed decision.

[Seago2]

When is NCL going to step up to the plate and stop trying to save money on dessert? Most of it is squares of sweetened, air-filled Crisco or dry cake with tasteless frosting and sour cherries.

 

Nita- I might not be an expert in cruising or a TA like you are but I CAN speak for the way my own NCL cruises changed from year to year. I'm not saying it's a total downward trajectory, but it is a change and there is nothing wrong with speaking up about that. NCL print ads and commercials make it clear that they are catering to a family or young adult set (40's), not 70 year olds. HAL brochures always come with some grey haired people in tuxes on them, so you figure: seniors. So if I wwas on a NCL cruise with a bunch of 70 year olds I would definitely mention it in my review- not as a complaint, but as part of the over all mise en scene of the experience.

 

Thanks for your review, OP. It was very well written and balanced, IMHO.

[kmacht]

Ok, I know that this is completely unrelated but you mentioned it in your review and it has always bugged me. Why are the fish on the floor swimming towards the front of the ship. If the ship is moving through the water shouldn't the fish be facing the back?

 

Keith

[Toyz711]

it's a directional thing...all the ships have something, to help keep the passengers from getting lost.

on the star, the cabins on the port side are red, on the starboard side they are blue. on the spirit, the aft, mid and foreward elevators areas have different color carpets. (i think it was blue for aft, red for mid and green for foreward...but i didn't pay that much attention)

on most ships, when you walk down the hallways...the carpet changes as you go into a different area.

[mbisson]

Ok, I know that this is completely unrelated but you mentioned it in your review and it has always bugged me. Why are the fish on the floor swimming towards the front of the ship. If the ship is moving through the water shouldn't the fish be facing the back?

 

Keith

 

Now why couldn't a fish swim in the same direction the ship is going? ;)

 

It's just something to direct people so they know which way is forward & which is aft (and once they know that they can deduce port & starboard). If it were meant to represent real life, the fish would be facing every direction imaginable (and then I wouldn't know which way to crawl to my stateroom)

[tortugas]

for the very detailed review. I was relieved to note that most of the things that disappointed the OP are not of concern to me, but none the less, I have found that being prepared for some of the "disappointments" helps me handle it better. At this point, in preparing for my Pearl cruise next month, I kind of am expecting the food to be less than fab. If that's the case, I've budgeted for more of the "paid" specialty restaurants, and we plan to enjoy as much local food as possible in port. If by chance, the "free" food is good, I will be so surprised and excited!

 

It's worth noting that in the 10-something years since I've started cruising, the food seems to be getting steadily worse. But then I ask myself, is that because I started cruising when I was younger and easily delighted by a steady diet of burgers, fries and pizza, so it all seemed great? Where as now I am used to a wider array of more fancy foods? It's hard to say. But like someone said earlier, nothing compares to the first cruise!!

 

Anyway, thanks again for posting!!

[Tai Mai Shu]

Its nice that the cruise lines try to make traversing around a little easier for those that are "direction impared" On RCCL, they even have the day of the week on the elevator floors. I think they have elves change it every night at the stroke of midnight. I've never seen them being changed, it's amazing!

(It doesn't take alot to keep me amused :))