Norwegian Pearl

Great itinerary, port intensive but sometimes not enough time in the port when you arrive late afternoon or leave mid afternoon. Crew very friendly, professional and happy to make your stay as perfect as they can. We had an inside cabin as thought in May we wouldn’t sit on the balcony as early mornings it would be too cold and we were correct the sun didn’t really warm till late morning which was perfect timing to leave the ship. The room was fine with plenty closet space and under bed storage for cases. The bathroom showed signs that this was an older ship, you couldn’t fill the sink, one shelf was loose and awkward to use but the shower was great with a sliding door and liquid soap & shampoo. Bed wasn’t too comfortable due to the mattress topper not zipped into position and moving all over the bed making turning over very very uncomfortable. Mattresses not the best either, I’ve had much better nights sleep in a Premier Inn. Restaurants were all exceptional especially the specialty ones. We preferred the Indigo to the Summer Palace main dining rooms for dinner. More intimate and staff were more attentive. Food was exactly the same but more efficient all round. We mostly had breakfast in the main restaurant (Palace) and this varied each time with regards service and getting our correct order but maybe lost in translation! The food in all areas of the ship was of a great standard and what ever time you returned to the ship after an excursion there was somewhere open to eat. The entertainment from the resident theatre troop, singers and dancers was exceptional and very professional indeed, their ‘Extravaganza’ last show would give Strictly Come Dancing’ a run for their money! The resident 4 piece band ‘Funky Boots’ were amazing playing in venues across the ship and one night in the theatre. We were out of the school holidays so only saw one or two children on the cruise but the other guests seemed to be American or Australian only a few British guests in comparison. This isn’t a problem but and for us it was a big but, the Americans generally prefer a casual dress code and I think in the dinning rooms during the evenings they were dressed for lunch. Although listed as smart casual with no caps or flip flops this was not the case. Disappointed that the standard of dress for evening meal in all restaurants was not adhered to. Saw flip flops base ball caps beach shorts & t-shirts and generally quite scruffy turnouts. There is the buffet option on an evening if, quite frankly guests don’t want to make a little effort. There was probably an average age for this cruise of about 70-80 which I found strange given the amount of port days and access in and out of the port areas needing a good pair of legs or ability to get on and off a coach. Staff were great with disabilities and had plenty of access to wheelchairs. Embarkation and disembarkation was flawless and very quick due to pre check-in before arrival at the port.

Chose an outside cabin, was not disappointed, plenty of storage and a decent size room, also a very quiet area, no noise from outside room. Good choice of bars and restaurants, excellent buffet with good choice of food. We particularly enjoyed the outside bar at the back of the ship and also had our breakfast there too, the range of food was good and an added bonus was staff bringing around fresh coffee and pastries while we were sat at our table. Overall a great cruise itinerary.

A very enjoyable cruise, crew were very attentive, food in all restaurants we tried was excellent, and the entertainment was very good apart from one act who we found very boring,( not only us as when she was on the venue was rather sparse of audience members

The itinerary was very good but all port side services were poor, compared to other cruise lines docked at the same time or our previous cruise experience, tendering services were very slow, especially when in Zakinthos where we had to wait for hours to get off and back on the ship. When in Mykonos and Corfu, the shuttle bus services were disorganised from NCL whereas it was well signposted and staffed by P&O. The shuttle bus service was free for P&O but chargeable at $20 per head for NCL. The entertainment was only average except the production shows and magic man at the theatre. The cabin housekeeping was only provided once a day instead of two. We had to pull out the bed for the fourth person every night except for the first night and the Pullman bed was never put away for the whole duration so the cabin was not usable for chilling during the day. The excursions were extremely expensive and didn’t present value for money overall. The food was good but the presentation was not as good as other cruise lines we had been on before. However, the freedom dining did provide a relaxing experience. There was no self service launderette on board which was a surprise. The cabin space was ok for four people sleeping and getting changed and the separate shower and toilet was a plus point. The embarkation and disembarkation processes were both smooth. We booked two nights extra in Athens and Venice via Igloo and they were both very good value for money and the location of both hotels were convenient for sightseeing. The taxi transfers between ports, hotels and airports all worked very well. The agent who helped us book the extras was very knowledgeable and helpful. His suggestions had made a big positive difference to our experience. Thank you.