Norwegian Pearl Ship Review

The 2006-built Norwegian Pearl at sea. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

In the year 2000, NCL decided that cruising had become too stuffy, so it began redesigning its onboard programs and its ships to be more casual, down-to-earth, and just plain fun. The 93,502-ton, 2,394-guest Norwegian Pearl and her Jewel-class sister ships are the direct result of that makeover. Launched in 2006, Pearl is everything a mainstream American megaship should be, offering a festive atmosphere, great entertainment, a slew of restaurants, awesome children’s centers, fun decor, fantastic suites, and comfortable standard staterooms, all at a fair price.

On Pearl’s bow, a festive string of pearls is painted on the hull, flowing back like a scarf — a playful touch that was designed to say, “Hey! Come aboard. We have fun in here.”

Click for deck plans and deals on Norwegian Pearl.

Public Rooms & Entertainment On Norwegian Pearl

Located high atop on Deck 13, the Star Bar is a scenic watering hole. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Inside, the mood continues from the moment you come aboard, with fantasy furniture and artwork in the atrium lobby, an explosion of bright island colors in both the public rooms and accommodations, and a dash of contemporary and art deco styling in some of her fancier restaurants and lounges. Top of the wow pyramid is the Bliss Ultra Lounge, a moody nightclub full of velvet curtains, super-plush sofas and daybeds, dozens of TV screens for visual mood-setting, and four 10-pin bowling lanes to create one of the most modern hipster night spots at sea. Farther forward, the multi-deck Stardust Theater seats 1,000 guests for some of the best production shows in the cruise world, as well as performances by the great Second City comedy troupe.

Up on Deck 13, the Spinnaker observation lounge hosts late-night music and dancing. More intimate, low-volume socializing takes place at midships on Deck 6, where three themed bars are clustered together, one specializing in beer and whiskey, one in martinis and cocktails, and one in champagne. Other public rooms include a large casino, a reading room, a library, an Internet center, a wedding chapel, and a coffee bar.

Just For Kids On Norwegian Pearl

Kids are sure to enjoy the enormous waterslide on Norwegian Pearl. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Kids get a huge, bright play area outfitted with cozy TV rooms, a huge climbing maze, and great crafts, play, and computer areas. There’s also a small play area outdoors. Teens get their own hangout space called the Metro Center.

Dining On Norwegian Pearl

A dinnertime, guests can choose among 12 different restaurants:

• The main Tsar’s Palace and Azura dining rooms
• Le Bistro, the most formal restaurant onboard, serving French and continental cuisine
• Chin Chin, for Asian food
• The Teppanyaki Room, where chefs prepare your meal at a tableside grill, Japanese style
• A sushi bar
• Cagney’s, a classic steakhouse with an attached, 1930s-style bar for cocktails before or after dinner
• Mama’s, serving casual, family-style Italian meals at long tables
• Tango’s Tapas Bar
• The Garden Cafe buffet restaurant
• The casual Blue Lagoon, serving comfort food 24 hours a day
• And, added in 2011, a new South American–style steakhouse called Moderno Churrascaria, where servers circulate among the tables with a huge selection of grilled meats

There are also the usual outdoor grills and indoor snack spots during the day, plus room service, and you can even order pizza 24 hours a day for $5 per pie, delivered to you anywhere on the ship.

Pools, Fitness & Fun On Norwegian Pearl

Kick back and relax in the sumptuous spa aboard Norwegian Pearl. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Outdoors, Pearl’s resort-like pool deck is hedged to port and starboard by a row of palm-tree-shaped street lamps, while a large, Bermuda-style gazebo bandstand sits in the center, among two pools, four hot tubs, and a two-story corkscrew waterslide. Up in the bow on that same deck is the ship’s amazing spa, with its multiple treatment rooms, saunas, beauty salon, and calming relaxation center with its own aquatherapy pool. A large fitness center is next door, and there’s a jogging track and a basketball/volleyball court outside.

Staterooms & Suites On Norwegian Pearl

Standard staterooms are comfortable if not plush, decorated in bright fabrics and woody paneling and accents. Furniture tends to be a bit spindly and insubstantial, but overall the rooms are pleasant and livable, with TVs, minibars, well-designed bathrooms, and, in about half the outside cabins, smallish but acceptable private balconies. Outsides range from about 160 to 205 square feet.

At the high end, Pearl offers 11 different categories of suites, many of them in its “The Haven by Norwegian” first-class section. Top of the heap is the incredible Garden Villa, with its three separate bedrooms, living room, dining room, and private garden. Most distinctive are the two-bedroom, 572-square-foot Family Villas and 440-square-foot Courtyard Penthouses, all arrayed around a private courtyard with its own small swimming pool, hot tub, and plush sun beds. There’s also a private sun deck upstairs and a dedicated concierge lounge, all for the use of Haven guests only.

Read the Avid Cruiser’s Report

Sister ship to Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel and Pride of Hawaii, the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Pearl was to be an identical twin to Jewel, but top brass decided on additional features, such as an industry-first bowling alley; and two NCL firsts — a rock-climbing wall and two Deluxe Owner’s Suites. Read the rest of the story.

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