The Jewel-class ships are our favorites on NCL. They are just the right size and have all the amenities we enjoy. It's nice to see that NCL is keeping these ships updated.
My 15 year old daughter and I went on our 1st cruise on Norwegian Pearl in June, 2023. We enjoyed it! The only downside was the lido deck and pools were always full of children. We did not enjoy that. No place to sit as ppl saved the lounge chairs with towels. O'Sheehans was awesome! Loved all the restaurants.
On our NCL cruise to Quebec, we had two toddlers, two infants, and ONE teenager. I felt terrible for the teenager as I'm sure he was the only one at the teen club. I imagined him walking up to the DJ every 5 minutes saying "can you play Dancing with Myself again".
@@nurspreneurnaywe sailed with an 8 & 2 year old in the fall and they were pretty bored on the ship. It was too cold outside to swim and there wasn’t much to do in terms of activities for kids. We were going solely for the New England & Canadian ports and the excursions. It was definitely an older crowd for that itinerary for sure. So I would plan to bring toys and games for your kids. Admittedly I did not take the time to see if they had a kids club because we had no intention of leaving our children there, but I’m sure that’s an option for you if you desire :)
Bridge. We sailed on the Pearl to Alaska several years ago, and we loved her. The Spinnaker was perfect for sailing up the Inside Passage. Our family played card games for hours there as we watched the spectacular views pass by. I'm glad they have refurbished her because I think she is a perfect size for me!
My first NCL cruise was in 2018 on the Jade. My sister and bil joined me and since cruise was to celebrate my 70th birthday, we splurged and booked 2 bedroom suite in the haven. Originally this was to be 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise, but due to a hurricane that hit all of the planned islands, the entire itinerary was changed and instead of visiting Barbados, St Lucia, etc, we ended up going to ABC islands, Grand Caymans and Jamaica. Had a glorious time and certainly took advantage of the free specialty restaurants on boars. Our favorite was LeBistro for sure! Size of the ship was just right and I can't imagine cruising on a mega ship! This year we headed to Alaska on the Jewel, again in the Haven as we were celebrating 2 milestone birthdays and 3rd occurring while on the trip. This was a 7 day from Vancouver to Seward, and we spent most of the time enjoying the view from our balcony and the fantastic food. We also added on 4 day land tour to Denali and Fairbanks (though not sure we'd do another land tour in the future. Too much time just sitting on crowded bus for too many days!) Worst/best part of this trip was getting hooked on the Banoffee dessert offered at Cagneys (suite guests have lunch available there)... if you see it on menu, definitely give it a try!!!!!!
Sailed on the Pearl 3x already & looking forward to our first TA in 2024 on the Pearl... great review (as always)... we love the smaller NCL ships vs the mega ships & we've sailed both. We'll be in a PH suite on deck 11 from NY to England!
❤Captain❤We sailed the NCL ENCORE in September, so seeing The Pearl is really interesting! I agree with you, sailing it in the Caribbean would be amazing ❤Thanks for the great video
We'll be sailing on the Pearl next year October 2024. I've never been overseas before and I've never flown on a plane before. We'll be going to Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro. Can't wait
We’re doing the same cruise on the Pearl October 4-14. Have 3 Club Balcony suites. Was on the Jewel for an Alaskan cruise last August. It’s basically the same ship. Overall, we love NCL and this will be our 11th NCL cruise. We prefer the midsize ships vs the 150K ton ships.
We're also doing the same cruise on the Pearl from 10/4 - 10/14. Just booked a few excursions and really excited to see Croatia and Greece. I lost count of the number of cruises we've been on but in the last five years it's always been on NCL. We last sailed on the Prima and were not thrilled with what felt like smaller public areas. Really excited to be on the Pearl as we cruised on the Jewel to Alaska in June of 2022 and really enjoyed it.
Love your channel. We are sailing on Norwegian Pearl from Venice to Athens this summer. Looking for your additional videos you mentioned. Doing excursions every day. Questions are about best times and places to eat.
i've booked the sun princess for february 18th, i'm looking forward to discovering this new ship, on the other hand, the Norwegian Pearl looks very nice.
Cruised on the Pearl in August with my 81 y/o mother and my 15 y/o daughter. Loved it! The ship was beautiful! Did a cruise next booking on the Viva for February 2024 with my boyfriend. Cannot wait!
I have been watching your videos for a long time now, 2 years at least. I have been on NCL Escape in spring of 2024 and now we are booked on NCL Pearl to Caribbean in March 2025. Really enjoyed this video as it shows everything I needed to know about the ship and staterooms. We are booked into an inside state room this time. We did a balcony room on Escape and found that we did not spend any time in the room, so why pay more for something we don't use. Keep up the great work you do with all of the tips and tricks for cruising. Also a Canadian here from Winnipeg.
Bridge. We sailed the Norwegian Gem in Italy with exactly the same layout except without the bowling lanes. We LOVED the ship and our entire cruise except it went by way too fast. I enjoyed walking down memory lane with your video!
Captain! 😁 We were on the Pearl many years ago when our now teen was a little. It was before the refurbishing but was still a blast! Love to see her updates!
Cruised on the Pearl on a Panama Canal 15-day transit LA to Miami in 2012. We loved the casual vibe and the general layout which seems not to have changed much since the ship was refurbished. Our balcony cabin was very well designed so we were quite comfortable despite slightly less size than some other cruise lines. We tried out Teppanyaki and the Brazilian steakhouse, both were fun and good food; the MDR and buffets we found "ok"... but the entertainment, gourmet coffee & bowling made up for it. Have never been on another NCL cruise but we loved the Pearl and would happily cruise her again! We did observe the bridge for awhile during our canal transit and saw the Canal pilot present our Captain with a Panama hat as a gift! That was a memorable moment.
Why didn’t you tell everyone how much it cost for a “good” dinner on board? Those 2 places are expensive. We ate at the steak place and it was well over $200 for 2 people. We just got off the ship on Saturday and the buffet food was not as good as even a Golden Corral. The portions at the MDR were like if it was a Weight Watchers cruise…AND to get through all the courses was a near, sometimes over, 2 hours. I get it…women like to be waited on\be served when they eat as a change. I don’t. Give me good quality food in big portions on the buffet and I’m in and out in 30 minutes. Am I just guessing or is that really true. Women like sit down on cruises so they’re waited on? Cause I don’t like having to even dress up a little, give me my food now and back to my room for R & R.
I'm sailing on the Pearl in 44 days, and so excited! It's our first cruise and I'm obsessively watching videos to plan, so thanks so much for this tour. It's only a 3 day cruise, and I wish we had longer as I don't think that's enough time to try all the restaurants. Already wanting to plan our next cruise for a longer trip!
I'm somewhat of a veteran cruiser with NCL, maybe 35 cruises. I'll be on the Pearl for the first time 4/25 for the transatlantic to Southampton. I've been on two of the other ships in this class; Gem and Jewel. It appears to be the same. Some of the venues and bars have different names, but otherwise pretty much the same.
I love the play on words with O'Sheehan -(O-CE-AN) ocean!! This would be a good cruise ship for us. We like smaller ships that are more relaxed. And thanks for the info that they will offer single cabins. Maybe can take a family member that would want their own space.
Big Royal C cruisers, but we are doing our 1st NCL cruise on the Pearl in 10 days! A music cruise by Sixthman. You have really pumped me up for the Pearl!
The Pearl was a smaller ship. Food mediocre, good Variety in their buffets that changed each meal. We were there for musicians and bands so food and amenities were Secondary
We're doing back to back cruises on the Pearl a starting from London and finishing in Athens May 25. Thanks for your tour, it was very informative and helped with what to expect. Definitely excited for next year!
My wife and I went on the Pearl as our first cruise in 2015. This past year we were on the Spirit on an Alaskan cruise. We really enjoyed both cruises and prefer the small to mid size ships We are booked onto the Pearl for the first trip of 2025 going to the southern Caribbean. Really looking forward to being on board again.
We sailed Pearl to Canada in 2022 and 2023 We love it. Everything was great. We went the last week of August both times and other than some rain, the weather was beautiful.
The first two cruises I went on were on the Pearl's sister ship, the Norwegian Gem, back in 2018 and 2019 and loved it. Those cruises were to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, so the pool decks were nice but packed. The ship is pretty much the same layout as the Pearl. After going on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas though, I like that there's more options on a bigger ship but it's also more people than the smaller ship of course
Shout out to NCL for refurbishing an older smaller ship but keeping the things that make it unique like the promenade deck for instance. I am doing 21 days in the Pearl in March 2025. Thanks for the thorough tour, ship looks great.
Thank you for the fabulous virtual tour. We’ll be on the Pearl Jan 2025 for a Panama Canal itinerary. This will be my first time on a Jewel Class ship and I’m really looking forward to it.
Hello Ilana! Fellow Canadian here. :-) I was on NCL Encore in March 2023. I will be on NCL Joy in February 24 and on NCL Pearl in July/August 24 sailing from Athènes to Trieste. Needless to say that your video answered many of our questions. I was a bit worried to travel on an older NCL ship. Now I am reassured. Huge thanks. Ben
We took our first Norwegian cruise this January. We did a 9’day cruise from San Juan. We loved it and are taking our second cruise through the Panama Canal in Jauary 2024. We loved O’Sheehans for breakfast and our 18 year old son enjoyed the bowling and video games. There was something for him to do without his parents being around.
Captain!!! Was so happy to see this video, we are sailing on the Pearl for a 9-day Caribbean 12/9-18 & haven’t really seen much on this ship. Can’t wait & thanks so much!!!! Love all your videos BTW!
We went on NCl Pearl Oct 6-13, 2023. We enjoyed it. Not many kids. Not overly crowded. We were impressed. Lots of good food and places to sit, read or sit outside. We enjoy NCL cruises, but the Pearl was more our style as it didn’t have too many wild kid rides going on. We enjoyed going to Quebec and spending a day before having to get on the cruise. It was an enjoyable Fall cruise for us. 👍🏻
I sail on the Pearl annually for a chartered event called The Rock Boat. Our cruise has a large part of the pool deck covered to accommodate viewing for the stage where shows are happening so it was cool to see what it looks like on normal sailings.
We loved the Pearl and our aft suite. I bought the spa package and I can say that I was just as happy to soak in one of their hot tubs on the deck- I found the dining and drinks to be awesome.
I took my first ever NCL cruise Oct 22 to 29th to Alaska on the Encore. It is a much larger ship. I loved Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Cagney's. I had a solo cabin. It was awesome. Ready for a new NCL cruise.
Just sailed on the Pearl on a Sixthman festival cruise last week. Interesting to see it without all the band setups and the larger pool open! It was a fantastic trip
We'll be on this one next week for the Flogging Molly salty dog punk rock cruise! Perfect timing to see this video. Would have liked to see the gym on board. Otherwise you showed everything we had questions about and more! Thanks!
Sailed on the Pearl many years ago around 2007 if my memory serves me correctly. NCL we’re favoured over other cruise lines for their facilities and exemplary hygiene practices on board. We felt we were in safe hands should we have needed any extra facilities ie medical. I too found the staff super friendly and helpful from the outset and there was a good vibe onboard. On the negative side, there were lots of extras which were chargeable and were billed at end of the cruise. But overall a great experience and would love to go again in the future.
Great tour! We’re looking forward to cruising on the Mediterranean in Sept/24 on the Pearl. Previously have been on the Escape & Breakaway but it will be nice to be on a smaller ship!
Would love to know what your thoughts were! We are considering the same Mediterranean cruise on this ship in Oct 2025. Everything looks lovely in the video. I saw a comment regarding mold, etc., on the ship (above) and that worries me!
Ordered your cruise planner and it is a relief to have your lists! Thought after watching (almost all) your videos, I didn’t need to buy the planner, but I was wrong. It is the ultimate!
We are taking a Sixthman food themed cruise, "Chefs Making Waves", on The Pearl in March. So nice to get a preview of the ship ahead of time! Thanks for all the advice you give on your channel. I'm taking lots of notes!! All 6 of us are looking forward to the experience.
Bridge! Love your videos! My first cruise was on the Pearl and we loved it! My parents are big Norwegian fans still. We have a Christmas cruise this year booked on the Breakaway!
I was on the Pearl a couple weeks after you. While we had decent weather in a couple of the ports, we had a lot of rain while on the ship, so not much time outside at all, which was so weird for me - I have only done caribbean before so I am used to being outside all the time.
Captain. My first real cruise, not overnight ferry, was on the SS Norway back in the early 90s, with only three teens onboard, including me, because it was a Big Band themed cruise. I loved it, took to just before COVID, and a genealogy cruise, for me to make it back onboard. As a Likely solo traveller, as struggling to convince my coupled friends we need a girls trip, I’ve been eyeing NCL up again. Loved your tour as it’s given me some thoughts.
My husband and I went to the Caribbean on NCL Encore last April. It was our first cruise ever, and we loved it. We're going to Bermuda next year on the NCL Gem. This review was helpful for me because the Gem is a similar ship to the Pearl. My favorite NCL drinks: the Mango Meltdown and their Bloody Mary. Favorite restaurant: Cagneys. The 24 hour restaurant is also awesome and we ate there a lot. My only regrets were not going to Teppenyaki, not checking out the spa, and not budgeting more for activities on the ship. I would love to see a video on what your favorite things to do (free and upcharge) on Norwegian ships are.
NCL Pearl was our first cruise ever. We sailed on an Alaskan cruise and have been hooked on cruising ever since. Love NCL because of the free style cruising.
We have tried several lines and have settled on NCL for a few reasons. I haven't sailed on Pearl but I'm looking into that right now thanks to this video! As usual, thank you for your insights.
My husband and I are booked on The Pearl to the ABC Islands and other Caribbean ports in January. This walk through has been helpful, so many complimentary restaurants and bars for a smaller ship... No counting calories on this trip!! 😂
Great Tour! Thank you!! Bridge or Captain! I will be going to the NCL RUclips channel to view your reviews there! Congratulations again on that accomplishment! 😎😎😎
I just booked my first cruise in the Spring (and it happens to be on this cruise ship) so your video was super helpful. So glad I found it. I am really excited for the cruise now. Thank you!
Would love to know what your thoughts were! We are considering the same Mediterranean cruise on this ship in Oct 2025. Everything looks lovely in the video. I saw a comment regarding mold, etc., on the ship (above) and that worries me!
Love, love love NCL. Sailing on Prima next month. In process of booking Mediterranean on NCL Pearl next September and watched your video before final decision made. After watching I will definitely be booking this cruise. Thank you as usual. I spoke with you in Quebec City after your NCL Pearl cruise last year and you are as delightful in person as you are on camera.
I've been on The Pearl 3 times. I love this ship!!! I'll be sailing on The Encore in 17 days. I can't wait!!! I haven't been on a cruise since November 2019.
Thanks, Ilana, for this walk down memory lane! The Pearl was my first NCL cruise, and I fell in love with the Jewel Class ships, and NCL in general. We did a 12(?)-day Southern Caribbean on her, many years ago. I especially loved the beautiful finishings - which I really missed on the Breakaway. I am now going to search for interesting Pearl Caribbean itineraries so I can visit my favourite ship, again! 🥰
I've done 13 NCL cruises and I have to say the Pearl is my favorite ship. My favorite itinerary on her was Boston to Bermuda. I enjoyed it so much that I booked it again in 2024 on her sister ship the NCL Gem..
Loved this video! Thank you Ilana! We're cruising to the southern Caribbean soon and this got us even more excited! We've cruised with NCL before and loved it.❤
Sailed on the Pearl quite a few times. You did a great review of it and I even found some hidden gems to check out on my next cruise on the Pearl in January. O'sheehans is a favourite for sure. I would watch where your cabin is if you are a light sleeper--- deck 9 mid ship can be really noisy from the atrium area if there is a band playing there . Thermal spa is great but they are close to pricing it out of reach . This may be part of their strategy to get more profit with their announcement of scrapping aqua class. The pearl has a pretty good gym too. Hope they put some solo cabins on this ship.
I sailed on the Norwegian Dawn in 2017 to Bermuda. Pretty much the same set up as the Pearl. You are also correct about lounge chairs being set up on the promenade deck. I sat in those regularly to take in the views and cool ocean breeze. Loved my time on board. I prefer ships of this size anyways. Wasn't too packed and didn't see many kids as I sailed in late-May. Glad you had fun. I hope to do the Boston to Bermuda trip again in the future. Just not in the cards now.
I love sailing on Norwegian. In June, 2024, I will sail on Pearl and I cannot wait to be there, especially after watching your video. It looks like new with a touch of the past. I am glad to see the size of the pool!!
Bridge.. We are booked on the NCL Pearl for May ‘25. England to Rome for 12 days. We live in Australia so will fly to England and stay a week and catch up with some friends we met on our last cruise from Sydney to Hawaii last month. We have been on multiple princess and celebrity cruise so looking for something new. Thanks for the great tour.
My daughter and I sailed on the Pearl to Bermuda in early June of last year. Not a lot of families at all. The pace was great for me (55F) but I think my daughter (27) would have preferred one of the bigger more active ships. That being said, we enjoyed our time. I wish I'd known about the bridge viewing room. Would have liked to have seen that. We enjoyed Cagney's and Teppenyaki. She sort of enjoyed Lotus Blossom. We ate mostly in the Garden Buffet because our cabin was towards that end of the ship and the elevator went right to the buffet. We went to Spinnaker's a few times and occasionally enjoyed the music in the atrium. Like I said, I think daughter would have enjoyed more activities, but being in Bermuda, she was able to enjoy activities off the ship. Overall, I enjoyed this size ship.
Thank you - having never sailed before, I really appreciate the look around and the description of what is available. I will seek out your other videos - looking to book a cruise on this ship out of italy!
We will be on the Pearl in 2 weeks out of Miami. Although we do want more slides on all the ships and think the tracks are useless money grabs, we are going to suck it up as it's just a 4 night Bahamas cruise that we booked last minute. I wish you would have included some footage of the splash academy and such, I know you probably don't have young kids but many people viewing these videos do and would like to see these spaces. Thanks for what views you did have. We are platinum on NCL but for the most part only ever did the bigger ships.
The Jewel-class ships are our favorites on NCL. They are just the right size and have all the amenities we enjoy. It's nice to see that NCL is keeping these ships updated.
Very true!
Jewel class is perfect for port heavy cruises. Easy to get around and a long day of walking ports. 🙂
the Jewel-class ships are my father's (and mine) favorite class of ship.
Bridge
You are so personable and informative. Have been watching your channel for about a year and won't miss it. You are a special RUclipsr and person.
Thank you so much! That's a really lovely comment
Our first cruise was on the Pearl. After 15 cruises it still is the cleanest ship we have ever been on, and crew was super friendly!
Great to hear!
Bridge
We loved the Pearl!
We have traveled with NCL many times. I love all the dining options. After 64 cruises NCL is still my favorite!
My 15 year old daughter and I went on our 1st cruise on Norwegian Pearl in June, 2023. We enjoyed it! The only downside was the lido deck and pools were always full of children. We did not enjoy that. No place to sit as ppl saved the lounge chairs with towels. O'Sheehans was awesome! Loved all the restaurants.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Unfortunately pools tend to get crowded during school break :(
Perfect timing! I just booked my first NCL cruise on Pearl recently. Thank you!
So exciting!!
I was on Norwegian Jewel earlier this year. Same class of ship. Honestly, I loved it. I would describe the ship as cozy.
Great description
Oh, she's cozy all right! 🚢
At 5:18 is bar tender John !!!! He was just a waiter 2 years ago on OUR Pearl Cruise to THE CANNAL. Such a GREAT GUY !!!!!
How fun! He was fabulous, as were so many crew members. So helpful & friendly 👏
I just did my first cruise on the Pearl on the Broadway cruise, it was so fun. Ready to go again next year
Wow, Ilana this was an amazing walk around the ship. Hopefully you will make more videos like this as it is so helpful. 😊
So glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate the feedback
On our NCL cruise to Quebec, we had two toddlers, two infants, and ONE teenager. I felt terrible for the teenager as I'm sure he was the only one at the teen club. I imagined him walking up to the DJ every 5 minutes saying "can you play Dancing with Myself again".
I enjoy the itinerary, but can imagine it might be less “exciting” than Bermuda or Bahamas for some teens
Were you able to keep the toddlers entertained? We’re coming for Christmas with a 6 and 3 year old
The ship isnt designed for kids. It caters to 50ish people.
@@nurspreneurnaywe sailed with an 8 & 2 year old in the fall and they were pretty bored on the ship. It was too cold outside to swim and there wasn’t much to do in terms of activities for kids. We were going solely for the New England & Canadian ports and the excursions. It was definitely an older crowd for that itinerary for sure. So I would plan to bring toys and games for your kids. Admittedly I did not take the time to see if they had a kids club because we had no intention of leaving our children there, but I’m sure that’s an option for you if you desire :)
@@mamabar6811thank you so much !!
Bridge. We sailed on the Pearl to Alaska several years ago, and we loved her. The Spinnaker was perfect for sailing up the Inside Passage. Our family played card games for hours there as we watched the spectacular views pass by. I'm glad they have refurbished her because I think she is a perfect size for me!
Cruising on the Pearl end of february for the Emos Not Dead festival cruise. First cruise ever, good info!
My first NCL cruise was in 2018 on the Jade. My sister and bil joined me and since cruise was to celebrate my 70th birthday, we splurged and booked 2 bedroom suite in the haven. Originally this was to be 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise, but due to a hurricane that hit all of the planned islands, the entire itinerary was changed and instead of visiting Barbados, St Lucia, etc, we ended up going to ABC islands, Grand Caymans and Jamaica. Had a glorious time and certainly took advantage of the free specialty restaurants on boars. Our favorite was LeBistro for sure! Size of the ship was just right and I can't imagine cruising on a mega ship! This year we headed to Alaska on the Jewel, again in the Haven as we were celebrating 2 milestone birthdays and 3rd occurring while on the trip. This was a 7 day from Vancouver to Seward, and we spent most of the time enjoying the view from our balcony and the fantastic food. We also added on 4 day land tour to Denali and Fairbanks (though not sure we'd do another land tour in the future. Too much time just sitting on crowded bus for too many days!) Worst/best part of this trip was getting hooked on the Banoffee dessert offered at Cagneys (suite guests have lunch available there)... if you see it on menu, definitely give it a try!!!!!!
Sailed on the Pearl 3x already & looking forward to our first TA in 2024 on the Pearl... great review (as always)... we love the smaller NCL ships vs the mega ships & we've sailed both. We'll be in a PH suite on deck 11 from NY to England!
❤Captain❤We sailed the NCL ENCORE in September, so seeing The Pearl is really interesting! I agree with you, sailing it in the Caribbean would be amazing ❤Thanks for the great video
So glad to hear! 🛳️🙌
We'll be sailing on the Pearl next year October 2024. I've never been overseas before and I've never flown on a plane before. We'll be going to Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro. Can't wait
We’re doing the same cruise on the Pearl October 4-14. Have 3 Club Balcony suites. Was on the Jewel for an Alaskan cruise last August. It’s basically the same ship. Overall, we love NCL and this will be our 11th NCL cruise. We prefer the midsize ships vs the 150K ton ships.
We're also doing the same cruise on the Pearl from 10/4 - 10/14. Just booked a few excursions and really excited to see Croatia and Greece. I lost count of the number of cruises we've been on but in the last five years it's always been on NCL. We last sailed on the Prima and were not thrilled with what felt like smaller public areas. Really excited to be on the Pearl as we cruised on the Jewel to Alaska in June of 2022 and really enjoyed it.
We sailed the Pearl earlier this year to Bahamas and loved it! Great spotlight on this hidden gem of a ship!!
Great to hear & I appreciate your feedback 👏
Love your channel. We are sailing on Norwegian Pearl from Venice to Athens this summer. Looking for your additional videos you mentioned. Doing excursions every day. Questions are about best times and places to eat.
i've booked the sun princess for february 18th, i'm looking forward to discovering this new ship, on the other hand, the Norwegian Pearl looks very nice.
Absolutely 👏
Cruised on the Pearl in August with my 81 y/o mother and my 15 y/o daughter. Loved it! The ship was beautiful! Did a cruise next booking on the Viva for February 2024 with my boyfriend. Cannot wait!
Yay! Lucky you that ship looks amazing 🤩
I’ve never sailed on the Norwegian Pearl, maybe soon! Thanks for sharing 🛳🛳
Glad you enjoyed the video! Who knows, maybe a future cruise? 😂
My husband and I love NCL. And that cheesecake at Cagneys is EVERYTHING!!!
This will be our first time on NCL. How was the entertainment? We are set to sail this year from Rome
I have been watching your videos for a long time now, 2 years at least. I have been on NCL Escape in spring of 2024 and now we are booked on NCL Pearl to Caribbean in March 2025. Really enjoyed this video as it shows everything I needed to know about the ship and staterooms. We are booked into an inside state room this time. We did a balcony room on Escape and found that we did not spend any time in the room, so why pay more for something we don't use. Keep up the great work you do with all of the tips and tricks for cruising. Also a Canadian here from Winnipeg.
Bridge. We sailed the Norwegian Gem in Italy with exactly the same layout except without the bowling lanes. We LOVED the ship and our entire cruise except it went by way too fast. I enjoyed walking down memory lane with your video!
Sounds like an amazing itinerary! Thanks for sharing 🛳️
Captain! 😁
We were on the Pearl many years ago when our now teen was a little. It was before the refurbishing but was still a blast! Love to see her updates!
Booked on the Pearl out of NY to Iceland and Europe in April! BEYOND excited.
Cruised on the Pearl on a Panama Canal 15-day transit LA to Miami in 2012. We loved the casual vibe and the general layout which seems not to have changed much since the ship was refurbished. Our balcony cabin was very well designed so we were quite comfortable despite slightly less size than some other cruise lines. We tried out Teppanyaki and the Brazilian steakhouse, both were fun and good food; the MDR and buffets we found "ok"... but the entertainment, gourmet coffee & bowling made up for it. Have never been on another NCL cruise but we loved the Pearl and would happily cruise her again! We did observe the bridge for awhile during our canal transit and saw the Canal pilot present our Captain with a Panama hat as a gift! That was a memorable moment.
Very cool!
Why didn’t you tell everyone how much it cost for a “good” dinner on board? Those 2 places are expensive. We ate at the steak place and it was well over $200 for 2 people. We just got off the ship on Saturday and the buffet food was not as good as even a Golden Corral. The portions at the MDR were like if it was a Weight Watchers cruise…AND to get through all the courses was a near, sometimes over, 2 hours. I get it…women like to be waited on\be served when they eat as a change. I don’t. Give me good quality food in big portions on the buffet and I’m in and out in 30 minutes. Am I just guessing or is that really true. Women like sit down on cruises so they’re waited on? Cause I don’t like having to even dress up a little, give me my food now and back to my room for R & R.
I'm sailing on the Pearl in 44 days, and so excited! It's our first cruise and I'm obsessively watching videos to plan, so thanks so much for this tour. It's only a 3 day cruise, and I wish we had longer as I don't think that's enough time to try all the restaurants. Already wanting to plan our next cruise for a longer trip!
Update plz?
I’d love a video regarding adverse weather
What do most do when it rains?
📖
I'm somewhat of a veteran cruiser with NCL, maybe 35 cruises. I'll be on the Pearl for the first time 4/25 for the transatlantic to Southampton. I've been on two of the other ships in this class; Gem and Jewel. It appears to be the same. Some of the venues and bars have different names, but otherwise pretty much the same.
I love the play on words with O'Sheehan -(O-CE-AN) ocean!! This would be a good cruise ship for us. We like smaller ships that are more relaxed. And thanks for the info that they will offer single cabins. Maybe can take a family member that would want their own space.
That’s so true!!
🤯💙
We love NCL, we are silver and soon to be gold. It's always our go to cruise line.
Big Royal C cruisers, but we are doing our 1st NCL cruise on the Pearl in 10 days! A music cruise by Sixthman. You have really pumped me up for the Pearl!
Update? How was the Pearl?
The Pearl was a smaller ship. Food mediocre, good
Variety in their buffets that changed each meal. We were there for musicians and bands so food and amenities were
Secondary
We're doing back to back cruises on the Pearl a starting from London and finishing in Athens May 25. Thanks for your tour, it was very informative and helped with what to expect. Definitely excited for next year!
We sailed on Norwegian Pearl to Cuba and really enjoyed it. So, Happy to see it was updated. It really needed it.
My wife and I went on the Pearl as our first cruise in 2015. This past year we were on the Spirit on an Alaskan cruise. We really enjoyed both cruises and prefer the small to mid size ships We are booked onto the Pearl for the first trip of 2025 going to the southern Caribbean. Really looking forward to being on board again.
We sailed Pearl to Canada in 2022 and 2023
We love it. Everything was great. We went the last week of August both times and other than some rain, the weather was beautiful.
Thanks for sharing 👏
The first two cruises I went on were on the Pearl's sister ship, the Norwegian Gem, back in 2018 and 2019 and loved it. Those cruises were to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, so the pool decks were nice but packed. The ship is pretty much the same layout as the Pearl. After going on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas though, I like that there's more options on a bigger ship but it's also more people than the smaller ship of course
Shout out to NCL for refurbishing an older smaller ship but keeping the things that make it unique like the promenade deck for instance. I am doing 21 days in the Pearl in March 2025. Thanks for the thorough tour, ship looks great.
Thanks for the tour. I absolutely love that teal dress you have on while coming the stairs, it's beautiful ❤
Thank you! That was a good Zara find :)
Thank you for the fabulous virtual tour. We’ll be on the Pearl Jan 2025 for a Panama Canal itinerary. This will be my first time on a Jewel Class ship and I’m really looking forward to it.
Will be on the Pearl on the 28th this month in the warm Caribbean. After this cruise we move up to Platinum status😁
I’m sailing on December with NCL Peal. Thanks for the tour
We are also. December 24 to 27
Sailing on the Pearl in January. Love NCL jewel class ships. The great outdoors is our go to spot ! Thank Illana you do a terrific job !
Loved that spot too!
Hello Ilana! Fellow Canadian here. :-)
I was on NCL Encore in March 2023. I will be on NCL Joy in February 24 and on NCL Pearl in July/August 24 sailing from Athènes to Trieste. Needless to say that your video answered many of our questions. I was a bit worried to travel on an older NCL ship. Now I am reassured. Huge thanks.
Ben
My husband and I just sailed on the Pearl out of Boston for a New England/Canada cruise. We really enjoyed it!
That is awesome! So glad to hear 🙌
We took our first Norwegian cruise this January. We did a 9’day cruise from San Juan. We loved it and are taking our second cruise through the Panama Canal in Jauary 2024. We loved O’Sheehans for breakfast and our 18 year old son enjoyed the bowling and video games. There was something for him to do without his parents being around.
Great to hear!!
Captain!!! Was so happy to see this video, we are sailing on the Pearl for a 9-day Caribbean 12/9-18 & haven’t really seen much on this ship. Can’t wait & thanks so much!!!! Love all your videos BTW!
🛳️🙌😂!! Enjoy!!
We went on NCl Pearl Oct 6-13, 2023. We enjoyed it. Not many kids. Not overly crowded. We were impressed. Lots of good food and places to sit, read or sit outside. We enjoy NCL cruises, but the Pearl was more our style as it didn’t have too many wild kid rides going on.
We enjoyed going to Quebec and spending a day before having to get on the cruise. It was an enjoyable Fall cruise for us. 👍🏻
Great to hear your experience! Thanks for sharing
Bridge! Loved your informative video! I'll be on the Pearl in August for 10 days in Europe. First time on NCL.
I sail on the Pearl annually for a chartered event called The Rock Boat. Our cruise has a large part of the pool deck covered to accommodate viewing for the stage where shows are happening so it was cool to see what it looks like on normal sailings.
Haven't cruised with NCL for years but this ship looks exactly right for my wife and me! Bridge Captain! Thank you!
We loved the Pearl and our aft suite. I bought the spa package and I can say that I was just as happy to soak in one of their hot tubs on the deck- I found the dining and drinks to be awesome.
I took my first ever NCL cruise Oct 22 to 29th to Alaska on the Encore. It is a much larger ship. I loved Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Cagney's. I had a solo cabin. It was awesome. Ready for a new NCL cruise.
Just sailed on the Pearl on a Sixthman festival cruise last week. Interesting to see it without all the band setups and the larger pool open! It was a fantastic trip
Awesome!!
Was it the Headbangers boat? We were on that.
We'll be on this one next week for the Flogging Molly salty dog punk rock cruise! Perfect timing to see this video. Would have liked to see the gym on board. Otherwise you showed everything we had questions about and more! Thanks!
Exciting cruise! I’ll remember that for a future video. The gym is nice / next to the spa. Enjoy 🛳️👏
Sailing to Bahamas on this ship December 2023. ( 4 nights) This video is great to help us orient ourselves.
So glad! Enjoy your cruise!
Sailed on the Pearl many years ago around 2007 if my memory serves me correctly. NCL we’re favoured over other cruise lines for their facilities and exemplary hygiene practices on board. We felt we were in safe hands should we have needed any extra facilities ie medical. I too found the staff super friendly and helpful from the outset and there was a good vibe onboard. On the negative side, there were lots of extras which were chargeable and were billed at end of the cruise. But overall a great experience and would love to go again in the future.
Great tour! We’re looking forward to cruising on the Mediterranean in Sept/24 on the Pearl. Previously have been on the Escape & Breakaway but it will be nice to be on a smaller ship!
Would love to know what your thoughts were! We are considering the same Mediterranean cruise on this ship in Oct 2025. Everything looks lovely in the video. I saw a comment regarding mold, etc., on the ship (above) and that worries me!
Ordered your cruise planner and it is a relief to have your lists!
Thought after watching (almost all) your videos, I didn’t need to buy the planner, but I was wrong.
It is the ultimate!
Good timing! We sail on the Pearl next month. Looking forward to all the outside space, and all the dining options!
We are taking a Sixthman food themed cruise, "Chefs Making Waves", on The Pearl in March. So nice to get a preview of the ship ahead of time! Thanks for all the advice you give on your channel. I'm taking lots of notes!! All 6 of us are looking forward to the experience.
Great video! Wife and I are going on a 11 day cruise on the Pearl in a few weeks!
Very exciting!!!
Bridge! Love your videos! My first cruise was on the Pearl and we loved it! My parents are big Norwegian fans still. We have a Christmas cruise this year booked on the Breakaway!
It was my first time on this ship & I loved it too! Thanks so much 🙌
I was on the Pearl a couple weeks after you. While we had decent weather in a couple of the ports, we had a lot of rain while on the ship, so not much time outside at all, which was so weird for me - I have only done caribbean before so I am used to being outside all the time.
I can totally understand. The weather can be unpredictable & like you, I enjoy being outside
Captain. My first real cruise, not overnight ferry, was on the SS Norway back in the early 90s, with only three teens onboard, including me, because it was a Big Band themed cruise. I loved it, took to just before COVID, and a genealogy cruise, for me to make it back onboard. As a Likely solo traveller, as struggling to convince my coupled friends we need a girls trip, I’ve been eyeing NCL up again. Loved your tour as it’s given me some thoughts.
My husband and I went to the Caribbean on NCL Encore last April. It was our first cruise ever, and we loved it. We're going to Bermuda next year on the NCL Gem. This review was helpful for me because the Gem is a similar ship to the Pearl. My favorite NCL drinks: the Mango Meltdown and their Bloody Mary. Favorite restaurant: Cagneys. The 24 hour restaurant is also awesome and we ate there a lot. My only regrets were not going to Teppenyaki, not checking out the spa, and not budgeting more for activities on the ship. I would love to see a video on what your favorite things to do (free and upcharge) on Norwegian ships are.
Great comments & a great video idea for the future!
I went to Bermuda on the Pearl in May - be sure to take advantage of the free ferry that NCL provided to St. George.
@@elisaastorino2881Thanks for the tip!
Glad i watched this. Read so many negative reviews about the Pearl, which were concerning. Sailing Jan 25 out of miami. It looks lovely.
NCL Pearl was our first cruise ever. We sailed on an Alaskan cruise and have been hooked on cruising ever since. Love NCL because of the free style cruising.
We have tried several lines and have settled on NCL for a few reasons. I haven't sailed on Pearl but I'm looking into that right now thanks to this video! As usual, thank you for your insights.
I can see why. The Freestyle atmosphere is nice! Glad the video was helpful:)
Can't wait to have you aboard! Lets us know if you need any help planning 💙
My husband and I are booked on The Pearl to the ABC Islands and other Caribbean ports in January. This walk through has been helpful, so many complimentary restaurants and bars for a smaller ship... No counting calories on this trip!! 😂
lol no calories on a cruise! Btw, watch for an upcoming video with every included “free” dining & food option (on the NCL RUclips channel)
BRIDGE! Really good video and you helped me decide to book!!! Thank you!!
We’ll be on the blues cruise in April, can’t wait!!!!
Great Tour! Thank you!! Bridge or Captain! I will be going to the NCL RUclips channel to view your reviews there! Congratulations again on that accomplishment! 😎😎😎
Thanks so much & I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊
I just booked my first cruise in the Spring (and it happens to be on this cruise ship) so your video was super helpful. So glad I found it. I am really excited for the cruise now. Thank you!
Our very first cruise was on the Sky, loved the ship and crew and had a great time.
How fun!
We are cruising on this ship to the Greek islands ans Croatia in September. After viewing your video we are even more excited .
We'll be on the same cruise I believe - although we won ours through a competition on the radio.
I will be there too! See you soon!
My wife and I will be on this Med cruise too. We can't wait. Less than a week before we sail.
Us too 25th September
Would love to know what your thoughts were! We are considering the same Mediterranean cruise on this ship in Oct 2025. Everything looks lovely in the video. I saw a comment regarding mold, etc., on the ship (above) and that worries me!
First time on NCL. Leaving Athens to Venice in July. Thanks for the video.
Bridge and cabin! Great videos of the ship especially for first time cruises. Thanks!
Love, love love NCL. Sailing on Prima next month. In process of booking Mediterranean on NCL Pearl next September and watched your video before final decision made. After watching I will definitely be booking this cruise. Thank you as usual. I spoke with you in Quebec City after your NCL Pearl cruise last year and you are as delightful in person as you are on camera.
Our first cruise was on the Pearl to the Caribbean in 2008. Would love to cruise on her again.
That’s awesome! I love when they refurbish a great cruise ship. I think you’ll enjoy going on again 😊
#NorwegianPearl is ready when you are! Hope to have you onboard soon 💙
I've been on The Pearl 3 times. I love this ship!!! I'll be sailing on The Encore in 17 days. I can't wait!!! I haven't been on a cruise since November 2019.
Thanks, Ilana, for this walk down memory lane! The Pearl was my first NCL cruise, and I fell in love with the Jewel Class ships, and NCL in general. We did a 12(?)-day Southern Caribbean on her, many years ago.
I especially loved the beautiful finishings - which I really missed on the Breakaway.
I am now going to search for interesting Pearl Caribbean itineraries so I can visit my favourite ship, again! 🥰
Captain. We're booked for February; but saw the Pearl docked in Portland on YOUR cruise!!
I've done 13 NCL cruises and I have to say the Pearl is my favorite ship. My favorite itinerary on her was Boston to Bermuda. I enjoyed it so much that I booked it again in 2024 on her sister ship the NCL Gem..
I have to say I can totally understand your perspective. It had such a great layout & warm atmosphere
Loved this video! Thank you Ilana! We're cruising to the southern Caribbean soon and this got us even more excited! We've cruised with NCL before and loved it.❤
Sailed on the Pearl quite a few times. You did a great review of it and I even found some hidden gems to check out on my next cruise on the Pearl in January. O'sheehans is a favourite for sure. I would watch where your cabin is if you are a light sleeper--- deck 9 mid ship can be really noisy from the atrium area if there is a band playing there . Thermal spa is great but they are close to pricing it out of reach . This may be part of their strategy to get more profit with their announcement of scrapping aqua class. The pearl has a pretty good gym too. Hope they put some solo cabins on this ship.
Thanks for sharing! Good point to make sure your cabin isn’t directly above busy areas :)
Bridge or Captain... I am in LOVE with this ship! I am going to do some research on a future cruise on her. Thank you SO MUCH!!
lol 🛳️👏🙌. So glad you enjoyed the video
This is my hubby’s dream itinerary and this ship looks awesome! Great info - thank you!
I’ve cruised on the Pearl last year with my daughter and granddaughter. Our destination was Bermuda. We had a wonderful trip.
Awesome! Love Bermuda too
I sailed on the Norwegian Dawn in 2017 to Bermuda. Pretty much the same set up as the Pearl. You are also correct about lounge chairs being set up on the promenade deck. I sat in those regularly to take in the views and cool ocean breeze. Loved my time on board. I prefer ships of this size anyways. Wasn't too packed and didn't see many kids as I sailed in late-May. Glad you had fun. I hope to do the Boston to Bermuda trip again in the future. Just not in the cards now.
Going on the Pearl on Tuesday for my honeymoon. It'll be my first cruise and I can't wait!!!
I love sailing on Norwegian. In June, 2024, I will sail on Pearl and I cannot wait to be there, especially after watching your video. It looks like new with a touch of the past. I am glad to see the size of the pool!!
How was the cruise? Update plz?
Bridge.. We are booked on the NCL Pearl for May ‘25. England to Rome for 12 days. We live in Australia so will fly to England and stay a week and catch up with some friends we met on our last cruise from Sydney to Hawaii last month. We have been on multiple princess and celebrity cruise so looking for something new. Thanks for the great tour.
Thanks for this great video / tour! We are considering the Norwegian Pearl for a '25 Mediterranean cruise and this was super helpful!
Great video, as always. Thanks.
Bridget
🛳️👏🙌
My daughter and I sailed on the Pearl to Bermuda in early June of last year. Not a lot of families at all. The pace was great for me (55F) but I think my daughter (27) would have preferred one of the bigger more active ships. That being said, we enjoyed our time. I wish I'd known about the bridge viewing room. Would have liked to have seen that. We enjoyed Cagney's and Teppenyaki. She sort of enjoyed Lotus Blossom. We ate mostly in the Garden Buffet because our cabin was towards that end of the ship and the elevator went right to the buffet. We went to Spinnaker's a few times and occasionally enjoyed the music in the atrium. Like I said, I think daughter would have enjoyed more activities, but being in Bermuda, she was able to enjoy activities off the ship. Overall, I enjoyed this size ship.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I have two sons in their 20’s & totally understand. My son loves NCL’s larger ships 🚢
I was on the same cruise in May and really enjoyed it. Too bad you missed the bridge viewing room because it was very interesting.
Thank you - having never sailed before, I really appreciate the look around and the description of what is available. I will seek out your other videos - looking to book a cruise on this ship out of italy!
We will be on the Pearl in 2 weeks out of Miami. Although we do want more slides on all the ships and think the tracks are useless money grabs, we are going to suck it up as it's just a 4 night Bahamas cruise that we booked last minute. I wish you would have included some footage of the splash academy and such, I know you probably don't have young kids but many people viewing these videos do and would like to see these spaces. Thanks for what views you did have. We are platinum on NCL but for the most part only ever did the bigger ships.