Day #1 - Embarkation - All about the Suite Life
Back in 2012, my wife and I decided to book an Alaskan Cruise to celebrate her birthday in 2013. As we had just returned home from a Cruise to Bermuda on the Norwegian Sun, we reserved an Owner's Suite with Double Balcony on the Norwegian Pearl for our cruise to Alaska.
We had previously been in an Owner's Suite with Double Balcony on the Star, and we knew that for a cruise to Alaska, this grade of suite would give us the most bang for our buck when it came to seeing the sights of Alaska as well as Glacier Bay which is part of the itinerary. The itinerary for the Alaskan cruise on the Pearl starts in Seattle before moving on to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC before docking once more in Seattle.
The owner's suites on NCL are part of their suite class which includes a concierge and butler as part of your perks. On the Norwegian Pearl, the Owner's Suites are also part of The Haven.
The Haven is NCL's private courtyard area located on Deck 14 of the Pearl with an additional private sundeck on Deck 15. All around the courtyard sits the entrances to other rooms. While the Owner's Suite is part of The Haven and one has access to all of The Haven's perks, it is set apart from the courtyard on a different level. As far as we were concerned, we had the best of both worlds: access to The Haven but also enjoying the luxury of having two balconies.
The Owner's Suites also come with your choice of liquors to stock your mini-bar without having to pay for them separately. You are given a list of their premium spirits to review before choosing three bottles for your room. The bottles are all a standard size. Having them on hand means that you can get away without spending as much on alcohol on the ship itself.
Owner's Suite with Double Balcony on the Norwegian Pearl
Day #1 was all about the suite perks that NCL gives. From the moment we hit Pier 66 on Alaskan Way in Seattle, we were treated to the best service NCL has to offer. No waiting in a long line with the suite: you begin the check in process right outside of the cruise terminal, and then are escorted directly to the security checkpoint (skipping the line!) before being taken to the concierge lounge. At the concierge lounge, you are greeted by the concierge who will make all of your reservations for specialty dining, excursions, shows, etc. as well as your butler. The concierge lounge is a very nice way to wait to complete the check-in process as they have it set up with refreshments and many seats.
Once we completed check-in, we were escorted onto the ship on a red carpet before being dropped off at Cagney's, NCL's signature steakhouse that is open only to suite guests for breakfast and lunch. And, after enjoying our lunch, we were finally able to check out our cabin - and were immediately amazed at how spacious, well-appointed, and beautiful it was!
Be sure to come back in the next few days as we will be reviewing the rest of Day#1 with our Day#2 blog...soon.
