Day#1 - Embarkation - All about the Suite LIfe, Part 2
As I said in our blog about our first day on the Norwegian Pearl, the majority of the time spent was on exploring the ship as well as our awesome cabin. The cabin itself has a living area with a port-side facing window; dining area; master sized bedroom with a forward-looking window; a huge master bathroom with a double vanity, a tub, and a shower stall; and, finally, a half-bathroom.
Dinner:
For dinner, we made reservations at one of the specialty restaurants: La Cucina. The entry fee is an additional $15 per person., and it featured traditional Italian food that you would see at a more upscale Olive Garden. Seating is limited, which makes it a more intimate experience than the dining room. It was here that my wife was brought a birthday cake, and the La Cucina staff sang "Happy Birthday" to her. All in all a great experience for dinner, and worth the additional upcharge.
Entertainment:
The main entertainment option for the evening was held in the Stardust Theater, featuring the cast of many of the shows being held this coming week with our Cruise DIrector, Pedro, introducing each act. It was an enjoyable experience, although not one of the best shows we've seen on a NCL ship.
By the end of the show, we were fairly exhausted from the weekend of traveling here, so we retired to our room for a great night of sleep.
Day #2 - Welcome to The Haven
The Haven on the Norwegian Pearl
Breakfast:
For breakfast, we took advantage of our suite perk and ate at Cagney's. It's a sit-down breakfast with a continental buffet that is only open to suite guests for the week. My wife felt that the french-pressed coffee is virtually undrinkable (Although, she is a coffee-snob), but the breakfast overall was very good. And, it's so much less crazy then eating at the buffet.
The Haven:
We decided that we would take it easy on our first full day at sea, so we ventured to The Haven private courtyard area. It's truly a great set-up! They have a large hot tub in the corner; a small endless pool in the center of the courtyard; dining tables; access to water, coffee, tea and a variety of snacks; and, finally, lounge chairs. They also have a valet assigned to The Haven who will serve you lunch from Cagney's if you are hungry.
The Courtyard in The Haven on the Norwegian Pearl
The courtyard did seem opulent, and was very well-kept. We certainly had a very relaxing time, and are hoping to take advantage of the facilities again later in the trip.
Casino:
We are not gamblers, nor should we be trusted to gamble with money as we normally lose. For those who love casinos, however, the casino on the Pearl seems impressive. They have a frequent gambling card that you can sign up for. Over the course of the day, they hold tournaments and other competitions. For smokers, this is the one inside public area that I'm aware of that you can smoke.
The casino has quite a few slot machines as well as table games. I did try my luck at the roulette wheel, and cashed out when I was $30 up.
Dinner:
On our private balcony on the Norwegian Pearl
For dinner, we ate at one of the main dining rooms: Summer Palace. The restaurant continued the Asian decor that appoints the rest of the ship, but is even more impressive. Meals in the main dining rooms are included in your stay. Truthfully, we've had meals that are just as good as the specialty up-charge restaurants in these main dining rooms. Other than the intimacy (which sometimes is worth the price of admission alone) and slightly varied menus, any guest should feel comfortable to stick with the main dining rooms and not feel as if they are being short-changed.
Rough Seas:
The seas were very rough on Day #2, with guests falling into the walls and each other, making for a very interesting time.
Coming Next: Day#3 - Having a whale of a time in Juneau