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NCL Pearl from a handicapped perspective
Here's a review I wrote about travelling with a wheechair on the Pearl. No pictures, but the cabin was very spacious, with a good sized balcony. Hope this helps!
As first time cruisers on NCL we really enjoyed our Southern Caribbean trip on the beautiful Pearl.
I'll try to keep this as brief as possible, but I'd like to approach the cruise from the perspective of a wheelchair user.
We left our home in a bad snowstorm, but managed to arrive in Toronto in good time for our flight to Miami. Fortunately most flights were leaving the airport, and ours was actually on time. It was a real pleasure to arrive in Miami and enjoy the warmth! We stayed overnight in Miami Beach, at the Holiday Inn. We woke to lovely weather, and , after a leisurely breakfast we made our way to the pier. We arrived at 11:30, and were directed to the Latitudes line - because of our DM's wheelchair. We were on board in ten minutes. We made our way to the Summer Palace for lunch, and were in our cabins by 1:00.
We had two mini suites on deck 11. One was a handicapped cabin - very spacious, with a well arranged bathroom - plenty of grab bars, and a wheel-in shower with a pull down seat. The balcony door opened with an electric switch, and there was a ramp leading outside. There was room to maneuver a wheelchair, two chairs, and a chaise. Later in the cruise the stewards placed a duvet on the chaise so that DM could enjoy a change from the wheelchair. Our stewards in both cabins were efficient, and very friendly. We enjoyed the flowers, and the fruit bowls. Even though we were below the Garden Cafe, and the outdoor eating area, there was no noise to annoy us in the cabins.
We ate at Mambos, La Cucina and Cagneys. We also tried the Blue Lagoon, and the Garden Cafe at various times. The Garden Cafe was usually crowded, but we enjoyed the Great Outdoors, close to the cappuccino maker, for many snacks. We usually ate in the Summer Palace. The access to the restaurant, for someone in a wheelchair, was on Deck 6. There was only one elevator that went to Summer Palace, deck 6, and , at the beginning of the cruise we would go down to deck 7, then wait for the designated elevator. However, we discovered that a trip to the guest services, and a quick swipe of DM's cruise card, allowed us to call that specific elevator from any deck of the ship. That "priority" card allowed us to move around quite easily, without having to fight our way onto elevators. That perk was truly appreciated! Food ran the gamut - very good some days - not quite so good others. But we always found something to eat!
We didn't have problems booking, and we were always seated promptly. DM was escorted to her place at the table, and we were always given a table that was big enough to accommodate the wheelchair. We liked the coffee choices, the eggs benedict, the steak in Cagneys, the fish and chips and the shepherd's pie in Blue Lagoon, the breads, the ice cream and, did I mention the coffee choices?
The entertainment was varied and we enjoyed most of the shows we saw. There was a place , on Deck 6, reserved for wheelchairs, and DM was always royally treated, with the entertainment crew looking out for her and ensuring that there was always a designated place for her . We really enjoyed the Second City and Jeff Trachta, who was once (apparently) on the Bold and the Beautiful. Jeff was a fine comedian and a great impressionist. We enjoyed him so much that we attended his lecture later in the cruise.
We always made a point of sitting in the Java Lounge during the cocktail hour. The Trio los Hernandez played there, and they were wonderful. Drinks were sometimes expensive - stay away from the souvenir glasses - but DM's Cuba LIbras were reasonable. We enjoyed the slots in the casino, but were never driven enough to join Casinos at Sea - although most people we spoke to seemed to think it was a good deal. If DM needed a bathroom break when we out and about on the ship, there were special bathrooms on every deck, with good grab bars, and , again, that magic button to open and close the door! On the promenade deck, there were also exits that were wheelchair friendly. Again, these used automatic buttons.
We only used the ship's shore excursion in Samana. DM was not keen to be lifted into a tender so she stayed on board with her companion - and had a very enjoyable day. Two of us took the whale watching excursion, and the Cayo Levantado beach escape. We boarded the whale watching boat directly from the ship, and, fortified with dramamine we settled back to a very exciting ride. We saw whales and their calves, and enjoyed the experience. The beach was pleasant, and the water was quite refreshing. On the other islands we used vans that could accommodate a wheelchair, and we were always impressed with the service we received. The tours ran for about three to four hours, and we paid $20 - $30 per person for each tour. Our favourite island was Tortola, but we enjoyed the sights in Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia.
We enjoyed the days at sea. We are not really into lots of scheduled activities, but we found quiet places to read. We especially enjoyed the balcony on the aft handicapped cabin.
We returned to a rainy Miami, fully relaxed, and a little reluctant to leave the warmth for our snowy north! Our disembarkation was smooth. We chose a late colour, and ate a leisurely breakfast before leaving. Our bags were there waiting for us, and, despite there being several ships in port, we managed to get a taxi quite easily. We stayed overnight in the Holiday Inn Port of Miami, and had a fairly decent flight home.
We really loved the Pearl. We appreciated the attention that was given to our DM in a wheelchair. She was made to feel like royalty all the time!
We liked the itinerary and we liked the length of the cruise. We will cruise with NCL again, when we find an itinerary that appeals to us!
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, and thanks, Char, for making it a sticky!
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