NCL Norwegian Pearl Ship Review

Wow! That's the first thing i have to say! What a magnificent ship the Norwegian Pearl really is.
I have been on the Norwegian Jewel and although a great ship, it didn't really 'float my boat' (excuse the pun).
I kind of expected the NCL Pearl to be the same but i was pleasantly surprised. The ship decor was very classy and i was lucky enough to be on board whilst all the Christmas decorations were up so it was pretty magical.
The main feature that did it for me was the bowling alley on board the ship, it was situated in the extravagantly decorated Bliss Bar which featured a bar, lots of chaise lounges, plenty of sumptuous velvet and a dance floor - then either side on this were 2 bowling alley lanes. We had such fun in there! (I lost of course)

The second thing to really impress me were the TV screens dotted around the ship, along corridors or by the lifts - they showed each restaurant on the ship and how much seating was available in 'real time'. This meant that at a glance you could see whether there was room to eat in your selected restaurant and saved a lot of walking backwards and forwards!
I stayed in the romance suite which was beautiful although a little smaller than i had expected. The bed was amazingly comfy and our balcony looked out to the back of the ship - had it not been raining I'm sure it would've been a perfect sun-trap.

The Stardust theatre on board the Norwegian Pearl is pretty impressive, a spectacular view from wherever you chose to sit and the seats were very comfortable.
My favourite restaurant was the Summer Palace which was very regal, reminded me of the Ritz only less tired looking! There are 8 speaciality restyaurants onboard to choose from -

• Le Bistro French Restaurant
• Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant (including Sushi)
• Cagney's Steakhouse
• Mambo's Tapas and Latin Restaurant
• The Great Outdoors
• La Cucino Italian Restaurant (just like mama used to make!)
• Blue Lagoon
• Garden Cafe

There are also 15 bars and lounges onboard so its very difficult to get bored and feel like you've seen everything on board in the first day!
The shopping area is quite inpressive and reminded me of an airport lounge as it had so much choice. If you fancy a flutter, the casino is of a decent size, although i only play roulette so i couldn't tell you what other games were being played!

We were also lucky enough to get a look round the Garden Villas which were very impressive. The bathrooms were enormous, the beds were huge and soft and there was even a piano - they have their own hot tubs too!
If you have children, whether they're toddlers or teenagers, there is something just for them. Great play areas, their own cinema with beanbag seats, video arcade - there's even a teenagers nightclub.(alcohol free of course)
The Norwegian Pearl wedding chapel was very classy and i would guess seated about 15 peaopl though don't quote me. Thats something i'd love to see - a wedding on board a ship so if any of my single friends are reading this, take heed!

All in all a great ship and a great time had by all.