Let me start off by saying that we did not cruise on the Pearl, due to time constraints, but three of Worldwide's team viewed the ship, but not all together.   The general consensus was the same however, and that is, this is NCL’s best new build to date.  The colors, the themed various public rooms and the quality are quite frankly the best we have seen on any of NCL’s new FreeStyle ships.

Some very quick facts on this ship:

She has 1,190 cabins and 1,154 crew almost one crew member per cabin.
Like the other newer NCL ships she has 2 Garden Villas that are 4,390 sq ft, outrageous!

• 12 Restaurants, keep in mind you pay additional charges at quite a few.

• 11 Bars and lounges

• Rock climbing wall, basketball, Volleyball and a tennis court

• Very large Spa facilities

• 4 for real bowling lanes available at additional charge in the Bliss Ultra Lounge

Diana and Steve Bloss had the opportunity to preview one of their new custom designed shows in the Stardust Theater before actually touring the ship.  The show set the stage for the ship -trust me when I say it was unlike any show we have ever seen before on a cruise ship.  It was a cross over of the Xtreme Games and MTV and really fun which is what this ship is all about!   The theatre is as near perfect as you get with great sight lines as well.     

All of the public rooms have a different theme to them and colors to match.  In some cases that can be good and in many cases that can be bad.  In the case of the Pearl it works extremely well with each room flowing and somehow blending into the next one without getting a headache.  Colors throughout are very contemporary and bright but not in your face bright. 

Cagney’s Steakhouse and the adjoining Star Bar feel every bit like a good Chicago steak house.  The three bar complex of Maltings Beer and Whiskey Bar, Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar and Magnums Champagne & Wine Bar all adjoin one another with different themes and décor and it works very well.  Needless to say every trendy drink as well as the good old stand-bys are readily available, just like a food court for adult beverages. 

Asian accents are not only a part of the décor but a big part of the dining options. Lotus Garden Restaurant is actually three different restaurants in one area that include; a Teppanyaki room, a Sushi Bar and a Thai/Chinese/Japanese Asian Fusion restaurant.  

Rounding out the other dining venues are Summer Palace Main Restaurant serving traditional cruise fare, Indigo Restaurant serving a lighter menu, Le Bistro serving French and Mediterranean menus, a Tapas Restaurant combined with Tex-Mex offerings, an Italian restaurant, your standard buffet dining area and the Blue Lagoon for food court style dining day or night. 

The Bliss Ultra Lounge and Night Club contains the 4 bowling lanes, two on either side of the room.  This room is hard to explain as it has a lot going on including a lot of plasma screen TVs for sports and music videos and some adult video games.  There are semi private rooms, a bar and other seating combinations.  Think along the lines of a hip South Beach night club with some very unique seating and couches.

The Spinnaker Lounge is your large night club and disco.  Again this room too has some most unique seating options that tells you just to have fun. A very unique feature is the big screen TV on the wall of the two deck level entry atrium.  What a great feature to play with when you charter this ship!

Most of the standard cabins on the ship have balconies.  They too have a nice fresh décor.  The enclosed shower unit is a great touch.  The cabins are a bit smaller than most of the competitors as is the closet space.

All in all this new ship is the Pearl of NCL’s current fleet.