Friday, October 19, 2007

Freestyle Cruising

Since this is my first blog and two hours ago I just got off of the Norwegian Pearl I thought I would comment about this ship. The last time I had been on a Norwegian ship was on the S.S. Norway which was many moons ago. A lot has changed. I was pleasantly surprised. There were 10 different restaurants and because you can dine anytime that you want to, the ship never seemed crowded in any location.
I especially enjoyed Mambo's which is not one of the specialty restaurants and is free. It was Tex-Mex style and the food was displayed nicely and was great. We also ate at Le Bistro which had a cover charge of $15.00. It was very elegant dining. I heard mixed reviews on Cagney's "the steakhouse" and I ate in Summer Palace a couple of times and really enjoyed the beef Wellington.
The ship has a 4 lane bowling alley and there is a beautiful bar called "bliss" which you can sit and watch the people bowl. There are plush couches in this area and this is a hot night spot.
It is a very relaxed atmosphere but if you want to dress up a little bit you can. They still offer the formal portraits in the atrium. I was booked in a mini suite and the bathroom had a bathtub which is always a plus for me. There was alot of draw space and closet space but I would have like just a little bit more room between the closet and the bed. The balcony was covered which was a nice touch in the event that the weather is bad you can still sit outside without getting wet.
I got a chance to view the Garden Villa and if you could afford it, you should do it!! I was impressed to say the least. There is a baby grand piano in the room, 3 bedrooms, walk in closets, butler service and from the living room, it overlooks the entire pool area. You can watch everyone swimming but they can't see you. The Garden Villa has it's own jucuzzi , steam room and sauna as well as a pool which is only for the Courtyard and Garden Villa's. Talk about being pampered.
I will post some pictures in a couple of days. In the meanwhile you can read about many different cruises or take virtual tours on my website http://www.lovemycruises.com/

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