TopDawg Travel

Posts Tagged ‘ship inspections’

While it may sound like a cliche, in my opinion there was a reason NCL named that ship “The Pearl”!   She is truly a pearl of a ship.  I had the pleasure of doing a ship inspection  yesterday, Sunday the 8th day of June.  Under cold, grey and damp skies, the Pearl was shining.  I had actually done an inspection of her almost exactly a year ago at the Seattle “Cruise-a-thon” that travel agents attend every year in a port city.  If I am to sail a cruise, I want it to be on her!

There were about 100 travel agents, few from Seattle, many from the central and west coast of the US.  Doing a “fam” is grueling and exhausting, with lots of information imparted that has to be digested and soemhow communicated to our clients and prospective clients.  I was able to sleep in my own bed, but I had to negotiate my way home each evening.  Instead of climbing into a big, comfortable bus to return to the hotel each night, I trekked home up 6 blocks of steep hills to Belltown from the waterfront.

Back to the Pearl.  On the ship, at the top, is a private area that is wonderful for families to occupy, as well as, let’s say, 3 couples who are close friends, or a batch of executives from the same company who want to have privacy to talk about their goals setting/planning/stragetizing for an upcoming change in their business or planning for the upcoming year.  There is a large living area (complete with baby grand piano), three bedroom suites (each has their own door key and private bath) and a private terrace with outdoor seating areas.  All this is accessed by key card, so no one but those assigned to the villa can intrude.  It will, however, hold up to 100 people in a cocktail setting (in case one hundred of your closest friends happen to also be sailing with you).    Here are  some pictures: 

I can not imagine anyone saying they would not like to spend a week in a garden villa!  I have many, many more pictures and stories to tell of this weekend and have set a goal to do a blog entry with pictures every day this week.  Shall see, shall see. Until we meet again……