NCL Pearl, con’t – Courtyard Villas

Still enthralled with the Pearl, today I am covering the Courtyard Villas.  Also on the top deck of the Pearl are the Courtyard Villas.  Sharing a common terrace, the suites are absolutely lovely. There is, of course, a terrace to be shared, but only with the Garden Suite, the Deluxe Owners and Owners Suites.  On the terrace you will find a private swimming pool, hot tub, covered Balinese-style lounge areas providing lots of shade, oversized comfortable chaise lounges, as well as a fitness area with steam room.  You also get a butler for personal service-just ask, your butler is there for all those little items and needs.  There is a retractable domed sunroof for year round comfort and a separate oceanview deck upstairs for more sun tanning.

Amenities include priority embarkation, butler and concierge  service, butler to unpack your luggage, sparkling wine, gourmet  hors d’oeuvres and bottled water.  

For true VIP living, the villas offer up to 572 square feet of serenity, luxury bathroom with tub  and shower, a separate guest bedroom  with bath, aprivate balcony and a flat screen TV with DVD &  CD library.

Additional privileges include an invitation to VIP cocktail party, 24-hour room service with special suite menu, a full in-room breakfast menu, hors d’oeuvres delivered once during cruise, fine linens, duvet and feather pillows, plush bath robes and towels, luxurious bath amenities, fresh flower arrangement and fresh fruit basket, mini-bar and an espresso/cappuccino  machine.  There is also priority boarding of tenders to shore and priority disembarkation. 

Here are some of the pictures  took while doing the site inspection:

Courtyard Villas – Terrace

Courtyard Terrace – Refreshment Bar

Retractable Dome Ceiling – Courtyard Villas

The Courtyard Terrace Pool and Hot Tub

 

Norwegian Cruise Lines – The Pearl

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……