This was our 11th cruise with NCL and our 1st cruise to Alaska. I read reviews prior to our trip and set realistic expectations. The ship is great, our balcony cabin (8034) was good for the price we paid, but the food was seriously lacking. Even though we were prepared, we were very disappointed with the selections and food quality in the buffet and dining rooms, and I recommend making reservations days in advance for the specialty restaurants. We couldn't get a reservation in advance, so we only ate in the main dining rooms and buffet. We also tried just showing up to Cagney's/Moderno and the party of two standing in front of us got in without a reservation and we were turned away. We weren't on a dining plan, meaning we would have to pay the a la carte prices, so NCL's ($) loss. I recommend a cabin with a balcony. We saw dolphins, whales and sea otters right from our balcony, and all of the beautiful glaciers! The refurbishments that were recently done to the Pearl were noticeable and very much appreciated. I liked the Alaska store on the ship (in case you had limited shopping time in port.) Every port of call was amazing! Glacier Bay was incredible and the park ranger that narrated our cruise through the bay provided education and enlightenment. We thoroughly enjoyed the shore excursions we selected. We did the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest in Juneau, the Gold Panning, Sled Dogs & Scenic Railway in Skagway and the Alaska Lodge Adventure & Seafeast in Ketchikan. I would love to go on this cruise again and pick different shore excursions to see more of what Alaska has to offer!