This cruise is more than a month down the road. However,
cabins are going incredibly fast because there are incredible deals on said
cabins. Staterooms start at just $709 per person on the Norwegian Pearl as she
cruises from Miami, Florida to Los Angeles, California via the Panama Canal,
starting April 18, 2014. This cruise qualifies for Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free
promotion, meaning the 3rd and 4th guest in a cabin pay
only the taxes.
The Cruise
Norwegian Pearl embarks from Miami, Florida on her 15 night
Panama Canal cruise at 4pm on Friday, April 18, 2014. She arrives at Los
Angeles, California at 8am on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Along the way, Pearl
transits the full Panama Canal with an additional six ports of call.
Cartegena, Colombia is the first stop and the only port of
call in the Caribbean. Pearl stops on Monday, April 21 from 7am until 3pm. The
following day, she makes her transit of the famous Panama Canal.
Once on the Pacific Ocean, Norwegian Pearl makes her next
port call at Puntarenas, Costa Rica on Thursday, April 24 from 7am until 6pm.
She follows that up with three stops along the Pacific coast of Mexico.
On Saturday, April 26, Pearl stops at Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
from 8am until 4pm. The following day, it’s a little further up the coast to
Huatulco, Mexico from 8am until 4pm. After a full day at sea, Norwegian Pearl
makes her final Mexican stop at Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, April 29 from 8am
until 5pm.
Before she arrives at her final destination of Los Angeles,
Pearl makes one last stop at San Diego, California on Friday, May 2 from 7am
until 6pm.
The Price
I hesitated about even publishing this article because
staterooms seem to be disappearing at a remarkable rate. As of Monday morning
(March 10, 2014) there were still some interior cabins from $709 per person. Outside
cabins were a little less scarce and start at $949 per person. The Haven Deluxe
Owner’s Suite was still available, as well. This little piece of luxury starts
at just $9,499 per person.
Because this is a full transit of the Panama Canal,
government fees and taxes are higher than most cruises. Afterall, it’s not
cheap to lift a 100,000 ton ship over land. Each passenger has an additional
$318.14 in taxes tacked on to their fare.
If booked before March 31, 2014, this cruise qualifies for
Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free promo. The ‘Kids’ is just suggested as the 3rd
and 4th guest in a stateroom pay just the taxes, regardless of age. For
a family (or group) of four to get an inside cabin on the ship, it can be had
for as low as $2,690.56, including taxes.
Norwegian has some other perks in effect right now, as well.
For $199 per person on cruises 10 to 15 nights in length, passengers can have
unlimited meals at the onboard specialty restaurants. Also, each stateroom gets
a coupon book worth up to $300 in onboard savings.
The Ship
Norwegian Pearl was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg,
Germany and has been in service since November 30, 2006. She is a Jewel Class
ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. The ship is 294 metres or 965 feet in
length and has 12 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity onboard is for 2,394
guests at double occupancy. There are typically 1,100 crew members onboard.
Currently, Pearl is running Western Caribbean itineraries
out of Miami. After she reaches Los Angeles on this 15 night Panama Canal
cruise, Pearl makes her way up the Pacific coast to spend the summer doing
roundtrip Alaska cruises, mostly out of Seattle, Washington.
The Small Print
·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.
·Prices are in Canadian dollars.
·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!
·Also not included are gratuities.
·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.
