Norwegian Pearl in Cozumel
bowling alley on the Pearl
Modern cruise ships come equipped with a variety of ways to entertain their passengers. Not every ship has everything, but each ship does have quite a lot of choices. Looking at what different ships have to offer provides even more options for things to do during a cruise.
People expect to find things like pools and even waterslides. Norwegian Pearl has something completely different to do- go bowling! The Pearl was the first cruise ship ever to include a bowling alley at sea. Now some other Norwegian ships have them as well, including the Epic – a ship of…well… epic proportions.
bar in the Bliss Ultra Lounge & Night Club
On the Pearl, the bowling alley is located in the Bliss Ultra Lounge and Nightclub. This lounge has just about everything. In addition to the bowling alley it has a bar and dance floor, random beds which for unknown reasons the Pearl has scattered about the ship, and a couple areas that for lack of anything better to call them, we referred to as pimp rooms.
Where’s the harem girls?
The Bliss Ultra Lounge has four bowling lanes, two on each side of the lounge. The nominal fee for bowling includes rental of a pair of bowling shoes. Each bowling lane is completely automated. A television-like screen displays whose turn it is to bowl and keeps score. If anyone bowls a strike or spare a cartoon on the screen celebrates their success.
Norwegian Pearl has brightly colored bowling balls in a variety of sizes
Each set of lanes has a variety of bowling balls to choose from in an array of different sizes and colors. Passengers of all ages can enjoy a trip to the bowling alley. Younger kids may use the optional rails that prevent the ball from rolling into the gutter.
John bowling on the Pearl
We gave the bowling alley a try on our recent cruise on the Pearl. We’re not expert bowlers, but had a great time anyway. The fact that the people in the adjacent lane did not bowl any better than we did saved us (mainly me) from embarrassment. John did suggest putting up the kiddie rails, but I did manage to keep some balls out of the gutter and even knock down a few pins.
John bowls a strike
Bowling on a ship can be more interesting than bowling on land. A little movement of the ship this way or that could just send your ball right toward the middle of the lane….or into the gutter. Yeah that’s it, motion of the ship. That’s why most of my balls went into the gutter. At least it makes a good excuse!
Does this picture make my butt look fat?
Cruise Stories 
😀 Been on one cruise before – was fantastic but did try to play action cricket (still have the scars on my knees from that one) and darts – ???!!!! 🙂 all while sailing around tropical storms (bad enough that the crew were getting seasick). Wouldn’t recommend this. If bowling balls went amiss, you can just imagine what happened to people (well, me, that is) and darts whilst the ship rolled its way around the ocean. Brings back good memories though 🙂
It really wasn’t that rough on our cruise, it just makes a good excuse for my bad bowling.
We were once on a poker cruise to Mexico tailing a hurricane, and I’ve never seen a poker table disband so fast as the time the dealer threw up on it.
I’m glad you had fun on your cruise in spite of the stormy seas.
Bowling? on a ship? Who would have thought! My daughter and son-in-law took a cruise on that ship to Alaska, but they must have been too busy looking at the scenery to check out the bowling. I didn’t hear about the pimp rooms either 😀
I don’t suppose pimp room is the actual name for that area…..
What’s next? Bumper cars on cruise ships?
How fun, especially in stormy seas!
You’ll find me hurling over the rail.
I would not want to be on the next deck down.
It would help to wear a hat, preferably a disposable hat.
Umbrella maybe?
One night when my wife and I were fighting I would have liked to find some random beds that were nowhere near my room. There were no random beds to be found on that ship though.
Perhaps you might keep that in mind – sail on the Pearl next time!