ncl pearl cruise ship

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Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Pearl

Cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line

Miami (Florida)
Trieste (Italy)
Piraeus-Athens (Greece)

Norwegian Pearl current position

Norwegian Pearl current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 47.05379 N / -6.82395 W) cruising at speed of 15.2 kn (28 km/h | 17 mph) en route to LA CORUNA, SPAIN. The AIS position was reported 5 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Norwegian Pearl

Norwegian Pearl current cruise is 9 days, one-way from Southampton to Barcelona . The itinerary starts on 09 May, 2024 and ends on 18 May, 2024 .

Specifications of Norwegian Pearl

Itineraries
Review
Wiki

Norwegian Pearl Itineraries

Norwegian pearl review, review of norwegian pearl.

The 2006-built Norwegian Pearl cruise ship is the 3rd of NCL's Jewel-class liners, together with Norwegian Gem , Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Jewel .

The vessel (IMO number 9342281) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 309653000) and registered in Nassau .

NEWS : On January 5, 2023, NCLH/shipowner announced the new brand “Experiences at Sea”. The new program is a partnership with the NCL's subsidiary "Sixthman Festivals at Sea" and NCL’s CM&I division (Charters, Meetings & Incentives). NCLH's new brand annually schedules several themed B2Bs/back-to-back cruises/consecutive itineraries for Norwegian Pearl which target corporate clients as well as incentive and affinity-focused customers from NCLH's fleet (NCL-Norwegian, Oceania, RSSC-Regent). The new brand is managed by Anthony Diaz (Sixthman's CEO and CM&I's Senior VP). Voyages are usually themed on music (Rock, Country, Pop, Blues, Broadway celebrity performances, etc), also Atlantis Events/LGTBQIA+, Comedy Influencers, Sports, and others. The itineraries are in the Caribbean (roundtrips from Miami) and all visit NCLH's private islands - The Bahamas' Great Stirrup Cay, and Belize's Harvest Caye.

History - construction and ownership

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a subsidiary company of the shipping corporation Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH). NCL was founded in 1966, headquartered in Miami (Florida USA) and publicly traded (NASDAQ) company listed on NYSE ( NYC ). NCLH's major shareholders are the corporations Apollo Global Management (American), Genting Group (Malaysian) and TPG Capital (American). In 2017, the brand NCL had a worldwide cruise market share 8,7% (passengers) and 8,4% (revenue). NCLH (shipowner) owns the brands NCL , Oceania and RSSC-Regent .

The 2400-passenger ship Norwegian Pearl was built with the idea of Freestyle Cruising - no dress code (no formal attire needed) and no restrictions on when and where you dine. Norwegian Pearl is a luxurious ship, featuring amazing amenities, such as the first bowling alley to hit the high seas.

Decks and Cabins

Norwegian Pearl staterooms (1197 total, in 36 grades) include 182x Suites, 360x Balcony, 243x Oceanview and 412 Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 140-160 ft2 (13-15 m2). The largest accommodations are the 3-Bedroom The Haven Garden Villa (2320 ft2 / 216 m2, with terrace sized 1035 ft2 / 96 m2).

The boat has 15 decks , of which 12 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

A lot of dining options are available with the multiple restaurants onboard Norwegian Pearl. You can eat whatever you want at any time. Traditionalists can have dinner at the same time, in the same place every night, just have to inform the maitre d' in advance. Otherwise, the multitude of dining venues allows for various options. Norwegian has gone back to the reservation system and it allows guests to make plans a day in advance. Some restaurants are included in cruise fare, while others incur additional fees.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Pearl restaurants and food bars.

Indigo Restaurant (forward Dining Room, complimentary, with Your Time dining)
Le Bistro (French speciality dinner-only restaurant; reservations-only; US$20 cover charge)
Lotus Garden (Asian restaurant, dinner-only, complimentary since 2015)
Sushi Bar (10-seat Lotus Garden restaurant, a la carte); Sake Bar (inside Lotus Garden)
Teppanyaki (Japanese Hibachi speciality, reservations-only restaurant; US$25; open for Lunch and Dinner; features live cooking demonstrations)
Summer Palace Restaurant (aft-location Dining Room; complimentary; Freestyle dining)
Blue Lagoon (buffet restaurant for fast food; complimentary)
Sky High Bar & Grill (complimentary fast food bar); Bali Hai (grill)
Cagney’s Steakhouse (speciality dinner restaurant for prime steaks and gourmet seafood specialities; reservations-only, US$30 cover charge per person and free Kids Menu)
Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse; reservations-only; US$20 per person cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
La Cucina (Italian speciality restaurant; reservations-only, US$15 cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
Garden Cafe (complimentary buffet restaurant with various cuisine stations); Kid's Cafe
The Great Outdoors (outdoor buffet restaurant, complimentary)
Topsiders Bar & Grill (poolside, complimentary).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

There are a lot of bars and lounges onboard Norwegian Pearl to spend your free time, as well as sparkling pools, fitness and luxury spa facilities. Other ships might have surf parks and ice skating, but Norwegian Pearl has bowling: 4 family-friendly lanes flank the Bliss Ultra Lounge on Deck 7, filled with beds and pillows, divans and loungers. It becomes the ship's after-party hotspot at night. Bowling costs $5 per person, per game, which includes shoe rental. There are also the usual shipboard entertainment options, with improv comedy by Chicago's Second City troupe, production shows in the Stardust Theater on Decks 5 and 6, pianists and singers throughout the ship, audience-participation games and some adults-only late-night comedy shows. The ship also has 7 jacuzzis and 3 pools (1 kids pool). Entertainment options also include the NCL's FIREWORKS show (on each voyage), "Rock of Ages", "Cirque Dreams", "Illusionarium" (magicians show).

Additional amenities include: Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Kids Program ("NCL Kids"), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry. NCL Pearl tipping/gratuities (US$12 pp per day). NCL Pearl cruise ship weddings are held in her chapel.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Pearl lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

Stardust Theatre (1042-seat; features Broadway-style musical productions; two grand shows per night)
Bar City complex (Maltings Beer & Whisky Bar, Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar and Magnum’s Champagne & Wine Bar); Corona Cigar Bar; Sugarcane Mojito Bar; Star Bar; Topsiders Bar
Bliss Ultra Lounge & Nightclub
Spinnaker Lounge (394-seat, with floor-to-ceiling windows; serves as disco & night club); Java Cafe
Crystal Atrium (2-deck midship hub area with a big-size LED screen, dance area and live entertainment)
Atrium Cafe & Bar (speciality tea & coffee bar)
Internet Cafe (24-hour); Art Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop
LifeStyles Room; Library; Card Room
Pearl Club Casino
Trade Routes Boutiques (tax and duty-free shops); Port O’Call (gift shop)
South Pacific Spa complex (Thermal Suite, Snow Room, Salt Room, Medi Spa, Smile Spa, Treatment Rooms, Beauty Salon, Barber Shop); Body Waves Fitness Centre; Tahitian Beach Pool; Kid’s Pool
Aqua Kid’s Club; Metro Center Teen’s Lounge & Disco Club; Video Games Arcade
The Haven area Courtyard Fitness & Spa complex (Villas-guests only, Steam Room, Gym)
Rock Climbing Wall; Combined sports court; Jogging Track; Golf Nets; Shuffleboard, Giant Chess.

Itineraries

Norwegian Pearl itinerary program is based on Alaska cruises from Seattle WA in the summer. The NCL Pearl also sails to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean out of Miami FL and on repositioning crossings through Panama Canal.

Norwegian Pearl - user reviews and comments

Photos of norwegian pearl.

Norwegian Pearl ship related cruise news

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Norwegian Pearl Wiki

Pearl is one of NCL's Jewel-class liners, with sisterships Gem , Jade and Jewel . Vessel's construction started on October 3, 2005. The ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on October 15, 2006, and christened in PortMiami on December 16, 2006. Her Godmother was Roseann O'Donnell (1962-born US comedian actress, author, TV personality). The Inaugural Cruise/Maiden Voyage was on December 2, 2006 (Transatlantic repositioning crossing from Southampton England to Miami Florida ).

An interesting fact is that Pearl is one of 12 cruise liners allowed to discharge their treated wastewater in Juneau, Ketchikan and other main Alaskan harbors. These liners are also permitted to discharge laundry, shower and kitchen runoff (called "grey water").

Fun fact is, that Norwegian Pearl, just like the NCL Jewel ship, was a TV star. In 2009, the CNBC TV channel showed a documentary titled "Big Money on the High Seas" featuring Norwegian Pearl. Pearl is the NCL fleet's first liner with a rock-climbing wall.

Ship's Captain is Paul von Knorring.

Itineraries 2017-2018

For the 2017-2018 season, the NCL Pearl ship will reposition from Miami to NOLA New Orleans . The ship will operate on 7-8-9-day round-trip Western Caribbean cruises (between Oct 22, 2017, and April 1, 2018). NOLA itineraries will visit ports in Mexico (Cozumel, Costa Maya), Honduras (Roatan); Belize (Harvest Caye). Longer itineraries will additionally visit Grand Cayman and Guatemala (Santo Tomas de Castilla).

NCL Pearl refurbishment 2017 review

Ship's drydock 2017 refurbishment (February 14-26, in Freeport Bahamas ) resulted in the following deckplan changes, new amenities and renovations:

All cruise staterooms were refreshed with cool blue hues. All cabins also received new furniture, carpeting, bed headboards, flat HDTVs (infotainment system), USB outlets (for device charging).
Over 2200 new artworks were installed throughout the ship (including in all cabins).
The Haven suite complex had its Haven Courtyard refurbished with new finishes on outdoor deck areas, the swimming pool, the hot tubs. New deck furniture and cabanas were added.
The Haven suites and villas all received extensive renovation - new wallpapers, furniture, finishes, carpeting, drapery, artworks.
Cagney’s Steakhouse received new carpeting, artworks, upholstery, window treatments.
Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) restaurant received new tables and chairs, wall laminates, new granite bar tops, remodeled glass-door entrance.
O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill was updated with new flooring, refurbished granite-topped bar, new bar back shelves, ceiling, lighting fixtures, wall finishes, furniture (tables and chairs), plus new banquet seating for large groups.
Pool Deck received new deck flooring and the whirlpools were refurbished. The bars "Great Outdoors" and "Sky High" received new flooring.
During drydock 2017, NCL Pearl was retrofitted with new "scrubbers" (exhaust gas cleaning systems). The new scrubber technology reduces the equivalent of approx 1500 tons of the poisonous gas Sulfur Oxide. Norwegian Cruise Line was the first cruise company retrofitting with a scrubber hybrid system vessels while in service. The new in-line scrubbers (5 units) are lightweight and able to operate in a dry mode, as well as in open and closed loops.

Drydock 2017 was part of NCL's "Norwegian Edge" program for fleetwide upgrades (2-year project budgeted USD 400 million). Each drydock costs around USD 35-40 million.

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Norwegian Pearl Deck Plans & Reviews

Norwegian Pearl

Activities & entertainment

Arts and Crafts Classes
Basketball_Tennis Courts
Behind the Scenes Tour *
Body Waves Fitness Center
Pearl Club Casino *
Bliss Ultra Lounge
Spinnaker Lounge
Bridge Viewing Room
Climbing Wall
Dance Classes
Deck Parties
Fitness Classes *
Gaming Lessons *
Corona Cigar Club
Hair Salon *
Whirlpools (5)
Hydrotherapy Pool *
Internet Cafe *
Jogging Track
Late Night Dancing
Poolside Games
South Pacific Spa and Beauty Salon *
Thermal Suite *
Shuffleboard Court
Sports Court
The Library
Video Arcade *
Wine Tasting *
Aqua Kids Club
Medical Center
Comedy Performances
Onboard Movie Screenings
Stardust Theater
Live Nightly Music
Sports Games Televised
Indigo Main Dining Room - Main
Summer Palace Main Dining Room - Main
Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant - Asian
Maltings Beer and Whiskey Bar - Beer & Whiskey *
Garden Cafe - Buffet
Magnums Champagne and Wine Bar - Champagne and Wine Bar *
Le Bistro French Restaurant - French *
La Cucina Italian Restaurant - Italian *
Teppanyaki - Japanese *
Sake Bar - Japanese Sake *
Kids Cafe - Kids Fare
Shakers Martini and Cocktail Bar - Martini Bar *
Topsiders Bar - Pool Bar *
Cagneys Steakhouse - Steakhouse *
Sushi Bar - Sushi *
Sky High Bar - Hot-Air Balloon-Themed Bar *
Starbucks - Coffee Bar *
Atrium Bar - Atrium Bar *
Room Service *

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A Tour of the Norwegian Pearl Cruise Ship

The Norwegian Pearl is perfect for "freestyle cruising" concept. The Norwegian Pearl is a beautiful ship, with contemporary decor. The cruise ship has multiple restaurants of varied cuisines, lively bars and lounges, interesting activities ranging from quiet corners to the industry's first bowling alley, and family-friendly cabins of all sizes and prices.

We attended the naming ceremony for the Norwegian Pearl in December 2006 and then cruised on her for two nights and a day on a cruise to "nowhere".

Here are a few facts about the Norwegian Pearl:

Length: 965 feet
Width: 125 feet
Draft: 28 feet
Speed: 25 knots
Tonnage: 93,530 GRT
Passenger capacity: 2394 (double occupancy)
Cabins: 1197
Number of restaurants: 12, along with 24-hour room service for all cabins. Villas, suites, and penthouse passengers also have butler and concierge service.
Number of bars and lounges: 14
Other facilities: Atrium, Stardust Theater (1042 seats), fitness center, rock climbing wall, bowling alley , Mandara spa and salon, casino, swimming pools, sports deck, teen center, video arcade, kids club, retail boutiques, art gallery, Internet lounge, meeting rooms, library, card room, lifestyle room, chapel, medical center

Let's take a detailed look at the Norwegian Pearl.

Varied Dining and Cuisine

The Norwegian Pearl cruise ship has 12 diverse dining venues, and passengers can dine whenever and wherever the mood strikes them. You can even dine in a different restaurant each night! The Norwegian Pearl's restaurants feature tables with open seating for two to ten persons, and the two main restaurants are open between 5:30 and 10:00 pm.

The Restaurant Reservation and Management System helps passengers determine which restaurants are busiest and the wait times. This system consists of flat-screen TVs placed in high-traffic areas around the ships and shows each restaurant's availability status. Indicator bars reflect when each restaurant is "full," "short wait," "filling up," or "empty." Screens also show an estimated wait time in each restaurant and the different table sizes available. If you are craving a certain type of food and the restaurant is full, the hostess will give you a wait time and issue a pager that works all over the ship. This allows passengers to relax in a bar until a table is available.

Freestyle cruising dress also applies on the Norwegian Pearl, with resort casual the standard attire. Passengers are always welcome to dress up if they wish.

The 12 restaurants on the Norwegian Pearl are:

Summer Palace: Main restaurant, seats 558
Indigo: Second main restaurant, seats 304
Mambo's Latin/Tapas: Tex/Mex cuisine, seats 96
La Cucina: Italian restaurant, seats 92
Blue Lagoon: 24-hour food court, seats 94
Garden Cafe: Action station casual restaurant, seats 390
Great Outdoors: Outdoor dining
Teppanyaki: Asian Japanese grill restaurant, seats 32, $20 pp surcharge
Cagney's: Steakhouse, seats 160, $15 pp surcharge
Le Bistro: French restaurant, seats 129, $10 pp surcharge
Lotus Garden: Asian cuisine, seats 100, $10 pp surcharge
Sushi Bar: Sushi, sashimi, and Shabu-Shabu, $12.50 pp surcharge

Bars and Lounges Around the Ship

Passengers on the Norwegian Pearl do not have to wander far from their cabins to find a bar or lounge. The bars have a variety of concoctions and decor. For example, Bar Central on deck 6 has a beer and whiskey bar, a martini bar, and a champagne and wine bar. The Bliss Ultra-Lounge on deck 7 is Norwegian Pearl's sports bar by day, featuring the first bowling alleys at sea and sports action on multiple flat screen TVs. By night, Bliss transforms into a high-energy disco, with hip music and a lively dance floor. The seating in Bliss is velvety and comfortable--just divine!

The Spinnaker Observation Lounge on deck 13 has spectacular views, a dance floor, some really interesting seating, and a stage for entertainment. The Sky High Bar and Topsiders Bar next to the pool offer views of the pool and deck areas, and Mambo's Bar overlooks the Crystal Atrium.

Those looking for a specialty coffee need look no further than the Java Cafe in the Atrium, and gamblers can stay close to the casino in the spacious Casino Bar.

Cabins, Suites, and Villas

The Norwegian Pearl has a wide range of cabins, and introduces a new concept in mega-ship accommodations--a "ship within a ship". Upscale passengers who expect large, luxurious suites can book one of the spectacular garden villas, courtyard villas, or deluxe owner's suites. Passengers in these amazing accommodations have keycard access to their decks and butler and concierge service. They can eat all their meals in the privacy of the suites; swim or soak in their own pools; and still venture out to go to the shows, lounges, casino, or other "big ship" amenities as they choose. What a life!

The Norwegian Pearl also has many traditional cabin categories including inside cabins, ocean view, and balcony suites. The ship also has many connecting cabins of all grades, which are perfect for family groups.

Onboard Activities - Bowling, Swimming, and More

Let's start with the industry's first bowling alley at sea. This four-lane, 10-pin alley promises to be a big hit, based on our short cruise. The Bliss Ultra-Lounge, the location of the bowling alley, has many TVs for sports watching by day and music video watching by night. Bowling is one of those multi-generational activities that passengers of mixed talents can bowl together and have a great time. We had smooth seas on our cruise, so we didn't get to see how much the wave action would affect the bowling scores. It certainly would not have hurt mine!

The Norwegian Pearl features the cruise line's first rock climbing wall. Located at the back of the ship's funnel, the wall stands 30 feet high and is 19 feet wide, with 5 different vertical courses, each of varying difficulty. For those looking for indoor exercise, the Norwegian Pearl's fitness center on deck 12 has floor to ceiling windows and many of the latest workout machines. You can work out and enjoy the seascapes! The ship also has exercise classes and a Sports Deck with a basketball, volleyball, and paddle tennis court. The Sports Deck has two life-size outdoor chess boards, two golf driving nets, deck games, shuffleboard, and a walking/jogging track.

After exercising, passengers can check out the numerous boutiques located on deck 7 or the casino of deck 6. Alternatively, passengers can enjoy the hot tubs, the swimming pool, or the delightful sunbeds on the pool deck. There is always something to keep you busy on the Norwegian Pearl, but only if you wish.

Mandara Spa and South Pacific Salon

After participating in all the activities described on the previous page, passengers might want to visit the Norwegian Pearl's South Pacific Spa and Beauty Salon for a relaxing treatment or massage. Mandara operates the Norwegian Pearl spa, which features 20 treatment rooms, 3 of which are designed for couples. The spa offers all the standard spa treatments and amenities. The unisex salon includes hair and nail treatments and barbering services.

The Norwegian Pearl spa has Norwegian's first thalassotherapy pool, which combines heat and saltwater for a delightfully relaxing soak. The spa also has separate men and women's sauna, steam room, plunge bath, and hot tub. The unisex relaxation area includes a Hydro-bath and the wonderful heated thermal benches seen in this photo.

Use of Technology

The Norwegian Pearl has most of the technology you would expect from a brand-new cruise ship. We were a little disappointed that the Wireless Internet did not work in the cabin, but the Internet hook-up (don't forget to bring your own standard network cable) worked great. The hookup is a little difficult to locate but is in the cabinet near the TV. Wireless Internet access is available in many of the common areas , although it seemed much slower than the network connection. Passengers not wanting to bring their own laptops can rent one on the ship or use the Internet Cafe. Like most cruise ships, Internet charges are high, ranging from 40 cents per minute to 75 cents per minute, depending on the plan purchased.

Passengers on the Norwegian Pearl can also use their personal cell phones on the ship and be billed by their own carrier at the roaming rate set by the carrier .

For digital photography fans who don't want to wait until they get home to print pictures, the Norwegian Pearl has a photo gallery with kiosk available to instantly print photos just like at home.

Onboard Entertainment

In addition to the participatory activities on the Norwegian Pearl, the cruise ship has some excellent onboard entertainment. The first is the famed improvisational comedy troupe The Second City. This ensemble group performs one night each sailing and also hosts onboard workshops for children and adults. The kids' workshops focus on the important principles of improvisation such as listening to others and working as a team.

Jean Ann Ryan Productions is in charge of the stage shows in the Stardust Theater. We saw two of the shows on our short cruise. The first was a high-energy show called "Tubez" which featured specialty performers on bikes, skateboards, and in-line skates. The music is pop and hip-hop and was a little young for my taste, but I'll bet the under-30 age group will enjoy it. We don't know how the bike and skateboard tricks will work in rough seas, but they were impressive on our cruise.

The second show we had was called "Sea Legs", and is a stage revue featuring girls in fabulous costumes similar to what you see in Las Vegas . This show also included two excellent gymnasts (a man and a woman) who performed high over the stage.

The third Jean Ann Ryan show is called "Garden of the Geisha", which features martial arts, Tai Chi, and Kabuki action, all woven into an Oriental love story and performed to the sounds of drums.

The large Spinnaker Observation Lounge also has live performances and dancing in the evening. Some nights have themed parties such as rock and roll, disco, or country and western, which sound like a lot of fun.

Kids and Teens

In addition to the many diverse "freestyle" dining options, entertainment and activities, the Norwegian Pearl has many other features that make it family-friendly. The first (and most expensive) are the large suites with more than one bedroom, which are perfect for family groups. The largest suites total almost 4,400 square feet! Norwegian Cruise Line also increased the number of connecting rooms in all cabin categories on the Norwegian Pearl, which is attractive to many families. You can purchase multiple connecting cabins and/or suites, with 2, 3, 4, or 5 bedrooms (and baths).

The ship has a large "Kid's Crew" area on the Norwegian Pearl called the Aqua Kid's Club. This educational and entertaining program is available to kids from 2 to 17 and is offered year-round on sea days and in the evenings when the ship is in port. In addition to the kids' program, the Norwegian Pearl has a group sitting service for ages 2 and up from 10 pm to 1 am and for certain hours when the ship is in port. Parents need time to have fun, too!

Parents may want to purchase a Kid's Crew backpack package for their kids that include a baseball cap, sunglasses, luggage tags, t-shirt, souvenir cup, and unlimited sodas for the entire cruise. The Kid's Soda package, which includes a cup, telescopic straw, and unlimited fountain sodas has an extra fee, but might be worth it if your kid loves soft drinks.

Teenagers will love the Teen Metro Center, which is a teen-only theme club complete with large TV, disco, theme parties, and an arcade. Teens can purchase a "teen passport", which gives them a coupon book that they can use towards non-alcoholic specialty drinks, pizza parties, and a farewell party.

Families should love the cabins, activities, and programs on the ship.

Caribbean, Alaska, and Panama Canal Itineraries

In the fall, winter, and spring months, the Norwegian Pearl sails Caribbean itineraries round trip out of Miami .

The Norwegian Pearl repositions to Alaska in the summertime, where she sails a seven-day Alaska Inside Passage itinerary out of Seattle with calls in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria. In the fall and spring, the Norwegian Pearl sails a repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal .

In summary, this mega-ship seems to have something for everyone. Lots of action, beautiful cabins, and a variety of food, drinks, and entertainment.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.

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