This was our second cruise on the Pearl and found it to be just as enjoyable and the first time. We flew out of Minneapolis, were it had been below zero for almost 5 days..... After arriving in Miami, we boarded a bus to take us to the Pearl. We traveled with my sister and her husband and this would be their first cruise.....It also was my sister's birthday that day and I had called ahead and had her room decorated....GREAT job to the staff of the Pearl. The Pearl is a great looking ship and was just as impressive as it was last year. Boarding was a snap (well, the Latitudes and VIP lines get longer every year, in fact, it would have been quicker to go thru the regular lines) and soon we were on board drinking a welcoming glass of champagne. After finding our rooms, and checking out the birthday decorations, we headed up to the Garden Cafe and had our first of many snacks. The ship was held up for an hour because of a technical problem, but soon, we were sailing....It's always a fun to sail down the channel and wave at the people on shore.

FOOD:

The Garden Cafe has a wide variety of food to pick from...Meats, salads, breads, soups, ICE CREAM...The quality is on par for a ship buffet and I can't imagine anyone complaining about nothing to eat there....I prefer eating in the main dining room, but when called for the buffet is a great alternative....I did have a few breakfasts there and the made to order omelets were great....and all the FRESH fruits were outstanding. Read more