My wife and I just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Pearl and it was great! We have been loyal to Norwegian over the years and really enjoy the Freestyle option and ability to choose our own schedule. The embarkation was very smooth and we were onboard the ship, eating lunch within 30 minutes of arriving at the port of Miami. Our room was ready by 1:15 and the stateroom was very well laid out and had plenty of storage space for the two of us.

The ship wasn't too crowded and there weren't a lot of kids, which made us very happy. The crew was very helpful and cheerful during the entire duration of the sailing. Whenever we needed assistance or advice, they were all more than willing to help. The only person who truly acted as if they could care less about us was the cruise consultant, whose job we never really understood. We wanted to book a back to back cruise as soon as this one was finished. We went to see him about making the arrangements. He only gave us the Norwegian 800# and told us to call from our room (at a charge of $5 per minute!). It seemed very odd that Norwegian didn't have a system in place to help someone book a cruise while you were on the cruise. They kept pushing us to buy a $250 credit for a future cruise - this gives you a $100 free credit on your current cruise. But they could not tell us if we could use the $250 credit towards a cruise leaving the following week. It was as if the crew members on the boat knew nothing about reservations. However, we're sure that they do get a commission for selling the $250 credit. The meals were quite adequate at the 'free' restaurants and the buffets. We are not food snobs by any means, and found the selection quite nice and well prepared. The Chocolate Buffet was a little disappointing on the next to last night. We did do the murder mystery dinner and had a good time. Be prepared - you are not watching a show or a cast - your table members (other passengers)are the entire cast of the show. The entertainment on board was great. Sharkbait, The 2nd city comedy troupe and the headliner comedian were hilarious. The dancers and Four Seasons tirbute group were just okay, nothing special. The last night of the cruise only offers one showtime. Make sure to get to this show a half hour early to get a good seat - well worth it! We would recommend not booking your excursions through the ship, since they are very overpriced. We paid $25 for an around the island tour of St. Thomas that was $50 onboard. The excursion desk was very helpful, but don't waste your money. These tours leave in open air buses from the shopping area in downtown. The only thing to be aware of is that there is a lot of construction on St. Thomas and our tour was within 15 minutes of being left by the cruise ship. The tour was over an hour and half late getting back to the dock. We suggest taking the island tour first and then walking through any shops - this will allow you an adequate amount of time to get back to the ship. Don't get off of the ship at the Dominican Republic. The area is very poor. We decided to take a trip to a separate beach island - but the cost was $50 - and not worth it. Most people will get off of the ship - and this is the perfect time to have any part of the ship to yourself. Tortola is beautiful. We chose to do a snorkeling tour and loved it! We wanted to see Virgin Gorda, but by the time the excursions got you there, you only had an hour and a half on the beach. There are 2 excursions to Virgin Gorda - by land or boat. Please note that if you choose to go by boat, you will have to swim to the shore, and you can't bring any beach towels, etc because they will get wet. The casino was fun and they have a one time per person deal - if you pay $10 at the casino desk, they will give you $20 to play. Double your money - a fun way to spend your extra time. We also purchased the week long spa pass for $99 pp and it was well worth it. The quiet and solititude that it offered was great. The only thing that we would warn about is the chlorine content in the jacuzzi. My wife's new bathing suit was ruined because the jacuzzi chemicals took the color out of it. The spa attendant at the desk could have cared less and merely told us that there is a sign on the wall that warns you of that. All in all, we had a great time. Our room steward was great and very courteous whenever we passed him in the hall. There were rough seas on one day of our trip, and quite a few passengers were seasick - but the guest service desk does offer dramamine for free. We always get a prescription from our doctor for scolpomine patches to place behind our ears - we have never had a problem with motion sickness because of this and highly recommend them. We highly suggest this cruise and we had a great time. We love NCL and we hope that you enjoy your cruise! P.S. Happy Happy, Washy Washy, Smiley Smiley (you'll understand this joke after your NCL cruise)