We had a great cruise on a beautiful ship. Embarkation: Easiest of my cruising career! Maybe we just timed it right, but we got to the port, dropped our bags off, checked in, walked inside and sat down for about 2 minutes and then were called onto to the ship... We were among the first on board. Total time from curb to ship: 20 minutes.Ship: The Pearl is my favorite NCL ship to date. She is well maintained and broken up nicely. 1. Pool: I though the pool area was nice and large. Two pools in the main area made it feel bigger and more spread out. Obviously there were plenty of chair-savers, but we were actually able to find loungers every time we went out there - which was a pleasant surprise.2. Dining: We dined in a few venues throughout the cruise.a. Indigo: I thought this was the best option for a main dining room. It was smaller and intimate and the service was consistently better than the Summer Palace.b. Summer Palace: This is the larger dining room; it has a very open concept and service was slow both times we dined here.c. Mambos: This is a specialty restaurant ($10 PP). We thoroughly enjoyed dining here, the food was excellent and the service was just right.d. Blue Lagoon: We dined here on a few occasions for a late night snack. Expect intoxicated people after midnight! This was fine, as I was also a bit lubricated each time we went here - but I have the ability to remain respectful and well mannered - others clearly do not.e. Buffet: I loved it, my SO did not. I liked that it was broken up into different segments and there was not one large line to wait in. I always had my food and was seated within minutes. My SO felt there was no continuation and related items were placed in different areas.3. Common Areas: We were disappointed in the atrium. The fact that is only a two story area really makes it feel small. It was definitely serviceable, but this was my least favorite part about this ship.4. Bars and Lounges: Bar City was a great little area for before or after dinner/show. We enjoyed sitting and listening to music with a cocktail and beer here most nights. The theatre was nicely appointed, but the seats felt really low... I heard this from other cruisers as well. The Spinnaker Lounge was a great place to catch a late show and seating was comfortable. We met many people here as sharing couches/tables was common practice. Outdoor venues were also nice and the service was always on time.Stateroom: We had an inside stateroom on deck 9. It was everything we needed - although the toilet was a bit close to the wall. I am 5'10 and about 180 lbs., so not a huge person by any means. The bed was comfortable and the TV had a clear picture for while I was waiting for SO to get ready.Entertainment: 1. The production cast was good. A few of the singers did not have great voices, but a few were really excellent. They worked well together and were slightly above average for a cruise ship production cast.2. Second City: We have seen various groups of Second City performers over the years on our NCL cruises and they have always been very funny - this group was no exception.3. Shark Bait: I would recommend going to see these guys, they are funny and very talented. 4. Oh What a Night: I was disappointed that we missed the first show - but glad that we caught the second...These guys can really carry a tune.5. Cruise Director: Andy grew on me throughout the cruise. Although he was not the best I have had, he was certainly not the worst. He is young and energetic and will likely get better with time.Fitness Center: The fitness center was on par with every other fitness center at sea. Small but adequate. You may have to wait for a machine here or there, this includes cardio equipment. If you are not picky you will be fine.Ports:Roatan: We booked the Gumbalima Park excursion with the ship. We were escorted to our van and we brought on a short tide to the Park. Upon arrival we were given a guide and he was very good - we learned about local plants/fruits, but the main attraction was the animals (the reason we booked). The monkeys were very interactive and we really enjoyed them. Although I hate seeing animals in captivity it seemed like they were given a great deal of freedom.*There is really nothing at the dock except for a very small tourist village.Belize City: We booked the Altun Ha ruins through NCL. I urge you to consider booking something through NCL for this stop. The tender ride is long and it is good to have a priority ticket. Upon arriving at the pier we were shown where to go and were brought to our air conditioned bus. We had 2 great guides who narrated the entire 45 minute ride - telling us about the country and our surroundings. Once we got to the ruins we were shown around and given a brief history about their existence. This was a good tour.Costa Maya: We got off the ship and wandered the tourist village - finally we ended up going with a local tour company into town and to a beach club. The club and beach was nice - although service was painfully slow. We booked Jet Ski's here and were disappointed - it is really too choppy to have a lot of fun. The club said this was normal for the area.Key West: Loved Key West, we got off the ship and wandered up and down Duval St. We have decided to return for vacation soon!Disembarkation: This was also very good. We booked transfers through NCL and were given a lime colored luggage tag. We ate breakfast and waited to be called; once called the line moved quickly and we were at our bus in no time... We did have to wait outside for about 30 minutes while the bus boarded. This is still a good option if traveling to FLL for a flight.