Let me start by saying that this was my first cruise, but I did a ton of research and also talked with some close friends who have cruised many times. After doing a ton of online research...I found the Pearl and I will say the 2 things that attracted me to this ship is 1. Freestyle and 2. the good itinerary. When it was done I loved so much more. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale the day before and used Go Shuttle from the FLL airport the morning of...cost $21 bucks each for the shuttle to port of Miami in the morning. Getting on was easy and simple. We actually took our time getting there and didn't arrive until about 2 pm. It seems the crowds were mostly gone and we were on the ship in about 30 minutes. Easy. The things that impressed me the most about the ship was how clean and nice it was. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They always seemed to be cleaning and doing a wonderful job. Bathrooms were always very clean, public areas were very nice. I actually tried to find a garbage can to throw away some paper and I was told from a crew member to just leave it on a table and they will clean it for me. Not less then 2 minutes later, someone came by and picked it up for me. They do a wonderful job of keeping the ship clean. Our stateroom had a balcony and we loved it. The beds were so nice and comfortable. I can't complain about much. Basically, I think anyone can find things to complain about, but I tend to look for the positive in things. Of course, everything on our cruise wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't a big enough issue to bring up here on this post. We are both fairly young and had no kids, so we tired to do exciting excursions. Roatan We choose the snorkel/kayaking tour, but it wasn't that great. If I was to do it over I would chose fins and flippers private island. We had some friends go on that and they loved it. It is fun little island and very pretty. Belize We did the cave tubing/zip line through major tom and his guys. We loved that day. Probably our best excursion. Definitely do it. Cozumel We rented a car and went to tour the ruins in the middle of island. They are small, but we got the tour guide option and he gave us a lot of cool information about the ruins. We then preceded to drive around the island...my advise, don't waste your time on the west side...pretty ugly and nothing really to do. We came back and went on the east side where all the beaches are and spent the afternoon at Paradise Beach...got massages on the beach, swam, played and rested. OVerall, a great day. Great Stirrup Kay Great little island. We didn't hurry to the island until around 10.30, b/c I didn't want to worry about the hassle. Then to avoid further crowds we spent the morning exploring the north shore by the light house and fun trails. We headed back for lunch and then found some chairs on the beach and relaxed. By this time, a lot of people were tired and already headed back to the ship, so we had the place to ourselves. We swam and relaxed, it is a beautiful bay and fun place to relax and have a great beach day. On the ship we went to the main shows everynight. Then we would to the Spinnaker Lounge for the evening shows. We both really loved the night life and the many options they offered. For the dining we LOVED the freestyle. We actually chose to pay for most of nicer restaurants each night. It was well worth it. Cagney's, Teppanyaki, Lotus Garden, and Le Bistro...All GOOD. Mambos and La Cucina...Don't waste your time. We loved that you can eat whenever and wherever you want. LOVED IT. If you are deciding on the Pearl or NCL...Do it they are a great company with flexibility and that is what I liked the most. Options. Have a great cruise and remember not everything will work out perfect, but you're on vacation and you can't go wrong.