We wanted to see the new locks of the Panama Canal and get a respite from the cold of the northwest. Our travel agent offered an exceptional value for our cruise. We enjoyed our mid ships mini suite very much and our cabin steward was a very hard worker. The suite was well appointed and generally exceeded our expectations except for the bed. The bed was lumpy and tired. We are 4 star mariners with Holland America and just felt the Pearl was past the times of being a "beautiful" ship. It was "tired" in so many ways: carpet seams coming apart, furnishings past their prime, uncomfortable seating in the Stardust Theatre and over crowded seating in the Garden Café. Generally, there also seemed to be a great many disgruntled crew members. The food was generally presented in a very lovely way but the quality and flavor of the food was unsatisfactory. The lectures on ports of call were also tired and their pictures and topics were old and dated. The Panama Canal narrator did a fabulous job so the transit was the high point of our cruise.