We enjoyed the cruise. It was pleasant, the food was good, the evening shows were typical cruise entertainment. It was challenging to find a space to enjoy a drink and easy listening music – the sound equipment used by the keyboard player and guitar player did not enhance their performances in any way. A quieter area was discovered on an upper deck however service there was almost non-existent. The Atrium area was over crowded at all times. Our cabin steward did an excellent job and most of the service staff were very good at their jobs. My birthday occurred during the trip and although I noted that when making reservations, there was no recognition. Fortunately, the delightful washy,washy singer from the Buffet was our server in the Summer Palace that night and after mentioning it, he hurriedly brought cake and rounded up a proficient group of singers.

Smokers should be happy on the Pearl. There appeared to be an excessive amount of space devoted to smoking - enough that it was difficult at times to find an outdoor seating area without smoker.

We were surprised at the overwhelming accolades at the Hotel Director’s recap meeting from higher level latitude members – that was not our impression.