Let me begin by saying I am a big fan of the free style cruise after two NCL free style cruises. My first was on the EPIC and my second on the Pearl. I have cruised with NCL a total of four times (Norway , Norway, Epic, Pearl) and have cruised 12 times total.This cruise was with my sister and brother in law. We are all in our sixties (I am male) and enjoy the pressure free cruise style of NCL. Not having to pack (and wear) formal clothes is a big relief on a cruise.My brother in law was going through some heart problems so this cruise was more for relaxing onboard than going ashore. I will only discuss the ship in this review since although I did go ashore, I did not partake in any shore excursions.NCL ships have a lot of pay restaurants that some people complain about. We know about these ahead of time and look forward to these restaurants for variety. We have always got our moneys worth from the pay restaurants and have felt they are worth the extra expense. On this ship, I felt the "free" restaurants offered very good food. The menu selection had the normal "always available" meals as well as a couple of nightly specials and a special regional meal of the day. We never had to wait in line to get into either of the "free" dining rooms. I heard a complaint that in the Summer Palace dining room, the staff was not as loose and jovial as in the other dining room. I noted that the Summer Palace was designed to be much more posh and to me the staff acted the part. Service was always excellent and great attention to detail was practiced in that dining room. Many of the staff that I saw there I also came in contact with elsewhere and they were wonderful people. The buffet always had a good variety and was always good. There are two coffee makers in the rear that make a fresh cup of coffee on the spot. These things grind the beans and drip the coffee (single cup) at the push of a button. This was definitely the best "free" coffee I have had on a cruise. I also liked the outdoor food areas by the pool bar and at the rear of the ship.I had an inside state room and I found it to be fine for me. Lots of storage space and the twin bed layout made for plenty of room. There was a hissing noise in the wall behind the beds but it did not keep me awake. My other party members said they had the same thing. We were in cabins 10107 & 10109. The location of the cabins was ideal for getting around the ship. I use the stairs a lot and going to the pool deck was only a couple of staircases. Going down to the public decks was of course, also easy using the stairs.The bars on NCL always make good drinks. I have been on some cruises where the eleven dollar drink looks and tastes like pure soda. The bars on the three NCL shipsI have been on always seem to make good drinks. (not too strong, not too weak)The ship was clean and in good condition at all times. I cannot praise enough the staff on NCL cruise ships. This time, cruising on the Pearl was no exception. A ship is basically a giant piece of metal without the crew and it is the crew on these NCL ships that will keep us returning to this cruise line.The captain and senior officers were excellent and friendly.(This is the first time I ever saw a captain serve drinks.....yup, it really happened.) The technical and maintenance staff was excellent and friendly.The housekeeping staff was excellent and friendly.The dining staff was excellent and friendly (chefs included).I am always amazed at how each new group of passengers are greeted like they are the first to cruise on the ship.The entertainment on the ship was OK and I enjoyed the nightly entertainers. I didn't come across any exceptional talent, but all of the musicians were fine and made for a pleasant evening (cocktails help also).That's it for me for now, as I said this was just an R&R cruise. My next NCL cruise is a short weekend cruise onboard the Star. I'll review that ship in July. Happy Cruising