Our third morning at Desire Pearl greeted us with an overcast sky and with a stronger than expected breeze, but that wasn’t about to put a damper on our mood. From our balcony, we could already see the work crews down at the beach, raking seaweed into neat little piles before hauling them off in wheelbarrows to some mysterious, unseen destination. 

After getting dressed, we headed to Aphrodite for another fantastic buffet breakfast. Breakfast was a success! We were now quite full and since we had no agenda, we decided to take a stroll down the beach. This was something we surprisingly hadn’t done yet, despite being right on the ocean. Considering how much effort the staff put into keeping the beach beautiful, it almost felt rude not to take advantage of it.

A Short-Lived Trip to Puerto Morelos

We’d heard other guests mention Puerto Morelos, a small tourist town just down the beach, but we assumed it was a long trek from the resort. To our surprise, it was only a 20–30 minute walk along the shoreline. Eager to check it out, we set off.

It was easy to tell where the resort’s maintained beach ended because the seaweed situation changed dramatically. The combed, raked sand quickly gave way to a natural, untamed stretch of coastline littered with sargassum. But honestly, this didn’t bother us and we have seen worse. Having traveled around Mexico and the Caribbean, we were no strangers to the never-ending battle against seaweed.

We were just about to reach the edge of town when it hit us, we had completely forgotten to put on sunscreen. Since the sun wasn’t blazing down, it hadn’t crossed our minds. Not wanting to ruin the rest of our trip with a nasty sunburn, we made the responsible (if slightly disappointing) decision to turn back at the first hotel on the northern edge of town.

Before heading back, we made sure to take some beach selfies and a few shots with the various buildings and hotels in the background. We had told others back home we were vacationing at a “normal” couple’s resort and not at a clothing optional one, so we needed some extra proof to help with our little cover story. After all, if we returned home from Cancun without a single photo would definitely raise some eyebrows. Our kid and close friends, in particular, would be very suspicious, considering I can easily take over a hundred photos a day on a cruise. And don’t even get me started on how many pictures I took on our last trip to Disney!

A Surprising Negative Review

As we made our way back down the beach to Pearl and ran into David and Lisa. After exchanging hellos, we asked how they were enjoying their last day. Their response surprised us since they were just having an okay time. They had expected the resort to have more of an upscale beach vibe, similar to Sandals or Club Med, and weren’t really fans of spending time in the pool or hot tub.

They also mentioned that they hadn’t met many people. Since Lisa spoke English as a second language, I could see how that might make socializing a bit more challenging, especially if they avoided the main gathering spots where all the guests were. They also felt their room was outdated. While ours could use a fresh coat of paint, we thought it was just fine, especially considering how little time we actually spent in it.

David and Lisa said they probably wouldn’t return and asked if we felt the same. They seemed equally surprised to hear that we were having a wonderful time and would probably come back. We also learned they had accepted the “gift” of a free massage in exchange for attending a Premier membership presentation, only to find themselves stuck in an expected lengthy sales pitch that took up too much of their time.

So, if they weren’t at the pool or hot tub, what had they been up to? Turns out, they had been walking into Puerto Morelos and exploring the town. They were curious about our experience there, but we explained that we turned back early due to forgetting sunscreen. Seeing how pale we were, they agreed that was probably the right call!

We hugged goodbye just in case we didn’t see them later, (which we didn’t), and then headed to our room to get ready for another day of sun and water. With our day pack in hand, we stepped out the door, ready for whatever the day had in store.

Poolside Socializing and a New Experience

Within seconds of reaching our lounge chairs, the poolside concierge greeted us, setting up our chairs with towels and raising the umbrella. Now, we were ready for another day of mingling and making new friends.

The pool was a bit busier than the previous day, which meant more new people to meet. As usual, I played my role as the social scout, which means I would walk around, strike up conversations, and eventually introduce Elise once I’d found a fun couple to chat with. This system worked well, allowing Elise to relax and spend time with couples we had already met, like Steve and Fran or read back at our loungers.

After spending the morning deep in fun conversation, laughter, and maybe one too many drinks, our stomachs finally chimed in, demanding to be fed something other than frozen drink mixes and garnishes, so we decided to grab some food. 

After yesterday’s ok lunch, today we would put our shorts and shirts back on and go inside to Aphrodite for the buffet. Aphrodite was one of the few areas of the resort where guests had to be fully dressed, though the term fully dressed was a bit more flexible here. 

I won’t go into details about the lunch since I honestly don’t really remember exactly what we had, but I do remember enjoying it. I”m sure there were plenty of standard lunch options alongside some great Mexican dishes. I do recall there was one of the largest bowls of guac I have ever seen. I also spotted the staff in white jackets taking food temperatures again, logging times and carefully documenting their findings, which was again nice to see. 

Another thing I do remember clearly was their dessert selection and everything that we tried were all really good. This was a welcome surprise especially after our recent Princess cruise, where most of the desserts were pretty disappointing and some were just plain bad. (Seriously Princess Cruises,why did you feel the need to place a layer of clear or flavored gelatin on top of what seemed like every slice of cake or pie??? Have you ever thought, You know what this slice of chocolate cake needs? A layer of unflavored, clear Jell-O? Me neither and it was terrible.)   

After lunch, we went straight back to the pool and I think we were rebels because we didn’t even wait the suggested 30 minutes. I struck up a conversation with a nice couple who were a bit older than I was. As we talked, the conversation naturally drifted into lifestyle-related topics. He was fascinated that we weren’t in the lifestyle, had never been to a sex club or house party, never participated in a threesome, or even been around others naked before—yet here we were. Up until now, this was the first conversation I’d had that was directly related to sex.

After a while, Elise waded over with a drink in hand and joined us. The husband, let’s call him Richard, hit it off with her right away, while his wife, Jane, and I found our own easy rhythm. Richard eventually asked about our expectations for the trip. As we continued chatting, we naturally drifted into pairs, Elise with Richard, and me with Jane.

Jane and I had a normal, friendly conversation, but Elise and Richard’s interaction became more sexually charged. They began talking about kissing, which led to Richard asking if he could kiss Elise. She agreed. I watched, almost in slow motion, as my wife wrapped her arms around Richard, his hands resting on her waist. Their heads tilted, Elise’s eyes fluttered shut, and then… they kissed. The moment lingered before Richard pulled back and asked for another. This time, the kiss lasted longer, and I could tell he sensed Elise needed a moment to process what had just happened.

Elise turned to me and asked if I was okay with what had occured and I was. He had asked permission, I was right there, and surprisingly, I felt remarkably good about it. I had expected to feel some jealousy bubble up, but instead, I felt something entirely different, lust and, believe it or not, joy. Elise was absolutely glowing, and seeing her so happy was a huge turn-on.

Eventually, Richard and Jane had to leave for a scheduled massage, and Elise and I made our way to the hot tub before heading back to our room to get ready for dinner.

Elise slipped into a short revealing dress, while I put on a nice button-down shirt and linen pants. Once again, we had no wait for a table at the Pearl restaurant. Like our first night, only one or two other couples were dining. This time, we knew to order more than enough food.

At one point, the couple from Cincinnati that we had met in the hot tub yesterday afternoon walked in and sat across the restaurant. The wife smiled and waved at me, probably because I had been staring at them like a creeper. I bet I blushed when she caught me. We should have invited them to join us, but honestly, we were content enjoying dinner alone.

Theme Night and Great Customer Service

After dinner, we returned to our room to prepare for the theme night: Angels & Demons.

Elise’s outfit was a jaw-dropping red strappy bodysuit, if you could even call it that. It was really just thin straps of material strategically placed around her body to tease your eyes, paired with unique red wide-fence thigh highs. She was the living embodiment of sex. I wasn’t too shabby myself, donning a pair of incredibly tight red vinyl shorts, a red-and-black submissive chest harness, and a pair of black demon-style wings.

As we walked toward the building where the lobby was located, we could hear a rock cover band performing outside, adding to the electric atmosphere. I bet this group has the best stories to tell their friends when they talk about work. Once inside we went straight to the bar, and it was nice to be recognizing more familiar faces with each passing night. One particularly wild woman we had met earlier in the trip complimented our costumes before warning me about my vinyl shorts. Apparently, they tend to get hot, which I knew that, (I mean, we were at an adult clothing optional resort, and I hoped to have a reason to remove them). She then proceeded to prove how much she liked them by grinding her ass into my crotch. I won’t lie, it was a first for me, both thrilling and slightly panic-inducing as she kept going… and going. Luckily, she eventually stopped and flitted off to her husband and another couple.

We spent the evening with Steve and Fran, and later, we ran into Richard and Jane at the bar. To our surprise, he had drinks waiting for us, a martini of some sort, possibly meant to loosen us up. They didn’t know we were back to being close to sober, but one drink was just one drink. We talked for a few moments, but the bar was crowded, making it difficult to have a real conversation, and we eventually drifted apart since the show was about to begin. I could not help but notice Richard’s eyes looking up and down on Elise’s revealing outfit and then settling his gaze on her ass, but I got the sense that Elise was no longer interested. Maybe because, once again, she was soberish.

Tonight’s turnout for theme night was slightly better, with more guests dressed up, though plenty of the older men still sadly defaulted to office clothes. The couple who had won the best costume contest the night before absolutely nailed it again. 

If I had to do one part of this evening again, it would be to NOT wear wings while trying to navigate a busy bar scene. I quickly learned to walk sideways to avoid smacking people in the face with my demon wings. 

The night’s entertainment was a lingerie fashion show featuring Victoria’s Secret-style angel wings, all available for purchase in the Pearl’s gift shop, of course. While the male and female models were impressive, the real stars of the show were the two female vocalists whose incredible voices elevated the entire experience.

After the show, something unexpected and wonderful happened. One of the singers, a playmaker at Pearl, approached us just to chat. She wasn’t just making a quick check-in—she genuinely wanted to make sure we were having a great time. That level of personal attention left a lasting impression on me. I’m pretty sure I’ve only experienced this once or twice in all the times we’ve been on regular cruise vacations. 

Hot Tub Time and an Early End of the Evening

Before long, we were back in the hot tub, stripping off our costumes and sinking into the warm, churning water. Elise seemed a bit off, saying she felt the start of a migraine but would power through. We rejoined our usual group, spotting Richard and Jane in a distant corner of the tub.

Once again, the conversation and laughter flowed freely. However, tonight’s “main performer” was particularly vocal… and they were right behind us. The performance was a lengthy one too. Good for her. I don’t know if that was what bothered Elise, but she suddenly wanted to leave. Surprised by the abrupt change, I grumbled, well… more than grumbled as I slowly made my way out of the tub. That wasn’t fast enough for Elise, and she snapped at me before we quietly headed back to our room.

As we lay in bed, Elise slowly opened up about what was really bothering her. She did have a migraine but it was from her brain spinning out of guilt and possible shame. She admitted she felt cheap for kissing Richard the way she had, worried that others at the resort would judge her and think she’s some sort of whore. I reassured her that this was sooo far from reality and no one likely even thought twice about it. If anything, what she did was tame compared to what goes on between new friends and groups here. But of course, things always feel different when they happen to you. We continued to talk and I believe I reassured her that she didn’t do anything wrong within my eyes. 

With that, we fell asleep, ready to embrace our final full day at the resort and let’s just say, especially for me, we were about to see a lot more than just kissing in the pool.