We took a quick 3 day cruise to Ensenada on the Golden Princess right before Thanksgiving 2013.

Motel Night Before Cruise: We stayed at the Rodeway Inn in Harbor City, CA. Small motel, good prices, clean rooms with refrigerator and microwave. Cons - Located on a busy street and lots of traffic noise.

Embarkation: Drove and parked at the Port of Los Angeles. Plenty of parking spaces for $12 per day. We got there about 10:30 and parked near the gate to walk across to the terminal. Walked right into terminal for check-in. Waited in the waiting area until boarding time. We were group #2 and the line moved quickly. Read more