We went on this cruise with the intention of relaxing and catching up on sleep. We didn't want to be responsible for planning anything. The cruise definitely met our expectations in this regard. We also are not very into shopping and in fact did not buy one thing during the entire trip. If you are into shopping this review will probably not be very helpful.
Arrival Based on recommendations from other people on this website, we got to the Long Beach Cruise Terminal around 10:15am. We went straight to the Queen Mary early check-in and were all checked in by 10:30am. (We had read that the early check-in option was open until 11:30am but the actual hours were 9:30-10:45.) We would definitely recommend taking advantage of this early check-in because those who did not do this had to wait in a very long line. We were able to line up and start boarding the boat at 11:30 and were on the Lido deck with a cocktail by 12:00. The entire check-in process was the easiest we have ever experienced! Everyone was very nice and helpful and the whole thing seemed very organized.
Puerto Vallarta One thing people should know about PV is that it is very hot and humid. It is by far the hottest port of the three. Even though it was only May, the temperatures made it uncomfortable for walking around.