My wife and I booked a repositioning cruise on Princess (7 nights, departing Vancouver, with stops in Nanaimo, Victoria, San Francisco, Catalina, San Diego, and Los Angeles), with the idea that it would be a quiet, relaxing getaway. And in that we were not disappointed. We booked a mini-suite which turned out to be a great cabin for us. However, we ended up spending quite a bit of time in the cabin, since the activities on the ship were minimal, and we were quite a bit put off by the public areas, particularly the theater.

We flew to Vancouver the day before departure and stayed in the Westin Bayshore. I've stayed in this hotel many times before and highly recommend it. Great rooms, right on the water, great view and very nice service. Also not too far from the Canada Place cruise terminal ($10 cab ride or less). The hotel has its own restaurant with a great water view, and there are two others right on the water close-by.

We arrived at the dock about 1:00 and found the check-in procedures quite straightforward and efficient. There was one line and it moved quite well, we were on the ship in just a few minutes and went straight to the cabin. (Unlike a past experience on Carnival in New York where we were kept in a "holding pen".) Read more