Cruise was 14 Jan to 23 Jan, but we spent a week prior to that in Palm Springs. Drove back to San Diego on the 14th, to the Hertz location, they had a special shuttle to the cruise ship pier, which worked out great.

Had no embarkation problems, went smoothly, and were in our room by 2:30. Bags came within the next hour. That night, we had dinner at the Nouveau Steakhouse. They were giving all diners a free bottle of wine, mine lasted most of the cruise. After your dinner, you either take it with you, or they obtain it from the wine cellar, which was what I did. Meal was good, service excellent.

I always give a cash tip, for services earned right then, rather than the 10 dollars per person per day they debit from your account. Since they deduct automatically, you can adjust it on the day before debarking the ship. You then have to bring envelopes of cash for meal tips, room service, and the cabin steward. Read more