This was the first time I cruised without my DH, and with a friend. We had the best time. We did one night pre-cruise in San Pedro at the Crowne Plaza. It was a great location. We used Sav-On Shuttle to get from LAX to the hotel - it was $40 for both of us.
We arrived at the hotel a little before Noon, and were able to get in our room right away. Very nice hotel for a precruise stay. We spent most of the day exploring the Ports 'O Call and cruise ship area - all within easy walking distance of the hotel. We had lunch on the waterfront, and walked on the sidewalk that is parallel to the bay. To our delight, we saw dolphins, a sea lion and beautiful starfish!
That night we walked to a restaurant in Ports 'O Call where we could sit outside.
This was a great location... down the hall to the pool areas and Horizon Court. Also, terrific views from the balcony. The balcony is plenty for 2 people. The layout of the room was very efficient. Plenty of storage and closet space.