Had a great time on the Paradise November 4, 2005. We flew in to LAX and had pre-arranged a stretch limo for $170 roundtrip including tip, for a party of 8. This was cheaper than a bus, cab, shuttle, etc. Got to the pier about noon, waited in line, and was aboard the ship in about 1 hour total.
Selected the absolute cheapest inside cabins and was surprised the room was about double the size I had expected (It was still a closet, just a big closet!). The shower had dispensers for shampoo, etc., and had a dozen or so product samples waiting. Safe opens by magnetic card of your choice (like a room key), and had several TV channels. A fair amount of drawer space and storage.
The ship was in better condition than I had read about... sure, it will benefit from the upcoming drydock, but it is not trashed by any means. Where the Paradise excels is with the food. This is subjective, but we felt the food was a bit better than on other ships. The music was good, shows good, etc.. had a great time.