We arrived at the Port of Los Angeles around noon, and embarkation was a breeze! The only slight delay we had was waiting for a porter to get our bags when we first arrived. It took about 10 minutes to flag one down; we handed over our bags and a tip ($5.00) and we were on our way! We waited maybe 5 minutes in line to check in, received our SeaPass cards and walked right onboard! We had to try out our cards on a Welcome Aboard drink, and then found our way to our stateroom.

We had booked an oceanview cabin, because I was afraid that I would get claustrophobic, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that we had two large windows that gave us a great view! At night the lights from the side of the ship reflected off the waves, and filled our room with a beautiful glow. Our room was small, but comfortable, with a small couch and dressing table. Plenty of room for the two of us, and we were able to store our empty suitcases under the beds and out of the way. Our stateroom attendant (Brendan) was still working on our room when we arrived, so we made our introductions, and went to have lunch while he finished up.

The food in the Windjammer Cafe was very good! Lots of variety for lunch, and although breakfast had the same choices every day, there was a lot to choose from. I became addicted to the Bircher Muesli - a sort of cold oatmeal with fresh fruit and almonds. We ate there every day for breakfast and lunch, and had no complaints - except for the coffee. It was bad, even in the Aquarius dining room. Read more