Golden Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Arrival: We drove to LA from Phoenix, arriving at the hotel around 10pm.
Hotel: We booked ourselves into the Best Western Plus San Pedro, and highly recommend it. The rooms have been recently redone in an unusually gothic (think Haunted Mansion) but pleasing style. The room was spotless and very comfortable, with separate sink and tub/toilet rooms, which is much appreciated. For $9 per day you can leave your car at the hotel’s garage and take their van to/from the ship, which is a substantial savings over the port itself. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the hotel then took the shuttle over at 10:30. The vans run every 30 minutes and hold 6 people; be sure to reserve a spot as soon as you arrive.
Embarkation: The World Cruise Center isn’t much to look at from the outside, but the check-in and waiting areas are the nicest we’ve seen. The escalator was out of order, and we got stuck in the elevator for a few minutes, but that was the last trouble we had on our trip. We waited in the Platinum/Elite lounge with our party and enjoyed the refreshments. We were called and on board before noon.
Cabin Review
Cabin: We had a forward mini-suite on deck 9. We checked out our friend’s cabins (interior, balcony and another mini), and they were all in good condition and very clean; you could tell the carpeting had been replaced recently. However, the bathroom tile/grout, reading lamps, and balcony floorings were in need of refreshing. Our steward, Allan, brought us champagne and introduced himself. He kept the room spotless during our voyage.