The long gray cool winter of Seattle had really gotten to us. Having taken the 19 day Pacific Coastal trip in September enjoying Mexico's sun and sea life, we looked for a shorter version to find some blue skies and warmer temperatures. This week on the Golden Princess from March 1-8 was perfect timing for a getaway. We expected it would be great for whale watching and sightseeing, and we were not disappointed.
Flying from Seattle via Alaska Airlines into Long Beach seemed so easy. This tiny airport so near to Los Angeles was perfect for this trip. Avoiding LAX saved a lot of hassle, and we were so close to the cruise pier at San Pedro. Our uniformed chauffeur from U-R-There Limos met us at baggage claim and handled all our luggage. We did not have to lift a finger. We have used this service before and were impressed by their courtesy, safe driving, and friendliness. For $69, not much more than Princess transfers by bus, or a taxi, we were whisked off to San Pedro in relaxing Town Car comfort. At the pier, our driver handed off our baggage to the ship, and we went through embarkation in 15 minutes to our cabin. The luggage was at our stateroom shortly after lunch in the buffet.
Having taken this ship to Alaska we were quickly familiar with the layout. This was our ninth Princess cruise with seven weeks on NCL before that. We are in our 60s and like independent travel, anytime dining and lots of scenery. The varied and unusual itineraries of Princess draw our interest to places like Tahiti, Belize, Devil's Island and smaller islands of the Caribbean. The safety and knowledge of the Captain and crew keep us returning. In fact, it was safety issues that drove us away from NCL. We have been impressed with Princess' conservative attitude, and we have had no concerns so far.