Background: My husband and I took this cruise to celebrate my birthday. We've cruised on Disney to the Bahamas, and I sailed on RCCL to Alaska years ago. My mother loved Princess, and encouraged me to take a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, which she had done many times.

Pre-cruise: We stayed at the Inn at Playa Del Rey, a B & B about 10 miles from LAX and a world away. It's located on an estuary, with lots of shorebirds. You'd never know you were in LA. It was a wonderful stay, and about 20 minutes from the San Pedro pier.

Embarkation: We arrived at about 10:30; no one was allowed on board before 11:30. Embarkation was smooth, and our luggage arrived about 2:00. Read more