We are very fortunate to live about a half hour away from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. Princess offered their Bon Voyage Experience on this cruise, so we invited a couple of friends to drive us to the ship in exchange for a tour and lunch. It's a nominal $40.00 which is applied to a future cruise. I think there are time limitations and, Bon Voyage isn't offered on every cruise, so please contact Princess or your Travel Agent.
Really, the best part of Bon Voyage is... You are the very first travelers to board! As soon as the ship is cleared, you are on board. This is worth every penny.
Right next to the Port is the Battleship USS Iowa. You get some great views as you set sail.
When we did our first cruise to Hawaii in 2013, we booked in Stateroom Lido 214. We enjoy some movement of the ship so we prefer a higher deck forward. I love to spend my afternoons at sea sitting on the balcony, watching world pass by while keeping an eye out for sea life. Oh... And you are on the same deck as Horizon Court, Cafe Caribe, Pizza and Ice Cream.