Background: My partner and I have cruised about a dozen times on several cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean (we are Diamond members), Carnival and Norwegian and we are currently booked on a Princess cruise this winter.

Hotel: We stayed at the hotel Maya in Long Beach before our cruise which is literally a stone's throw from the Queen Mary hotel/museum. I would not recommend this hotel for several reasons. There was a constant smell of sewage from the harbor, the bathrooms were quite small (we literally had more counter space on the ship), the cost was excessive for the product ($179/night plus $15/night to park) and the location was obscure-you had to drive through the Queen Mary parking lot to get to the hotel.

Embarkation: We arrived a little early, around 11:00 am and there were very few people in line. Since we are Diamond members, we received priority check in and we waited until about noon before we were allowed to board. The Diamond member waiting area if far too small and doesn't contain nearly enough seats for all the members. The cabins on the "hump" on Voyager class ships offer a little extra space near the sliding door wall, which is an advantage. There is ample storage space for 1 week, but not much more. The bathroom is cramped, but adaquate. The shower has a sliding door rather than a curtain which is much better. Thre are no amenities provided except shampoo. The bed was comportable, but not great and you certainly need extra pillows (which are provided). Read more