Our cruise on the Carnival Splendor had been a last-minute idea. On February 14, I booked an inside cabin in the Spa section of the ship (Deck 10, no smoking). We weren't celebrating anything in particular—we just needed to get away. The weather in sunny San Diego had been pretty wretched by SD standards; furthermore, one of the ports of call was Puerto Vallarta, where I had friends I wanted to see. (This was my third Mexican Riviera cruise, and I had little interest in the other two ports of call: Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.)

We drove to Long Beach and were a bit confused by the signs pointing the way (had we known our ship would be right next to the Queen Mary, we would have had no difficulty at all.) The cruise terminal parking lot cost $15 per day. We parked, headed to the terminal and began a series of waits. It was not a dreadful embarkation; I'd give it about a "B-."

We headed to our cabin; it was 3:30 PM, and the cabin was ready. Given that the ship is nearly new (2008), the cabin was in very good condition. The spa cabin dEcor is Asian-themed with faux bamboo wall covering, Asian-inspired art, subtle lighting—all an attempt at creating a serene, peaceful space. The bed was of decent quality although I requested a foam pad or egg crate to soften it (and the cabin steward did provide a down mattress top). Read more