I chose a Princess cruise because of how highly recommended Princess was by many friends. I knew I did not want to add the time or price of flights to or from another port, so I chose a round trip from my local Los Angeles port. The destination was really not much of a factor in my selection.
I was so impressed with the service all over the ship. I've never experienced service like this anywhere else. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, attentive and welcoming. It was amazing!
The ship itself is beautiful and the room was much larger than I expected. The food was really good too. I couldn't believe the speed of the service in the restaurants on a sold out cruise. It blows my mind how they can serve so many people so fast.
I live nearby, so I would highly recommend going to the Aquarium of the Pacific, Disneyland, California Adventure, the Queen Mary, and Knott's Berry Farm. Skip the whole Hollywood scene, you will be seriously disappointed. The beaches are beautiful, but the traffic getting anywhere is a mess. Always allow more travel time than expected.