This will be a long review because I want to include as much as I can for those of you traveling with tweens and/or teens - that was the info. I had the hardest time finding reviews for when I searched and planned our cruise.
My husband and I went on NCL for our honeymoon an eternity ago and loved it for the romance and food. In 2005 we went on a RCI cruise with our whole family minus children and had a blast so we ultimately felt that Royal Caribbean would be the smart choice to take our kids on their first cruise. We also were looking to cruise out of LA to save air fare over Christmas.
ACCOMODATIONS NITE BEFORE BOARDING: We drove from Vegas on the 18th and stayed the nite at Fort McArthur. If you are military I HIGHLY suggest doing this - very very nice accomodations right near the port AND we were able to park our car on base for free while we were cruising. The cab to the port was $15 each way and the hotel for the night was $50. That was a huge savings on parking!
8305 and 8307 - The perfect location - not too much ship movement, quiet, neat Promenade view, connecting, perfect size for family of 4. Two people could be in the bathroom - separate makeup area is a plus. Really good amount of storage.