We chose this cruise primarily based on timing and the beginning/end points. Less on the cruise line. Holland America met our needs for our criteria. In spite of all that we'd heard about HAL catering mostly to elderly clients, we signed up for a 15 day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego. Leaving Ft. Lauderdale, our first stop was Half Moon Cay. Overall, less touristy and was fine for the ...
I'm a destination cruiser without brand loyalty, so I don't go on board to recreate Titanic, I go for the ports. I stayed in San Diego a couple of days before the cruise.
Embarkation: Not terribly difficult, but signs and information would have been nice. We had to wait in a rather large open area, arranged into holding cells, so to speak. At least we could sit down, but it was rather warm ...