The embarkation process in San Diego was the easiest I have ever experienced. It may be because it is smaller and we were the only ship loading, but security, registration and boarding took 15-20 minutes in total.
The Ship:
As usual, HAL does a great job with decorating for Christmas in a classic, tasteful way. A gingerbread village was on Deck 1 in the Atrium and smelled so good when you were anywhere near it. I did notice a few less decorated trees this year (this is the 6th Christmas cruise my family has taken). The ship itself was in good repair, and we noticed some upgrades in the public areas from our last cruise on the Eurodam in March of 2018, including carpeting and seating in all public areas. They had reinstituted a book exchange in the Crow’s Nest and games, including 2 permanent Danish large wood games, can now be found in the Gallery Bar adjoining the casino (puzzles were still upstairs in the Crow’s Nest). I have always loved the Gallery Bar for the quiet atmosphere since it is tucked away, although it was less quiet on this cruise when the extra children and families on board for the holidays used it as a hangout. Still it was nice to have a place to go and they have many more games available than before.
The cabin was towards the rear so little traffic going by the door. Also under another cabin deck so little overhead noise. Very convenient to the dining room since we were on the same end of the ship.
Beautiful city that is easily navigable. Our hotel was near Little Italy which we loved. Port here is easy on and easy off. Very little hassle.
Great food, knowledgeable guide. A great overview of the old part of the city.
We were hesitant to stray beyond the cruise terminal due to safety warnings and our lack of a scheduled tour. Instead we did visit the immediate cruise terminal area and enjoyed some trinket shopping and a good margarita.
This was one of my favorite cruise ports ever visited. We were in the harbor and shopping area primarily since the stop was short (had to be back onboard by 2:30pm. It was clean, safe and we enjoyed lunch and cocktails as well as some shopping. Beautiful view sailing into port.