California Dreamin'

Several ships make their home port in Los Angeles from September through May, including two Princess ships this season, Sapphire and Golden. I enjoyed touring Golden Princess recently.

Having chosen Princess frequently for my own family's cruises, I'm very familiar with the brand, which prides itself on introducing and retrofitting ships with a philosophy of an evolution rather than a revolution. I wanted to see how Golden Princess has aged, just to be sure. I'm happy to report that the ship is beautiful, clean and updated.

As always when the ship is in port, workers painted and prepped various sections in a never-ending refurbishment.

Golden Princess spends this season making two week cruises to Hawaii. It's a great trip if you have the time, and when you consider that you save not only the hassles of flying but also the cost, it offers tremendous value for Hawaiian vacationers. Plus, you have all the meals, great onboard entertainment and transportation between the islands included.

In the wake of concerns about Mexico, Sapphire Princess also makes some of these same Hawaiian cruises, as do some other lines, which means this year has the best values for Hawaii cruises from Southern California that you're likely to ever see.

Hawaii is certainly wonderful, but California has been a dream destination for decades, so why not enjoy some time exploring our beautiful state before boarding your cruise? An easy destination a short distance from the cruise port is Manhattan Beach. With the exception of volleyball tournaments and a handful of summer events that receive heavy promotion, the beaches of my home town are usually uncrowded.

There are lots of great restaurants and shops, but the top attraction remains the beach itself, including the beautiful pier. It's easy to add a few days in Manhattan Beach to any cruise, whether you prefer a boutique hotel near the pier appropriately named Shade or the golf-oriented Marriott. You can save money at Hawthorn Suites, a modestly priced hotel in a less scenic location that nonetheless includes complimentary breakfast and wine happy hour. Manhattan Beach is a stone's throw from Los Angeles International Airport, but flight patterns rarely breach our air space.

While you can cruise to Mexico or Hawaii, Princess also offers several cruises perfect for California Dreamin' sprinkled into their season this year. In addition to the repositioning "wine cruises" between Southern California and Vancouver on the shoulders of the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess does some great roundtrip cruises from L.A. focused on California, visiting the amazing cities of San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Francisco, plus a day in Ensenada for spice.

Isn't it time to live your dreams? If you aren't you, who will be?

Better service leads to better trips.