We flew to LA and spent a few days touring before the cruise. When Sunday arrived we returned to LAX for our transfer to the Crown. Much to our surprise, instead of having to wait in long lines at the terminal we were taken to the Sheraton Hotel where we filled out our paperwork while enjoying coffee and rolls. The large group was subdivided into groups the size of bus capacity and one-by-one our group was summoned to board a bus and transferred to the terminal where we walked in, picked up our key-card, and boarded the Crown. It was the best embarkation I have ever had. We went to our cabin and dropped off our hand luggage.
The Horizon Court was open for lunch and the fare was what we have come to expect from the buffet.
The mandatory safety drill seemed rather slow to get started as everyone waited in their muster station for instructions to be given over the PA system -- much better than standing out on the deck and being deafened by the loud speakers.
It was a nice balcony cabin with a few exceptions. The bed was very saggy. Beds are scheduled to be replaced in the next two years on all Princess ships. It can't be too soon for this mattress to be retired and replaced. The furniture on the balcony was caked white with salt from previous cruises. It would have been nice if it could have been hosed off while in LA. Between Santiago and Buenos Aires it was kind of chilly to sit out on the deck, unless you're from the upper midwest in the US. The shower seemed a bit crowded.