Places to Stay in LA and Transportation

We will be doing a Mexico cruise out of LA. This will be our first cruise out of LA and Princess is far to expensive with their Hotel Package. Can anyone suggest a Hotel and also a Transportation Service we could use to take us to the Hotel and then to the pier the next day. There will be 6 of us. Thank you all in advance.:)

We will be doing a Mexico cruise out of LA. This will be our first cruise out of LA and Princess is far to expensive with their Hotel Package. Can anyone suggest a Hotel and also a Transportation Service we could use to take us to the Hotel and then to the pier the next day. There will be 6 of us. Thank you all in advance.:)

We don't care for the 2 hotels in San Pedro so we head across the Vincent Thomas bridge to Long Beach and stay there. Lots of restaurants and activities.

Its about 6 miles to the port and a $15-$20 cab ride.

Look at Super Shuttle/Prime Time shuttles to get to LB from LAX.

We will be doing a Mexico cruise out of LA. This will be our first cruise out of LA and Princess is far to expensive with their Hotel Package. Can anyone suggest a Hotel and also a Transportation Service we could use to take us to the Hotel and then to the pier the next day. There will be 6 of us. Thank you all in advance.:)

Los Angeles is not cheap, and you want to be careful where you stay. There are some marginal neighborhoods near the port. I have heard that people have luck doing Priceline because the only two good hotels are what you get when you bid. I think it's 3 star. What I do when researching a new hotel is fire up Google earth and then do the street view. If the neighborhood looks suspect, I figure that hotel might be, too. Since I live close enough to the port to drive, I have never stayed in a hotel there.

Princess usually books passengers at the LAX Marriott. But I wouldn't recommend staying by the airport unless you have an early morning flight the next day -- it's really a seedy area and you'll be stuck unless you want to hire an expensive cab to take you anywhere.

Better to book an exclusive land transportation service (such as Execucar or Karmel or the many other companies out there) or jump on a blue Supershuttle (just expect a "tour" of various parts of LA on the way to your hotel as it's a shared service). Book a hotel in San Pedro (the Crown Plaza and the Doubletree seem to be the most recommended -- one will take you to the port the morning of your cruise for free; the other charges $5 to do so) or you can book a nice hotel (make sure to stay by the waterfront as many parts of LB are highly industrialized and need to be avoided) but you'll need to make sure your shuttle driver to taxi driver takes you to the World Cruise Center at the Port of Los Angeles and not to the Port of Long Beach, which Carnival uses.

I would suggest going to the Western Destinations board of this site. There are many threads about hotels. One helpful member is BruinSteve so if you search on his name over there, you should be get his recommendations

Again, do not stay in the airport area or in downtown LA. Check with us on the western destinations board on any potential hotels before you book as there's some nice parts of LA and some not so nice. Same with hotels and motels.

I agree with Keith, Long Beach is a good choice. In the downtown area there are normally good deals on some of the bigger chain hotels unless there is a convention in town. The area around Pine Ave/Ocean Blvd is full of great restaurants, and the Rainbow Pier area south of Ocean Blvd (which is where the Long Beach Grand Prix is held) has the Aquarium and a nice shopping/dining area, as well, called Shoreline Village. And don't forget the Queen Mary! Feel free to email me if you have any questions, as I have lived and worked in Long Beach most of my life. :D

If staying in Long Beach, stay on the Queen Mary.

We stay at the Doubletree San Pedro when we go on a long cruise. Free parking for the duration of the cruise (for a 15 day cruise, the hotel is less $$ than the parking lot at the port). They have a shuttle that takes us to the port and I am pretty sure it also goes to the airport. We have seen what looks like flight crews getting into the shuttle.

Rooms are from $175 to a little over $200.

Another option I've used in the past is to fly into the much smaller Long Beach Airport (LGB). The aren't as many flight options, but the airport is much easier to navigate and there are still ground transportation options available. I've stayed in a hotel that offered a hotel shuttle from LGB on one occasion (then taxied to the port the next day), and on another occasion I rented a car there to get to a more distant hotel when I was picking up someone from a cruise the next day.

Another option I've used in the past is to fly into the much smaller Long Beach Airport (LGB). The aren't as many flight options, but the airport is much easier to navigate and there are still ground transportation options available. I've stayed in a hotel that offered a hotel shuttle from LGB on one occasion (then taxied to the port the next day), and on another occasion I rented a car there to get to a more distant hotel when I was picking up someone from a cruise the next day.

Good idea. ;)

We will be doing a Mexico cruise out of LA. This will be our first cruise out of LA and Princess is far to expensive with their Hotel Package. Can anyone suggest a Hotel and also a Transportation Service we could use to take us to the Hotel and then to the pier the next day. There will be 6 of us. Thank you all in advance.:)

We found flying into Long Beach airport and staying in Long Beach offer the best alternative than staying at Princess' designated hotel. LAX and LA are total nightmare with the huge amount of traffic whereas Long Beach despite its close proximity to LA, it's quiet and quaint and free of constant traffic jam. Our favorite place to stay in Long Beach is the Hyatt at Long Beach since the surrounding is absolutely beautiful not to mention within walking distance to the beach, the Convention Center next door and the cozy downtown full of restaurants . It is very close to the Long Beach airport as well as to the San Pedro port. Yes, we stayed in San Pedro one time and what a mistake since nothing much was there. The Long Beach airport is quite small so it's easy to get out. Once you got your luggage, you are within steps to cabs and large vans to take you to surrounding hotels at a very reasonable rate. Hyatt is only about 10-15 minutes away and San Pedro is only about 10-15 minutes away from Hyatt so cab or shuttle fares are very reasonable. There are plenty of large vans available to take care of your party of 6. Just tell the hotel concierge desk the night before or that morning you want a van to take you to the pier at a certain time. Service at Hyatt was impeccable. You may want to spend an extra day or two there to take in the beautiful surrounding. Good luck.

West Coast Departure board had lots of info.

Another option I've used in the past is to fly into the much smaller Long Beach Airport (LGB). The aren't as many flight options, but the airport is much easier to navigate and there are still ground transportation options available...

JetBlue is a major carrier at LGB, in case you use an internet booking site that doesn't include them.

We don't care for the 2 hotels in San Pedro so we head across the Vincent Thomas bridge to Long Beach and stay there. Lots of restaurants and activities.

Its about 6 miles to the port and a $15-$20 cab ride.

Look at Super Shuttle/Prime Time shuttles to get to LB from LAX.

The downtown area near the beach is nice but there are parts of LB that I'd avoid (north & east).

We always stay right in San Pedro. There are two nice hotels there, the Doubletree and the Crown Plaza. They both provide free transportation to the pier which is very close, within walking distance of the Crown Plaza if docked at the World Cruise Center. There are also restaurants within walking distance. For daytime activities the USS Iowa Battleship is right there on the waterfront. There is also a maritime museum. If you like you can take a public bus over and back to Long Beach.

No matter where you choose you can take one of the shuttle services from the airport to either San Pedro or Long Beach.

I agree with Keith, Long Beach is a good choice. In the downtown area there are normally good deals on some of the bigger chain hotels unless there is a convention in town. The area around Pine Ave/Ocean Blvd is full of great restaurants, and the Rainbow Pier area south of Ocean Blvd (which is where the Long Beach Grand Prix is held) has the Aquarium and a nice shopping/dining area, as well, called Shoreline Village. And don't forget the Queen Mary! Feel free to email me if you have any questions, as I have lived and worked in Long Beach most of my life. :D

An excellent place to stay the night before your cruise. Experience the different between what a ship was like in the past before you board your mdern Princess ship.

Has any one stayed at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport:)

Has any one stayed at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport:)

No, but be aware that the area surrounding LAX is quite sketchy. You definitely don't want to walk around that neighborhood--just check into the hotel and stay there if you choose it.

As others have suggested, parts (not all) of Long Beach are fairly safe and walkable. If you are flying in a day or two ahead to sightsee, I would stay in West L.A. (Westwood, Century City, Beverly Hills) which are quite safe, but can be pricey and a bit of a drive in traffic to LAX, so allow time for that.

Has any one stayed at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport:)

When it comes to the area around LAX, think strip mall in the literal sense.:eek:

When it comes to the area around LAX' date=' think strip mall in the literal sense.:eek:[/quote']

 

 

Though we haven't seen the "99 pretty girls and one ugly girl" billboard for a while now.

Has any one stayed at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport:)

I haven't stayed at the LAX Hilton but have stayed at other hotels near it when using a park & stay package before flying from LAX. I also grew up in the area & wouldn't hesitate to stay there. I'd still prefer either San Pedro or Long Beach to have a much shorter drive to the ship & there are more things to do than at LAX.

If you prefer a hotel near LAX, there are also a few in El Segundo just south of the airport.

Hotels near Sepulveda Blvd in Westchester have stores & some fast food restaurants such as In-n-Out & Baja Fresh. I wouldn't stay east of the 405 Freeway but hotels closer to the airport are okay. On Century Blvd. near LAX it's mostly hotels & not much else but they're okay to sleep overnight before a cruise.

We will be doing a Mexico cruise out of LA. This will be our first cruise out of LA and Princess is far to expensive with their Hotel Package. Can anyone suggest a Hotel and also a Transportation Service we could use to take us to the Hotel and then to the pier the next day. There will be 6 of us. Thank you all in advance.:)

You didn't say WHEN you are flying in...

If it's multiple days prior to the cruise, stay in Santa Monica or Marina del Rey/Venice or Universal or Disney, depending on what you want to see and how you want to spend your time...

But, if you are just flying in the day before, take one of the shuttle services (Super Shuttle, Prime Time Shuttle, etc.) or Execucar if you want a private ride...down to San Pedro and stay at the Crowne Plaza or the Doubletree...If you can find a bargain on Priceline on one of those, all the better...The area is plenty nice and plenty safe...definitely not the upscale part of LA, but certainly pleasant for a one night pre-cruise stop...There are lots of good, reasonably priced restaurants within a couple of blocks of the Crowne Plaza...and, in the morning, you will be pretty much right at the port...The hotels will even shuttle you there, though, with rolling luggage, the Crowne Plaza to the port is easily walkable...If you get in a little earlier in the day that day before, there are a few things to visit in the San Pedro area...

There are a couple of cheaper hotels in San Pedro--the Best Western and the Vagabond...but they are not in a great location--on a very busy thoroughfare and farther from the attractions and better restaurants...and not quite of the quality of the top hotels...Some people will book these to save money...and they seem to be fine with their choice...but, remember, you get what you pay for.

The Convention Center area of Long Beach is a very nice area...but, you are also about 6-8 miles from the port and a pricey extra taxi ride...If you stay there, choose from THIS LIST of hotels: Hyatt Regency, Hyatt at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Hilton, Maya Doubletree or Residence Inn Downtown...MAYBE the Queen Mary. I say maybe because, in reality, it is NOT a very good hotel...Unlike many locals, I HAVE stayed there...It's sort of dark and uncomfortable and often not very well managed or maintained...It is a relic...So, if you want to stay there for the historical implications or the curiosity factor, go ahead. It is very convenient to the Carnival terminal, but not as convenient to the restaurants/shopping/attractions area of Long Beach--though there is a free city shuttle that will take you there. If you really want to be in the best location in Long Beach, go with the Hyatt Regency, the Hyatt at the Pike or the Renaissance. Do NOT look for a bargain in Long Beach...Many bad hotels claim to be in the Convention Center area yet they are a couple of miles out of that area in very seedy and even crime-ridden parts of Long Beach. BEWARE.

Good luck.

Hi Bruin Steve,

I am trying to find economical transportation between san pedro pier (Princess cruise) on a friday to Friends in Pomona , California.

Do you have any tips.

Alternately, thinking of a economical hotel, hostel, airbnb around long beach or Long beach airport , or john wayne airport to fly out from there.

Can you assist?

But, if you are just flying in the day before, take one of the shuttle services (Super Shuttle, Prime Time Shuttle, etc.) or Execucar if you want a private ride...down to San Pedro and stay at the Crowne Plaza or the Doubletree...If you can find a bargain on Priceline on one of those, all the better...The area is plenty nice and plenty safe...definitely not the upscale part of LA, but certainly pleasant for a one night pre-cruise stop...There are lots of good, reasonably priced restaurants within a couple of blocks of the Crowne Plaza...and, in the morning, you will be pretty much right at the port...The hotels will even shuttle you there, though, with rolling luggage, the Crowne Plaza to the port is easily walkable...If you get in a little earlier in the day that day before, there are a few things to visit in the San Pedro area...

 

There are a couple of cheaper hotels in San Pedro--the Best Western and the Vagabond...but they are not in a great location--on a very busy thoroughfare and farther from the attractions and better restaurants...and not quite of the quality of the top hotels...but, remember, you get what you pay for.

 

The Convention Center area of Long Beach is a very nice area...but, you are also about 6-8 miles from the port and a pricey extra taxi ride...If you stay there, choose from THIS LIST of hotels: Hyatt Regency, Hyatt at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Hilton, Maya Doubletree or Residence Inn Downtown...MAYBE the Queen Mary. I say maybe because, in reality, it is NOT a very good hotel...Unlike many locals, I HAVE stayed there...It's sort of dark and uncomfortable and often not very well managed or maintained...It is a relic...So, if you want to stay there for the historical implications or the curiosity factor, go ahead. It is very convenient to the Carnival terminal, but not as convenient to the restaurants/shopping/attractions area of Long Beach--though there is a free city shuttle that will take you there. If you really want to be in the best location in Long Beach, go with the Hyatt Regency, the Hyatt at the Pike or the Renaissance. Do NOT look for a bargain in Long Beach...Many bad hotels claim to be in the Convention Center area yet they are a couple of miles out of that area in very seedy and even crime-ridden parts of Long Beach. BEWARE.

 

Good luck.

Hi Bruin Steve,

 

I am trying to find economical transportation between san pedro pier (Princess cruise) on a friday to Friends in Pomona , California.

 

 

 

Do you have any tips.

 

Alternately, thinking of a economical hotel, hostel, airbnb around long beach or Long beach airport , or john wayne airport to fly out from there.

 

 

 

Can you assist?

Have you read your other thread?

What's economical for you? Be very careful of very cheap hotels. They can be in very dicey areas.

What date are you thinking about?

Hi Bruin Steve,

I am trying to find economical transportation between san pedro pier (Princess cruise) on a friday to Friends in Pomona , California.

 

Do you have any tips.

Alternately, thinking of a economical hotel, hostel, airbnb around long beach or Long beach airport , or john wayne airport to fly out from there.

 

Can you assist?

First, realize Pomona is a 50+ mile trip each way from San Pedro...

You COULD take public transportation--but it is not easy and it is time consuming...requiring several transfers and waits...Cheap, but, you pay for it in other ways. Taxis or limos for a 50+ mile trip will be VERY expensive. Renting a car may be your best alternative (Enterprise Rental Car is located at the Crowne Plaza--near the cruise terminal). If you don't want to rent a car, about your only shot is a shared shuttle...Super Shuttle shows a one-way shared shuttle for two persons from the port to Pomona will cost approximately $81 plus tip...a town car from Execucar Express $102 plus tip...I'd go with the town car...

I would not stay in an "economical" hotel in Long Beach. There are lots of areas of Long Beach that are "unsavory". You get what you pay for. If I really wanted a bargain in Long Beach, I would try Priceline--putting in 3.5 stars and Downtown Long Beach only...That should keep you within the prime list of hotels...

Here is my list: Hyatt Regency, Hyatt at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Hilton, Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown...The first three to five on that list put you into the prime area of downtown (though the Hilton is a bit more remote, the others are right in the heart of things)...the last two put you just across the channel near the Carnival Terminal--but with free shuttles across the channel...It definitely enhances your stay in Long Beach if you are in this area...

Being near Long Beach Airport puts you into an out-of-the-way industrial area up near the 405 freeway without anything nearby...and you may not save that much...straying even a little bit away from the airport puts you into a questionable neighborhood. There are no real bargains near John Wayne Airport...That area is in prime Orange County...and, with the number of businesses HQ'd in the area, the hotels cater to those...and get their price...

Good luck.

There are no real bargains near John Wayne Airport...That area is in prime Orange County...and, with the number of businesses HQ'd in the area, the hotels cater to those...and get their price...

 

There are often good deals on "business" hotels in Orange County. They end up pretty vacant on Friday-Sunday nights, especially the "chain hotels" around John Wayne Orange County Airport and the Irvine area.