Cruises from Long Beach, CA (Mexico/Central America itineraries)

Hi,

I'm from Vancouver, Canada and I'm interested in a Carnival cruise for my honeymoon trip which departs from Long Beach, CA. As there are no direct flights from Vancouver to Long Beach, my best bet is to fly from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I have so many questions, so I hope someone can help me out. :confused:

1. Does anyone know how far is it (by car) from Los Angeles to Long Beach?

2. I'm been looking at some of the Mexico/Central America itineraries @ *****.com. Which of the following cruise ships would you recommend?

Carnival Elation

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Pride

Royal Carribbean Monarch of the Seas

3. I noticed some of the ships are abit older, but refurbished in year 2000 and up. What are your opinions on these older ships?

4. I've stayed in an inside stateroom before and I'm hoping maybe this time around, I'd like to experience an oceanview room or even a balcony room. Is it really worth splurging abit more to have a balcony room?

I appreciate all the suggestions/comments. The last time I was on a cruise ship was when I was 14 on a Carribean cruise with my parents! I couldn't even remember what ship it was (definitely a Carnival).

I appreciate all your suggestions and advices! :)

Carolyn

Just wondering why you are limiting yourself to only Carnival and RCI? Only Carnival goes out of Long Beach, but RCI, Princess, and Celebrity do the Mexican Riviera out of San Pedro, which is actually a couple of miles closer to LAX than Long Beach.

Also, don't rule out San Diego. You are much closer to the pier from the airport, and you can get Mexican Riviera cruise on Celebrity, HAL, and Carnival out of there too.

What month are you talking about? Many of the cruiselines don't do any Mexican Riviera or Baja California cruises between May and September (many ships are deployed to the Northwest then).

Not sure if any of these ships go to Central America...would have to check their websites. The Panama Canal cruises and some South American cruises. There are few that would go from say, FLL thru the Canal and over to the Mexican Riviera, ending in SD or LA. But not year round.

I've been on the Paradise, but back in 2001 when it was in the Caribbean. the MOS does pretty much the same itinerary, but they add SD on the 4-day. Both are currently doing the Baja 3 and 4-day cruises, one starting from San Pedro, and the other a short distance away in LB. The Pride sails the 7-day MR from LB. Not sure what the Elation is currently doing. Is that the one starting the 5-day MR from SD in June?

Also, don't rule out San Diego. You are much closer to the pier from the airport, and you can get Mexican Riviera cruise on Celebrity, HAL, and Carnival out of there too.

Cruising out of San Diego is much nicer than cruising out of LA/Long Beach! Nicer port, ten minutes from the airport. We did HAL down to Acapulco and had a lovely time.

The Monarch of the Seas wasn't my favorite. It looked a bit worn and the rooms were probably the smallest I've encountered. Still, no cruise is bad and I'd sail her again if the itinerary was right.

Hi,

I'm from Vancouver, Canada and I'm interested in a Carnival cruise for my honeymoon trip which departs from Long Beach, CA. As there are no direct flights from Vancouver to Long Beach, my best bet is to fly from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I have so many questions, so I hope someone can help me out. :confused:

Hey there, know Vancouver really well, and grew up in LA, and especially cruise ships leaving from LA, so here to help...

1. Does anyone know how far is it (by car) from Los Angeles to Long Beach?

Not far, if you get a good rate to LAX, take it.

Basically about from the airport in Vancouver then, driving to downtown or North Van...

2. I'm been looking at some of the Mexico/Central America itineraries @ *****.com. Which of the following cruise ships would you recommend?

 

Carnival Elation

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Pride

Royal Carribbean Monarch of the Seas

All I will say is that...

I've been on several cruiselines for my entire life...

So, I know them well...

It really depends here on your time frame, ideally what are you looking for...

Are you going to take some time to spend a few days before or after in Los Angeles/Beaches/Hollywood...

Makes a difference.

That being said...

Carnival Elation is absolutely my favorite ship of all time...

(It will be leaving from San Diego)

Carnival Paradise would be my second favorite ship...

(leaving from Long Beach/LA)

Carnival Pride - bigger ship - and maybe my third favorite, but 7 days...

(also leaving from Long Beach/LA)

It just so happens for me that currently I personally prefer the Carnival ships that are doing this itinerary right now...

3. I noticed some of the ships are abit older, but refurbished in year 2000 and up. What are your opinions on these older ships?

Again, on these particular ships, Elation is my absolute favorite, and Paradise second. Newer does not mean better.

4. I've stayed in an inside stateroom before and I'm hoping maybe this time around, I'd like to experience an oceanview room or even a balcony room. Is it really worth splurging abit more to have a balcony room?

It's your frakkin' honeymoon!

Absolutely!

I'll give you links to threads with more info when you respond back, but absolutely yes!

Category 12 or 11 (minimum) on Elation or Paradise, and Balcony Minimum on Pride! You will appreciate the decision to do that once you are there!

I appreciate all the suggestions/comments. The last time I was on a cruise ship was when I was 14 on a Carribean cruise with my parents! I couldn't even remember what ship it was (definitely a Carnival).

 

I appreciate all your suggestions and advices! :)

 

Carolyn

No problem!

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the West Coast Boards specifically...

We're here to help...

Let's help you make this the best honeymoon cruise for you both ever!:D

CJW

One last note: If you desire a balcony, then I would select the Carnival pride. 80% of all the cabins are balcony cabins.

I love the Pride. So much so, that I'm cruising her a second time within two years.

Hi,

 

I'm from Vancouver, Canada and I'm interested in a Carnival cruise for my honeymoon trip which departs from Long Beach, CA. As there are no direct flights from Vancouver to Long Beach, my best bet is to fly from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I have so many questions, so I hope someone can help me out. :confused:

 

...

 

2. I'm been looking at some of the Mexico/Central America itineraries @ *****.com. Which of the following cruise ships would you recommend?

 

Carnival Elation

Elation is going out of San Diego this summer. Flights from Vancouver to San Diego are not usually too bad. I've done this trip many times. United and Air Canada have non-stops, but they cost more. If you go for the one-stop itinerary, try to change planes in San Francisco. If you change in Portland or LA, then you usually end up on a turboprop instead of a jet.

1. Does anyone know how far is it (by car) from Los Angeles to Long Beach?

From LAX, by car, figure 25 miles to the pier in Long Beach (Carnival) and 20 miles to the pier in San Pedro (all other lines). San Diego Pier is within a couple of miles of the San Diego Airport.

2. I'm been looking at some of the Mexico/Central America itineraries @ *****.com. Which of the following cruise ships would you recommend?

 

Carnival Elation

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Pride

Royal Carribbean Monarch of the Seas

I would look more to the itinerary than to the ship. Yes, the Monarch is an older ship, but in excellent shape...But it runs only 3 and 4 night itineraries...and, by my thinking, it would be foolish to fly all the way down from Vancouver for a short cruise. Make it worth your while and go on a longer cruise. The ports are much nicer. As a minimum, I'd be looking for a 7-nighter, the standard is to Cabo/Mazatlan/Puertio Vallarta and it's a pretty nice cruise and combination of ports. If you can find a longer one that fits in with your schedule, that's good too. And, yes, time of year is important. Most cruise lines abandon us during the Summer. Except Carnival (Pride)--who run the 7-night itinerary year round...They're also running some good 8 and 9 night itineraries out of San Diego on the Spiit...just not during the summer months...Same deal with Princess and Celebrity and Royal Caribbean...

3. I noticed some of the ships are abit older, but refurbished in year 2000 and up. What are your opinions on these older ships?

I've cruised on the Monarch a few times...including this January...It has been refurbished and is very nicely maintained for the most part...but, again, I thing the itinerary is more important...

4. I've stayed in an inside stateroom before and I'm hoping maybe this time around, I'd like to experience an oceanview room or even a balcony room. Is it really worth splurging a bit more to have a balcony room?

I've sailed in "Ocean Views" but I NEVER book them anymore...I sort of bounce between insides and balconies--dependi8ng on the itinerary and the price...

Insides and Ocean Views are basically the same cabin--same layout, same square footage...The only difference is a small window which, most of the time you are in your cabin, is completely BLACK anyway...there is really very little to see most of the time...and when there is, you don't want to see it from your small stateroom looking out a small window...

The only REAL upgrade is to a balcony cabin...Although the cabins are not necessarily roomier (on most ships), the large sliding glass door or glass door and window area (depends on the ship) certainly makes the room feel roomier...and the balcony area is extra square footage of "living area" and an additional amenity one can really enjoy, depending on your lifestyle...Some people love the solitude...and the ability to go out on one's balcony and enjoy a drink...or some quiet reading time in the fresh air during an at sea day...

For me, I can enjoy a cruise either with a balcony or without, so it becomes a "weighing" thing...How much ezxtra is the balcony costing me? I especially look for deals like "balcony guarantee" rates...where I might be paying only a small premium of maybe a couple hundred dollars more for the balcony than for an inside--in which case, I go for it...If it's a substantial difference, I'll forego the balcony, spend my free time out on one of the public decks and use the money for other things instead...

If money is less of an object, of course, I'd always go for a balcony...or maybe a suite...

Wow, I can't believe I'm getting so much responses and help here. I should've stopped by this board LONG ago! You guys are awesome and thank you for sharing your info! :cool:

I forgot to mention that our trip will be in August 2007. I've been looking at *****.com and the only cruises going out of the Vancouver port are all heading towards Alaska. Flights from Vancouver to LA or San Diego are fairly cheap right now, so I've been looking at cruises originating from the LA, San Diego and Long Beach Ports. I couldn't find anything out of San Pedro by the way. :(

We're leaning slightly towards a 4-5 day cruise because we'd like to do some sightseeing, check out Disney, visit some old friends in the area if we have time. I wish we can cruise longer but we'd like to do the cruise as part of our trip! We're open to any itineraries at the moment because we've never cruise on the west coast!

It's great to know that alot of you have cruised on the ships I've mentioned. I feel more at ease now...

Methinks that San Pedro is LA -- I've cruised out of there twice, and I believe both times the port was listed as LA.

We're leaning slightly towards a 4-5 day cruise because we'd like to do some sightseeing, check out Disney, visit some old friends in the area if we have time. I wish we can cruise longer but we'd like to do the cruise as part of our trip! We're open to any itineraries at the moment because we've never cruise on the west coast!

One of the cruise lines (and I think it's Carnival) is now doing a 4 or 5 day cruise down to Cabo. It's not my favorite port, but there's more to do there than in Ensenada.

Methinks that San Pedro is LA -- I've cruised out of there twice, and I believe both times the port was listed as LA.

Carnival goes out of Long Beach (for the past few years now) and just about every other ship sailing from the LA area leaves from the World Cruise Center in San Pedro. We just used LA/SP interchangeably. But that is where the Port of LA (also known as "the Harbor" to employees of the City of LA) is.

San Pedro IS Los Angeles...

If you look at a map of the Los Angeles area, you will note that the actual city limits of Los Angeles are among the strangest of shapes one could imagine...Historically, what happened is that 100 to 150 years ago, Los Angeles (the City of) was a small area located well inland...the entire area was fragmented into hundreds of cities...Two significant events occurred which altered the political geography:

1) Los Angeles needed a harbor. The best potential site was San Pedro--which was, prior to then, a separate city (Santa Monica was also considered, but didn't have the large natural harbor found in San Pedro/Long Beach)...Problem was that it was 20-25 miles from the then Los Angeles City Limits...and California law required that, in order to annex anything to a city, it had to be contiguous...So, the City of Los Angeles annexed a strip a about two blocks wide and twenty miles long along with the former City of San Pedro...

2) The City of Los Angeles acquired a valuable water source. Water is valuable in SoCal...and the City of Los Angeles actually purchased the water rights to the Owens River (which drains the Eastern Slope of the Sierra Nevada) and built an aqueduct to take the water over the Tehachapi Mountains and into the San Fernando Valley (most of which it then annexed)...it then offered water to surrounding cities IF they would agreed to be annexed into Los Angeles...Many cities opted in...Others--ones with their own secure water sources (like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.)--didn't...which is why the city limits of Los Angeles look like a crazy quilt...completely surrounding other cities. [Note: The story of the LA Water Department, the building of the aquaduct, the annexation of the San Fernando Valley and all of the political intrigue that surrounded it is what the movie "Chinatown" with Jack Nicholson was based on...of course with a liberal dose of fictional license...The head of the Water Department in "Chinatown" was a character named "William Mulwray"...The real life Water Department genius was a guy named "Willianm Mulholland"...The movie took place in the 1930s...it really all happened in the 1910s...a lot of the film noir subplot is fiction, but the underlying political story--the land in the valley being mysteriously bought up by inside investors, the secret night time release of water from reservoirs...all that kind of stuff...is based on fact]...

Anyway, back to the harbor:

So, San Pedro/Long Beach had a large natural harbor (Long Beach wouldn't opt in to the annexation deal, but Pedro would)...Over the years, the harbor expanded...channels were dredged, breakwaters added and the harbor--both sides of it--grew incredibly large, dwarfing its original ample size...

And, for various geographical and economic reasons, the combined complex (both operated nowadays under a single port authority) became the largest and busiest harbor on the North American continent...Most of the goods arriving from or departing to Asia come through Los Angeles/Long Beach...it (along with San Diego) is the only area on the West Coast where you can transfer cargo to land transportation (trucks, trains) and have a direct inland route to the rest of North America without crossing high, rugged mountains or encountering severe winter weather (and San Diego's Harbor has developed as primarily military)...

Unlike Miami, the cruise business here in LA is a very minor operation...it is an overwhelmingly commercial and industrial port...The traditional cruise terminal is the one in San Pedro...but, a few years ago, as the cruise business grew, Carnival set out to find another pier rather than compete for dock space at San Pedro...and struck a deal with Long Beach to acquire pier space on their side of the harbor--adjacent to the Queen Mary--Across the harbor, Six miles from the Pedro pier...

We locals always refer to the two piers as "San Pedro" and "Long Beach" but, technically, one is in the City of Long Beach, the other the City of Los Angeles...and, since outsiders have likely never heard of "San Pedro", the cruise lines and travel agents and travel web sites, typically list it in their databases as "Los Angeles"...so a search on "San Pedro" might come up empty...

[Professor Bruin Steve (BA, Geography, UCLA 1975) steps away from the lectern...]

The Harbor area wanted to secede from Los Angeles. But when the special commitee organized to judge the validity of the secession proposals of the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and the Harbor gave their decision, the first two were placed on the 2002 ballot and the Harbor was denied a chance of secession. Of course, the odds were stacked against secession for the Valley and Hollywood (not only did the residents of those areas have to say yes, but also the City of LA as a whole), and LA remained intact.

Patty, BA, Psychology, UCLA, 1976 (but spent much of her time those four years in the Daily Bruin office and the Rally Committee office)

Patty' date=' BA, Psychology, UCLA, 1976 (but spent much of her time those four years in the Daily Bruin office and the Rally Committee office)[/quote']

 

Ohhhh...Hi Patty...I think I know you...

 

This is Steve Doshay...

1. Does anyone know how far is it (by car) from Los Angeles to Long Beach?

 

2. I'm been looking at some of the Mexico/Central America itineraries @ *****.com. Which of the following cruise ships would you recommend?

 

Carnival Elation

Carnival Paradise

Carnival Pride

Royal Carribbean Monarch of the Seas

 

3. I noticed some of the ships are abit older, but refurbished in year 2000 and up. What are your opinions on these older ships?

 

4. I've stayed in an inside stateroom before and I'm hoping maybe this time around, I'd like to experience an oceanview room or even a balcony room. Is it really worth splurging abit more to have a balcony room?

 

Carolyn

1) About 20 - 25 miles. I just drove this recently and don't remember if it was 20 or 25.

2) Of the four ships you have listed, only one does a one week cruise. The Paradise and the Monarch do 3 & 4 night cruises to Ensenada, which quite frankly is not much. The Elation makes it all the way down to Cabo, which is a step up from Ensenada. However, of the four you listed, in my opinion, the Pride offers, hands down, the best cruise.

3) Given the four ships you have selected, I don't believe any one ship is better than the others. Oh sure, the Pride has more balconies than the other three ships combined, but all have pools, all the Carnival ships have water slides, all have a stage for night time shows, all have good food ... I think you would enjoy all four ships.

4) This is a question you will have to answer yourself. I have been in an inside, an oceanview, a balcony and a suite. For what I view as a small difference in price I prefer the balcony. However, I would not pay extra for a balcony on a short (3 or 4 night) cruise. Nor do I consider the extra cost for a suite worth it - usually. If there is a big difference in price, I would book an oceanview over a balcony. I like to have some view of the outside world from my cabin, so I am not likely to book too many more insides (though I would like to try a promenade view (Voyager and Freedom class) sometime.

For your honeymoon, of the four ships you selected, I would go with the Pride because it offers a one week cruise. If you are not going to go on the Pride, then I would suggest either a five night cruise on the Elation, or a four night cruise on either the Paradise or Monarch. The three day cruises are more of a weekend party type cruise. Okay if you live in the area, but not what you want after traveling 1000 miles for your honeymoon.

Here is the Paradise ...

Here is the Monarch ...

Here is the Elation ...

And here is the Pride ...

Ohhhh...Hi Patty...I think I know you...

 

This is Steve Doshay...

Wish I had the '75 yearbook. Only bought the '76 one. Were you in RC or on staff at the DB? My maiden name was Crost and I was very skinny and shortish back then. Well, still shortish now.

Wish I had the '75 yearbook. Only bought the '76 one. Were you in RC or on staff at the DB? My maiden name was Crost and I was very skinny and shortish back then. Well' date=' still shortish now.[/quote']

Okay...yes, I remember you (when I wrote that I think I knew you, I had it narrowed down to a few Pattys in that era)...

 

Who am I?

Well...let's see...where to start?

 

My connections to the Daily Bruin are sort of weak...never hung out there...but I was sort of friends with Jamie Krug (I think he would have been Sports Editor in 1974-5) and I wrote a couple of "Guest pieces" one year or another...I was actually on the "staff" as it were of "Southern Campus" (the Yearbook) in 1975...

 

But...where I would know you from (or vice vera) is Rally Committee...I was never an official "member", but hung out around the Rally Committee Office often...I was fairly close friends with a number of Rally Comm folks...including Rich Herzog, Mark Flaisher, Eliot Stern...and others too numerous to list (only listed those three because they were the "Chairmen")...actually still very close with a couple of old Rally Comm folks still today...

 

Me? About 5'7", stocky, brown wavy hair (still there, just shorter now), moustache (not still there)...

 

UCLA is a BIG place...and there are lots of folks none of us would ever know...

But, when you threw out "Rally Committee" and the years 1972-76, I figured that means I have to know you...but, yes, your name IS familiar and I have a picture in my mind...

Okay...yes, I remember you (when I wrote that I think I knew you, I had it narrowed down to a few Pattys in that era)...

 

Who am I?

Well...let's see...where to start?

 

My connections to the Daily Bruin are sort of weak...never hung out there...but I was sort of friends with Jamie Krug (I think he would have been Sports Editor in 1974-5) and I wrote a couple of "Guest pieces" one year or another...I was actually on the "staff" as it were of "Southern Campus" (the Yearbook) in 1975...

 

But...where I would know you from (or vice vera) is Rally Committee...I was never an official "member", but hung out around the Rally Committee Office often...I was fairly close friends with a number of Rally Comm folks...including Rich Herzog, Mark Flaisher, Eliot Stern...and others too numerous to list (only listed those three because they were the "Chairmen")...actually still very close with a couple of old Rally Comm folks still today...

 

Me? About 5'7", stocky, brown wavy hair (still there, just shorter now), moustache (not still there)...

 

UCLA is a BIG place...and there are lots of folks none of us would ever know...

But, when you threw out "Rally Committee" and the years 1972-76, I figured that means I have to know you...but, yes, your name IS familiar and I have a picture in my mind...

Let's see...I do remember Eliot (at every RC post-game party, "Eli's coming" would always be played) and Mark. I think I joined in '74 and not earlier. As I was also on staff at the DB and also had a library job, didn't spend lotsa time in the RC office.

I guess you were at the yearbook when Doug Drew was the editor (he was, wasn't he?). I ended up working at two different ad agencies at the same time as he -- D'Arcy, MacManus & Masius and then Grey Advertising -- we worked on different accounts then, he on Princess Cruises and me on Bank of America.

Trying to remember if I knew Jamie all that well as I just did city-side reporting (besides also a small job maintaining the AP machine for the paper). Knew the sports staff my senior year.

I guess you were at the yearbook when Doug Drew was the editor (he was' date=' wasn't he?).[/quote']

 

Okay...let me tie some of this together...

 

Yes...Doug was the Editor-in-Chief...He dragged me onto the staff...We had gone to high school together at Pali High--where I was the Sports Editor of the High School Yearbook...

 

Doug was roomates at UCLA with Eliot's older brother, Steve Stern...also a friend of mine...

Jamie, Mark and I all sat on the panel that selected the cheerleaders and Song Girls for the 1975-76 school year...THAT was a fun job!!

 

I also spent some time working on Mardi Gras as well...

 

I actually spent most of my time sleeping outside of Gate 10 at Pauley Pavillion...

 

Dang UCLA was a fun place to go to school...

I worked on the Mardi Gras PR committee (putting up posters around Woodland Hills during spring break and volunteering at the information booth) in 1973. That got me a job at the Coop (long story).

I worked on the Mardi Gras ...1973...

I think I started working on Mardi Gras after that...Alex Rose got me hooked into that one...