Port Huenueme and Astoria Questions

Hi everyone.

I will be on a 26-day cruise this April/May with stops in Port Huenueme, CA and Astoria, OR onboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Has anyone been to these ports? Can anyone suggest if there is much of interest? I am happy just staying on the ship, but out of about 17 ports these are the only two I have not yet visited.

Thanks.

Michael

Hi everyone.

 

I will be on a 26-day cruise this April/May with stops in Port Huenueme, CA and Astoria, OR onboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Has anyone been to these ports? Can anyone suggest if there is much of interest? I am happy just staying on the ship, but out of about 17 ports these are the only two I have not yet visited.

 

Thanks.

 

Michael

Port Hueneme??? I was so shocked to read this I had to look it up and verify it. I didn't know cruise ships even stopped there. The closest city is Oxnard. I am not sure why a tourist would want to go to Oxnard. Perhaps you could ask Regent.

Now if you go up the coast (north) about 40 miles you will come to Santa Barbara. I could understand some tourist wanting to visit Santa Barbara for the day. If you go to the MSN city guide, Oxnard does not even show up. Santa Barbara does. Here is a link ...

http://santabarbara.citysearch.com/roundup/38679/

Another 140 - 150 north of Santa Barbara is San Simeon, where you can visit Hearst Castle, but that is a long way to go for a port stop. About 115 - 120 miles north of Santa Barbara is Morro Bay, which is touristy, but again, that is a long drive for a port stop.

Oxnard is only about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, so again, why stop in both Los Angeles and Port Hueneme? Morro Bay or Monterey Bay would make a lot more sense (to me at least) as a port stop.

About 40 miles north of Santa Barbara (so about 80 miles north of Oxnard / Port Hueneme) is Solvang. Solvang is a small town that looks like it is in Holland. That would not be too bad as a day trip from Oxnard.

Astoria is the closest port to Portland Oregon. So at least that one I understand.

We live close to pt Hueneme and we have only passed by on our way to Ventura or Santa Barbara. I understand they are trying to upgrade the port but is has been mostly a military port.

We stopped in Astoria on a repo cruise and did a cooking - wine (oregon) tasting tour. We enjoyed both. It seemed to be a rather small town - with not much going on.

You can find out about what there is to do in and around Astoria on the Pacific Northwest thread. Perhaps Pt. H. has a beach/surfing spot nearby?? At least you will have "bragging rights" when it comes to naming obscure ports you've been in. Of course, because it is seldom visited, it shouldn't be over-run with crowds or trinket shops!

Actually, Oxnard has some lovely beaches which may be good for the day, if it's warm enough. Don't expect to be able to go in the water without a wet suit, however.

Isn't this about the time of the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard? I have been to that, and it is a lot of fun (of course I can never eat too many strawberries).

Otherwise, I agree, not a whole lot to do right there there. You could rent a car and drive down Hwy. 1 through Malibu to Santa Monica pretty easily, or visit the old Spanish mission in Ventura (although the mission in Santa Barbara is so much better), or drive up to Ojai and do a couple of wineries. If you are a Reagan fan you could drive over to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. If you are a shopper you could go to the Camarillo Outlet Mall.

Port Huenueme is primarily a Navy base (and a Navy town).

Solvang is a small town that looks like it is in Holland.

I will be on a 26-day cruise this April/May with stops in Port Huenueme, CA and Astoria, OR onboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Has anyone been to these ports? Can anyone suggest if there is much of interest? I am happy just staying on the ship, but out of about 17 ports these are the only two I have not yet visited.

Yeah, Michael, we locals are all stunned...

Apparently, your ship goes from Cabo to Los Angeles to Port Hueneme to San Francisco...

One would think there are about a half a dozen better places to stop between LA and San Francisco...

Catalina? Santa Barbara? Morro Bay (and Hearst Castle)? Monterey?

I guess they couldn't find an available pier in any of those places...

And it gets worse...

I checked out the Regent website to see what excursions THEY offer...and this is the only one that came up:

>>Heritage Square and Museum Tour

Duration: 3 Hours.

Walking.

Code: PHN-3830

Explore historic Oxnard's rich agricultural and cultural heritage during this tour of the City's Heritage Square and museums.

In 1985, the Oxnard Redevelopment Agency, along with several of the area's most prominent families and investors, joined together to restore several of the Oxnard's early 20th-century homes and structures, including a church, water tower, pump house and storehouse. This unique collection of original and replicated historic buildings was subsequently relocated from throughout the Oxnard community to an area now called Heritage Square.

On this delightful tour, you'll explore the architectural treasures of Heritage Square. Walk along brick pathways, through manicured gardens and past charming homes en route to the Murphy Auto Museum for a self-guided tour. The Museum has more than sixty autos on display, including antiques, early classics, street rods and a large collection of Packards.

Your journey to Oxnard concludes with a visit to the Ventura County Maritime Museum. You'll see maritime history come alive at the world-renowned Fisherman's Wharf, where the Museum features nautical displays, models of historic sailing ships, a world-class marine art collection and special exhibits. On December 1, the Chinese treasure fleet Ming Dynasty will also be on display.

Please note: Guests are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes. A portion of the cost of your tour will be donated to the museums and friends of Heritage Square. The order of sites visited may vary.

Program Pricing

Adult: $64.00. <<

A museum tour of OXNARD???

Are they kidding me?

I thought, surely a ride up the coast to Santa Barbara or down the coast to through Malibu to the Getty Villa...

But no, just this 3 hour Oxnard tour...

So, I looked again and checked the itinerary...

You are only scheduled to be docked at Port Hueneme from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm!!!

Assuming you are not quick off the ship at 7:00 am, assuming you're like most of us and want to have a nice breakfast first and maybe saunter off the ship by 9:00...and, assuming you're not running to board as the ship is leaving port...say, you're going to be back on for lunch at Noon...well, that only gives you about three reasonable hours in port...Clearly not enough time to get to and from either Santa Barbara or Malibu and see anything...And surely not enough time to get to Solvang and back! A boat ride out to the Channel Islands is an all day affair...Whale watching season is over by then...

I hate to break it to you, but you've got Friday morning in Oxnard!!!

...and, no, there is not a lot to do...

I'd say take the ship's meager excursion ...or stay on the ship and catch up with your rest...

Good luck...

Can't comment on Oxnard, but we visited Astoria on a short Zuiderdam cruise last September. Crossing the Columbia Bar isn't what it once was, but still has a sense of history. You can walk from tjhe pier along the Riverwlak into town - or take a variwety of transport. thereis a good maritime museum about two miles upriver. There's a goodly amount of Victorian architecture in the revisatlising city centre. The seafood cooking school and wine tour is a-one, with good tasting at both and very knowledgeable and friendly peple. Abus tour will get you to the Oregon coast and to the Lewis & Clark historic stuff. Lots of scenic everywhere. If you give Astoria a chance, it's a sleeper!

Oxnard has wanted the cruise ship biz for a while, but there's big debate going on about how the available dock space is to be used. I have a feeling that the powers that be will prevent much cruise business in the future, as it's just not as lucrative as freight and other uses.

It's the only deep water port between L.A. and San Francisco with US Customs/trade designations , so I guess that makes it convenient... I just don't get why they'd stop there when Los angeles is the day prior. Anything you could see from Pt. Hueneme, you could also see from L.A.

What I really don't get, is why the time there is so short - it really doesn't let you go out to the cool places that *are* within driving distance. :rolleyes:

The Strawberry Festival is May 19-20 and it is advertised as a big deal...but I wouldn't recommend an out of town visitor to go out of their way to visit. It's not *that* great.

If I were to guide visitors as to what to do there - particularly if they only have a few hours... I'd suggest staying on the ship. :cool: I say that, because most things don't open up until later in the morning, giving you even less time to "do" something before you have to get back to the ship.

It's NOT a lovely port... it's in the middle of a military installation, basically. There is no walking-around-and-shopping area dockside. Not even within reasonable walking distance. If you could get a rental car, or a cab, you could take a nice little drive... and a visit to the Ventura Harbor Village would yield some shopping opportunities (http://www.venturaharborvillage.com/default.html).

You could go and sit on one of the beaches... The one directly next to the port inlet (Silverstrand) is relatively quiet and there are often surfers in the water, which is fun to watch.

Other than that...?? Now, if you had a whole day... LOTS of stuff to do. Maybe someday the cruise lines will figure that out..?

Could it be that it's cheaper to re-fuel there? Or perhaps it keeps the line from having to pay dock fees for more days in LA or SF? Or by taking up enough time that the ship doesn't have to creep along the coast at a slow speed to avoid the extra day in LA or SF? Surely it isn't that the Oxnard C of C PAID the line to stop there?!

I hope TxnAquarian can find out why and post here again--'tis a puzzlement.

Hmm... hadn't thought of that (re-fueling stop only)... but maybe. But, if that were the case, why not skip LA altogether and just spend an entire day in Port Hueneme? (I can see day-long excursions from there making more sense, in a way, than San Pedro).

I have a good friend that works at the port... I'll see if she knows anything about that end of things.

They may stop in LA if they sell segments--much easier to fly into LAX for San Pedro than Pt. H! Plus, there may still be a few who want to see "Hollywood"!

I suspect they are doing this either (or both) because they can get cheap port fees in Port Hueneume, or because there were no dock spaces available in either San Diego, San Pedro or Long Beach at the time of this cruise.

I suspect they are doing this either (or both) because they can get cheap port fees in Port Hueneume, or because there were no dock spaces available in either San Diego, San Pedro or Long Beach at the time of this cruise.

The ship stops in Los Angeles the day before. That is one of the reasons we don't understand the stop in Oxnard the following day. The two ports are only about 60 miles from each other.

I suspect they are doing this either (or both) because they can get cheap port fees in Port Hueneume, or because there were no dock spaces available in either San Diego, San Pedro or Long Beach at the time of this cruise.

The ship stops in Los Angeles the day before. That is one of the reasons we don't understand the stop in Oxnard the following day. The two ports are only about 60 miles from each other.

I suspect they are doing this either (or both) because they can get cheap port fees in Port Hueneume, or because there were no dock spaces available in either San Diego, San Pedro or Long Beach at the time of this cruise.

The ship stops in Los Angeles the day before. That is one of the reasons we don't understand the stop in Oxnard the following day. The two ports are only about 60 miles from each other.

I suspect they are doing this either (or both) because they can get cheap port fees in Port Hueneume, or because there were no dock spaces available in either San Diego, San Pedro or Long Beach at the time of this cruise.

The ship stops in Los Angeles the day before. That is one of the reasons we don't understand the stop in Oxnard the following day. The two ports are only about 60 miles from each other by car.

Thanks for the input everyone! Pt Huenueme sounds like a really pointless stop and I will at least know what to expect now and won't be in for a letdown. I'll just plan on staying onboard the ship that day. I noticed that RSSC, who traditionally visits this port once or twice a year, axes the port on the 2008 schedules and instead does an overnight in San Francisco. Also, on the RSSC boards, someone said that when they stopped at Pt Huenueme there was resistance from local authorities with letting guests off and only those on the shore excursion was allowed to disembark. Weird!

Thanks again!

Michael

Also, on the RSSC boards, someone said that when they stopped at Pt Huenueme there was resistance from local authorities with letting guests off and only those on the shore excursion was allowed to disembark. Weird!

My guess would be that it's because that port is essentially a freight destination at a military installation. There aren't really any tourist services at all around there. Just easier for the authorities there to control the environment, I guess.

Sorry, but I find it amusing that a port of call is Astoria. We live only an hour from there yet we travel hours and hours by plane to visit other ports of call without giving it a second thought. I guess you always vacation away from home, eh?

Astoria is one of, if not THE oldest cities on the west coast. Nearby you will find Fort Stevens, which was the only part of the continental US to recieve fire during a war since the war of 1812. A japanese sub fired upon it during WWII. Interesting place with a museum and what's left of the original fort. You'll also find the westernmost camp of Louis and Clark at Fort Clatsop which has been recreated. Both are very intersting if history is your thing. There is a lot of old architecture and a very old tower called the Astor Column which I believe you can climb up for a great view of one very large river mouth.

Astoria is one of, if not THE oldest cities on the west coast.

San Diego, CA (founded 1769)

Carmel, CA (founded 1770)

Los Angeles, CA (founded 1771)

Santa Barbara, CA (founded 1786)

San Franscisco, CA (founded 1776)

Sorry for double post.

We just got off the Mercury on Friday. Our second port, after Monterey, was Astoria. If you are not taking a ship excursion , don't bother to get off the ship! I am serious. We took a $5.00 shuttle to the down town area only to find a dismal, pretty much boarded up area typical in so many little towns.The local chamber of commerce shows up in force and passes out maps and drives the tour buses ( big yellow school buses!) and has a little craft show set up within a few feet of the ship. IMO, the only thing going for this town is their huge pier that can handle a cruise ship. If we go again, I will definitely take a ship excursion!

Good luck ! MG

San Diego, CA (founded 1769)

Carmel, CA (founded 1770)

Los Angeles, CA (founded 1771)

Santa Barbara, CA (founded 1786)

San Franscisco, CA (founded 1776)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast. It was an important post for American exploration of the region and was influential in helping establish American claims to Oregon Country.

You didn't say first US city. You said first city. The cities I listed all pre-date Astoria (and are much more fun to visit today too!!!).