Opinion please

We are going on NCL this November. We now will be needing three rooms with three cars. I am trying to find a reasonable priced hotel with shuttle to and from the hotel. So far I found the best western plus for $169 plus tax that has to and from shuttle. Then I found the El Dorado coast hotel in Lomita Ca with shuttle to port only for $99, then a shuttle I would use that would cost $75 about $10 a person. Both places would keep our car. I just am trying the best option for our group. My friend that is coming is new to cruising and so I want a good experience for her.

Try the Crown Plaza or the Double Tree in San Pedro. Some have been successful using Priceline.

Be very careful about cheap hotels in the Los Angeles There's a reason why they're cheap. Many times the location and surroundings are unsavory.

What are the 2,3,4 star TripAdvisor reviews saying about the hotels? I find those to have good info.

For comparison, parking at the pier is $12/day.

We need to come the night before. It's a 6 hour drive. The crown was over $200. I read good reviews on the best western plus. I'm going to talk to my party at work later today.

We are going on NCL this November. We now will be needing three rooms with three cars. I am trying to find a reasonable priced hotel with shuttle to and from the hotel. So far I found the best western plus for $169 plus tax that has to and from shuttle. Then I found the El Dorado coast hotel in Lomita Ca with shuttle to port only for $99, then a shuttle I would use that would cost $75 about $10 a person. Both places would keep our car. I just am trying the best option for our group. My friend that is coming is new to cruising and so I want a good experience for her.

Here's the problem you have:

Minimizing your costs versus "good experience"...

Los Angeles is an expensive hotel town (and San Pedro isn't exactly even the high rent district)...

But the best experience for a one night pre-cruise would be to stay in San Pedro at either the Crowne Plaza or the Doubletree...Why? Because those are nice hotels...with quiet, well maintained rooms in nice, convenient locations with good restaurant choices nearby...

You would arrive at the hotel, relax, walk (from the Crowne, or except for 22nd Street Landing, take a quick, free hotel shuttle) to a restaurant for dinner. In the morning, you would have a very short, free hotel shuttle to the port...

OTOH, that motel in Lomita is cheap...

Lomita is sort of a blue-collar town, fairly nondescript...The motel is a small two-star motel on a very busy commercial street...neighborhood retail, fast food, semi-industrial uses...

There is nothing particularly terrible about it...It just really isn't a first-rate pre-cruise experience. You'll be driving to the motel, staying in some fairly ordinary, dated accommodations, maybe eating at one of the Thai/Asian Fusion or bad pizza places or the burger grill that are within a block or so of the motel (I have no particular recommendations here--nothing looks like what my wife would be willing to eat at. Perhaps ask at the motel for a recommendation). You will not want to walk too far from the motel...the scenery doesn't change much anyway...

The motel has a lot with only around 40 parking spaces that is largely exposed and open to the street. I can't vouch for the safety of the neighborhood and guess the motel takes no responsibility.

Basically, in this area, you get what you pay for...

If it is of paramount importance to you to keep your costs down, this does it...just don't expect the "experience" to be first class...Just recognize that you are not going to get $69 per night and a great experience...For those prices, you are going to get "possibly acceptable" and just biding your time until the actual cruise...

Good luck...

We are going on NCL this November. We now will be needing three rooms with three cars. I am trying to find a reasonable priced hotel with shuttle to and from the hotel. So far I found the best western plus for $169 plus tax that has to and from shuttle. Then I found the El Dorado coast hotel in Lomita Ca with shuttle to port only for $99, then a shuttle I would use that would cost $75 about $10 a person. Both places would keep our car. I just am trying the best option for our group. My friend that is coming is new to cruising and so I want a good experience for her.

I am very familiar with Lomita and would not stay there. However if safety is a concern, the crime rate for Lomita is slightly lower than Los Banos, and both are lower than the national average.:)

Where do you stay when you sail Carnival? A taxi is about $20 to San Pedro.

Crowne Plaza. $76. Priceline.

From what I understand, if you say three and a half stars (Steve or someone will know) in San Pedro on Priceline, you'll get either the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree.

Thanks for the opinions. We are about six hours away and are not going to get to the hotel until around 8 or 9. My husband works till 1 that day. As far as the priceline bidding I am a bit nervous with needing the park and cruise package and not sure if I bid on Priceline if I will get that. Plus we need to have two of the rooms double beds and I am not sure I would get that. But I am a fan of Priceline. The last two airline tickets I bought were a huge savings and the flights were awesome.

you don't have to be onboard until 2pm, so you have time to arrive the day of, and park at the pier for $15/$20 a day.

Leave your house at 6am and if all goes well you'll arrive by noon. If you run into congestion or an accident you've got 2 hrs of wiggle room. Or leave at 5am.

Why have you ruled out driving the day of the cruise and parking at the pier?

Barring a freak storm over the grapevine, a six hour drive is not too bad. You could leave at 6AM and arrive at noon Someone mentioned that parking is $12 per day or $84 per week..about what you would pay for the hotel room.

you don't have to be onboard until 2pm, so you have time to arrive the day of, and park at the pier for $15/$20 a day.

Leave your house at 6am and if all goes well you'll arrive by noon. If you run into congestion or an accident you've got 2 hrs of wiggle room. Or leave at 5am.

And the poor driver will be pooped out on the first day of the cruise. And who wants to risk getting caught up in traffic (plus if one is talking winter -- and I would be concern about even November -- the Grapevine can get dicey).

We're about an hour's drive from the port and we always try to leave before 11, and often we're ready to leave by 9:30 or 10. If we have car problems, we can still get the car towed to a repair place and get a taxi to the port.

If we ever have a cruise out of San Diego (which is about a two-plus hour drive in light traffic), we would probably stay the night before near the port.

Parking at the port is $12 per day unless the amount goes up in the future. And one could even stay the night at a So Cal hotel and then drive to the World Cruise Center and park there during the cruise. But I certainly wouldn't advise someone to drive that distance the DAY of a cruise. Why do that to the driver (or drivers) and risk a delay due to traffic, weather conditions or car problems?

My husband does not want to drive the morning of departure. Plus the other two cars in our group also want to go the day before. One of the passengers not going on the cruise is coming in one of the vehicles to be dropped off at her sister's house close to Valencia. Plus we want to be rested and not make that long drive the day of the cruise.

My husband does not want to drive the morning of departure. Plus the other two cars in our group also want to go the day before. One of the passengers not going on the cruise is coming in one of the vehicles to be dropped off at her sister's house close to Valencia. Plus we want to be rested and not make that long drive the day of the cruise.

Why not stay in Valencia? There are many motels in the area, especially around Magic Mountain. It's just over an hour to port if you leave around 10am.

Sometimes the perfect combo of Price and Convenience does not exist.

ETA---Could all park at/near Sister's house and take Super Shuttle both ways. About $85 for a Van just for your group one-way.

For Comparison Parking at the pier for 3 cars x 7 days x $12/ day is $252.