LA Embarkation (Princess) - Drive from PHX?

Our ship sails on a saturday. We'll be driving in from Phoenix and will be meeting some family who are flying into LA on friday.

Google maps say the drive from Phoenix will be about 6 hours. Is that accurate? We're thinking of leaving Phoenix friday night and spending the night about halfway instead of leaving PHX in the middle of the night and driving straight through. Any recommendations for where to stay? I'm sure we'll take 10.

What is a good hotel for our family to spend friday night in LA that will be on our way to the port? They haven't made their airline reservations yet but will probably fly into LAX. They are not going to rent a car so will need to take a taxi or a shuttle to their hotel.

I've read some bad things about embarkation at LA. How chaotic should we expect it to be? It's a spring break cruise so there will be lots of kids. Our party will have some little kids and some older adults who have a hard time standing for long periods of time.

I know there was a thread on the Princess board about some problems with disembarkation as customs' computer system was down. Undoubtedly it affected that day's embarkation as the new passengers couldn't board until the previous ones were off the ship.

Sometimes we've had very smooth embarkations at L.A. Usually it's not in Princess's control, but port officials.

Most likely you'll want to stay in San Pedro -- at the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree, which are the most recommended. Don't stay by the airport.

Thanks. Any idea how the traffic will be in LA on a saturday morning? I think we might leave Phoenix friday evening and spend the night in Blythe or Indio. DH and I are both working on friday so I don't think we can make it all the way into LA on friday night.

It looks like Blythe would be 4 hours and Indio around 21/2 hours. It does look like there are a number of hotels in Indio listed on Expedia.:)

Could drive 5 hours and stay around ONT. Only an hour to port.

We have our show judges stay at the Quality Inn on Vineyard, just off the 10 in Ontario.

Our ship sails on a saturday. We'll be driving in from Phoenix and will be meeting some family who are flying into LA on friday.

 

Google maps say the drive from Phoenix will be about 6 hours. Is that accurate? We're thinking of leaving Phoenix friday night and spending the night about halfway instead of leaving PHX in the middle of the night and driving straight through. Any recommendations for where to stay? I'm sure we'll take 10.

 

What is a good hotel for our family to spend friday night in LA that will be on our way to the port? They haven't made their airline reservations yet but will probably fly into LAX. They are not going to rent a car so will need to take a taxi or a shuttle to their hotel.

 

I've read some bad things about embarkation at LA. How chaotic should we expect it to be? It's a spring break cruise so there will be lots of kids. Our party will have some little kids and some older adults who have a hard time standing for long periods of time.

I've done it in five hours...okay, maybe I drive a tad fast :)

I think it all really depends on exactly when you leave Phoenix...and on how long--or late-- you are willing to drive.

If it were me, I would want to go as far on Friday night as I could--so I'd be closer to the port and have less concern the morning of the cruise, leaving myself plenty of time and less stress....

So, I would buzz right by places like Blythe (Does ANYONE really want to stay there?)...

The Coachella Valley (Indio to Palm Springs) has a LARGE number of hotels--in all price ranges...It is a tourist area--and, depending on factors like time of year and special events, you may find hotels there to get expensive.

Ontario has some inexpensive motels--because of the airport there...BUT...If heading directly toward San Pedro, I would not pass through Ontario....Rather I'd take the 60 to the 91...through Riverside, Corona and Anaheim on the more direct route to San Pedro...

There are far too many hotel choices in those towns, but, what I would do would be to search the major cheaper hotel chains for locations in one of those towns...find something near the freeway with free breakfast...You don't need much more if all you are doing is pulling in for the night...And, you'd have an easy time in the morning...Get up, have some breakfast...heck, you could even sleep in a bit...then drive to the port in 30-90 minutes (depending on where the hotels is)...

As to your family flying in (I will assume the day before), best thing for them is to take an immediate shuttle to San Pedro and stay at the Crowne Plaza...or the Doubletree...They'll be right near the port and need only the one paid shuttle LAX to San Pedro...The hotels will shuttle them to the port in the morning...or you could even meet them there before going to the ship...

It is about 6 1/2 hours with a little traffic from SE valley (PHX area) to Manhattan Beach. That includes a couple little stops and no carpool lanes. And that is leaving PHX early weekend days or holidays.

How about going home after work and catching maybe six hours of sleep, then leave at 2:30 or 3 in the morning? We do this all the time when driving to L.A. From the Bay Area and since there is no trAffic we make the 6 1/2 hour drive in 5 1/2 hours. :)

Depending on traffic it shows roughly 5 hours from Phoenix to Ontario. We live in Palm Springs which is an hour East of Ontario and take the 60 to 91 as Steve said and can make it to San Pedro in approximately 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic.Ontario is a little North on the I 10 so i would try and keep toward Riverside on the 60 and get on the 91.