Bruin Steve

My wife did the online option when we were in Reykjavik before boarding the Summit in August...It was cheap, easy and we had the certificate by email in less than 15 minutes---acceptable to the cruise line. Easily beats sweating out where to go and how to get there for an in-person test.

I was unaware that anyone was still requiring testing as none of our six upcoming cruises have notified us of any such requirement... However, that said, I would look into whether any of the online monitored testing services are still operating. This past August, we were on a cruise out of Reykjavik, Iceland. My wife had recently recovered after a very brief case of Covid, however, when we went to get our tests done in Reykjavik, she was told that her test showed a very faint line and that we should come back the following day and it would probably be negative...However, the next day, we needed to be on the ship. We went back to the hotel and, later that day, we contacted an online testing operation. She did a self test, monitored by zoom with a doctor at the site--who watched her take the test and watched as the test strip developed with just the one line...and immediately emailed a certificate for the negative test...which was accepted by the cruise line. It was all VERY easy, not particularly expensive (less than most of the in-person clinics)...very quick...and easy. I would suggest that, when away from home and in an area with which you are not familiar, this would be a much better option than trying to find a place to get a test.

I've stayed there a few times pre-cruise--even though I live in Southern California. When it works out for us, we like to head down there a day before. My wife and I walk around the downtown San Pedro area, day and night, and have never felt unsafe--especially around the area near the Crowne Plaza. Our two favorite restaurants--both VERY CLOSE to the Crowne Plaza--are the San Pedro Brewing Company and the Green Onion...though I understand the Green Onion is scheduled to close soon due to a redevelopment deal... Green Onion is a very comfortable, casual, reasonably priced Mexican Food establishment, right across a small side street from the CP... http://www.greenonionmexicanrestaurant.com/menu.html The San Pedro Brewing Company is an small local brew pub with a very eclectic menu (I LOVE the Tri-Tip Sandwich) just about a half a block from the CP... https://sanpedrobrewing.com/menu There are several other good restaurant choices within a few blocks of the CP... Niko's Pizzeria, further down the block from the Brew Co. comes to mind... http://www.nikospizzeria.com/menu Any of those are even appropriate with a four-year old...very casual...and, yes, the Brew Co. even has a Kid's Menu: https://sanpedrobrewing.com/kids-menu The walk to the cruise terminal is about three-four blocks, flat, only one major street to cross (with signals) and interesting--You walk along the waterfront past the USS Iowa. I've done the walk myself a few times...rolling luggage helps... BTW, we will miss you by a couple of days...I see you are on NCL Bliss January 22...We're leaving on the RCCL Navigator of the Seas January 20...Have fun!!

Better to make that drive on a Saturday to avoid a lot of traffic...the 405 is one of the busiest freeways in the area...And you probably need to rent a car... The drive, without traffic, will probably take you a little over an hour each way...but it's really not a difficult drive. You will actually cross two (sort of three in a way) mountain ranges...but don't fear...it is a WIDE STRAIGHT freeway, not a winding mountain road. From Santa Monica, you will take either the 10 or one of the major E/W streets--Willshire, Santa Monica or Olympic--to the 405 North...As you go North, you'll pass the Getty Center Museum on the hill to your left and into Sepulveda Pass...This is a very wide gap through the Santa Monica Mountains (watch your downhill speed after the summit) and down into the San Fernando Valley...In the northern part of the Valley, you'll merge into the 5 North into the Santa Clarita Valley and a short way later the 14...That will take you through the gap between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Tehachapis...and down into the Palmdale area... It sounds like a lot of mountains and mountain passes, but the freeways lead you on an easy path through some major gaps and passes...You probably won't even notice that you are going up and down in elevation.

It all depends on what you want to do... If it's sightseeing, visiting typical tourist venues, nightlife, taking in more of an LA experience, Santa Monica is definitely the far better option. If you are just killing time and your wife wants to go shopping...and you just want to be closer to the port, Torrance works just fine. It's not really a beach town and Del Amo won't be all that convenient to visiting the beach...you are going to need transportation. Torrance is more "postwar era suburbia" with a large shopping mall. You'll find plenty of ordinary chain restaurants and a lot of shops...and not much else. OTOH, it is conveniently about halfway between LAX and the harbor area. But zero charm.

Maybe I can explain it to you. "Los Angeles" is a VERY BIG place. And when I say "Los Angeles", it's not just the political entity within the city limits--which is actually just a fraction of the population and land area. It's over a hundred different cities and towns, many surrounding the city, manyt others looking like giant cut-outs within the city So, we are talking about the entire megalopolis most think of as Los Angeles...which encompasses not only the city of LA (population of around 4 million) but the entire population of Los Angeles County (10 million) plus most of the adjacent counties of Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura. The estimated total population of Greater Los Angeles is around 20 million people... And, unlike most other major cities, Los Angeles is built "out", not "up"...There are areas with tall buildings, but most of the city is more "suburban" than "urban"...it is spread out over a large area. Making it an even larger area is that it is sprawled out over several mountain ranges, through canyons and passes and then, again, spreading out to fill several adjacent valleys. Then, to complicate things, for various historical, cultural and economic reasons, traffic patterns seem almost random and illogical. So what you have is a massive land area with complicated road and highway patterns that could cause the need to take SEVERAL HOURS to get from one side of the city to the other. I live toward the northwestern side of the metropolitan area...and, if I want to travel to, say South Orange County or to the eastern end of the "Inland Empire", I need to expect as much as a three hour drive time each way. Just getting to San Pedro, for me, on a typical weekend morning, I am looking at at least an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Next Friday, I have a cruise out of San Pedro and I may be looking at two hours plus since it's Friday morning... That said, San Pedro/Long Beach area--near the port--is nice for a one night pre-cruise when one has no interest in visiting LA tourist sights--but it is 30-40 miles from most tourist sights. If you have several days and want to sightsee, the harbor area may not make logistic sense. Many areas of Los Angeles, I would rule out for tourists because they are either logistically unrealistic or merely undesirable. So, when looking for "where to stay", you almost have to have a checklist: 1) What do you really want to see and do? 2) Will you have a car? 3) What is your budget? etc. Assuming many visitors don't want to rent a car--and deal with traffic, unfamiliar streets and neighborhoods and high gas prices and parking rates--Then it comes down to where can you stay that is close to tourist sights with convenient transportation options (tour companies, HOHO bus, Uber/Lyft availability) and lots to see and do within close walking distance with plentiful local tourist attractions, restaurants, nightlife, popular strolling areas, safe environment, best weather, etc. ...and Santa Monica ticks ALL of the boxes. All major tour companies pick up from Santa Monica hotels. The HOHO bus uses it as a main hub. The Third Street Promenade, Santa Monia Pier and Palisades Park are MAJOR pedestrian areas with tourists AND locals heading there 24/7 for restaurants/entertainment/nightlife. It is right by one of the most beautiful beaches with outstanding year-round weather. It is one of the nicer areas of LA. It is a very short ride to neighboring Venice Beach--whose Boardwalk is a MAJOR attraction. It is a short Uber ride to the Getty Villa and Getty Center museums, to Beverly Hills with Rodeo Drive, to Westwood Village and the beautiful campus of UCLA, to Sony Studios in Culver City and to many more attractions. It is easy to take a tour (or even do it yourself by Uber or even public transportation) to go see sights in Hollywood, Universal or Downtown. It is my top recommendation as to where to stay as a tourist. Of course, some tourists have more limited agendas--like Disney (Stay in Anaheim)...or movie and TV studios (maybe Hollywood or Universal). There are some alternative areas to consider (West Hollywood or Marina Del Rey/Venice Beach for example...and some out of the way places for those who only want to relax and don't need to be near tourist spots... But, for tourists who want to see a lot and have things to do day and night and won't have a car, Santa Monica is just a VERY GOOD place to be. OTOH, hotes can be a pit pricey...But, this is LA--decent hotels in decent areas are generally pricey. If you find a bargain somewhere, really question it. There are many cheap hotels...and they are largely cheap for very good reasons...

IMHO, a 11:55 am flight on a Sunday after arriving in San Pedro is entirely reasonable. BTW, I find Uber/Lyft more dependable than taxis in LA...but, whichever you choose, departing from LAX, there are no major issues...any of these can drop you off right at the curb in front of your terminal. Only trips FROM LAX need to deal with the LAX-it lot and shuttles.

I would NOT stay in Downtown LA nor would I try to use the Metro with a lot of luggage between Union Station and San Pedro. If you stay downtown, there is little to do and you may not wish to wander out of your hotel at night. Best place to stay in the LA area if you have a couple of days is Santa Monica--nice neighborhood, great weather, lots to see and do and places to eat nearby (Stay in the vicinity of the Third Street Promenade/Santa Monica Pier/Palisades Park). There is a lot to do nearby even if one does not have a car--stroll along the cliffss at Palisades Park around Sunset, walk on the Third Street Promenade (A pedestrian only promenade with shops, restaurants, street performers and more), visit the Santa Monica Pier (and amusement pier with rides and attractions). ALL of the major Los Angeles tour providers do pick-ups and drop offs from major Santa Monica hotels. If not Santa Monica, alternatives to consider are Venice Beach/Marina Del Rey or Universal City/Hollywood or other places on the West Side (Beverly Hills, Westwood Village, Century City, West Hollywood). Another alternative with two nights is to just head straight to San Pedro, stay at either the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree and book an LA Tour with Sunseeker Tours (the only LA tour company based in the harbor area so they pick up and drop off in San Pedro and Long Beach). You can Uber from Union Station to any of these places...or, if you are taking the train from San Diego, you might also consider, if staying in San Pedro, getting off the train at Anaheim or Fullerton and Ubering from there to San Pedro. Another option would be to fly from San Diego to LAX (much closer to Santa Monica and the West Side) or Burbank (close to Universal City/Hollywood--though, if staying there and taking the train, stay on PAST Union Station to the Burbank train station. Good luck.

Definitely stay in Santa Monica...Uber or Lyft to the port... San Pedro for three days will leave a lot of wasted time...or a lot of time and expense heading into LA to do any sightseeing... Uber/Lyft will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off right at the cruise terminal door on your time schedule...rates are surprisingly low...We live in Calabasas--which is 50 miles from San Pedro...and last time we took Uber to the port from our home, it was $59! Santa Monica is only 30 miles from the cruise terminal I just ran a dummy Uber request from the Wyndham Santa Monicaa hotel to the cruise terminal...and an UberX was $45...

There are actually TWO Residence Inn by Marriott properties in Long Beach. One is near LGB Airport...on Willow, just south of the 405 freeway near the Lakewood Blvd. offramp. There really isn't much in this area...not even restaurants--save a Jack-in-the-Box, a Subway and a couple of small fast food places on Lakewood Blvd. The other Residence in is usually noted as the "Residence Inn Downtown"...That one is across the street from the Maya Doubletree...near the Queen Mary and Carnival terminal--just across the bridge from Downtown Long Beach. From THAT ONE, you would have a short walk to the Queen Mary (0.8 miles)...or across the bridge to the Aquarium (0.5 miles) and the SEVERAL restaurants between that and Shoreline Village (tourist shopping and more restaurants--1.2 miles away) and the Pike (0.8 miles)--with more shopping and restaurants across Shoreline Blvd.

Japan has a very certain "high season"--Cherry Blossom season...Those Spring cruises have always sold out early...this next year, it's magnified due to everything I discussed above. Those cruises are sold out. 2024 cruises AFTER the April 9 cruise were only RECENTLY announced--those have space. The ones prior to that have been, basically, sold and booked since the beginning of the pandemic. Whichever ship has been assigned this route--for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023--was originally scheduled to do a "Transpacific" cruise at the end of April to bring the ship back to Vancouver for the Alaska summer season. After announcing 2024 Japan Spring Season cruises, they held out for a long time before announcing the schedule for late April on, hence, no one had the ability to book those dates until recently. As to those searching for port schedule sights, the explanation there is simple. First, realize that many of those sites are NOT OFFICIAL. They are operated by various entities, not by the city port authority...and they have mostly just failed to update. Largely, this is because the Japanese cities/port authorities have not yet updated their own sites. The sort of let them fall into disuse over the course of the shutdown. For example, the OFFICIAL website for the City of Yokohama (The embarkation/disembarkation port for Millennium) has NOT been updated since February. When you go to the site, you get only this comment: "Amid the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), our cruises have been suspended.We will update the information when the cruises restart.Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time." https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/overseas/port/cruise/Schedule.html This is NOT an indication of a problem with the cruises, merely a problem with the website. And, with cruises not scheduled to arrive for some months yet, they are in no hurry to update. When they do, other sites will start reflecting the official information. Again, PATIENCE...

First, we are booked on B2B March 28/April 9, 2024...We first booked this back in 2019 and have lifted and shifted each time they have canceled... Having noted that, here goes: I think everyone should try to calm down a bit... Over the last few years, we have all learned to deal with cruise cancelation anxiety...so, it is understandable why so many panic at the slightest hint of anything unexpected. HOWEVER, there is really NOTHING all that unusual going on here. First of all, a little history: Although things were actually opening up...or about to open up, Celebrity canceled the 2022-2023 Asia season...Why? Because they tend to schedule by season, not by individual cruises. So, when they would have sent a ship to Asia for the start of the season, things were not yet open...so, the decision was to NOT send a ship, thereby, canceling the entire "season"...and causing those booked...or interested...to move on to the 2023-2024 season. In addition, they reassigned deployments so, rather than the 2,850 passenger Solstice scheduled for 2022-2023, they , instead, are sending the 2,200 passenger Millennium (This is important in understanding the "sold out" situation). With the 2023-24 season having so many sell outs, they subsequently made the decision to EXTEND the season to a "year-round" deployment...opening the entire rest of the year in Asian cruises to meet the demand. All of that demonstrates Celebrity's commitment to the itineraries. So, WHY are most of the 2023-24 cruises not showing up on the website? Simply, it is because they are truly sold out. And they are sold out beyond the typical sell-outs. What cruise lines do is to sell a cruise until all cabins are spoken for--either booked by individuals or committed to groups or, perhaps, reserved by the cruise lines for emergencies. Once all cabins are committed, they will, typically, continue selling the cruise, but with only "Guarantee" rates...because they know, from years of experience, that a percentage of the cabins will come back to them--through groups giving back unsold cabins or through cancelations. There is a number or a percentage at which they feel comfortable that they will, eventually, be able to get back enough cabins to cover. BUT, when they exceed that comfort level, they will remove the sailing from their website and stop selling the cruise. Most of these cruises are at that point. Remember that: 1) There is a FOUR YEAR BACKLOG of bookings "lifted-and-shifted" AND 2) Every cruise for the 2023-24 season has a 650 passenger DEFICIT in cabin availability by reason of the change in ship. Basically, AS SOON AS the 2022-23 cruises were canceled, the 2023-24 cruises were already near capacity --or even oversold. Add in the new bookings made specifically for the new season and, quite simply, Celebrity could not risk making any additional bookings--hence, the cruises have largely gone "off the board". As to Shore Excursions appearing and disappearing, that is a function of two things. First, the cruise lines do not do their own shorexes--they contract with local providers in each port AND with most cruises post-pandemic, those local providers are in a state of flux. Many providers didn't survive the pandemic while others haven't yet figured out what can be done. Guessing at what they can provide in 2024 is still largely questionable. Second, and maybe more important is that the Celebrity IT folks are just not always all that competent. The site often suffers major glitches. Things going on the website or coming off are often just the usual par-for-the-course glitches--nothing more, nothing less. Same goes with YOUR booking disappearing and reappearing. Bottom line is that I am fairly confident that I will be onboard the Millennium come March/April 2024 enjoying my Japan cruises. I will not panic...and I encourage everyone else to stay calm...and continue planning those cruise trips...

This past August we stayed both pre- and post-cruise at the H10 Catalunya Plaza...and we've booked it again for pre- and post-cruise this coming April...Very nice little hotel right on the Placa Catalunya...you simply cannot beat the location! Breakfast (included when booking on their website) was OUTSTANDING. https://www.h10hotels.com/en/barcelona-hotels/h10-catalunya-plaza?tc_alt=87113&n_okw=h10 catalunya plaza_b__c_104201078872&gclid=CjwKCAiA76-dBhByEiwAA0_s9WygKt9YVbx_uyEhfuOxJbe09ZfU4yajX8SUjfh0jl2KnxrTZi6IrRoCrA8QAvD_BwE

It is 20 miles, virtually the entire trip on freeways... I have done it in less than a half an hour with an Uber on a weekday morning, believe it or not... But, a portion of the route is what they call the "South Bay Curve"...a section of the 405 freeway that has been known to experience a few traffic jams--usually during "rush hour"...which, in LA, could be in either direction. The usual joke in LA is to assume ANY drive will take one hour, no matter where or when. My experience, though, is that for THIS ride, if it's on a weekend, it likely takes 25 to 30 minutes from the cruise port to LAX...but it could take anywhere up to another 20 minutes just to make your way around the loop road inside LAX (so figure a minimum of 45 minutes). If your timing for this trip is going to put you there during morning or afternoon drive time on a weekend (which, in LA, is longer than most cities--figure about 6:45 to 10:30 am and 4:00 to 7:30 pm), it's going to be longer--leave yourself at least an hour. I HAVE seen occasions--due to accidents or construction--when it MIGHT take 90 minutes...But any taxi or Uber driver worth his/her salt...or anyone with a real-time GPS system (Waze, for example) should be able to avoid those delays--there are PLENTY of alternate routes via surface streets. LGB, BTW, is almost as far from San Pedro as LAX (16 miles by freeway, though there are shorter routes via surgface streets--but those are subject to a multitude of controlled intersections) and that drive is subject to just as many traffic concerns. The real rule to follow is that, wherever you go, you MAY get there very quickly...just never count on it. Always plan for it to take twice as long as it looks...and consider yourself fortunate if you don't hit any traffic

Okay...I am one of those in that E+ Twilight Zone...Even after my currently booked cruises pass, I will still be over 1500 points from Zenith...Call it 300 cruise nights in a concierge or Aqua cabin. If I cruise 20 nights a year on Celebrity in a Concierge/Aqua cabin, I'll make Zenith in another 15 or 16 years...or if I stick to ordinary balcony cabins, about 25-27 years...so, well into my 80s or 90s...if I live that long! BUT, OTOH, if they actually add, as you hope for, a new intermediate level, what is that really worth? With all the recent changes, all Elite Plus is really worth is two bags of laundry. And with all of the new cheaply acquired PUP Elite Pluses they've added, it's likely they decrease the value and the perks even more. So, what is a new "Elite Plus Plus" worth? THREE bags of laundry? Why should I care?

Do NOT call for an Uber until you get to the LAX-it lot...You do not want the Uber to beat you there. And, since there are constantly Ubers hovering around the area having just dropped someone off, they often get there in just a few minutes. And, if they beat you there, they'll either charge you waiting time...or they'll just leave. Also, Uber wuil let you know which location within the LAX-it lot you have to be at to meet your ride...and it may be a little walk from the shuttle drop-off...The signage is good, but you'll still have to locate it. My advice: Get your luggage, go outside and get on the shuttle, when you get dropped off at the LAX-it lot, click into the Uber App and arrange the ride, find the appropriate pick-up point, wait for your ride.

I initially thought to just turn it on and do some other things and half-watch. Then, the photos of Japan came on and both my wife and I were hooked. Watched the whole thing. We actually have back-to-back 24 nights booked for the Millennium in Japan for March/April 2024. We originally booked back in 2019 before Covid hit, then lifted and shifted several times...We can't wait... BTW, we did Southeast Asia (Hong Kong/Vietnam/Thailand/Singapore) on Millennium just before the pandemic. Great cruise. Some shorexes ight be pricey...but well worth it. There is so much to see...and so worth seeing. I'd highly recommend it.

Uber and Lyft are both really rather easy. First, at any time (sooner rather than later), download the app onto your cell phone. You input all of your information, including credit card info (don't worry, it's trustworthy). Then, when you need to get a ride, you merely bring up the app and type in the location you need to get to--either a street address, an intersection or a landmark...like "World Cruise Center", "LAX Terminal 5" or the name of a hotel or business. The GPS-based system is such that they already know where you are at present. It then calculates the route, quotes you prices for the type of service you want (n Uber, for example, "UberX" is the basic ride...then there is Uber XL for larger vehicles, Uber Black for a luxury vehicle and other options for Spanish language, handicapped, shared ride, etc. Typically, for us, it's UberX--meaning a driver with a typical sedan--a Toyota Prius or Honda Accord or Hyundai Excel or so on)... You can either choose the service--which then sends the car/driver to your location...or you can just pass by clicking out. (Often, we'll try both Uber and Lyft to see wh has the better price, then pick one). Now, for example, you click on UberX. The app now tells you the driver's name, his/her "star" rating, theyt type and color of the car and the license plate number. And it shows you a map/tracker with the driver's location and an estimate as to the time he/she will arrive to pick you up. You can watch where he/she is in real time...and you will spot the car and license plate as he arrives. The app then automatically charges the fare directly to your credit card....and when the ride is over, it gives you the option to rate the driver and add a gratuity. You don't need cash and never have to present your credit card. The app also has a dispute function. Drivers all have GPS in their car and follow that to take you where you are going. It's all pretty easy...Rates can vary a bit at times as they include factors such as traffic and availability of drivers. Sometimes, you can get an unusually high fare if there is a sudden large demand in a specific location (like many flights just landed at LAX)...so, often, if there is a really high price, you can just pass, wait five minutes and try again. Also, sometimes Uber's fare will seem a bit high, but Lyft will be much lower--or vice versa...If you have a good idea going in what the ride should cost, you can just pick an app, enter the address and, when the fare shows up, just click it and wait for your ride...

We used to just drive down and park at the pier, but last few cruises, depending on hotel rates and our schedules, we've either driven down and done a park & cruise at the Doubletree or Crowne Plaza...or, last cruise, we just took an Uber both ways. Next month, while on Navigator, we'll probably just use Uber or Lyft both ways (we did that for our Navigator cruise back in June)...Surprisingly, the Uber/Lyft rates weren't much different than the cost to park at the pier...and we could leave our cars safely in the garage at home rather than exposed to the elements and risks at the pier. Wasn't slow at all...Pick up at the pier for the ride home was within 10 minutes of clicking on the app. Initially, I was slow to accept the Uber concept but now we love it...don't need to deal with cash or credit cards and we can track our driver on the app. Very convenient, A few issues when using them at LAX (higher prices due to fees and surge pricing issues)...but very easy and reasonable to and from the pier. We've actually had fares as low from the pier home as from LAX home!

Uber or Lyft will be much cheaper than a taxi...most of the time (Surge pricing might affect rates leaving LAX). Uber, Lyft and taxis all leave from the LAX-it lot (across the street from Terminal 1...or a short shuttle ride from other terminals with shuttle coming every few minutes...or sooner). When you get to the LAX-it lot, check the Uber and Lyft apps...pick whichever is lower. Or, if both higher than the taxi fare, walk over to the taxis and grab one. We've done that ride in the $40ish range with Uber...(I just checked on Uber and it was $37.92 right now).

Whenever I have a cruise booked, I often check back on the website to see pricing and availability. Sometimes, I'll see price drops--and I'll arrange a revision or an upgrade. Sometimes, I'll have a bid on the table on RoyalUp or Celebrity MoveUp--and I might adjust my bids based on availability for certain categories. Sometimes it is just out of curiosity. So, today, I was checking on my upcoming January 20 Navigator cruise-...just a little over a month away. Here is what I found...I think: All Suites are clearly "sold out". But you CAN click to book in Inside, Ocean View and Balcony categories... And here is where it gets strange... Each of those options leads you to a page with a choice of "We choose your cabin" or "You choose your cabin". "We choose", in each case, is at a lower price. BUT, when you choose "You choose", ALL of the options, ALL at higher prices, are "Guarantee" rates... IOW, you book those rates and you are in the same exact situation in which you would have been if you merely clicked on the lower rate "We choose your cabin"!! Why have a "We choose" your balcony for $950 and a "You choose" your balcony--BUT you can't choose, so we will eventually choose it for you as well rate for $1165??? On Celebrity...and every other cruise line, when there are no unassigned cabins left but they still want to book cabins, they merely offer a SINGLE "Guarantee" rate.

Which sounds like good practice for your upcoming cruise ship stateroom!!! 😁

They are right...sort of... OFTEN (and the key word is often), you can find a better hotel deal within the last two or three weeks than four months before your stay...HOWEVER... ...it's a lot like booking a cruise. It all runs by the laws of supply and demand. If a hotel doesn't sell out...or get near selling out...they drop the rates. And, for the most part, hotels do NOT fill up most nights. A long time ago, I started my career working for a hotel chain (and my chain had the highest occupancy rates in the industry...and never lowered prices). But, in those days, most hotel chains ran somewhere between 50% and 75% occupancy on the average. But, here's where it gets tricky. There are times when any particular hotel fills up--100%. Some hotels get more business travelers and have much higher occupancy Monday through Thursday. Others get weekend tourists and fill up Friday through Sunday. If a hotel is in a city that does a lot of convention or event business, it is going to fill up for those events. In cruise ports, the night before a ship embarks--or, especially, if several ships are in port, you stand a much better than average chance the hotel will be booked solid...and you are not going to find a bargain rate. There are just a lot of factors that go into the pricing. OTOH, IF you know you are going somewhere, say, over a year ahead, BOOK EARLY. Most hotels initially post rates based on being completely empty--which they are when they are making the rooms available for a date for the first time. Since we typicallybook our cruises well in advance, I almost always look for hotels right away. I remember several years ago, we made a reservation for a pre-cruise at the Conrad Istanbul...and got a rate so low (something around $100 per night) that the head front desk clerk thought it was a mistake--or a scam--and tried to charge us much more. Finally, he called the Hilton head office and found out that, yes, it was a legitimate reservation. Since I book early (always a cancelable rate) and keep checking the hotel sites over time, I can tell you that, with rare exceptions, the price doesn't go below that initial rate. I also check alternate hotels in case I find a better deal elsewhere. I travel a lot and only on rare occasions have I ever found better rates late in the game. But when I have, no problem canceling my early reservation and booking another at the lower rate.

I have generally found, wherever I travel, that I get the best hotel room rates by booking as far in advance as possible...with one big caveat--ALWAYS book a REFUNDABLE rate (no advance payment...and look for special rates--AAA, AARP, Senior, etc.). Book it way out...then every now and then, do a new search for hotels...and, if you find a better rate or more preferred hotel, book that and cancel the original booking. More often than not, we find the rates are NEVER as low as they are 11 months or more early...

If all you need is a simple ride from the cruise ship to LAX, I would really recommend just using Uber or Lyft. You can go to the app for a ride as soon as you exit the terminal and probably have a ride within 5-15 minutes. They will pick you up right outside the terminal doors. At LAX, unlike pick-ups, with a drop-off, they can drop you right at the terminal for whichever airline you are using....no dealing with the LAX-it lot or shuttles. Couldn't be simpler. Total cost should be less than $50 for UberX. Time of ride depends on day of week/traffic...but, on a weekend morning, it would likely take about 30 minutes from cruise terminal to LAX (20 miles distance, mostly freeway).