Cruising out of Los Angeles...need help!

We are new to cruising out of Los Angeles. All of our previous 14 cruises have been out of Florida. Very convenient since we live in Georgia.

We are doing the 14-day Mexican riviera - panama canal cruise in January which sails out of Los Angeles. We will be flying in the day before the cruise. I assume why fly into LAX? Is that close to the port?

Also, anyone have any suggestions for a hotel close to the port?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I haven't booked the flight or hotel yet so I have some time.

Double tree Hilton port of LA is my Fav..

Are you sure its Los Angeles or Longbeach? Make sure!

Fly into LongBeach .. Not as many flights as LAX but alot more convenient

NCL uses the port of San Pedro located in Long Beach.

A way to visually reckoned with this your want to be berthed right next to the Battleship Iowa

and NOT next to the Queen Mary and the geodesic dome port structure

Map LINK Long Beach-San Pedro Harbor:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7349522,-118.2239515,13z

Map LINK Los Angeles Basin:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6957567,-118.0154688,10z

Both of these LINKS you can zoom in or out and in the lower left corner is the Satellite Imagery !

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Now as for hotels there are plenty around and depending on your travel plans arriving early

and checking out the sites or just arriving in the nick of time to board your NCL cruise ship.

If arriving by air at Los Angeles - plenty of inexpensive hotel in this area - have affinity loyalty

perks with a hotel chain check that out.

NCL does operate a Transfer service from the airport (LAX) to the San Pedro pier cost $20 pp

If your party is three or more check out other shuttle operations.

The NCL Transfer service you meet in one of the major airlines baggage claim areas meet

the NCL rep on the day of the cruise board the bus with luggage and on your way about a 30-40

minute trip traffic permitting.

Other airports are Long Beach and Santa Ana Orange County (San Diego a distant third option)

Long Beach airport is a short cab ride to the pier.

Santa Ana Orange County is about a half hour ride (traffic permitting) to the pier.

There are hotels around each of these airports - so you can arrive a day or two early and plan your

transportation needs the next day to the pier. Orange County you can plan in a Disneyland event.

Shop the websites of the hotel brokers for rates and details of the accommodations.

You see these websites on TV all the time - book early for the best rates.

We choose Orange County airport, we avoid LAX if at all possible

NCL uses the port of San Pedro located in Long Beach.

Not correct. Port of San Pedro AKA Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro itself and NOT Long Beach.

Thanks for the input. The website says:

World Cruise Center

San Pedro

Not planning on sightseeing. Figure we would get a late flight out of Atlanta, arrive in time for dinner and then bed.

Want to get to the ship bright and early the next day. So will probably find a hotel nearby with a shuttle or take UBER.

Nearest airport is LGB (Long Beach).

Long Beach Transit in conjunction with LADOT can get you

from the airport to the cruiseship terminal in San Pedro for $3 per person!!!

Easy to do and the bus stops right next to the parking lot in San Pedro.

if you are a senior, it's even cheaper!

Plenty of hotels in the area and most offer a free shuttle to the terminal.

Nearest airport is LGB (Long Beach).

Long Beach Transit in conjunction with LADOT can get you

from the airport to the cruiseship terminal in San Pedro for $3 per person!!!

Easy to do and the bus stops right next to the parking lot in San Pedro.

if you are a senior, it's even cheaper!

Plenty of hotels in the area and most offer a free shuttle to the terminal.

So you would recommend flying into Long Beach and not LAX?

Too many airports.....we only have one in Atlanta. A big one, yes, but easy to navigate!

So you would recommend flying into Long Beach and not LAX?

Too many airports.....we only have one in Atlanta. A big one, yes, but easy to navigate!

There is just absolutely NO comparison in size between Hartsfield-Jackson and Long Beach.

LGB is miniscule but always a delight to fly in to/out of. And the terminal has an old-world

charm and feel to it although a few years ago they did add on to it.

If you can find decently priced flights to LGB, yes, fly to LGB. My experience has been

though that nowadays the least expensive fares seem to be to LAX. After Atlanta, it is

the 2nd busiest airport in the USA and the 5th busiest in the world! Although insanely

busy, it does an excellent job at moving the crowds and you can walk from Terminal

1 to Terminal 7 (terminals are laid out in a U fashion) in about 30 minutes although

there are free shuttles.

You can take Super Shuttle right from LAX on cruise days to Long Beach and/or San Pedro

for about $17 per person.

The two hotels in San Pedro that are routinely recommended are the DoubleTree and the Crowne Plaza. Both have shuttles to the pier. The Crown Plaza is closer to more restaurants and is an easy walk to see the musical fountains. The DoubleTree is in a nicer location.

We usually bid on Priceline for a 3 1/2 star in San Pedro and will get one of the above hotels. I have always gotten the Crown Plaza for $65-90 per night. It has been a few years, so the price is probably higher.

There is just absolutely NO comparison in size between Hartsfield-Jackson and Long Beach.

LGB is miniscule but always a delight to fly in to/out of. And the terminal has an old-world

charm and feel to it although a few years ago they did add on to it.

If you can find decently priced flights to LGB, yes, fly to LGB. My experience has been

though that nowadays the least expensive fares seem to be to LAX. After Atlanta, it is

the 2nd busiest airport in the USA and the 5th busiest in the world! Although insanely

busy, it does an excellent job at moving the crowds and you can walk from Terminal

1 to Terminal 7 (terminals are laid out in a U fashion) in about 30 minutes although

there are free shuttles.

You can take Super Shuttle right from LAX on cruise days to Long Beach and/or San Pedro

for about $17 per person.

Thanks for the info. We are definitely going to fly in the day before. We did a cruise this past January and I had booked the flight to Tampa for the morning of the cruise. An hour flight at 7:30 in morning - plenty of time to get to the port, right?

Of course the night before, Atlanta got hit with 2 inches of snow and our flight got delayed. Fortunately not cancelled, but delayed enough for me to say never again.

Our cruise out of Los Angeles is January 4th and never knowing what the crazy weather in Atlanta is going to do, I am not risking it. Especially since this is a 14 days cruise and we have a suite...definitely not missing this cruise! So, I will spring for a night in a hotel just for the peace of mind.

I will check into Long Beach...thanks!

The problem with Long Beach is that you aren't going to be able to get a direct flight from Atlanta. In my mind, dealing with LAX is a hassle but less hassle than making a connection. Long Beach is a cool little airport though.

The two hotels in San Pedro that are routinely recommended are the DoubleTree and the Crowne Plaza. Both have shuttles to the pier. The Crown Plaza is closer to more restaurants and is an easy walk to see the musical fountains. The DoubleTree is in a nicer location.

 

We usually bid on Priceline for a 3 1/2 star in San Pedro and will get one of the above hotels. I have always gotten the Crown Plaza for $65-90 per night. It has been a few years, so the price is probably higher.

Thanks for the info....musical fountains? Sounds interesting.

The problem with Long Beach is that you aren't going to be able to get a direct flight from Atlanta. In my mind, dealing with LAX is a hassle but less hassle than making a connection. Long Beach is a cool little airport though.

OH.....I don't like having to make connections. I definitely prefer a non-stop direct flight. If not non-stop then at least a stop where you stay on the plane. Fortunately, I have enough time to get a good deal on a flight.

Just wasn't sure about the airports. Thanks!

So you would recommend flying into Long Beach and not LAX?

Too many airports.....we only have one in Atlanta. A big one, yes, but easy to navigate!

I always fly into LAX even though, IMHO, it is a pig's breakfast. Why? Because from San Jose to the LA area, the schedules work.

Why, IMHO, is LAX a pig's breakfast? Mainly because for the last few years, it has constantly been under construction. In April (18) after touching down approximately on time, we sat on the runway for about 20 minutes waiting for a gate to open up. Why so long? Because many of the gates were unavailable because of the construction. Inside the airport is very crowded (as in "sit on the floor") again because of the construction.

We have used UBER, a cab, and the NCL Transfer program to get to our cruises at this port. UBER had us standing in the rain (contrary to the song, it does sometimes rain in Southern California) on a crowded sidewalk on the top deck of the airport having had to drag our luggage up there, a cab had us spending over $60, and NCL's transfer program had us cooling our heels in the airport over an hour and, when we finally got on the bus, stopping 3 times inside the virtually gridlocked airport picking up other passengers.

So as others have said, I'd recommend Long Beach Airport and its short cab/UBER/transit ride to the cruise port if that can work with your travel plans. The one advantage, other than price, of the NCL Transfer program which only is in effect at LAX, is that you get relieved of your luggage at the airport and don't have to touch it again. Which means you don't have to line up with other folks with their luggage outside the port (in the rain in my case). They made us "identify it" on the cart when we got off the bus in April but we didn't have to drag it along with us.

Sorry for painting a bit of a negative picture but, again in my opinion, getting there is NOT half the fun. :evilsmile:

We have stayed at both the Crowne Plaza and the Double Tree. We prefer the Double Tree for the nice marina views and they also have a shuttle that will take you within a certain mile radius to restaurants and pick you up. Can't go wrong with either.

Have a great time on your cruise!

I have sailed out of San Pedro a number of times and will again in November 2019. I also fly into and out of LAX. For me it is just so much easier.

Norwegian has a partnership hotel at LAX (Hilton LAX). It comes with the transfer to San Pedro. There is also a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. You can also purchase a transfer from Norwegian back to LAX.

Enjoy your cruise.

Delta flies direct to Orange County (John Wayne) Airport from Atlanta.

I will agree with Mike D. in regards to LAX being a pig's breakfast! We are traveling to New Orleans in Feb, we will drive to Seattle (about 2 hours), rather than connecting in LAX.

Our home airport is YVR, so we are spoiled.

I have sailed out of San Pedro a number of times and will again in November 2019. I also fly into and out of LAX. For me it is just so much easier.

 

Norwegian has a partnership hotel at LAX (Hilton LAX). It comes with the transfer to San Pedro. There is also a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. You can also purchase a transfer from Norwegian back to LAX.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Do you contact NCL for this or just go to the hotel website? That sounds very easy for getting to the hotel from the airport and then to the pier.

Do you contact NCL for this or just go to the hotel website? That sounds very easy for getting to the hotel from the airport and then to the pier.

My travel agent booked it for me through Norwegian.

My travel agent booked it for me through Norwegian.

Thanks. I will contact my TA and see if she can get it for me.

Not correct. Port of San Pedro AKA Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro itself and NOT Long Beach.

glad you mentioned that. We have flown into LAX and cruised several times plus I was raised in L.A.and wondered when the city decided San Pedro was part of Long Beach. They are close but not that close.

OP, Long Beach is much closer and much less hectic than LAX. I think LAX is one of the worst airports in the country, but Long Beach also has a min number of airlines that fly in and out, so you might have even more than one connection to make. That might lean you toward LAX. As for hotels I would look at Embassy Suites near LAX or Crown Plaza in San Pedro. We have done both. Of course I also like Hilton in San Pedro. If you choose to go with NCLs transfers you will probably be better off staying at Embassy suites. Then going back to LAX the day of the cruise and using NCL's shuttle. Embassy suites is only a couple of minutes from LAX and has free shuttle service back and forth.

Have a great cruise.