Mariner...which airport to fly in/out of LAX or Long Beach? And hotel area?

[Terri1270]

We are going on the Sept. 5th Mariner cruise this year. Trying to book our air flights and hotel before the cruise. When looking at the map and where the port is, it looks like it may be closer to fly in Long Beach versus Los Angelas Airport? I'm using airmiles so either airport works for me, but I would rather be the closes when leaving on Sunday because I'm booking a noonish flight because I know I'll be ready to get back home to my kids and worried about the LA traffic..although it is a Sunday.

 

We have never been to LA or the area so we are coming in a couple days early to sightsee and enjoy the area. But want to be close to port on that sunday when we'll be boarding. What area hotels are closest to the ports? Is that hotel area a good area to stay in or should I choose another hotel area for the 2nights before and just stay near the port that last night?

 

And lastly, I'll need to be picking up a rental car and turning it back in....so hoping there are some areas close to where we'll be staying that we can return the car without having to drive back to an airport and taking a taxi back to a hotel.

 

Any help on these is very much appreciated!!! THANKS!

[jnc411]

Hi , I live here in the Long Beach area and LB airport is about 20 to 25 min. from the port , but the big difference is the traffic coming and going , you will have less traffic from Long Beach than you will from LAX , also Long Beach is a MUCH smaller airport , it can be busy but much smaller than LAX . We travel in and out of Long Beach when ever we can , LAX can be a zoo. There are rental cars available and also cabs as well , cabs can be a bit pricey. Hope you have a great cruise. ENJOY

Cori

[CRUISING71]

If I have a choice between Long Beach and LAX, I would fly out of Long Beach. Like earlier post stated, the traffic through LAX could be a nightmare!!!

[AirGorilla]

We cruised on the Mariner on 6/13. Had four people coming on different flights into LAX. We all flew in on Saturday, and stayed at the LAX Marriott. Fine hotel, with a nice steakhouse for dinner, plus a free shuttle to the hotel. We took a private shuttle to the port on Sunday morning, and the drive was about 30 minutes.

 

Upon returning from cruise, took the same shuttle company back to LAX, and arrived around 10:00 AM at the airport.

 

Hope this helps,

 

AG

[critterchick]

Traffic can be awful in either direction, but on a Sunday morning it is not likely to be a problem in either direction. Of course, a single accident can change all of that in the blink of an eye.

 

But I would pick Long Beach every time over LAX, assuming price (miles) and schedule are comparable. LGB only has about 45 flights a day, and it has never taken me more than 10 minutes to get through the security line.:)

[Jiffymom]

Isn't that Labor Day weekend. I would check flight prices than make a decision. Might not be many deals that weekend. Either airport is fine -what ever offers the best times/prices for you. I prefer to stay close to port rather than LA. Crown Plaza is nice and you can see the ship sail in the morning. Also Sunset Best Western is very close to port, comfortable but not as nice in my opinion.We have stayed at both. So get a shuttle from either airport and both hotels offer shuttle to port.

[californiagirl]

Another vote for Long Beach. It is such an easy airport to get in and out of. If there is a problem with your flight they can always divert you to LAX.

 

Sept is a beautiful time here in SoCal. Have a great cruise.

[Iceberg2]

Flying in from Montreal and plan to arrive at LAX - Where is the closest reasonable hotel to use? Do any hotels offer free pick up at airport and then to the cruise center. I believe it is in San Pedro. How do the shuttle buses work from LAX and are they readily available when the cruise is over. Would appreciate any helpful information.

[Puffinater]

I would suggest the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree in San Pedro. Check out Priceline or Hotwire before reserving directly with the hotel.

[newlifeca]

As mentioned above, Long Beach

[esmo]

I second Long Beach, a much more relaxed experience. Hotels near Shoreline Village/downtown Long Beach offer a lot to do if you are flying in a day or so before. We stayed at the Hyatt - but that was more on the expensive side than those closer to San Pedro.

[arc918]

another vote for Long Beach

 

as a local (next "beach" to the south), I try to fly in and out of LGB whenever possible

 

my only comment on LGB - I wouldn't want to be stuck there on a long layover

 

I've also heard you pay much for rental cars at LGB vs. LAX, but that's a moot point for most cruisers

[Terri1270]

Thanks for all the replies...Air is about $65 more in LGB versus LAX...but we are using airmiles so I'll just have to see. My other reason for coming in LAX is because we are coming in early to see sights in LA. There is a 11:45am going out of LAX and the cruise is suppose to dock at 7am. So I'm hoping I can get to the airport by 10am and that looks pretty likely considering that gives us 3hrs from dock time for delays,etc. Probably going to do the Execucar so we won't have to wait on others and it will be a direct drive o the airport and our terminal. Thoughts?

 

AG, what shuttle service did you use? Just don't want to have to wait for it to fill up and have to go to different air terminals for others to be dropped off.

 

One more question, we are coming 2.5days early and are wanting to see the sights around LA area. We are going to rent a car but have no idea where to go...is there a tour you recommend....would like to see Rodeo Drive, the Stars, and possibly homes,etc. And then was thinking about hitting Long Beach or Santa Monica...what is the must see areas? My plan right now is to fly in thurs., rent a car from the airport, stay around the area somewhere, return the car Sat. afternoon at the airport and take a shuttle from there to our a hotel in San Pedro so we'll be close to the port the next morn when we leave. And then taking a shuttle back to the airport on Sunday.

 

So do you recommend staying at hotels around the airport...or in Redondo Beach or downtown area. Want to mainly stay in a safe place but not far from the airport since we'll need to return the car there.

[novalab]

Thanks for all the replies...Air is about $65 more in LGB versus LAX...but we are using airmiles so I'll just have to see. My other reason for coming in LAX is because we are coming in early to see sights in LA. There is a 11:45am going out of LAX and the cruise is suppose to dock at 7am. So I'm hoping I can get to the airport by 10am and that looks pretty likely considering that gives us 3hrs from dock time for delays,etc. Probably going to do the Execucar so we won't have to wait on others and it will be a direct drive o the airport and our terminal. Thoughts?

 

AG, what shuttle service did you use? Just don't want to have to wait for it to fill up and have to go to different air terminals for others to be dropped off.

 

One more question, we are coming 2.5days early and are wanting to see the sights around LA area. We are going to rent a car but have no idea where to go...is there a tour you recommend....would like to see Rodeo Drive, the Stars, and possibly homes,etc. And then was thinking about hitting Long Beach or Santa Monica...what is the must see areas? My plan right now is to fly in thurs., rent a car from the airport, stay around the area somewhere, return the car Sat. afternoon at the airport and take a shuttle from there to our a hotel in San Pedro so we'll be close to the port the next morn when we leave. And then taking a shuttle back to the airport on Sunday.

 

So do you recommend staying at hotels around the airport...or in Redondo Beach or downtown area. Want to mainly stay in a safe place but not far from the airport since we'll need to return the car there.

 

On our recent April Mariner cruise, we came in a day early & stayed in Redondo Beach (LB & SP area were full due to the LB Grand Prix). We stayed at the Crowne Plaza. It was a nice change. Close to all the popular beach communities south of LAX.

[klfhngr]

Or, you can fly into the OC, John Wayne airport. Rent a car there, stay in Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, etc... Real nice areas.. Then, drive up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to the ship! About 45 mnts. to an hour away... Much nicer than San Pedro area....

[arc918]

Or, you can fly into the OC, John Wayne airport. Rent a car there, stay in Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, etc... Real nice areas.. Then, drive up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to the ship! About 45 mnts. to an hour away... Much nicer than San Pedro area....

 

agreed - San Pedro is a hardly the tourist destination of choice!

 

as I mentioned in my post, I try to go in and out of LGB, but often I end up going to LAX based on availability and/or price

 

LGB has 3 flight to Vegas per day

 

LAX has at least 25, etc.

[FLACRUISER99]

I flew into Lax, took Super shuttle to my hotel, check out the west coast boards for the great price you can get your hotel (Crown Plaza) for on priceline.

[kev_des]

as im new 2 cruisin how long does it generally take to get off the ship and would 5 hrs be plenty time enough get flight out of long beach

[critterchick]

Thanks for all the replies...Air is about $65 more in LGB versus LAX...but we are using airmiles so I'll just have to see. My other reason for coming in LAX is because we are coming in early to see sights in LA. There is a 11:45am going out of LAX and the cruise is suppose to dock at 7am. So I'm hoping I can get to the airport by 10am and that looks pretty likely considering that gives us 3hrs from dock time for delays,etc. Probably going to do the Execucar so we won't have to wait on others and it will be a direct drive o the airport and our terminal. Thoughts?

 

AG, what shuttle service did you use? Just don't want to have to wait for it to fill up and have to go to different air terminals for others to be dropped off.

 

One more question, we are coming 2.5days early and are wanting to see the sights around LA area. We are going to rent a car but have no idea where to go...is there a tour you recommend....would like to see Rodeo Drive, the Stars, and possibly homes,etc. And then was thinking about hitting Long Beach or Santa Monica...what is the must see areas? My plan right now is to fly in thurs., rent a car from the airport, stay around the area somewhere, return the car Sat. afternoon at the airport and take a shuttle from there to our a hotel in San Pedro so we'll be close to the port the next morn when we leave. And then taking a shuttle back to the airport on Sunday.

 

So do you recommend staying at hotels around the airport...or in Redondo Beach or downtown area. Want to mainly stay in a safe place but not far from the airport since we'll need to return the car there.

 

The 11:45 should be fine. Just make sure that you either carry off your own luggage or get tags to disembark first. This past Sunday, the priority disembarking (suites, platinum/Diamond pax) began around 8:45. Since US citizens don't have to present themselves to immigration, it's a relatively quick process to get off the ship, find your luggage and head out to the curb.

 

Enterprise has a rental office at the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro, so you might see what it would cost to rent at LAX and return there. Then you can take the CP shuttle over to the pier.

 

I'd stay in one of the beach towns, since you'll be there for 2 nights. They're more pleasant than the area around LAX. As for the must see areas, check out the Ports of Call sections and looks for posts from Bruin Steve and CurtJeromeWild - both of them have posted some excellent suggestions of what to do in town.

 

as im new 2 cruisin how long does it generally take to get off the ship and would 5 hrs be plenty time enough get flight out of long beach

 

That should be plenty of time. As a non-US citizen, you'll have to get up earlier than the rest of us to report to immigration onboard the ship. Once they start calling people to disembark, it's a pretty quick process - maybe 10-15 minutes between exiting the ship and being at the curb with your luggage.

 

If you miss breakfast onboard because of immigration, there's a nice little restaurant at LGB, above the check-in counters, before you go through security.

[Terri1270]

Thanks, yes...I'm a die hard priceline junkie...been doing it for over 10yrs...so will definitely be doing it for the 2 nights before and hoping to get a better price on the Crowne in San Pedro the night before. May even try for a rental car on there...need to check it out. Right now I have a convertible rental thru Payless...the Enterprise didn't give a price for Convertible...guess I need to call about it. Definiely may be worth the drive since it's $60 for the 4 of us to shuttle from LAX to hotel.

 

Beach town as in Redondo Beach area...or Long Beach?

 

I feel like the 11:45 will be fine...I've seen a couple of people say they've gotten off the ship and made it to LAX by 10am. Will definitely just take our luggage and roll it off with us. I went on a cruise last Sept. out of San Diego and we got held up til 10am though because of some immigrants that still hadn't check in. Ughh..was soo frustrating and we almost missed our flight out and there the airport is only 5min away....here it's quite a bit further. But there is another at 1pm I guess I can catch if I miss it, only thing with that one is I won't get home to DFW til 11pm.

[redlobster]

We are going on the Sept. 5th Mariner cruise this year. Trying to book our air flights and hotel before the cruise. When looking at the map and where the port is, it looks like it may be closer to fly in Long Beach versus Los Angelas Airport? I'm using airmiles so either airport works for me, but I would rather be the closes when leaving on Sunday because I'm booking a noonish flight because I know I'll be ready to get back home to my kids and worried about the LA traffic..although it is a Sunday.

 

We have never been to LA or the area so we are coming in a couple days early to sightsee and enjoy the area. But want to be close to port on that sunday when we'll be boarding. What area hotels are closest to the ports? Is that hotel area a good area to stay in or should I choose another hotel area for the 2nights before and just stay near the port that last night?

 

And lastly, I'll need to be picking up a rental car and turning it back in....so hoping there are some areas close to where we'll be staying that we can return the car without having to drive back to an airport and taking a taxi back to a hotel.

 

Any help on these is very much appreciated!!! THANKS!

 

Another voter for Long Beach.

 

As for hotels, consider the LONG BEACH HOLIDAY INN on Lakewood Blvd and the LONG BEACH AIRPORT MARRIOTT. Both would serve you well and are a few minutes drive from the airport.

 

As for tour groups there are a few large groups:

http://www.starlinetours.com

http://www.redlinetours.com

There are also many local tour groups you can find with a simple google search. The national groups have standards that you can examine and have a reasonable expectation for your special time in the area. Some of the local groups deliver the WOW factor (thanks RCL).

 

Hope this puts some more info in your hands.

[pvmkmyer]

Although you said you didn't want to be far from the airport, there is really nothing there. Given that you want to see stars, walk of fame in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc., I suggest you either stay in Hollywood near Hollywood and Highland, or in the West Hollywood area. Hollywood and Highland is where the Kodak Theater complex is (home of the Oscars). Next door is Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame, etc. You can hop on the Metro Red Line train to get to Universal Studios or to downtown. It's not too far from Beverly Hills. Part of the fun of LA is just driving and seeing the different areas. It has become such a melting pot of different cultures. You may be able to drive directly to your hotel in San Pedro on Saturday. Apparently there is an Enterprise office close by where you can drop the car, assuming you rent from them.

[Terri1270]

Well what I mean by "close to the airport" is I will be picking up another couple at LAX on Friday and I'll be returning the car back to LAX on Sat. so I don't want to get like 45min away since I'll need to be back there both days. So I may stay in the Redondo Beach area. Not sure I want to pay the price to stay in Hollywood, so a tour around the area would work for me. Thanks again!

[AirGorilla]

 

AG, what shuttle service did you use? Just don't want to have to wait for it to fill up and have to go to different air terminals for others to be dropped off.

 

 

QUOTE]

 

Terri, we used Prime Time Shuttle. Booked it at the Concierge Desk at the LAX Marriott. We had four people, and booked a private transfer in both directions. It worked very well.

 

I believe you can book directly with the company via phone or online.

 

Enjoy,

 

AG

[internetwhiz]

Flying in from Montreal and plan to arrive at LAX - Where is the closest reasonable hotel to use? Do any hotels offer free pick up at airport and then to the cruise center. I believe it is in San Pedro. How do the shuttle buses work from LAX and are they readily available when the cruise is over. Would appreciate any helpful information.

 

I booked Crowne Plaza for our December Cruise. Their price right now on the Holiday Inn website is 106 a night. I would rather get mine through the Holiday Inn website at a cancellable rate than the discounters. Plus, I also collect Priority Club points.