Parking at San Pedro (Los Angeles) port... advice?

[ShyannDay]

Hi... I live locally in Los Angeles, but I have no idea of the best way to get to the dock for embarkation. My husband and I are traveling with my elderly Aunt (88 yrs) and Uncle (80). Is there parking there that is close by? What about disembarkation? If anyone here has parked there or if you have any experience at this port, please let me know your recommendation. Thanks so much!

[klfhngr]

Hi... I live locally in Los Angeles, but I have no idea of the best way to get to the dock for embarkation. My husband and I are traveling with my elderly Aunt (88 yrs) and Uncle (80). Is there parking there that is close by? What about disembarkation? If anyone here has parked there or if you have any experience at this port, please let me know your recommendation. Thanks so much!

 

405 or 91 towards Long Beach. Take the Harbor Freeway (110) South... You'll see the signs that say Cruise Terminal. Exit should loop around and take you straight in. There is parking right there. Not far. You might want to drop off luggage and your Aunt/Uncle then go park. Hope you make it safely!

[waltd]

Parking has become expensive over the years.

http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/crusshp.htm

[ShyannDay]

405 or 91 towards Long Beach. Take the Harbor Freeway (110) South... You'll see the signs that say Cruise Terminal. Exit should loop around and take you straight in. There is parking right there. Not far. You might want to drop off luggage and your Aunt/Uncle then go park. Hope you make it safely!

 

Thanks so much! Do you ever park there or do you take a shuttle?

[triple7tahoe]

Parking has become expensive over the years.

http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/crusshp.htm

And the sad part, they will charge you for 8 days @ $18 per day if you get there early or off the ship late.

[ShyannDay]

Parking has become expensive over the years.

 

Thanks for the link. $18 a day - could be worse. I just wasn't sure if it would be reasonable to drop my Aunt and Uncle off and then go park. Sounds like it might work.

[SadieN]

Thanks for the link. $18 a day - could be worse. I just wasn't sure if it would be reasonable to drop my Aunt and Uncle off and then go park. Sounds like it might work.

 

 

 

Yes, drop them off first with the luggage then swing around to park. There will be plenty of port personal to guide you in.

[ShyannDay]

Does anyone know if it's a long walk from the drop off point to where we get in line to board?

[Bemidji Ty]

We've cruised from this port 20+ times. Being left in the parking lot for a week or more makes for dirty windshields. A couple of years ago, I noticed someone cleaning his own windshield before leaving. We now pack a bottle of spray windex and some paper towels. Makes the drive home easier and safer.

 

We always drop off my wife with luggage and I find a parking place at embarkation. We reverse this procedure upon our return.

 

Cheers.

[polmcs]

Does anyone know if it's a long walk from the drop off point to where we get in line to board?

 

The drop off point is right outside the check in terminal. You want to pull up kerb side sooner than later as the further down you go, the further away from the terminal entrance doors. The opposite is true when leaving. You want to be further down the road to be closer to the exit to customs.

[ShyannDay]

Thanks everyone for the very helpful info! Much appreciated.

[waltd]

I would suggest if your aunt and uncle have any trouble walking or standing that after you check in you ask for wheel chair assistance. Sometimes it takes a while depending on the number of requests but they will take your aunt and uncle onto the ship. The line getting on can be slow. You can also ask for the assistance getting off the ship on the last day.

[ShyannDay]

I would suggest if your aunt and uncle have any trouble walking or standing that after you check in you ask for wheel chair assistance. Sometimes it takes a while depending on the number of requests but they will take your aunt and uncle onto the ship. The line getting on can be slow. You can also ask for the assistance getting off the ship on the last day.

They definitely will have a hard time standing and walking any sort of distance (without rest). I appreciate your advice. Hopefully it goes smoothly! I wish there was a way to notify Princess in advance. Last year we cruised on HAL and everything relating to my Aunt and Uncle was much easier.

[Jasperdo]

Be sure and drop your Aunt and Uncle off BEFORE you enter the pay parking area. Loop around the outer rim road to the terminal, drop them off, then enter the pay parking lot. If you get there around 10 or 10:30 AM you should be able to park fairly close to the ship. Passengers from the last cruise will be leaving, and most of the arriving passengers haven't gotten there yet. We've been able to park fairly close this way.

[skynight]

Be sure you go to San Pedro, this is where Princess docks. When you exit the freeway you will see the ship & parking lot right there.

[Pan Am Girl]

There may be more than one ship -- cruise line, even freight. Come in, as poster said above, go around, (it may look confusing, but just keep going), drop them off as close to your ship as possible with luggage, then go park. Definitely ask for the assistance; you will not have to wait on the line that snakes around. Definitely go earlier as also mentioned. Once inside, and through the process of checking in, there will be seating until they let you board. It is fairly straight forward. We just take carry on luggage, so I am not clear about the porters, but I am sure you will see them.

[victory2020]

They have a shuttle in the parking lot that will take you from your car to embarkation area.

[dfields1814]

As for finding an empty space.... if you arrive after 11:00 you should not have problems finding a space to park. The people on the previous cruise have already left leaving lots of spaces. I agree be sure you drop off everyone before circling around and parking. It is about a five minute walk to the terminal depending how fast you walk. I also agree that you need to realize you are going to San Pedro and not Long Beach. Carnival goes out if Long Beach. You are really close to the bridge. Exiting the 110 make sure you are in the correct lane for the port or else you are going over the bridge.

[klfhngr]

Thanks so much! Do you ever park there or do you take a shuttle?

 

You're welcome!

 

Both, Limoed and parked... No issues so far.

[1emerald1]

The last few times I've parked there I've always found a spot very close to the terminal. However if you aren't that lucky and have to park a little further away, they are shuttles that drive the lot picking up passengers and taking them to the terminal.

[MrMan]

Why not just Uber. Get a nice car and be dropped at front. Cheaper than parking

 

 

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[octoberdana]

I was going to suggest getting a Lyft. They were substantially cheaper than Uber in LA and depending on how far you live from the port, could save you several hundred dollars.

[Tony_R]

I live about forty miles from the port and Uber will cost around $80 one way, I was thinking of parking about a mile or two away from the port and then taking an Uber. Any suggestions where to park for five days?

[jondfk]

I’m parked at San Pedro now, currently on Royal.  I’d note that parking has increased to $19/day.  It's hard to imagine parking closer to a ship though I would circle the parking lot and drop mom before as the parking lot pavement isn’t in great repair with lots of loose gravel around.  We arrived 10:45 and parked in the second row 2 minutes from Royal, this was in a two ship day, so as I say pretty fantastic from the standpoint of distance.

 

a bigger worry may be the wait to get into the terminal, security didn’t start until 11:10.  Ship boarding not until 12:15 seating was limited in both locations though those with mobility difficulties were prioritized.

[Mike45LC]

I cruise out of San Pedro frequently.  AS others have noted, you can pull up in front of the cruise terminal and unload the luggage and the old folks.  There are porters who will take the bags and you don't see them again until the bags are delivered to your cabin.  [You will not see the porters again, so tip them when you give them the bags -- just like skycaps at the airport.]

 

There are benches right there (near the ladies' room) if the old folks want to wait for you.  

 

Park the car in the pay-lot.  Remember to bring a windshield screen to save the interior from a weeks worth of L.A. sun!  No shade!  There is a shuttle bus that circles the lot and which will bring you to the terminal building.

 

Returning to San Pedro, they do NOT allow you to pull up to the front of the terminal building, and the porters are not allowed to bring your luggage to your car.  The porters will drop your luggage just at the chain link fence.  Leave the old folks to watch the luggage as you bring the car over to the luggage to load it into the car.

 

I don't think I've ever had to pay an extra day's parking at the lot.  For a seven day cruise, I pay seven days parking, not eight.  But I never get to the port before noon, and I am always out of the parking lot well before noon!