LAX - San Pedro? Precruise stay?

[LindaD22]

We booked a 7-Nt cruise out of LAX, although I believe the RCI cruise terminal is actually in San Pedro, correct? We are interested in arriving a few days early to enjoy the (hopefully) warm weather and (hopefully) beaches. Any recommendations on where to stay within a relatively short car ride from the port? I’m considering Long Beach, but having never been to California, I would appreciate recommendations. 

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, LindaD22 said:

We booked a 7-Nt cruise out of LAX, although I believe the RCI cruise terminal is actually in San Pedro, correct? We are interested in arriving a few days early to enjoy the (hopefully) warm weather and (hopefully) beaches. Any recommendations on where to stay within a relatively short car ride from the port? I’m considering Long Beach, but having never been to California, I would appreciate recommendations. 

By relatively short car ride to the port, do you mean that you plan on taking a taxi from wherever you choose to stay and the the cruise terminal.  If you want some beach time, consider flying into SNA and staying in Huntington Beach.

[LindaD22]

13 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

By relatively short car ride to the port, do you mean that you plan on taking a taxi from wherever you choose to stay and the the cruise terminal.  If you want some beach time, consider flying into SNA and staying in Huntington Beach.

We could either arrange private transport or rent a car, so not necessary to be in very close proximity to the port. I don’t want to be several hours away, I was looking at Carmel but that looks too far. 

[Coralc]

14 minutes ago, LindaD22 said:

We could either arrange private transport or rent a car, so not necessary to be in very close proximity to the port. I don’t want to be several hours away, I was looking at Carmel but that looks too far. 

Carmel is way too far. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about Southern California beaches. 

[d9704011]

19 minutes ago, LindaD22 said:

We could either arrange private transport or rent a car, so not necessary to be in very close proximity to the port. I don’t want to be several hours away, I was looking at Carmel but that looks too far. 

When I was in Fullerton, CA we used to go to Huntington Beach for the beach... it was great.  I haven't been there in years but I expect it's still a good bet for being near the water and able to get in for a bit of body surfing.  Suggest you check flights to SNA and/or LAX and orient yourself with a map.  And yes, RCI uses Los Angeles cruise port in San Pedro... not Long Beach.

[LindaD22]

37 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

When I was in Fullerton, CA we used to go to Huntington Beach for the beach... it was great.  I haven't been there in years but I expect it's still a good bet for being near the water and able to get in for a bit of body surfing.  Suggest you check flights to SNA and/or LAX and orient yourself with a map.  And yes, RCI uses Los Angeles cruise port in San Pedro... not Long Beach.

i appreciate your feedback and I’ll check out Huntington Beach. It looks very conveniently located to the port, certainly doable. 

[Tapi]

We chose the Portofino Hotel and Marina in Redondo Beach, halfway between LAX and San Pedro.

 

Classy, beachfront hotel in a quiet location. There are a few restaurants within walking distance. Very safe and pleasant area. Nice views from the room of either the ocean or the marina. We walked a few blocks to buy some things that we needed for the cruise and it was a very relaxing walk to the small shopping area with drug store, supermarket and a few restaurants. 
 

The hotel provides free bike rentals which we took advantage of. We followed the boardwalk past the Redondo Bech pier and along the beautiful beach. One of the highlights of our stay.

 

We took an Uber from the airport to the hotel and then another Uber from the hotel to the port on the day of the cruise. 
 

https://www.hotelportofino.com/

 

[LindaD22]

12 minutes ago, Rv6flyer said:

Fly into SNA ,close and less congested than lax. Stay at Hinting5on Beach or Seal Beach. On the beach and great piers to walk. I am local so might be biased. About 30 minutes by uber to the boat.

What is your opinion of Santa Monica? It is convenient, has some nice properties and isn’t too far. 

[bigque]

1 hour ago, LindaD22 said:

What is your opinion of Santa Monica? It is convenient, has some nice properties and isn’t too far. 

Santa Monica would be a good distance drive to the port in LA traffic. I would stay closer than Santa Monica. 

[irisbax3]

Long Beach, about 15 miles from LAX, is just a few miles from San Pedro. There's a beach, an Aquarium, and many restaurants and hotels near the Long Beach marina. The Queen Mary (now a hotel) is also in Long Beach.

[crzndeb]

9 minutes ago, irisbax3 said:

The Queen Mary (now a hotel) is also in Long Beach.

It’s nice to see she has reopened after being closed for 3 years. I thought she was closed for good.

[ONECRUISER]

5 hours ago, LindaD22 said:

We could either arrange private transport or rent a car, so not necessary to be in very close proximity to the port. I don’t want to be several hours away, I was looking at Carmel but that looks too far. 

Did Uber from Hotel. He was 30min early, I was supposed check in at 11am, was ON THE Ship at 1035. Easy Port. And this last yr when had show Test & Vac

[ronrythm]

There are a lot of answers to this over in West Coast Departures,  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/ where this will probably be moved. What time of year is your cruise? Despite how the movies portray California, we are not bright and sunny all year around!

Enjoy

[LindaD22]

2 hours ago, ronrythm said:

There are a lot of answers to this over in West Coast Departures,  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/ where this will probably be moved. What time of year is your cruise? Despite how the movies portray California, we are not bright and sunny all year around!

Enjoy

This would be in March, when the weather must be at least warmer than what we have here in Michigan 😎. I did look over in the other forum, but it can be hard to gather together the relevant posts to get information. Plus, my bias is always toward the RCI forum, where I unfortunately spend way too much time lurking. 

[d9704011]

7 minutes ago, LindaD22 said:

This would be in March, when the weather must be at least warmer than what we have here in Michigan 😎. I did look over in the other forum, but it can be hard to gather together the relevant posts to get information. Plus, my bias is always toward the RCI forum, where I unfortunately spend way too much time lurking. 

If you plan on heading to the beach in March, bring your wet suit.

[LindaD22]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

If you plan on heading to the beach in March, bring your wet suit.

lol I would be content to walk the beach, being at the ocean lifts my spirits and is my happy place. Which is why cruising is my favorite way to travel. Gimme the ocean! (even if I am just walking along the shore or gazing from my cabin balcony) 

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, LindaD22 said:

What is your opinion of Santa Monica? It is convenient, has some nice properties and isn’t too far. 

It's going in the wrong direction from the port and will double your travel time and cost on day of cruise. 

 

We stay at the Doubletree San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles. Nice marina, no beach. Shuttle from the hotel to the port. 

Edited April 2, 2023 by BirdTravels

[dd57]

I've lived in Manhattan Beach - just north of Redondo Beach where the Portofino is - and in San Pedro so know the areas well.  The Portofino is nearby many restaurants as well as being close to the great Redondo beach.  There is a walkway and bike path that goes along the beach from Redondo all the way to Santa Monica.  Just a little north of the Portofino is Martha's Hermosa Beach - a local hangout with the most incredible breakfast items.

 

The Doubletree Tree in San Pedro is on the Cabrillo marina, but just south of it is Cabrillo Beach, which has beaches both on the harbor side and on the ocean side.  There is also a small aquarium which is no where near as good as the one in Long Beach.   There are several excellent restaurants around the marina; I especially like 22nd Street Landing.

 

I've stayed at both hotels, the Portofino for a company retreat and the Double Tree before cruises, and would recommend either one.  Redondo Beach has more activity around with restaurants, bars, people watching, great beach, etc.  San Pedro is quieter.

[LindaD22]

46 minutes ago, dd57 said:

I've lived in Manhattan Beach - just north of Redondo Beach where the Portofino is - and in San Pedro so know the areas well.  The Portofino is nearby many restaurants as well as being close to the great Redondo beach.  There is a walkway and bike path that goes along the beach from Redondo all the way to Santa Monica.  Just a little north of the Portofino is Martha's Hermosa Beach - a local hangout with the most incredible breakfast items.

 

The Doubletree Tree in San Pedro is on the Cabrillo marina, but just south of it is Cabrillo Beach, which has beaches both on the harbor side and on the ocean side.  There is also a small aquarium which is no where near as good as the one in Long Beach.   There are several excellent restaurants around the marina; I especially like 22nd Street Landing.

 

I've stayed at both hotels, the Portofino for a company retreat and the Double Tree before cruises, and would recommend either one.  Redondo Beach has more activity around with restaurants, bars, people watching, great beach, etc.  San Pedro is quieter.

This is very helpful, thank you very much. That bike&walk path sounds great! 

[dd57]

The path is called the Strand.  I think the Portofino has bikes you can use but I don't know if they are free.  If you like beach volleyball, you might want to look into watching the Manhattan Beach Open.  It is usually held in March.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

YIKES! Where is Bruin Steve when you need him.

 

First, March is not going to be great beach weather. There were only 5 days this March 70° or higher. Other than that it was mostly in the low to mid 60°s.

 

The question no one asked, which should have been the first question asked, is what is your nightly budget for a hotel. Are you coming to just stay in the area of the hotel? In other words, no So Cal sightseeing? Those two things are crucial.

 

Second, Long "Beach" is not much of a beach city. The one nice beach area of Long Beach, Belmont Shore, doesn't have any hotels. The rest of the Long Beach beaches are inside the massive Port of LA - Long Beach breakwater, which can be unpleasant when the flow is the wrong direction.

 

If you don't plan on sightseeing, then Santa Monica would be my first choice if you fly into LAX. How far it is from the port is almost irrelevant. I would not stay in an inferior location for 3 days just to have a shorter Uber ride in the morning of the cruise. It is not worth saving 15 minutes.

 

Santa Monica is a great city with some great hotels and a lot to see and do in easy walking distance. Which hotel to look at depends on the budget.

 

If you can fly into John Wayne Airport (SNA) then Huntington Beach would be my pick. It is another great beach town, with a nice pier and a nice downtown area.

 

If the beach is important, rule out San Pedro (only good for night before the cruise stay and no more), Seal Beach (no hotels at the beach), Long Beach (for the reasons previously stated).

 

I am not a fan of Redondo Beach, about the only reason I would recommend it is because it is cheaper (usually) than Santa Monica or Huntington Beach. It is cheaper because it isn't as nice as either.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

PS if you want a Carmel like experience, you could fly into SNA and stay in Laguna Beach, which is Carmel By The Sea South basically. That puts you 45-60 minutes from the World Cruise Center.

[LindaD22]

8 hours ago, scottca075 said:

PS if you want a Carmel like experience, you could fly into SNA and stay in Laguna Beach, which is Carmel By The Sea South basically. That puts you 45-60 minutes from the World Cruise Center.

I think this will be what we do, since I am looking for that kind of vibe. We have a healthy budget for this precruise stay, so we would rather spend the time in a location that offers walkability and cafes, shops, etc. Thank you!

[ronrythm]

23 hours ago, scottca075 said:

PS if you want a Carmel like experience, you could fly into SNA and stay in Laguna Beach, which is Carmel By The Sea South basically. That puts you 45-60 minutes from the World Cruise Center.

Laguna gets my vote, too. Great town!

[mthomp5]

On 4/2/2023 at 5:07 AM, BirdTravels said:

We stay at the Doubletree San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles. Nice marina, no beach. Shuttle from the hotel to the port. 

Are there a lot of dining options within walking distance of the Doubletree?