Hotels of choice before cruise ex LAX..

[watergal]

We're sailing on the Golden Princess to the Mexican Riviera ex LAX in February and will be arriving the night before ~ just to make sure we arrive on time. Would really appreciate any suggestions as to hotels. Also, is there a place around the pier where one could buy some wine to take onboard? Additionally, we will be in mini-suite cabin D304...anyone familiar with it?

Would appreciate any/all answers.

Watergal

[coiran]

The Crowne Plaza is near the pier - you can see the ship from the hotel. It usually can be had on Priceline for about $70 - very nice hotel. There is a liquor and wine store nearby.

 

Ron

[watergal]

The Crowne Plaza is near the pier - you can see the ship from the hotel. It usually can be had on Priceline for about $70 - very nice hotel. There is a liquor and wine store nearby.

 

Ron

 

Thank you so much for your input...much appreciated:)

 

Watergal

[Colo Cruiser]

We're sailing on the Golden Princess to the Mexican Riviera ex LAX in February and will be arriving the night before ~ just to make sure we arrive on time. Would really appreciate any suggestions as to hotels. Also, is there a place around the pier where one could buy some wine to take onboard? Additionally, we will be in mini-suite cabin D304...anyone familiar with it?

 

Would appreciate any/all answers.

 

Watergal

 

 

We like to stay in Long Beach, it is only a short cab ride ($10-$15) from the pier and there are tons of restaurants/hotels to choose from as well as a much nicer area to walk around. :)

[JosieJeangirl]

I second the vote on Crowne Plaza. Great place to stay! We've stayed there many times.

Joanne:)

[RSWBADGER]

We like to stay in Long Beach, it is only a short cab ride ($10-$15) from the pier and there are tons of restaurants/hotels to choose from as well as a much nicer area to walk around. :)

 

I agree with Long Beach, we stayed at the Hyatt with views of the Waterfront/Queen Mary, very nice, lot's of restaurants.

[coiran]

If you are arriving the night before the cruise you will not have time to wander around anywhere - there is a Mexican place near the Crowne, then hit the sack, get up and take the shuttle about 11:00 AM and you will be on the ship for lunch.

Enjoy!!!

[Cruisin' Chick]

We're about an hours drive from San Pedro so we don't use hotels around here, but I would certainly agree with staying in San Pedro or Long Beach. Don't expect to do any sightseeing in San Pedro -- it's basicaly industrial, with the residential area up on the hill. If you want to do some sightseeing (if you arrive, say a day or two ahead), Long Beach by the marina there has the Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village. As well as the Queen Mary. You can take the free shuttle, or even walk (when we went to the Aquarium a couple of summers ago, we walked along the marina at dusk and felt pretty safe).

 

Just make sure that when taking a shuttle or taxi to the port, you tell them "Port of Los Angeles" or "San Pedro." You'll be taking your Princess cruise out of the World Cruise Center there. Usually only Carnival uses the Port of Long Beach.

[Pam in CA]

If you are arriving the night before the cruise you will not have time to wander around anywhere - there is a Mexican place near the Crowne, then hit the sack, get up and take the shuttle about 11:00 AM and you will be on the ship for lunch.

 

Enjoy!!!

The Mexican restaurant is very good and very reasonable. It's only a couple of blocks away. And, if you stay at the Crowne Plaza, there is a free shuttle to the pier.

[watergal]

The Crowne Plaza is near the pier - you can see the ship from the hotel. It usually can be had on Priceline for about $70 - very nice hotel. There is a liquor and wine store nearby.

 

Ron

 

Hi Ron:

I've tried Hotwire and Priceline but there is no $70 hotel rate - nothing even close.:( Perhaps it's because this is in February which is prime time for anyone escaping the winter snows.

Thanks anyway,

Watergal

[MaderaMan]

Another option is the Doubletree San Pedro. Very nice, right on the water, and free shuttle to/from ship.

[coiran]

Hi Ron:

I've tried Hotwire and Priceline but there is no $70 hotel rate - nothing even close.:( Perhaps it's because this is in February which is prime time for anyone escaping the winter snows.

Thanks anyway,

Watergal

Try again - I plugged in a date of Feb 6 on Hotwire and came up with $82 for a three star in San Pedro - The Crowne is the only 3 star liated on betterbidding.com - there is also a 2.5 star for $72 - this may be the doubltree.

Ron

[premiumrican]

The Mexican restaurant is very good and very reasonable. It's only a couple of blocks away. And, if you stay at the Crowne Plaza, there is a free shuttle to the pier.

 

Do you know the name of the mexican restaurant?

[DanJ]

When we sailed from LA a couple years ago, our flight got in around 630pm (this was 930pm to our bodies, and the end of 12 hours of travel to get there). I booked us into the Hilton by the airport. We were checked in and in our room around 730-800pm. We had dinner next door at the sports bar in the Westin and called it a night. Took Supershuttle to the pier the next morning. (we had a group, otherwise we would have cabbed it). It was a Saturday, we left the hotel at 1030, got to the port 25 minutes later, with no line-up for check-in.

 

If we were arriving earlier in the day, we would have stayed in a more tourist friendly area, but we figured that arrival time, coming from the east, a bed nearby would be more welcome. No free shuttle to the pier from the hotel, but you aren't getting to those San Pedro or Long Beach hotels for free from LAX anyway.

[Cruisin' Chick]

There's an Acapulcos (part of a chain) on Harbor Blvd., at the Ports O' Call. Is that the Mexican restaurant you're talking about?

[YYC F/A]

Crowne Plaza has gorgeous rooms and is convenient to the pier. I unfortunately had the worst service I've ever experienced at a 'full service' hotel (and without tooting my horn, I've stayed in many across the US and the globe!).

 

If you want somewhere convenient to pier, nice rooms, and don't care if the service might be good or bad - go for it. But tripadvisor reviews have been mixed in the last few months - and I can vouch first hand - maybe staffing problems recently? No bar or food service evening of arrival as staff wanted to go home for weekend early and shut down facilities 3 and a half hours early. No breakfast available next morning as insufficient staff and 'too many people on waitlist'. Waited over an hour upon arrival (at 10.30pm) for them to finally check us in to a room. Room had broken toilet, and no maintenance personnel on duty (finally fixed it myself!). Oh, and the bell staff lost all our luggage so we had no clothes other than what we were wearing for 7 days on the Golden (long story). After filing a police report, they turned up in some random room at the hotel several days later and we got it back when we got back to LA. :confused:

 

Can't fault the rooms though - the beds were great. Just my two Canadian cents worth, but personally I'd probably try the Doubletree if I were down there again.

[beautifulbc2]

We stayed at the Hilton LAX Airport on Dec 1 as we were arriving around 7 pm. I thought with arriving so late a airport hotel would be ok.

I got it on Hotwire a week before we left for $77, I was happy with the room/beds.

The next morning I took the free airport shuttle and took prime time shuttle for $16 per person as there was only 2 of us. Worked like clockwork!

[newmexicoNita]

Try again - I plugged in a date of Feb 6 on Hotwire and came up with $82 for a three star in San Pedro - The Crowne is the only 3 star liated on betterbidding.com - there is also a 2.5 star for $72 - this may be the doubltree.

Ron

I plugged in $75 last Sunday and got the Crown Plaza, others in our group got it for a little less. we are going on Jan 19th. The Doubletree would be good as well.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

When we sailed from LA a couple years ago, our flight got in around 630pm (this was 930pm to our bodies, and the end of 12 hours of travel to get there). I booked us into the Hilton by the airport. We were checked in and in our room around 730-800pm. We had dinner next door at the sports bar in the Westin and called it a night. Took Supershuttle to the pier the next morning. (we had a group, otherwise we would have cabbed it). It was a Saturday, we left the hotel at 1030, got to the port 25 minutes later, with no line-up for check-in.

 

If we were arriving earlier in the day, we would have stayed in a more tourist friendly area, but we figured that arrival time, coming from the east, a bed nearby would be more welcome. No free shuttle to the pier from the hotel, but you aren't getting to those San Pedro or Long Beach hotels for free from LAX anyway.

I agree the Hilton at the Airport or the Embassy suites are good choices. we stayed at Embassy suites on our last trip.

 

Nita

[Pirate1]

Hi Ron:

I've tried Hotwire and Priceline but there is no $70 hotel rate - nothing even close.:( Perhaps it's because this is in February which is prime time for anyone escaping the winter snows.

Thanks anyway,

Watergal

 

On the Golden Jan 26.

 

Crowne Plaza gets more expensive on even Price Line as time goes by. Had to take the Holiday Inn in San Pedro (has a shuttle to the Cruise Terminal). Call the hotel directly....

 

Pirate 1