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Norwegian Bliss / LAX transportation,Hotel


jigger
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Cruising on the Bliss October 2018. Flying from the east coast LAX. What are my options for hotels, transportation, from airport to hotel and hotel to the port ?

 

All sorts of options...

 

First, know that the World Cruise Center in San Pedro (where the ship will sail from) is 20 miles from LAX...Therefore, there is no hotel which will offer you a free shuttle from airport to hotel AND from hotel to pier.

 

Also important is how many days you are planning on spending. If it's a quick overnight with no plans to do anything else in LA, best to stay in San Pedro. If it's multiple nights prior, then you are better off staying in another part of town (like my favorite, Santa Monica) and just heading for Pedro either day of the cruise or the night before. San Pedro is fairly distant from most of the tourist sites...

 

San Pedro has two hotels I would recommend: The Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree. The CP is in the heart of Downtown Pedro--close to all of the shops and restaurants and even walking distance from the pier--if your luggage is manageable and on wheels...The DT is in a more calm and scenic setting, on the yacht harbor, but a little farther from the pier and with not too many nearby eateries...Past that, some folks stay at the Best Western--usually to save money--but it's on a high traffic street, away from the prime area and not as nice a hotel...You will need a ride from LAX to either...Super Shuttle (or other shuttle companies), Execucar or Uber are good options--depending on whether you want a shared shuttle (and its accompanying hassles) or a private car...

 

 

Another option is to stay in Long Beach...If you are there for more than just the overnight. There is a little more to see and do in Long Beach--Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary...and lots of shops and restaurants. But you will be 6-8 miles from your ship and will need both a ride from LAX to hotel and from hotel to pier. My hotel list for prime Long Beach is...Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown, and Hilton--roughly in that order...

 

Give us some more info on what you want and we can advise further...

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With due respect to many I do not recommend San Pedro and prefer to stay in downtown Long Beach.

 

I just find that area to be a lot nicer then San Pedro and there are some things to do and lots of nice restaurants and even a small boardwalk.

 

It is on the way from LAX to San Pedro and about fifteen minutes from the port.

 

In terms of transportation we get a private car from Execucar which is a subsidiary of Super Shuttle. Web site is http://www.execucar.com

 

We use them from LAX to Long Beach and from San Pedro back to LAX. Have used them to bet between other locations in this area as well as some other selected places in the USA.

 

To get from Long Beach to the Port I would use Uber or just take a taxi.

 

Keith

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With due respect to many I do not recommend San Pedro and prefer to stay in downtown Long Beach.

 

I just find that area to be a lot nicer then San Pedro and there are some things to do and lots of nice restaurants and even a small boardwalk.

 

It is on the way from LAX to San Pedro and about fifteen minutes from the port.

 

In terms of transportation we get a private car from Execucar which is a subsidiary of Super Shuttle. Web site is www.execucar.com

 

We use them from LAX to Long Beach and from San Pedro back to LAX. Have used them to bet between other locations in this area as well as some other selected places in the USA.

 

To get from Long Beach to the Port I would use Uber or just take a taxi.

 

Keith

 

With due respect to Keith, there is a very good reason to opt for San Pedro over Long Beach for many...

If one is merely flying in the afternoon or evening before a cruise and not planning to do much more than relax, grab some dinner and get some sleep...then, it is little use to stay anywhere with more things to do and lots of restaurants. You'd have little time to do much of anything...and you only need one good restaurant. Staying in San Pedro keeps the pre-cruise VERY simple.

 

You could stay at the Crowne Plaza--requiring, therefore, only a shuttle or car service from LAX directly to the CP. You could check in, relax, then walk over to the San Pedro Brewing Company, the Green Onion, Acapulco or any of the few other restaurants within a short two block walk of the hotel. The next morning, you could take the hotel shuttle or even just walk to the pier. It is all simple and uncomplicated.

 

If someone is arriving two nights early or getting in to LAX in the early morning the day before the cruise...and has the desire to do a bit of sightseeing and has an interest in the Aquarium of the Pacific and/or the Queen Mary, then, by all means, Downtown Long Beach makes some sense. It is a larger town...it has more nice hotels, more (mostly chain) restaurants, more attractions...and is a little more "modern" than Pedro...

 

But, it all depends on the intent of the visitor, the time available and the desire to see those attractions...

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We use ontime1 with a town car that is less expensive than Execucar. Ontime1 charges $55 for the town car to San Pedro. Long Beach is about 7 miles east of San Pedro and not exactly on the way to San Pedro.:)

 

We have stayed in San Pedro several times at either the Double Tree or Crowne Plaza. In my opinion both are decent hotels.:)

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Steve, if one is getting in late I hear you although if I was getting in very late maybe I would just stay near LAX.

If they are arriving early afternoon or the day before I recommend Long Beach over San Pedro. I say this from

a tourist perspective. I just don't care for San Pedro. I do love California though.

 

Keith

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Thanx that is a great start. We our booked for October, 2018. Still have some planning to go.

 

jigger, as others have said, what your pre-cruise plans are is very important as that will shift recommendations. Not only what are your pre-cruise plans, but what your hotel budget is too.

 

I agree with BruinSteve that if I were coming in a few days early to see LA sights that Santa Monica would be my first pick. The one codicil is that hotels in Santa Monica can be pricey because it is a desirable area.

 

If it is just the night before I also agree with BruinSteve on the two hotels in San Pedro as being to best, most convenient choices. I just don't see a reason to stay in Long Beach when you are cruising out of San Pedro. I wouldn't have felt that way 15 years ago, maybe not even 10 years ago, but as LA has gotten busier as a cruise city and property values have risen in So Cal, including San Pedro, it has become a much nicer place and continues to improve.

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