Bruin Steve

There are only two hotels I recommend in San Pedro--the Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree. Both offer "Park and Cruise" rates--but that rate depends a lot n how early you book. We have stayed at the Crowne Plaza on a "Park and Cruise" for as low as $149 for a one night stay with free parking for the duration of our cruise--like paying for parking and getting a free room for the night. Of course, for that, we booked it very early. It all works on supply and demand, so, as time moves closer to the cruise, those rates go up. The Crowne Plaza is VERY convenient--about three blocks to the pier (though they also have a shuttle) and very close to a lot of good restaurant choices. The parking is under the hotel. The Doubletree is a bit more picturesque, in a quiet neighborhood by the small craft marina, a couple miles from the pier--but they will shuttle you to area restaurants and also to the pier. The parking is in an open lot.

If you stay at the Residence Inn Downtown Long Beach on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, there is a FREE city bus called the "Passport" that will pick you up there and take you to several stops across the bridge in the Downtown area where you can find LOTS of restaurants of all types: https://ridelbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Passport.pdf

I am not sure which Marriott you are looking at in Long Beach. The "Long Beach Marriott" is not in Downtown, but up by LGB Airport and in an area with nothing close by. There is a COURTYARD by Marriott in the general Downtown/Convention Center area, but there are better choices there. There is a Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown--which is actually across the bridge from Downtown, near the Queen Mary and the Carnival pier, but not near shopping or restaurants. Easily the best Marriott brand choice in Long Beach, IMHO, is the Renaissance--which is at the intersection of Ocean and Pine--very close to lots of restaurants, shopping and attractions.

Sorry if you took my response personnally...Nothing personal was intended. I only wanted to point out misinformation so as to avoid any confusion for the OP and others. Sure they need a hotel SOMEWHERE. But, if it's San Pedro, there are limited options...and the Sunrise isn't one of them...hasn't been for a few years. You can't just do your research on Google maps...it often shows locations for closed businesses. The other alternatives may be to stay a little out of the area--up in Torrance by Del Amo or even closer to the airport in, for example El Segundo...Those would not be NY first choice, but if there is unavailability closer, I'd stay there rather than a substandard hotel. On a similar thread on another well-known social media site, someone recommended the Best Western Suites San Pedro. I pointed out that the BW, also, had closed. And the poster responded that, NO, I was wrong--that they had stayed there just a couple of months ago. They said I must have a bad source. Impossible I told them, perhaps they were confused and, if they stayed at a Best Western, perhaps it was not in San Pedro, but another town. I posted links to some very good sources--like the Daily Breeze, the local newspaper of record. They quickly deleted their original post, which, in turn, deleted all of the responses. I think they finally realized how wrong they were. When viewing recommendations on sites like these, nothing trumps actual local knowledge from people who actually live or work in the immediate area or visit the area often. A lot of people post based on visits in the not-too-recent past or on internet searches. I vistit San Pedro often and try to keep up with the goings-on. I actually had dinner last night with the chief administrator of the Los Angeles harbor authority...and one important bit I learned was while discussing the reported soon-to-be closure of the Green Onion restaurant. He told me he doesn't expect that to happen anytime soon. I am so happy to hear that. Great place to go for Mexican Food in San Pedro--close to the port and to the Crowne Plaza. The Grand Prix is most often the big reason for Long Beach hotels filling up...however there are a lot of other reasons it happens time to time. The Long Beach Convention Center will have a number of conferences from time-to-time that might bring in enough people to fill the hotels. For example, on April 4-7, this conference is in Long Beach: https://www.physiology.org/professional-development/meetings-events/american-physiology-summit/dates-and-deadlines?SSO=Y The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) will take place from April 8-10, 2024. It is a 3-day trade show and conference "that brings together experts from across the world...". I don't know how many they expect to attend these conferences, but conferences like these can also have an impact.

I think you are a bit confused. This is the SAME motel. What was once the Sunrise closed down awhile back and the property was purchased by Motel 6 and reopened as "Studio 6" (a secondary concept of Motel 6 Inc.). Same place. As Sunrise, it was continually reviewed as one of the worst hotels anywhere. I expect Motel 6 to have improved on the Sunrise standards...but, until I see something to support that, I'd still stay away. (And, note: I am NOT someone with a deep bias against Motel 6. I started my long career as a corporate real estate attorney working for Motel 6, Inc.--back in 1977-1981). For ME, still only two hotels I would stay at in San Pedro--the Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree. I live in SoCal, but have often checked into one of these for the night before a cruise just for the convenience of the embarkation day logistics. Since I've had my car with me, the slightly less convenience of the Doubletree (few restaurants nearby) hasn't caused me an issue. I park my car at the hotel and shuttle or Uber from the Doubletree or shuttle or walk from the CP. Parking at DT is safe but exposed...at the CP, it's under the hotel. The CP location is extremely v=convenient with many restaurants within a couple of blocks. I particularly like the San Pedro Brewing Co. and the Green Onion.

Remember, it my be a good idea to drop your luggage at the cruise terminal BEFORE returning your rental car...Makes that last leg back to the ship much easier. As to hotels, I have my Long Beach A list-- My favorites, in order, would be the Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Hyatt Regency, Renaissance and Westin (those four because they are directly in the "Convention Center" area--very cose to a LOT of restaurant choices, shopping and the Aquarium of the Pacific (if one wishes to visit there)...and a fairly short ride across the bridge to the Carnival Termainal. Across the bridge and closest to the Terminal (even walking distance), but a short ride to restaurants and shopping, are the Maya Doubletree and the Residence Inn Downtown. I do NOT include the Queen Mary on my A List since I just don't like it as a hotel. As a tourist attraction, yes. As an historical relic, very intriguing. But as a hotel? (and I HAVE stayed there)...I think it's been historically poorly run and maintained. It's set-up and guest rooms are inadequate--dark and claustrophobic. But, if you want the experience of what it may have been like to journey on an Ocean Liner circa 1930, before balconies, modern conveniences and amenities, well, this is it. And it is as close to the Carnival pier as you can get. OTOH, since, under your plan, you'd have a rental car and would be returning it that morning, there may be little reason to have a hotel close to the pier.

Well...We're well into November now...and the high today in Los Angeles is 78 Fahrenheit. It CAN be fairly warm in SoCal even in December...OTOH, you could find yourself in one of our few brief rainy periods that occur in these winter months. So, check the internet for 7 day forecasts before you complete your packing. I'm a local and I am also cruising first week of December out of LA...and I plan on, as usual, packing shorts and T-Shirts for the day time and some longer pants and golf shirts for the evenings. Remember, ON the ship, you are usually indoors...and it's typically air-conditioned, so, if that makes you feel cold, dress accordingly. If the weather reports say we may encounter any rain or cooler weather, I'll add a windbreaker or sweatshirt to my luggage...You probably will never need any heavy jackets or real winter clothes in SoCal or West Coast Mexico. (Of course, I was in Costco Woodland Hills yesterday and the entire clothes area was stocked in winter coats, snow pants, sweaters and thermal underwear. I think someone up in Seattle buys for all the stores and thinks the weather everywhere is the same as the frigid North!) As far as formality goes, SoCal is fairly laid back. "Casual" works here. Most restaurants won't look twice if you wear shorts and T-shirts to dinner. people cruising from here are typically not the most formally attired. Wear what makes you comfortable. If your cruise line has a formal night or an "Evening Chic" night, or whatever, take that into account--if you want (always a little surprised at how many cruisers ignore that nowadays).

I hate vague emails. I wish they'd Xplain...

Taxi...

I guess several of you didn't quite understand my post. I guess I didn't wrote clearly enough. First, I have no problem with peiople who really want to tip bar servers more than the 18% always added. But you don't have to carry around a bunch iof singles--you can just add an extra tip to the receipt when you sign for it. I have been cruising since the 80s. The cruise lines often tell you it's a "cashless" system. You don't have to carry cash or credit cards or your wallet around the ship. Everything is on an account. I have often seen people writing on these boards that they give their bar waiter a dollar bill for each "free" (voucher) drink because they think it will get them better service. I donb't think you need to bribe your server--the service, usually quite good, will be the same either way. I give my Diamond Club waiters an extra tip last night of the cruise in recognition of OVERALL great service--not in hoping that tipping every time will get me something better. I KNOW that the cruise line accounts for the voucher drinks in the gratuity system and adds money to the pot B?ECAUSE I personally know several cruise line executives who have flat out told me this. If voucher or Diamond Club or Celebrity Elite lounge or unlimited package drinks weren't included in the formula, no one would want to work those assignments and service would be worse, not better. The formula is complicated, but those servers ARE taken care of and the drinks served ARE accounted for. They won't turn down extra tips, but they are really not being stiffed whe those drinks are merekly signed for.

First, I've always thought the waiters and cabin stewards--who are, basically, paid by there gratuities are underpaid anyway. I've NEVER deleted the automatic charges...and never will. I truly believe a lot of the people who do that, even if they CLAIM to tip directly in cash DON'T...or, at a minimum, they undertip. What I have always done (atleast since they started automatically charging it) is to leave those in tact...and then ADD assitional cash tips to those who I thought went above and beyond. I will still do that--though I will likely, subconciously at least, deduct the extra $2 pp per day from my extra tip pool. My only real question now is how to treat that increase in regard to my upcoming cruises. I have TWO RCCL cruises currently "in the queue"--B2B cruises for a total of 24 nughts during the World Cruise next July/August. So, under the old standard, $16 x 2 x 24= $768 TODAY versus $18 x 2 x 24= $864 paid almost 9 months from now. Worth prepaying to save a mere $96 that I'll likely blend into my extra tip pool on the actual cruise anyway? Or just pay it all out at once in 9 months and give out a few $ less in ectra tips? Probably the latter. Oh, BTW, extra bar tips? Do you folks who throw around dollar bills at the bar realize that they ALREADY ADD an extra 18% gratuity to every drink. It is also added to your drink package cost if you've gone that way. The tip is even already thrown into the pot BY RCCL on freebie voucher drinks? I do not carry my wallet or wads of cash around on a cruise ship. I do tip the Diamond Club waiters an extra bit AT THE END OF THE CRUISE for great service the entire cruise...BUT I find zero reason to throw around extra tips to add to the 18% I'm already being charged. You don't hand out singles to the MDR waiters at every meal, do you?

Our usual plan if getting there in the morning is to have lunch at the Green Onion, Dinner at the San Pedro Brewing Co. (or vice versa). Both are within less than a block from the Crowne Plaza. In between, you could walk over to the USS Iowa (within a couple of blocks. If you really wanted a bigger attraction, it's about six to seven miles to Downtown Long Beach--and the Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific. For that, take an Uber or Lyft. For us, we'd just hang in Pedro and relax. Menu (greenonionmexicanrestaurant.com) Dining Menu - American Cuisine Restaurant - San Pedro Brewing Co. Or Scott's Italian choice (about two short blocks from Crowne Plaza): Menu - Raffaello Ristorante - Italian Restaurant in San Pedro, CA 22nd Street Landing is Seafood...within a couple of miles--down on the marina near the Doubletree Hotel: Dinner Menu — 22nd St. Landing Seafood Grill & Bar (22ndstlandingrestaurant.com) If you head over to Long Beach, there are a number of restaurants near the Aquarium--along the waterfront, in the Pike center, in Shoreline Village and heading up Pine Avenue.

I'm pretty sure they got bad information. People with All-Inclusive bookings upgrade their drink package or their WiFi package all the time. A lot of TAs AND Celebrity phone reps are just clueless. Call Celebrity directly...and if someone tells you that, ask to speak to a supervisor. Celebrity WANTS you to upgrade. They are not going to make that hard for you. Even at only $6.99 per day, it's still profit for them. Remember, they may be selling drinks for $10 to $15, but the REAL cost to THEM is about fifty cents per drink. Adding $7 per day for an "upgrade" doesn't really cost them anywhere close to $7. And, think about it, if you upgraded on the website and, suddenly, other PAID FOR perks disappeared, they would be spending lots of $$ in Customer Service costs with everyone that would be screaming at them.

Saw it down to $6.99 for my B2B Japan cruises...So, about $400 total for the 24 nights...Makes it awfully tempting... So, I ran it by my wife--mainly because, of us, she's the wine drinker and it increases her wine choices (Under $10 wine is fairly limiting). For me, I drink Anejo Tequila at home--but going classic to premium, though it adds a couple of Reposados, does NOT give you Anejo anyway. So, on the ship, move to bourbon...and though I'd rather have Woodford, Maker's Mark or even Jack, for the length of the cruise, i can deal with Jim Beam or even Canadian...The real place I've noticeda difference is in pre-bedtime liqueurs, where, with a classic package, I'm drinking Sambuca--as Amaretto and Bailey's now require Premium. My wife said it's still not worth it...For the length of the cruise, we can adjust. For comparison purposes, here's the list: https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/compare-packages

For two of my three upcoming X cruises--my B2Bs on Millennium for Japan, both 12 nights, it's $9.99 per day for the upgrade. Add the additional gratuities and, for the two of us, it's another $565.84 for the upgrade. We decided we can deal with drinking whatever is on the classic package. The entire two cruises in Concierge plus RT Airfare plus 5 nights of hotels in Tokyo plus 17 port or city tours/shore excursions plus meals in Tokyo plus ground transportation is quite enough without adding on another $565. For our upcoming Eclipse cruise to Cabo, we didn't spring for the "all-inclusive", so upgrading isn't a consideration...BUT, being Captains Club Elite+, we get free drinks from 5-7 anyway...and they want, on sale, $41.99 for the classic package...So, to make even that work, we wouldn't even break even at four drinks a night each....And remember, that's not just five drinks each for us...it's five drinks ABOVE and BEYOND those free drinks from 5-7. NAAAAHHHH! We'll just drink freebies. from 5 until dinner, then, if we can still drink, we'll just pay by the drink.

We're doing back-to-back Japan on Millennium in March/April... We're spending 5 nights pre-cruise...and staying at the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku (after speaking with family members who have been there including a nephew who spent a bit of time in Tokyo). The Shinjuku RR station is a major hub for trains and ground transportation and the Shinjuku area is very walkable for tourists. I think it's more convenient for a multiple day pre-cruise to stay closer in to Tokyo and not deal with traveling back and forth from Yokohama. We only have to get to Yokohama ONCE--embarkation morning. We have two tours booked for two of our pre-cruise days...one will pick us up at the hotel, the other has a "meeting point" in Shinjuku, only about a block from the hotel. I don't mind spending a few dollars more for ultimate convenience.

We use Uber often to get to and from the pier in San Pedro...In fact we'll use it both ways home to ship and back for our upcoming December 1 cruise. We've NEVER had a problem. Palos Verdes is actually a street two blocks west of the cruise terminal...but, when you google that address, it takes you to berth 93 somehow. Swinford is actually the street that the cruise terminal entry is on. If I had to input an address in the app, I'd probably just type in "Berth __, World Cruise Center, San Pedro"...BUT... You really don't need the address. Just walk out to the curb outside the terminal and log on to the Uber (or Lyft) app. The system GPS will tell THEM exactly where you are...and it gives you the type and color of car, driver's name and license plate...then just watch for your car. The road in front of all of the berths is a one-way loop. All approacing cars come from your left. The apps also have a feature allowing you to message or call your driver...and, since you can also track where he/she is and how many minutes away, you can also clear that issue up if it says the car is there and you don't see it.

Whoopee! Got the three. Now I need just 1,688 more to get to Zenith!!! In six months, thanks to actual traditional point accumulation, earned by taking actual cruises, I'll be down to 1,538 to go. If I cruise 20 nights a year in balcony cabins, I'll be Zenith by the time I'm 96...Maybe a few more PUPs and I can cut it back to 95. I am SO excited! 😁

The breakfast is OUTSTANDING...both an extensive buffet with great choices and a dessert table...PLUS they have a menu where you can order all sorts of hot, freshly cooked choices. We've had it included every time...but never paid extra...If you hunt around their websie, you may find a link to sign up for the H10 frquent visitor club that offers free breakfast included if you do. Not sure if they always run that deal, but they have for each of our visits.

Flying into LGB, the Golden Sails is still pretty much out of your way. Another consideration might be staying at one of the hotels near LGB (maybe the Hampton, Homewood or Courtyard, all just north of LGB). That area is really not all that exciting either, though there are a few places to eat. You might find a decent hotel price and a free shuttle from LGB airport...and then just the one 16 mile Uber ride to San Pedro the next morning.

My preference is always to get as close to the port as possible--unless flying in multiple days early or VERY late the night before. Getting in at 4:30 pm, you can get to a hotel, check in and have a nice dinner...and a short trip to the pier in the morning. OTOH of course, you are booking your hotel a little close to the date, so prices tend to get higher the closer you get. Still, if you can swing it, stay in Convention Center Long Beach--close to the pier. My "A" List is: Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, Renaissance, Westin, Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown and, maybe, the Hilton...That list puts you in a nice hotel very close to lots of restaurant choices and very close to the Carnival terminal (the first four closest to restaurants, the Maya and Residence very close to the pier). Try calling the Maya directly and ask if they have a discounted Carnival rate (they have, at times, available only by calling the hotel directly. You can walk to the ship from the Maya. If those hotels out-price your budget (though it may be worth spending a few dolars more for the convenience), then look at Torrance, near the Del Amo Mall. Don't look for bargains in other parts of Long Beach or some of the other neighboring cities--Some parts of Long Beach are just not good neighborhoods and neither are some of the nearby towns. If a hotel rate sounds really cheap, there is usually a reason. Other areas are not bad, but fairly inconvenient for your purposes. Good luck.

I generally agree with Scott here. I don't know which cruise line you are on, but, from your signature, it looks like you consistently cruise on Princess of late. If so, you will be cruising out of San Pedro, not Long Beach. The only real reason for you to stay in Long Beach is to enjoy the Convention Center area restaurants, shopping and attractions (Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific). But, Long Beach is a big city, population of half a million, and spans a wide area. The Golden Sails is nowhere near the tourist area of Long Beach--it's about six miles from Downtown Long Beach and 12 miles from the World Cruise Center in San Pedro--so, traveling from LAX, you'd be going an extra 12 miles in each direction past where you really need to be and getting almost nothing in return. If Downtown Long Beach has something going on which has driven prices up...and if you don't want to be in the more convenient San Pedro (Crowne Plaza or Doubletree), then best to stay between LAX and San Pedro...and, as Scott noted, Torrance and Redondo are much better choices for you. Redondo has a nice and scenic little area centered around King Harbor--though it might, soetimes, get a little pricey...and Torrance, specifically the area around the Del Amo Mall, has often very reasonable priced hotels in a very convenient location and near lots of shopping and restaurants. Either will save you quite a bit over the Golden Sails in terms of transportation costs and travel time...and, dependong on your choices, put you in a nicer hotel.

You might also want to search El Segundo...this is the area immediately south of LAX. Many of the hotels there also have airport shuttles...and there are several places to eat (alas, mostly fast food) near the hotels along Sepulveda Blvd. You may find something in that area more to your liking...and you'd still be mere minutes from the LAX terminals.

It's a special provision exclusively for the World Cruise-- This is from the World Cruise FAQ on the RCCL website: Q If I achieve a new Crown & Anchor Society status during my Ultimate World Cruise or one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments, will I receive my new benefits? A Exclusively for our Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments, Crown and Anchor guests will enjoy new tier status and tier benefits on the day of achievement. So, since they sold 930 passengers on the FULL World Cruise...and those people board on December 10, 2023, by the time we get to July, ALL of those 930, if they weren't D+ before, they will be by July. And, others, who are most of the way there, but boarding some time between the start in December and later--like those doing the last three quarter-segments--will achieve D+ by July. And I'll guess many others, like us, are already D+. By the time we're onboard, I'm guessing there will only be a scant few passengers less than D+... EARN MORE

Ohhhhh....This is all about to get very interesting for us. Last week in August, we were on Quantum...took our daughters and sons-in-laws. We are D+, they are all D. Of course, we had our pre-dinner drinks every night in the Diamond Club. No problem. Of course, there were only 26 D+s and 6 Pinnacles on the entire ship. 220-something Diamonds. However, our next couple of RCCL cruises (after 3 upcoming Celebrity cruises--where we are Elite Plus and they did away with the dedicated lounge awhile ago anyway) are the Europe segments of the World Cruise on Serenade next July/August. Of course, by the time we board, there will be 930 people who will already have been on board for six months--so, if they weren't D+ before, they all will be by then. What use will ANY dedicated lounge be when almost EVERYONE on the ship has qualifying status??? Will they bother enforcing ANYTHING? What's the point? We just want a nice, comfortable QUIET lounge with good service where we can have relaxing pre-dinner drinks and talk to people...