Cheapest LA Cruise Port Parking

Hello,

I am driving into California the morning of our carnival cruise and have been having a hard time finding a reliable place to park the car. The cruise terminal parking is astronomically priced and will run me $140-$160 (:eek::eek:madness). I know there are lots of options if I book a hotel room stay and sail package, but I don't need a hotel and that alone would cost about $120+

Is anyone aware of any long term parking garages, or other safe options that would be a good, safe place to park for the week without a huge price tag? I don't mind ubering to the cruise port if necessary.

Thanks!

No truly viable options.

Depending on how long we’re gone and how much luggage we’ll schlep with us we have —

-Sucked it up and parked at port

-Taken the Metro and Passport bus to port. Sometimes we’ve parked at Union Station $8/day. There a form to fill out if you’re there for more than a few days.

-One way rentals thru Enterprise, Hertz or Avis. All have locations on or near Ocean Blvd.

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Hello,

 

I am driving into California the morning of our carnival cruise and have been having a hard time finding a reliable place to park the car. The cruise terminal parking is astronomically priced and will run me $140-$160 (:eek::eek:madness). I know there are lots of options if I book a hotel room stay and sail package, but I don't need a hotel and that alone would cost about $120+

 

Is anyone aware of any long term parking garages, or other safe options that would be a good, safe place to park for the week without a huge price tag? I don't mind ubering to the cruise port if necessary.

 

Thanks!

Consider that you are in the Los Angeles area. Cars are everywhere, parking comes at a premium. Shopping Centers and businesses control and monitor their lots and tow away any car left too long.

Commercial streets are metered and restricted. You can't just park your car in a residential neighborhood as those are generally restricted as well. If you had a friend somewhere in the area and could park your car in their driveway...or trust them to move your car on street cleaning days--and provided their neighborhood did not restrict night parking or allow parking only with permits, that might work...

So, that leaves long term commercial lots--which are generally expensive...A quick search on the Long Beach area shows lots downtown at a daily rate--but those restrict multi-day parking. The LGB airport area has some options...For example, an outfit called "Global" rents long-term spaces at the LGB Airport Holiday Inn. Their rates are lower than at the pier--with advance reservations, $95 per week...BUT, here is the problem with that: It is a 16 mile Uber ride in each direction...So add, say $30 for Ubers and tips...So, rather than $95, you are paying $125...Parking at the pier costs $20 per day...so $140 for 7 nights...So, to park at LGB, you are only saving $15! But, you are also dealing with a lot of extra time and effort to get from LGB to the port and from the port to LGB--rather than the convenience of having your car right there and being able to get off the ship and right on the road...It's just not worth the $15 savings...

My advice: Just consider the parking charge as part of the cost...or better: Book a room with parking at the Maya Doubletree and drive in a day ahead...Relax, have a nice dinner in Long Beach, don't stress out dealing with traffic and delays the day of your cruise. CONVENIENCE--it's worth a lot of money.

The Long Beach cruise center is quite a way from any hotel. You should also calculate any transportation costs into decision.

The Long Beach cruise center is quite a way from any hotel. You should also calculate any transportation costs into decision.

Not exactly....

The Carnival Long Beach Terminal is walking distance (though "walking distance" is different for everyone--some still might want a shuttle) from three hotels--the Queen Mary, the Maya Doubletree and the Residence Inn Downtown. All three of those hotels are on the same side of the channel as the Carnival Terminal, the QM being right next door and the Maya just a short distance beyond that and the Residence Inn just beyond that...

The other recommended Downtown Long Beach hotels--the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric at the Pike, the Renaissance, the Westin and the Hilton are all just across the channel--almost walking distance...There is a free shuttle--the Passport--though it may be difficult to use that with large luggage...still none are an expensive Uber or shuttle ride from the terminal.

Thanks for the responses guys. But I don't need/want a hotel stay. I'll be arriving in California the morning of the cruise.

No truly viable options.

Depending on how long we’re gone and how much luggage we’ll schlep with us we have —

 

-Sucked it up and parked at port

 

-Taken the Metro and Passport bus to port. Sometimes we’ve parked at Union Station $8/day. There a form to fill out if you’re there for more than a few days.

 

-One way rentals thru Enterprise, Hertz or Avis. All have locations on or near Ocean Blvd.

 

 

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Sadie, great info. What are the details and estimates travel time/hurdles of parking at union station?

What are the details and estimates travel time/hurdles of parking at union station?

Seriously? You are saving $12 per day...so, $84 for the week...The Metro TAP card plus fare will cost you $4.50 per person for the round trip--so, your actual "savings"--assuming a party of two--is $75...

You will be leaving your car in Downtown Los Angeles--in a greater crime area than at the Terminal, so greater risk--even with Union Station security...You will be waiting for a Purple Line train to the 7th Street Metro Center Station to switch to a Blue Line train there (schlepping your luggage from train to train...You will then take the train through most of the worst neighborhoods of Los Angeles, stopping many times along the way to pick up and drop off "commuters" who will not be enamored of your luggage...Then you will need to leave the train in Downtown Long Beach at either the Long Beach Blvd/Fourth Street Station or the First/Pacific Station and walk, with your luggage to the nearest Passport Shuttle (which also isn't great in accommodating your luggage) stop...OR call an Uber from there--at additional expense. The entire trip will take you around an hour and a half to two hours plus in each direction plus any additional time waiting for the next train or bus for each leg, depending on time of day.

Question you have to ask yourself is how important it is to you to save that $50 to $75? How much is YOUR time and convenience worth? Again, for ME, I bite the bullet and pay the small extra charge for convenient parking right at the pier--and the ability to hit the road immediately upon my return rather than coming back to logistics hell...Of course, if it were ME driving in from out of the area, I would also definitely spring for a hotel--so I would not have to stress out timing and traffic--and especially adding to that all of the timing and uncertainty issues with trying to navigate the last 30 miles on LA public transportation...

Of course, YOUR priorities may be far different...

It must be nice to live a life where $75 is a mere "convenience" fee. Everyone is not so, thanks for the info but it would've been more effective if you weren't so condescending and judgy throughout.

Lauren,

I live in the greater L.A. area and cruise mainly out of San Pedro or Long Beach., and I find many people on these cruises are also local. Perhaps you could ask on you Roll Call if anyone would be interested in car pooling to save on parking fees. Also, some of these cruises have the Bon Voyage Experience, which allows those not sailing to visit the ship for a few hours. The cost is $39 but you get the money back if you book a cruise within the next 60 days, so perhaps you know someone local that would be interested in doing the BVE and give you a ride. That is what we have done in the past and plan on doing for our Sept. cruise.

It must be nice to live a life where $75 is a mere "convenience" fee. Everyone is not so, thanks for the info but it would've been more effective if you weren't so condescending and judgy throughout.

Sorry that you took offense...

I was trying to stress a point: What you are considering here is outrageous. You are willing to consider taking an extra four hours of your time, making four extra changes of transportation, leaving your vehicle in a worse location, taking forms of transportation not really designed for people with luggage, traveling through undesirable neighborhoods and risking getting lost...TWICE...

That’s a bit more than a “convenience fee”...

And $75 is the high end of what you “save”...that assumes you can actually get on a Passport shuttle and don’t have to resort to a taxi or Uber..and that the extra transit time doesn’t add a day’s parking to that Union Station parking bill...

It’s not a matter of being “condescending and judgy”...I am trying to HELP you...

Of course, maybe you have already decided that any small $ savings is worth jumping through hoops to achieve...so you don’t want my advice...and you are just looking for confirmation on how to do this? If so, go ahead. Good luck...

Time is not an issue, nor is commuting with public transportation. $75 savings would be worth a commute.

Thank you POOLREADER for that out of the box suggestion, I'll ask around.

Meanwhile, I'm still open to any and all parking arrangement suggestions :)

Thanks for the responses guys. But I don't need/want a hotel stay. I'll be arriving in California the morning of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadie, great info. What are the details and estimates travel time/hurdles of parking at union station?

Google LA Union Station Parking and look at metro.net for schedules.

Long term Union Station parking requires the paperwork otherwise they’ll tow your car. In February the office was closed.

Take the Red/Purple lines to the Blue Line. Then transfer to the Passport bus in Long Beach. You’ll need to buy a Tap Card in addition to your fare. Takes about 2hours. The Blue Line goes thru some of the ‘most interesting’ neighborhoods in LA- Compton, Watts, South Central. All the places where our citywide riots have started.

The Metro trains and bus only have space for a 22” suitcase and a tote, nothing larger.

The problem with public transportation in LA is that it's public transportation in LA. On any given day, routes are changed, causing traffic and delays. Not to mention breakdowns, construction and god forbid a drop of rain hits the ground. Then it's Apocalypse Now.

I know you want to save money but this is not the place to do it. But good luck none the less!

BTW, I chatted with the parking attendant at the Long Beach parking garage the last time I was there and he indicated to me that parking prices were going to go up because they are expanding the cruise ship terminal to accommodate two ships at once.

Another option, although not probably ideal, would be to park at one of the many discount off-site parking lots around LAX, take their shuttle to LAX, and then take Supershuttle from there to the port. I am nearly always able to find good off-site parking there near LAX for $9/day or sometimes even less.

I was assuming OP was going to Long Beach.

For San Pedro and looking at Splinters Info —-LAX parking $56, Shared Shuttle $68 (2 pax, $34 round trip) $124 + tips

Parking at the pier is almost $20day $140 total. Savings $16 isn’t worth the hassle. $16 is the cost of the tips.