advice on where to stay in San Pedro Area 3/20/10 cruise

[jayk59101]

My wife and myself will be arriving 2pm at LAX on the 19th of march, booked on NCL leaving 20th of march. I have been doing some research on my own but don't know the area too well. The prices currently for the doubletree and crowne plaza in san pedro are over 170.00 with the vagabond inn being about half that. Does anyone know or reccomend any of these hotels and are these prices what one should expect to pay? Getting antsy to get a room booked as I don't wanna be homeless so to say for the nite pre cruise.. is it a viable option to do long beach perhaps? We are not renting a car and planning on using the super shuttle. Also need ideas on where to stay for some sightseeing post cruise for a couple days priot to heading to las vegas. We are not wealthy by any stretch and on a budget. Want to spend our money on doing things not sleeping per say. we are planning on spending 4000 on the entire two week trip. not including the airfare and cruise cost.

[Chesterpeake]

This advice was given on another forum [check the topic items below this one]:

The two main hotels in that area are the Crowne Plaze and the Doubletree. I've stayed once at both. The Crowne Plaza is closer to the ship and the Ports O'Call shopping area. The Doubletree is on the Marina and is further away from restaurants. I thought both were fine and both have a free shuttle to/from the port (you have to do a shared-ride or a cab to get there from the airport, however). If rooms are available, $65 seems to be the sweet spot for naming your own price on Priceline for the Crowne Plaza. I got the Doubletree on Hotwire for about $70 (look for a 3-star hotel in the San Pedro area, though no guarantee).

 

Following that advice, I booked the Doubletree for $90 the night before my January 31, 2010 sailing. My first offer was $80. I got a confirmation at $90 the second time around.

__________________

[Jeff in Torrance]

My wife and myself will be arriving 2pm at LAX on the 19th of march, booked on NCL leaving 20th of march. I have been doing some research on my own but don't know the area too well. The prices currently for the doubletree and crowne plaza in san pedro are over 170.00 with the vagabond inn being about half that. Does anyone know or reccomend any of these hotels and are these prices what one should expect to pay? Getting antsy to get a room booked as I don't wanna be homeless so to say for the nite pre cruise.. is it a viable option to do long beach perhaps? We are not renting a car and planning on using the super shuttle. Also need ideas on where to stay for some sightseeing post cruise for a couple days priot to heading to las vegas. We are not wealthy by any stretch and on a budget. Want to spend our money on doing things not sleeping per say. we are planning on spending 4000 on the entire two week trip. not including the airfare and cruise cost.

 

That's quite a bit of $$ for not including the cruise and airfare. At least by my personal standards of thrift. We (two of us) spent about ten or eleven days on a trip to Glacier and Yellowstone NPs in late August, flying from LA to Spokane, renting a car, and staying in both parks a total of two or three nights, with nights in western Montana (Ennis, Bozeman, West Glacier), northern Idaho (Sandpoint, Wallace), and Spokane, airfare, and didn't spend anywhere near half of that amount.

 

Here's a link to the local cruise cities of San Pedro and Long Beach:

 

http://www.sanpedro.com/

 

You indicate "two weeks." I assume that you will spend about four or five days after the 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on NCL in Las Vegas.

 

I often look up hotel rates and air fare rates on Travel Hero:

 

http://www.travelhero.com/

 

For hotels in Southern California that are fairly close to the cruise docks, and reasonably centrally located, without being in the most expensive area, try Torrance (where I live). Lots of hotels in safe areas. We're only about ten miles from the San Pedro dock, and about ten miles from LAX. If you're in a thrifty mode you can use the Metro to get from LAX to San Pedro, although it's a little complicated. Cost would be a couple of dollars per person. The Torrance Bus line operates from LAX to lots of places in Torrance for a nominal fare, where the main Torrance depot area is adjacent to several hotels in the Del Amo Shopping Center.

[downsized]

My wife and myself will be arriving 2pm at LAX on the 19th of march, booked on NCL leaving 20th of march. I have been doing some research on my own but don't know the area too well. The prices currently for the doubletree and crowne plaza in san pedro are over 170.00 with the vagabond inn being about half that. Does anyone know or reccomend any of these hotels and are these prices what one should expect to pay? Getting antsy to get a room booked as I don't wanna be homeless so to say for the nite pre cruise.. is it a viable option to do long beach perhaps? We are not renting a car and planning on using the super shuttle. Also need ideas on where to stay for some sightseeing post cruise for a couple days priot to heading to las vegas. We are not wealthy by any stretch and on a budget. Want to spend our money on doing things not sleeping per say. we are planning on spending 4000 on the entire two week trip. not including the airfare and cruise cost.

 

We're on your same ship. We booked Crowne Plaza through Price Line with a winning bid of $65.

[jayk59101]

I tried the priceline name your own price and put in 75 bucks in san pedro only to get turned down twice now. Did you enjoy your trip to Montana, we are from Billings... so us hicks from the sticks aren't familiar with big city living..lol my price of 3-4k is what we will have available, hoping to do it for about half that. It is our 20th anniversary however and don't want my wife staying at the roach motel so to say. Priceline sez there are 75 dollar rooms available in long beach but we ideally wanted to go from the airport to the san pedro docks via the super shuttle..stay at the pier one day pre cruise board the boat, have our fun and upon return do a 2-3 sightseeing of los angeles, then driving to vegas to go see CARROT TOP.. lol i know don't ask but i must see him, he was on vacation last time we were in vegas so its a must do for me this time. I guess I will just keep hammering away on priceline and perhaps get lucky and get my crowne plaza or double tree room for about what you all are paying. Thanks again for the info and how you got it it may help tremendously.

[StLouisCruisers]

You don't have to keep going higher and higher to get a room. Sometimes when bidding $65, $70, and $75 and being rejected, you just go back to $65 and start over again next time. Things change! You have plenty of time. Meanwhile, I guess you could reserve a refundable room for the off chance you don't score on priceline.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Have never done Priceline but I imagine as the hotels release rooms they can't sell, you may have a better chance of getting something. You may want to check the sticky thread above about bidding. It could help. You can also check the threads here about the recommended Long Beach hotels (SteveBruin has posted quite a bit of info about where to stay). Some of these hotels will shuttle to the Port of Los Angeles...and the two ports aren't that far apart from each other. You just need to tell the front desk and then your driver that you need to go to San Pedro and not the Port of Long Beach (that's just Carnival).

[Bruin Steve]

Here's what I'd do in your situation...

 

I would hold off booking anything outside of San Pedro...Maybe make a backup reservation that's cancellable...and keep on trying Priceline...

Even if you pay a little more in San Pedro, it may be worth it...

When you say there are $75 rooms in Long Beach, I'd say be wary of which hotels these are and what part of town...there is a limited number of hotels and a limited area of Long Beach you'd want to stay in...Remember, you said this is an anniversary and it should be special...that leaves you with limited choices...

 

Now, I know the Hilton in Long Beach has a Carnival special (I don't think you really need to be cruising Carnival to get it)--currently running at $95 per night, IIRC...that may be among the cheapest rate at a NICE hotel in the right part of Long Beach...

 

They won't shuttle you for free to San Pedro from there...So, for a shuttle (quote from Priome Time Shuttle) for two from the LB Hilton to the pier in San Pedro, it's going to cost 30 plus tip (figure $35)...So, the real difference between staying in Long Beach (at the cheapest rate) and staying in Pedro--if you have to pay $170--is about $40...But, it will also mean additional time taking the shuttle from LB to Pedro...and one more thing to hassle with...

 

Perhaps, if you have to, make a back-up reservation in Long Beach and keep trying with Priceline for Pedro...

 

Assuming you want someplace nice...and worthy of a major anniversary trip, do not settle for a lesser hotel in San Pedro...Some of the lesser hotels are just not all that nice...more like cheap motels, often noisy and right on heavily trafficked routes...The recommended two--the Crowne Plaza and Doubletree--really are head and shopulders above the other San Pedro offerings...If you do go to Long Beach, I would highly recommend looking at the Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance and Avia as the nicest choices...but the rack rates will be just as high as San Pedro...

 

As to after the cruise for a couple of nights...Will you have a rental car then? If not, you need to stay somewhere near the sights, pedestrian friendly--and/or close to public transportation (always a gamble in LA) or with tour pick-ups or near a hop-on-hop-off bus route...

 

My personal favorite is Santa Monica (The area near the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade) due to all the nice things in close walking distance...But, this area CAN be pricey...Check some of the reviews on this board by Curt Jerome Wild (Curt is our local hotel expert) on Santa Monica and Venice hotels...I know he has some recommendations for some more reasonably priced ones...the CalMar comes to mind:

 

http://www.calmarhotel.com/

 

If not Santa Monica, another possible choice often recommended by Curt is up in Studio City--near Universal Studios and easy drive to Hollywood--is the Sportsmen's Lodge:

 

http://www.slhotel.com/

 

Good luck...

[jayk59101]

thanks steve for the advise. Which area do u think would be better to stay in.. not all that concerned with the savings of 40 bucks. but not opposed to it.. ideally just looking for a nice place to bed down for a day pre cruise in an area with some sightseeing activities to do where my wife will feel safe. Beings I have never been to pedro or LB I am not prepared to judge, I've read that CP in pedro is in a seedy part of town, and have read the contrary, I realize there are no guarantees in life that nothing will happen based upon where u stay, but don't want to invite something to happen by unknowingly booking in a bad area. I wish I would have booked my Doubletree when i had the chance for 120 bucks... but u snooze u lose i guess, maybe I am being paranoid about getting locked out of one of the better hotels in Pedro, but I just want to have everything lined out to put my mind at rest. The pre cruise anticipation is KILLING me, I so want it to be as close to perfect as I can make it for my wife for tolerating me for 20 years.:)

[Bruin Steve]

thanks steve for the advise. Which area do u think would be better to stay in.. not all that concerned with the savings of 40 bucks. but not opposed to it.. ideally just looking for a nice place to bed down for a day pre cruise in an area with some sightseeing activities to do where my wife will feel safe. Beings I have never been to pedro or LB I am not prepared to judge, I've read that CP in pedro is in a seedy part of town, and have read the contrary, I realize there are no guarantees in life that nothing will happen based upon where u stay, but don't want to invite something to happen by unknowingly booking in a bad area. I wish I would have booked my Doubletree when i had the chance for 120 bucks... but u snooze u lose i guess, maybe I am being paranoid about getting locked out of one of the better hotels in Pedro, but I just want to have everything lined out to put my mind at rest. The pre cruise anticipation is KILLING me, I so want it to be as close to perfect as I can make it for my wife for tolerating me for 20 years.:)

 

I, personally, do not consider Pedro to be "bad" or "unsafe"...It is an older town that, for many years was a very "blue collar" working class town--largely inhabited by people in the harbor-related occupations--dockworkers, fishermen, people in the trucking and distribution fields that are necessary in a major port area...the towns adjacent to it, to the west--Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, etc. were where the local wealthy lived--and still do...as well as the professional and economically advantaged...but over the years, with real estate in Southern California doing what it has done, those towns have gone through the roof...only the extremely well off can afford those communities...So, areas adjacent to towns like that...especially, in this case, San Pedro, have gone through a "gentrification"--people with a little more money but priced out of Palos Verdes, have come into San Pedro, bought homes, remodeled, upgraded...same with businesses...The area has improved greatly of late...there are now many good restaurants, some better shops, etc. The city is about to make a major expenditure in upgrading and redeveloping the port area...adding shops, restaurants, entertainment, upscaling the the architecture and such...but, in the meantime, it looks a little worn, giving the impression of some "seediness"...You still don't go to San Pedro and say, "Wow! This is incredible!" It's not Santa Monica or Malibu or Newport Beach...

 

But it IS incredibly convenient for a one-night pre-cruise...There is NO problem finding a restaurant for a nice and enjoyable dinner at any price--Seafood, Mexican, Italian, Greek, you name it...There isn't a lot to see if you have lots of time to fill...but there are a couple of "sights"...

 

Long Beach, OTOH, is more of a "big city"...Most of Long Beach is mass suburbia--which ranges from the seedy and slummy parts of North Long Beach to the upscale areas in Naples and Belmont Shores to a very cosmopolitan Downtown area with high rise condos along the shore...The tourist area of Long Beach is a very small part of the city...all within a couple of blocks of the harbor near the Convention Center, the Queen Mary, the Carnival Pier and the Aquarium...This area has been developed by the City over the past couple of decades with high rise first class hotels, with very nice shopping/restaurant/entertainment complexes and with a free shuttle loop that circles through the area...It is more modern and more attractive than San Pedro...There are clearly more things to see and do here if you have more than just a few hours...You have the Aquarium of the Pacific--a first class aquarium facility, you have the Queen Mary and you have far more shops and walking areas...

 

The trade-off for those cruising on anything but Carnival is that you are 6 to 8 miles from the pier in San Pedro and none of the hotels have free shuttles (Some MIGHT, it's sporadic and you really need to just check with the hotel, but likely, you're calling a taxi or shuttle company)...

 

If you're arriving at LAX, say, after 4:00 pm, there's not much of a reason to stay in Long Beach...because, by the time you get out of the airport and get to the hotel and check in, it's too late to enjoy the sights such as the Aquarium and Queen Mary...You might as well be in Pedro, go to Dinner and back to the hotel...But, if you are coming in at some point in the morning and will have several hours to kill, Long Beach becomes more attractive...

 

For multiple day stays, I still prefer 1) Santa Monica, 2) Venice/Marina Del Rey, 3) West Hollywood, 4) Universal City...Closer to a lot to see and do...

[Plant]

Here's my opinion for what it's worth :rolleyes:... We stayed at Crown Plaza about 3 weeks ago for two nights. It's a very nice hotel and their restaurant has what we considered to be good food at reasonable prices. The doors of the hotel were always open (something you might not find in a "bad" area). Service was wonderful and the staff were friendly and helpful.

 

Our only "problem" was that poster's here and the CP staff said that the Port's O' Call (lot's of restaurants and shops) shopping area was within walking distance. I would agree with them for young, healthy people, but for someone who walks with a cane it was quite a walk :eek:!

 

We booked the fly and sail package that included the Prime Time Shuttle from LAX to CP in San Pedro and from the ship back to LAX. It also included breakfast and a couple of drinks at Happy Hour. Maybe that wasnt' the best choice, but we were happy with it!

 

I hope this has been helpful to someone :),

 

Fern

[Bruin Steve]

Our only "problem" was that poster's here and the CP staff said that the Port's O' Call (lot's of restaurants and shops) shopping area was within walking distance. I would agree with them for young, healthy people, but for someone who walks with a cane it was quite a walk :eek:!

 

Fern,

It IS walking distance...except we all can walk different distances...

HOWEVER, there ARE several fine restaurant choices a lot closer--walking distance even for someone who walks with a cane...

 

Walking West on Sixth Street, leaving the hotel, Papadakis Taverna is right across the street at the other end of the block...San Pedro Brewing Company is just a few doors down on the same block...Niko's Pizza is down on the other end of the same block...Sixth Street Bistro is across Sixth Street from those two...Going the other way (East) on Sixth Street, the Green Onion is about half a block away...Acapulco is really just about three blocks away...maybe a only a couple hundred feet from where 6th Street hits the waterfront...

 

Now, for most of us, all of this is easy walking distance...but if anyone has issues with walking--either elderly or needs assistance or utilizes a cane or walker, I would ask the front desk if they lend you use of their shuttle and driver...hard to picture they wouldn't give you a ride to one of these restaurants and back...

[jayk59101]

I believe I am going to stay in pedro for our one day pre cruise and perhaps santa monica for the few days post cruise seemingly santa monica is the preferred place to be by several and I am willing to trust your judgements, I can not find any info on a fly and sail package from CP in pedro... is it something that you'd have to call and get thru the hotel directly? I want to thank you all for your help, and if you need any help for ideas in Montana lol give me a shout i can assist perhaps?

[cruiserbryce]

we have stayed at the Doubltree in SP each time before our cruises. The hotel and rooms have been nice. The breakfast is good. The shuttle works out nice and the rates have always been good. Crown Plaza is closer but we have stuck with DT

[jayk59101]

Well I went ahead and booked the Hilton in LB for the "Carnival Rate" which for us turned out to 94 plus tax.. 108 and some change. I can live with that price, and she wants to see the queen mary and the aquarium so figured it be convenient for a pre day sightseeing place as well. Will take the supershuttle from lax to LB day before of the cruise and i guess taxi from LB to Pedro morning of the cruise,will now concentrate on where to stay for 2-3 days post cruise...Santa Monica seems to be well liked by alot of people.. would this be a good area to stay in.. we want to see, walk of fame, universal studios and maybe a tv taping or something.. price is right or something like that? Thanks for ALL of your inputs at least i got the pre cruise figured out.. now to post cruise..:) We will have a rental car post cruise.

[PrairieGirl]

If anyone is going to stay at the Doubletree in San Pedro, it might be worthwhile to pay the extra $10 or so to request a balcony/marina view room. We watched a dolphin playing around the boats right in front of our room.:)

[dennis46]

Fern,

It IS walking distance...except we all can walk different distances...

HOWEVER, there ARE several fine restaurant choices a lot closer--walking distance even for someone who walks with a cane...

 

Walking West on Sixth Street, leaving the hotel, Papadakis Taverna is right across the street at the other end of the block...San Pedro Brewing Company is just a few doors down on the same block...Niko's Pizza is down on the other end of the same block...Sixth Street Bistro is across Sixth Street from those two...Going the other way (East) on Sixth Street, the Green Onion is about half a block away...Acapulco is really just about three blocks away...maybe a only a couple hundred feet from where 6th Street hits the waterfront...

 

Now, for most of us, all of this is easy walking distance...but if anyone has issues with walking--either elderly or needs assistance or utilizes a cane or walker, I would ask the front desk if they lend you use of their shuttle and driver...hard to picture they wouldn't give you a ride to one of these restaurants and back...

 

Hi Steve,

 

You seem to be very familiar with San Pedro so if you don't mind I have a question.

We are sailing out of San Pedro Sunday, December 20th. We will be flying into LAX on the 19th and taking a shuttle to San Pedro. Q1. Which shuttle do you recommend, Prime Time or Super Suttle?? We have reservations at the Vagabond Hotel on Gaffny (sic) Q2. Was this a mistake? Is the area around the hotel safe? Any advise on staying there??

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Dennis

[Plant]

Fern,

It IS walking distance...except we all can walk different distances...

HOWEVER, there ARE several fine restaurant choices a lot closer--walking distance even for someone who walks with a cane...

 

Walking West on Sixth Street, leaving the hotel, Papadakis Taverna is right across the street at the other end of the block...San Pedro Brewing Company is just a few doors down on the same block...Niko's Pizza is down on the other end of the same block...Sixth Street Bistro is across Sixth Street from those two...Going the other way (East) on Sixth Street, the Green Onion is about half a block away...Acapulco is really just about three blocks away...maybe a only a couple hundred feet from where 6th Street hits the waterfront...

 

Now, for most of us, all of this is easy walking distance...but if anyone has issues with walking--either elderly or needs assistance or utilizes a cane or walker, I would ask the front desk if they lend you use of their shuttle and driver...hard to picture they wouldn't give you a ride to one of these restaurants and back...

 

Thanks, Steve:)! Those of us who are (have, or will be) sailing from San Pedro really appreciate all your advice. The walk would have been much easier if there were a few benches between the Maritime Museum and Ports O' Call. (Maybe you could suggest it to the "powers that be"?) We also didn't realize that the Trolley Train didn't start running until 3 PM on Saturday. My fault, I should have done more homework :(.

 

I agree that there are many restaurants close to Crowne Plaza (and safe to walk to), but I was looking for shopping :D!

[liv2cruise4ever]

Thanks for your advice Steve. I tried getting 3 1/2 stars in the San Pedro area for $65 and it rejected it. I will try again another day. I did not increase the offer. I will be there in March so I figured I have time. Our daughter graduated from UCLA in 2001! Any other advice is always welcome! Thanks again.:D

 

John

[VegasCrossfire]

For those of you looking for a place to dine in San Pedro - you might want to try the "22nd Street Landing". It is about 2 miles from the Doubletree and the ship. It is at the Marina - so the view is beautiful and the food is great! We have always enjoyed eating there when we visit So. Cal.

[fmhealth]

Does anyone know how much the LA port charges for parking? Also, since we're driving in the day before from AZ. Is there a better place to stay, less than 30 minutes from the port that anyone would recommend?

 

We'll be traveling with two infants with infant seats. So, neither a taxi nor shuttle would work. We'll need to drive to the port & find a LT lot.

 

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Cruisin' Chick]

The last time I checked out the San Pedro site, it was $12/day. It's pretty safe, an outside lot.

 

Based on what others have said here, it seems like the Doubletree or Crowne Plaza would be a good choice as they are in San Pedro. You can stop at a local store before heading to the port for any necessities (I've found the ships' stores aren't too stocked up for diapers and those type of goods). When you go up Harbor Blvd. to the World Cruise Center, go through the entrance and you'll see a sign listing all the cruiseships in port that day and which berth each one is at. Drive up to your berth, unload your passengers, babies, and luggage. Then drive back down to the parking lot and you'll find lots of spaces. You may be able to walk back to the berth, or just jump on the shuttle.

[fmhealth]

Thanks CC. Much appreciated!

[VegasCrossfire]

I know you said that a shuttle is out of the question...but if you don't feel like paying $12 at the port parking lot, you could always stay at the Doubletree and you could drop the family off at the ship and drive back to the Doubletree then catch the shuttle for free (and park for free). Then reverse the process at the end of your cruise. It will be a little bit of a pain...but might be worth the $$ savings. Just a thought....

 

Have a great time!!

[nannieof11]

I just booked with Priceline and got Crown Plaza for $95.00 per night for Feb. 20th..and also booked super shuttle from Airport to hotel for 23.00 per person. I put in 85.00 but did not get it. Good luck!