Debarkation Port for Golden Princess

[calibird]

I am sailing Oct. 13 for a 2 weeker to Hawaii on the Golden Princess and can't wait!! Is the debarkation port San Pedro or Long Beach, or something else? I'm a little bit confused about this as I don't know in what city to start looking at to book a hotel. When do you suggest I start looking at hotels, flights, etc.? I have never been to LA and feel a bit intimidated.:confused:

 

I'm an East Coaster and my previous four cruises have been from the East Coast and 2 right from where I live.

[LARGIN]

San Pedro..

 

http://www.sanpedro.com/spcom/crusshp.htm

[Nancyquilts]

San Pedro. You might want to look on the West Coast site and check the prices on the top thread - Priceline - to get an idea of what hotels should cost and which ones people like.

[flamomo]

calibird,

I understand your trepidation about LA, since you have not been there before.

A possibility you might consider is booking your hotel through Princess. They use the Marriott at LAX, which is a nice hotel. When you do that, it includes the transfer to the pier the day of boarding. It works out very well if you are flying to LA a day before your cruise departs.

We have done this for 3 previous cruises, and are doing it again for our cruise on the Golden in 9 weeks. The cost is $69 per person for our March cruise (if you are cruising solo, it would be double that amount). There are restaurants in the hotel, so you would not have to be concerned with finding a place to eat.

This seems to be a pretty popular arrangement, as there are always quite a few cruisers staying there the night before the cruise. Often there will be 2 tour-type bus loads going to the pier.

Princess handles your luggage from the hotel to the pier, and once they pick it up from your room the morning of the cruise, you don't see it again till it's delivered to your cabin. You only have to be concerned with taking a carry-on, if you choose to keep one with you.

Some say there's nothing to do in the airport area, or that it's in a bad area, but we have no need to go out of the hotel for anything since we are only staying one night. And should one get there early in the day and get decide they want to sightsee, the hotel concierge can set them up with a tour. We did that one time when we were staying at the hotel for a night after a cruise, and we had a great tour of the highlights for about $50 apiece.

[calibird]

Thank you all so much. I was really confused about San Pedro/Long Beach!! ;)