QE in Los Angeles

[Runners]

Does Cunard provide shuttle buses from the World Cruise Terminal in Los Angeles? If so where does it take you? We are interesred in visiting either the QM in Long Beach or going to Venice Beach. Is there public transportation at the terminal?

 

Thanks, Tom

[stowaway2k]

If these are your choices, I would choose the Queen Mary. It is well worth your time, and Cunard usually runs a bus to the Queen Mary.

Venice Beach is quite some distance away from the cruise ship terminal in San Pedro (depending on traffic 30-60 minutes), while the Queen Mary is about ten minutes.

There is public transportation that runs near the cruise terminal, but forget it, especially for Venice Beach. That could take a couple hours each way with multiple transfers between busses. You don't want to get on an L.A. bus. :eek: There are no other public transpo options for Venice.

L.A. being so vast, the cruise terminal is not really convenient for anything except the Queen Mary, unless you are doing a shore excursion, are hiring a taxi, or have other private tranportation such as a car service.

You will enjoy spending a few hours on the Queen Mary. :)

[Runners]

Thanks for your reply Stowaway2K. We are pretty good walkers. Is there anything near the port worth seeing? How about the Maritine Museum? Thanks.

[stowaway2k]

Sure, the Maritime Musuem is a nice walk, and worth going to. I think they still have on display the model of the Queen Mary that was used as the SS Poseidon in the film The Poseidon Adventure. The museum won't take up much of your time.

There is a streetcar that runs along the main drag outside the cruise terminal toward the maritime museum and Ports o' Call Village, a complex of restaurants and souvenir shops. From there you can join a harbor tour by boat for a nice waterline view of the QE and other harbor "attractions" including the prison. :o

Chances are the weather will be nice. Like the song says "...it never rains in California..." except when it does. But it won't. Probably. ;)

 

All this plus the Queen Mary should make a pleasant day for you. :)

[Bigmike911]

Last year as we completed the first leg of the 2009 world cruise on the Queen Victoria in Los Angeles, Cunard provided complementary buses to take guests to the Queen Mary 2. The trolly to Ports of Call Village is another good idea. It is in fact walkable. There are plenty of restaurants and shops there.

 

I would echo those who suggest Venice beach is not easy to get to on public transport as well as being time consuming.

 

Welcome to my 'home town'

 

Mike

[Runners]

Thanks guys...........I appreciate you taking the time to help to get a good understanding of the port and surrounding area.

 

Tom

[Bigmike911]

Before some one says I am daft, let me make a correction to my post. Cunard provided complementary busses to take guests to the original Queen Mary now berthed in Long Beach. Not the QM2.

 

Cheers Mike

[Runners]

Before some one says I am daft, let me make a correction to my post. Cunard provided complementary busses to take guests to the original Queen Mary now berthed in Long Beach. Not the QM2.

 

Cheers Mike

Hey Mike, I knew what you meant. Don't think Cunard will be offering the free shuttle this year. They are selling a Queen Marry tour for $85.00.

 

Tom

[Bigmike911]

Ah yes, the new regime. Graciousness now has a price....oh well.

 

Mike

[stowaway2k]

They are selling a Queen Marry tour for $85.00.

 

Tom

 

If you go on your own, a "First Class" guided tour, including the Russian submarine, is $32.95

 

Two people including round-trip taxi on your own will come to about the same as Cunard's excursion for one person, and without the 2 1/2 hour time limit of the shore excursion. Put four in the taxi and save even more.

The terrible "Ghosts and Legends" tour is the only legit way to see the stunning First Class Swimming Pool, which is otherwise off-limits.

http://www.queenmary.com/Purchase-Tickets.aspx

 

The "Promedade Cafe" on the Queen Mary serves a nice lunch with views of Long Beach harbor.

 

Luckily, there are no Carnival ships scheduled to be in Long Beach that day, so views out to sea from Queen Mary's decks will be lovely.

Carnival's dock is right at QM's stern, and the view is ruined when they are in port.

 

In San Pedro, you'll have the Sapphire Princess and Norwegian Star with you, the "Queen Elizabeth III" (sic)

http://www.sanpedrocalendar.com/scripts/calcium310.pl?Op=ShowIt&CalendarName=sanpedrocruiseship&Op=ShowIt&Amount=Month&NavType=Absolute&Type=Block&Date=2011/1/1

[Runners]

Good info stowaway2k, thank you.

 

Tom