Pre Cruise Hotel in Port of LA- San Pedro

[rene194215]

I am not familiar with CA AT ALL! I am from the east coast and this would be the first time in CA. We are doing the 4 days cruise on Mon the 26th (Sept) and are flying in on Sat the 24th. We are looking for a hotel that is convinient to LAX, the port and also things to do... I would not mind seeing the Hollywood sign! But I am not sure if it is better to stay further away from the port or stay right near the port. I know traffic in CA can be bad but like I said I am not sure about whats best... Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!

 

Also, we are flying out for a few night in Vegas right they day we get back. Is Long Beach airport better to fly out of then LAX?

 

Thanks!! I may have more questions as time goes on! I appreciate any words of advise!!!

 

Renee

[PatriciaF]

Rene--are you sailing Carnival out of Long Beach or another cruise line out of the Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro)?

 

I answered your similar question based on San Pedro--but for Long Beach the answers would be slightly different.

[Bruin Steve]

Rene--are you sailing Carnival out of Long Beach or another cruise line out of the Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro)?

 

I answered your similar question based on San Pedro--but for Long Beach the answers would be slightly different.

 

Agreed. It's a little confusing as the dates appear to match the dates in the OP's signature line except the sig line says 2010!

 

I am assuming that she meant 2011 as, I believe, Carnival would be the only ones doing the 4 nighter...So, it SHOULD be Long Beach...

 

As Patricia noted on the other thread, there are a lot of questions, most importantly, will you be renting a car?

 

Note that the port is a considerable distance (about 25 miles) from LAX...and the "Hollywood" sights are a good distance from LAX as well--in another direction...so, even farther from Long Beach...

 

With 2 nights pre-cruise, you'll need to plan your visit carefully...What time you get in to LAX will be important...figure, if no delays, it will still likely take you at least two hours to exit the plane, collect your luggage and make it to a hotel and check in--so how much of the day is left after that will be important in planning...You also need to figure that the day of the cruise, wherever you are, it's best to pack up, check out and get transportation to the ship--don't plan on that as a sightseeing day...

 

So, you really have maybe just a day and a half to tour LA...

 

If you don't have a car, location will be important...

You will need to get a shuttle (taxis can be pretty expensive) from LAX to your hotel and from the hotel to the pier...Try Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle...

 

If you want to stay near the Pier in Long Beach, you are nowhere near the Hollywood and LA sights...but, you can arrange with Sunseeker Tours to get a full day tour of most of the main sights...They are the only ones to pick up from Long Beach hotels...List of advised Long Beach hotels: Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance, Avia, Hilton, Maya Doubletree, Courtyard Downtown, Residence Inn Downtown...Stick to that list ONLY...Long Beach is a Big city in and of itself and these are the only hotels in a nice area, convenient to the ship and to the free local shuttle system and with sights, restaurants and shops all within close distance...

 

You could spend the first day, or what's left of it, enjoying Long Beach--the Aquarium, the Queen Mary...have some dinner in one of the many good eateries...Then do a tour with Sunseeker on day two...and shuttle to the ship on your embarkations day...

 

A little more complicated would be to stay in the Hollywood/Universal area...Choose a hotel on the HOHO bus route and you may do without a car...Your shuttles will cost a bit more since you are going farther away and need two shuttles...This will allow you to visit Universal and Hollywood on your own...and to use the whole day and a half here...

 

Or, you could stay in Santa Monica and use the HOHO bus from there...or just spend time among the local sights on that side of town--the Beach, The Santa Monica Pier, the Venice Boardwalk, Palisades Park, etc.

 

Think about those options for a start...

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm guessing you'll be on the Paradise as it does the 3 and 4-day cruises. It sails from the Port of Long Beach.

 

I would recommend NOT staying in the LAX area. Will be far from any sightseeing possibilities. See Steve's post above for ideas for hotels. One important thing to remember is if you find a really low hotel fare (other than Priceline, Hot Wire, etc.), beware. It could be a dump and/or in an undesirable area. Since you're unfamiliar with LA, it's really important to watch where you're staying as there are iffy areas.