Hawaii cruise from Los Angeles or San Francisco

[marwood]

Trying to plan a cruise to Hawaii from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Want to stay one night pre-cruise, which port is less expansive in terms of hotel and taxi ride from the airport?

[CruiserBruce]

Both ports are a good distance from their airports, so a taxi is not the most efficient and cost effective way to get there. Shuttle is better. Probably slightly cheaper in SF. Plus SF has better public transit going to the port than LA.

 

Hotels are cheaper near the LA port, than the SF port.

[CruiserBruce]

Just thinking... in addition, the Port of LA is nowhere near anything you associate with LA. SF's port, however, is in the middle of SF, which would explain the higher price hotels.

[Gunner22aa]

The two ports are not near LA proper. One in Long Beach and the other which you would probably sail from is in San Pedro. Shuttles leave the airports and go to the major hotels in both areas.

[Keith1010]

You will either leave out of San Pedro or San Francisco depending on city.

 

You could take a shuttle from both ports into the respective cities.

 

Honestly, find the cruise that works best for you and don't make you decision based on the costs of both cities because you can pretty much do them for similar costs.

 

Keith

[Bruin Steve]

Trying to plan a cruise to Hawaii from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Want to stay one night pre-cruise, which port is less expansive in terms of hotel and taxi ride from the airport?

 

I will assume you don't have a particular interest in spending much time in either city...sightseeing, enjoying the nightlife and attractions, etc.?

 

Both cities have quite a bit to see and do, both are really worth longer, extended trips even apart from a cruise...

 

BUT, if you are just looking to fly in, spend the night and jump on a cruise ship...and, I'll assume you meant "expensive" rather than "expansive", though expansive might have fit into context as well...

 

Here's the basic rundown:

 

Using an arbitrary January date, I found 14 nonstops from EWR to SFO (on just the airlines that show up on Travelocity) starting at around $405 pp round trip...

 

Substituting LAX, about the same number of flights but starting at $380...

 

Obviously, there are additional airlines (Southwest, Jet Blue, etc.) that may not show up at that site and there are alternative airports--ie JFK for EWR, Oakland for SFO, LGB, BUR and John Wayne for LAX...and prices vary greatly by time of year, exact date and other factors...

 

Assuming you fly into either LAX or SFO...

LAX is 20 miles from the Port of LA in San Pedro...

A shuttle (arbitrarily using Super Shuttle LAX to the Crowne Plaza San Pedro) is $17 pp for a shared shuttle, $55 for a town car express service (no meet and greet-will call)...

 

SFO is about 16 miles...

A shuttle (arbitrarily using Super Shuttle SFO to the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf)) is $17 pp for a shared shuttle, $60 for a town car express service ...

 

Taxis are likely also similar priced, but more expensive...

In SFO, you have the option of using BART to the City, but will still need a taxi from the BART station to your hotel, so likely not worth any perceived savings...

 

Hotels are plentiful in both cities...

 

They will be quite a bit cheaper for a similar class of hotel in San Pedro than in the area of San Francisco you'd want to be in...

 

You also have the option, in either city (though I'd prefer to stay near either port and not hassle with the transportatiopn the morrning of the cruise) to stay near the respective airport and get the shuttle in the next morning...hotels by SFO will be cheaper than by Fisherman's wharf...No real advantage at LAX...

 

Good luck...