don't get Princess shuttle early at LAX

[Mary Ann 2]

If you like to be among the first to board, don't get to LAX early for a Princess transfer. This is what happened when we did on our Hawaii cruise. I had asked on the Princess board beforehand about how early we could arrive back at the airport for a transfer to the ship and they had said about 10. So this may not be the norm, but it could happen.

 

We booked last minute and came in the night before the cruise and stayed at a LAX hotel. We took a shuttle from our hotel to LAX and arrived around 10am. The shuttle driver from the hotel knew where the Princess reps hang out and dropped us off at the Delta terminal. We were quickly ushered to a bus, but once onboard, we were informed that we were being taken to the Sheraton hotel to wait because the ship was not ready to board but there would be a lounge with coffee and tea and some pastries so we would have a nicer place to wait.

 

It all sounded okay, until we got to the hotel and found out that they were not going to put us back on buses until 12:30-1. So we sat and waited and waited, knowing that other people would be boarding before we ever even got to leave the hotel! They "checked us in" for the cruise at the hotel, and we got to go to a special line to just get our room cards and then went directly to the front of the boarding line, but it was so late that the dining room was closed and the line to the buffet was out the door to the pool!

 

I did find out that there was a store just a block away where I walked and picked up a couple of bottles of wine. However, we were not happy campers! Next time, we would definitely arrange our own transportation to the cruise terminal.

[CruiserBruce]

Another reason, besides cost, that ship's transfers are usually NOT recommended. They run the transfers for their convenience, not yours, really.

[Bruin Steve]

It's one of the many reasons I advise to stay in San Pedro the night before...

Take a shuttle or car service from LAX to San Pedro the day or night before your cruise and check into the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree...In the morning, either of those hotels will shuttle you to the pier for free...and, for the most part, on YOUR schedule...You can sleep in as late or early as you like...and relax in the morning knowing you don't have a long trip to the pier...and then go when YOU want to go...

 

There are many problems I have with cruise ship transfers...one is the waiting around and then loading 40 people and luggage on a bus...but, most importantly it's that THEY decide when they take you to the ship...They have every incentive to take you there LATER. Cruise lines don't want to have a large crowd waiting at the terminal before they are ready to board. They don't want to let too many people on board when the ship's cabins are not yet ready. They don't want to serve too many lunches. For their purposes in managing lines/check-in, they know that most people try to get there early to lengthen their cruise experience...Or there is a rush of those just making it on as they are closing the doors. Their dead period (say they start boarding around 11:30 and want to stop around 4:00 pm for a 5:00 pm sailing) is around 1:30-2:30...and so, to whatever extent they control it, they will get people there in that time frame...and the only ones they really control are those on their own transfers...

 

Arrange your own transportation and you place that control back in your own hands...

[notentirelynormal]

Same thing happened to us and we live in LA but we were flying home so parked at LAX. In our case however, our bus caught on fire and people in the front were busy getting their carry on stuff of the bus while we were literally choking with black smoke. Finally we started yelling GET OFF THE BUS BEFORE WE DIE and it was like huh, ok, sure. Gee whiz. Our friends took the shuttle and were on the ship about 3 hours before us. :mad: Never again.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I would echo what Steve said. When not leaving from the Port of LA (we're an hour's drive away), we always get to our embarkation port at least a day ahead. And then either take the hotel's shuttle to the port if they have one or arrange our own transportation to the port. And for as early as possible.

 

I would only advise staying at a LAX hotel if you have an early morning flight the next day. Else, you might as well get as close to the port as possible even if getting in late at night (when traffic to San Pedro will be the lightest anyway).

 

I would rather stop at a store in San Pedro (and we've done that once or twice, but most of the time we'll shop around here and go straight to the port) than try to get to a store close to the airport.

[LHARTWICK]

Mary Ann 2: Thanks for this info. We fly into LAX on 4/4 for the 4/5 Crown Princess Cruise. I've been trying to bid (and win) a hotel in San Pedro, but haven't had any luck.

 

Bruin Steve: Since I'm not having any luck with SP hotels, I've been looking at LAX hotels. However, when I tried to get a price for Super Shuttle to pick us up at an LAX hotel to take us to the cruise terminal on Saturday morning, it looks like they don't offer the shared van service from hotels - only from the airport. Can you confirm this?

[Mary Ann 2]

Mary Ann 2: Thanks for this info. We fly into LAX on 4/4 for the 4/5 Crown Princess Cruise. I've been trying to bid (and win) a hotel in San Pedro, but haven't had any luck.

 

Bruin Steve: Since I'm not having any luck with SP hotels, I've been looking at LAX hotels. However, when I tried to get a price for Super Shuttle to pick us up at an LAX hotel to take us to the cruise terminal on Saturday morning, it looks like they don't offer the shared van service from hotels - only from the airport. Can you confirm this?

 

I stayed at a LAX hotel for that reason - I couldn't get Priceline to accept a bid for San Pedro, but got a good deal on Priceline at LAX hotel. I also looked into other shuttles, but found they only picked up at the airport. I found a van service that would pick up at the hotel, but it was much more than a shuttle. It seemed like if we had to go back to the airport, we might as well take Princess shuttle, but now I know better! Never again in LA!

[Mary Ann 2]

Same thing happened to us and we live in LA but we were flying home so parked at LAX. In our case however, our bus caught on fire and people in the front were busy getting their carry on stuff of the bus while we were literally choking with black smoke. Finally we started yelling GET OFF THE BUS BEFORE WE DIE and it was like huh, ok, sure. Gee whiz. Our friends took the shuttle and were on the ship about 3 hours before us. :mad: Never again.

 

Oh my! That's horrible! The bus caught on fire?!!

[SadieN]

Mary Ann 2: Thanks for this info. We fly into LAX on 4/4 for the 4/5 Crown Princess Cruise. I've been trying to bid (and win) a hotel in San Pedro, but haven't had any luck.

 

 

 

Bruin Steve: Since I'm not having any luck with SP hotels, I've been looking at LAX hotels. However, when I tried to get a price for Super Shuttle to pick us up at an LAX hotel to take us to the cruise terminal on Saturday morning, it looks like they don't offer the shared van service from hotels - only from the airport. Can you confirm this?

 

 

The Long Beach Grand Prix is the weekend of April 12. It's quite possible most hotels in the area are booked for your weekend because of this.

 

Look outside the San Pedro/Long Beach area.

[LHARTWICK]

I stayed at a LAX hotel for that reason - I couldn't get Priceline to accept a bid for San Pedro, but got a good deal on Priceline at LAX hotel. I also looked into other shuttles, but found they only picked up at the airport. I found a van service that would pick up at the hotel, but it was much more than a shuttle. It seemed like if we had to go back to the airport, we might as well take Princess shuttle, but now I know better! Never again in LA!

 

Mary Ann 2: Glad to know I'm not the only one. Since my last bid of $95 wasn't accepted, I finally just booked the CP in San Pedro on another site for $105. I expect by the time my bid was accepted, if it ever was, it would be $105 or higher anyway. After finding that the shuttles only picked up at the airport, we decided we didn't want to shuttle to an LAX hotel, shuttle back to LAX the next morning, and then shuttle to the SP terminal. We've stayed at the Crowne Plaza before and loved it. The other hotels in SP, except for the Double Tree, all had questionable reviews, so we didn't want to risk the CP being full and being stuck in a dump. Now we just need to find all of these shops and restaurants people keep talking about that are supposedly near the CP. Last time we stayed there, we didn't see any of them. Guess we didn't look hard enough.

 

On a better note, the upgrade fairy smiled on us yesterday - we learned that we have received a free upgrade to a balcony from our original obstructed OV cabin. Woo hoo!!

[Mary Ann 2]

On a better note, the upgrade fairy smiled on us yesterday - we learned that we have received a free upgrade to a balcony from our original obstructed OV cabin. Woo hoo!!

 

Congrats! 23 cruises and never got an upgrade to next level. Enjoy!

[notentirelynormal]

Oh my! That's horrible! The bus caught on fire?!!

 

Yup. Not the bus itself but the engine/motor which is at the back where we were. We had small children with us as well. So while the people in the front were carefully and slowly getting their "stuff" out we were literately being encased in thick black smoke. Not picking on the handicapped but they usually sit in front which meant they couldn't move as quickly getting their stuff out. Normally not a problem. Finally, finally, they got the picture. We were stuck in the smoke encased bus for at least 10 minutes before we were able to get off.

 

After that we were shuffled into the hotel. We then had 3 agents total that checked everyone in. There were hundreds of people. The problem is.... no one expected to have to check in at a hotel so the line was LONG. The agents only spoke English and that was it. So if you were from another country you were SOL. If you weren't prepared or didn't understand (which many didn't including the elderly) you were screwed. If your paper work wasn't complete, no worries they did it for you while everyone waited.

 

We waited in a single line for over an hour to check in. THEN there were very little places for people to sit so most people sat on the floor. The number one worst ever boarding experience I've ever had with Princess.

 

Just imagine waiting in line for an hour only to find out that the people ahead of you didn't have the proper documentation AND then you had to get everyone in your group to join you. Many did not understand what they needed to have and then kept everyone else waiting in line. So my party had to keep coming back checking to see where I was in line. Then when it was my turn to check in - well, all 15 of us "cut in line" to check in. They did give us tea, coffee and pasties while we waited for 3 to 4 hours. Of course you had no place to sit to eat or drink the tea - but whatever!

 

Keep in mind, since we weren't flying we had carry on luggage, laptops, flowers and just tons of stuff we had to keep moving around.

Edited March 26, 2014 by notentirelynormal

[LHARTWICK]

Congrats! 23 cruises and never got an upgrade to next level. Enjoy!

 

Out of 18 cruises this is only our 2nd upgrade.

[Mary Ann 2]

...After that we were shuffled into the hotel. We then had 3 agents total that checked everyone in. There were hundreds of people. The problem is.... no one expected to have to check in at a hotel so the line was LONG. The agents only spoke English and that was it. So if you were from another country you were SOL. If you weren't prepared or didn't understand (which many didn't including the elderly) you were screwed. If your paper work wasn't complete, no worries they did it for you while everyone waited.

 

We waited in a single line for over an hour to check in. THEN there were very little places for people to sit so most people sat on the floor. The number one worst ever boarding experience I've ever had with Princess.

 

Just imagine waiting in line for an hour only to find out that the people ahead of you didn't have the proper documentation AND then you had to get everyone in your group to join you. Many did not understand what they needed to have and then kept everyone else waiting in line. So my party had to keep coming back checking to see where I was in line. Then when it was my turn to check in - well, all 15 of us "cut in line" to check in. They did give us tea, coffee and pasties while we waited for 3 to 4 hours. Of course you had no place to sit to eat or drink the tea - but whatever!

Wow, I should be grateful I guess. Our experience was not that bad. There was room for everyone to sit and they called us in table by table, so there was no waiting in line. Definitely not hundreds of people - only 3 buses took us all to the ship. Maybe they've learned better since your experience?