Flight from Las Vegas to pick up Star Princess

[misscolina]

Hi,

I need a little help, our UK TA has booked us on a Delta flight at 06.20am from LV to LA but we think this is far too early as the cruise leaves at 4pm. We are looking at flying with Southwest airlines at 11.20 arriving 12.35, do you knowledgable Americans think this would be do-able, there is an alternative with United 09.50 arriving 10.59 but this is more expensive and as the Delta flight ticket the TA has booked is non-refundable, we are looking at our options, also am I right that the cruise port is about 1 hour away from LAX airport, also what are the best options to get to the cruise port, taxi or super shuttle, many thanks x

[matadams4u]

I live in Las Vegas and can tell you there are generally 30 minute ground delays due to congestion at lax. Am 8 or 9 departure makes good sense with the princess shuttle - this will get you to the ship early enough to enjoy lunch.

 

 

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[Kartgv]

One hour from LAX to the pier is very optimistic - it might be true once you're actually inside your vehicle and if there are no traffic issues (highly unlikely!) You also need to include the time to just walk from your gate to baggage claim, wait for delivery, then walk outside and find your transportation. We've had that 'gate to vehicle' process take over an hour at LAX.

 

If your cruise leaves at 4:00, then you need to be onboard no later than 3:30. You might be OK with the Southwest flight, if you're lucky and nothing goes wrong. I personally wouldn't chance it, would spend the little extra to take the United flight. If you do the Southwest flight, you definitely need to arrange private transportation to the pier (taxi or Uber, etc.) rather than wait for a shared shuttle to fill and pick up other people possibly at different terminals. You can also check for flights from Las Vegas to the Orange County airport (SNA) - it's probably a little closer to the pier and you may find one with better timing.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi,

I need a little help, our UK TA has booked us on a Delta flight at 06.20am from LV to LA but we think this is far too early as the cruise leaves at 4pm. We are looking at flying with Southwest airlines at 11.20 arriving 12.35, do you knowledgable Americans think this would be do-able, there is an alternative with United 09.50 arriving 10.59 but this is more expensive and as the Delta flight ticket the TA has booked is non-refundable, we are looking at our options, also am I right that the cruise port is about 1 hour away from LAX airport, also what are the best options to get to the cruise port, taxi or super shuttle, many thanks x

 

IMO.......

I would stick with the early Delta flight.

We take Uber to the pier which is about $30-$40.

It's easy to download the app and a snap to order a car.

A taxi is around $60 from LAX.

Super Shuttle $17pp.

Porters will start taking luggage around 9:30.

We always arrive in San Pedro by 9:30-10:30am. Boarding starts around 11:30am.

You can be in one of the first groups boarding and have a nice quiet embarkation lunch in one of the dining room's.

[paul929207]

Twice recently we flew to LAX for a cruise. Each time it took a little over 2 hours from when the plane touched down at LAX until we were in the San Pedro area. (We came in a day early so went to a port area hotel).

[skynight]

There can be lots of traffic from LAX to San Pedro.I would stay with the early flight. If you land on time you should be able to get to ground transportation around 8am. Transport to the pier can take anywhere from 45 to 90 mins. You can check your luggage around 9:30. Check in begins around 10:30 with boarding starting around noon or a little earlier. I would say it's better to wait at the pier. As an alternative after you check your baggage there are places you can visit right in San Pedro. The Battleship Iowa museum is just a few berths away. You can walk along the waterfront in the Ports of Call shop area down to the fish market. You can walk up to 6th St. to pick up some wine or other supplies. I would suggest Super Shuttle, or Prime TIme to transfer to the pier.

[hobo1937]

We also live in Las Vegas and no way would we take an 11:20 flight to LA for a cruise leaving that day. The earlier flight the better or even better yet is come in the day before the cruise and stay at a hotel near the pier.

 

Another option is Jet Blue flies nonstop from Las Vegas to Long Beach. Long Beach airport is about the same distance as LAX to San Pedro but is a much smaller airport.

[VibeGuy]

In an UberX, it's a pretty consistent 40 minutes from closing the door on the drive at LAX terminal 5 or 6 and stepping onto the sidewalk at the cruise terminal - we make the trip several times a year and even if we have to get off the freeway and on to surface streets it has never taken us longer than 1:15, and that was traffic armageddon.

 

The challenge with Southwest into LAX is that all traffic inbound has to pass by Terminal 1, and it can be a little clogged then when you try to escape the airport (UberX and Lyft pick up from the Departures level, not the Arrivals level). Delta has recently moved into terminals 2 and 3, which has moved the clogging a little (T1/2/3 are now one mass of people).

 

All up, I am personally mostly comfortable with a 1:00 arrival into LAX. I would estimate you'd be in the car, having claimed checked luggage, by 1:45 and at the pier between 2:30 and 2:45 9 times out of 10. I can't predict how you'd handle being part of that 1 time.

 

DL allows a one-day refund policy - your TA should be able to refund the ticket at any time before the second midnight after the ticket purchase. I would be inclined to find a flight somewhere between those two times, or take the excellent advice of flying into LGB.

 

Do not fly into Orange County/SNA. you are guaranteed a longer ride between there and the pier than from LAX or LGB regardless of traffic.

[misscolina]

Thank you all for your quick responses. Probably should stick with what we have booked but i was a little concerned as to what we should do when we arrive so early into LAX but sknight has given us a few options, so thank you all, DH said we should have plenty of time with the Southwest flight but that's men all over, likes to live on a knife edge ....I knew by posting on here that I would receive the correct information.:D

[Pam in CA]

Stick with the early flight. I wouldn't take a later flight.

 

It's funny how people who don't live in the LA metro area say, "No problem. I do it all the time." Yet people who drive in the LA area say, "Nope, don't attempt it."

 

With the earlier flight, you'll arrive in San Pedro somewhere around 9:30am. You can drop off your luggage and relax while you wait for check-in to start which is usually between 10:30-11am. Boarding will start between 11:15am-Noon.

 

I live about an hour south of San Pedro and am leaving to go to dinner with friends about 20 miles north (closer to San Pedro.) Ordinarily a 25-minute drive. I expect it to take me at least an hour. Maybe longer. Welcome to California and the 405. It routinely takes me 40-45 minutes to drive 15 miles on the 405.

[ar1950]

In addition to Pam's point, you never know if something might happen at LAX. A couple of years ago we had a Hawaiian cruise leaving out of San Pedro. We flew in a day early because the people we were cruising with were coming from another location and the earliest they could get in was at 1:15PM. We didn't want to take a chance at making it to the port with a flight that late so, thus, arriving a day early. Everything was fine until their flight landed. There was a bomb scare in the terminal right after they got off the plane. By the time the police cleared the terminal and we got their luggage it was two and half hours later. If this had happened on the day of the cruise we would have missed it. Lesson learned, take the early flight. Not even mentioning that flights are sometimes delayed out of Las Vegas because of sand/dust storms (happens out of Phoenix occasionally as well).

 

Enjoy the Star to Hawaii. :D

[rljan]

We live in Vegas and we also fly Jetblue to Long Beach (LGB). I've never seen flights delayed in Vegas due to dust or sand, but coastal California airports can have stoppages due to fog. So, I would take an early flight or fly in the day before. Jetblue has hourly flights to Long Beach and it's an easy taxi ride to San Pedro. We avoid LAX if at all possible.

 

 

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[riclop]

Hi,

I need a little help, our UK TA has booked us on a Delta flight at 06.20am from LV to LA but we think this is far too early as the cruise leaves at 4pm. We are looking at flying with Southwest airlines at 11.20 arriving 12.35, do you knowledgable Americans think this would be do-able, there is an alternative with United 09.50 arriving 10.59 but this is more expensive and as the Delta flight ticket the TA has booked is non-refundable, we are looking at our options, also am I right that the cruise port is about 1 hour away from LAX airport, also what are the best options to get to the cruise port, taxi or super shuttle, many thanks x

With Delta you never know what goes wrong so better early than late.