Long Beach Port, Hotel Options

[Sun4Me2Please]

Sailing out of Long Beach next year..... Looking for people who have sailed out of here and if they have a favorite hotel to stay at before Embarkation?

need some pros and cons to ones you have used. Shuttle Options to and from port as well. We will be flying into LAX on Thursday and Embark on Saturday. I like to use Marriott Brands alond with SPG, but we are open to others.

[1025cruise]

You might want to post on the West Coast Departures Board.

[klfrodo]

It's more expensive but stay down in the port/tourist area.

I stayed at a Holiday Inn on Atlantic and listened to police sirens and gun shots all night.

[Sun4Me2Please]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

You might want to post on the West Coast Departures Board.

Where do I find that at?

 

Thanks

[Garth2]

12 minutes ago, Sun4Me2Please said:

Where do I find that at?

 

Thanks

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

 

We usually fly in to LAX because of the fares and flight availability and use Prime Time Shuttle.

[ShakyBeef]

My parents are going on the upcoming Journeys Hawaii cruise and are staying on the Queen Mary the night before sailing.  Although they have not done this before, they are excited about it and really looking forward to it.

[fabby50]

Grew up in Huntington Beach, right next to Long Beach.  Queen Mary hand's down.  If you can swing it, come in early and tour the ship, have a great dinner, depending on day of departure they have a great brunch.  The Russian sub is interesting too.  If you are staying on the Queen Mary, you have access to areas tour participants do not.  They used to have an early Carnival check-in agreement where you took your luggage over early, not sure with the new port upgrades if they still do that, but the hotel should be able to tell you.  they have all kinds of musical events there, so depending on when you're staying, you might have several venues with entertainment the night you're there. 

[tango55]

courtyard marriot on 1st ave.close to von's, beach and aquarium.

[jimbo5544]

56 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

My parents are going on the upcoming Journeys Hawaii cruise and are staying on the Queen Mary the night before sailing.  Although they have not done this before, they are excited about it and really looking forward to it.

Echo SB's recommendation of the QM.  We took large group and stayed on her.  Right next door, gets the cruise juices flowing early,

[N7786W Flyer]

4 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Echo SB's recommendation of the QM.  We took large group and stayed on her.  Right next door, gets the cruise juices flowing early,

 

I'll add my $.02 worth of agreement here as well.

 

When we sailed out of Long Beach on our Hawaii cruise in 2015, we stayed at the Queen Mary and it was great....as long as you realize you're staying on a ship and are aware that SOME of the rooms (and you get to choose if you want this option) are close to their original configuration and can be somewhat limited in their offerings...such as the miniscule...and I do mean miniscule...bathtub in our stateroom.

 

Also, as someone alluded to earlier, the staff gathered our bags and took them over to the ship for us the next morning, which was a great perk to the stay.

 

Garnett

[fabby50]

In the QM rooms we've stayed in, they kept the original plumbing features and added new ones beside them.  The tubs are very interesting with the wide top, narrowing to the bottom and the options of fresh or salt water on the old plumbing.  It's just all so quirky.  Love the bars on the QM, just everything about her.  We like art deco which I think adds to her appeal to us.  If you are staying there, they run a shuttle over to the marina area with the aquarium, lots of restaurants, the boardwalk, etc.  If you get to tour around the beach area of Long Beach, the beachfront homes have great architecture.

[jdemps]

We like the Hyatt Regency.  No shuttle that I'm aware of but it's like a$6 cab over to the port last time we went in 2017.  Walking distance to a lot of things and about a mile from the port.  Have a great trip!

[Bruin Steve]

11 hours ago, Sun4Me2Please said:

Sailing out of Long Beach next year..... Looking for people who have sailed out of here and if they have a favorite hotel to stay at before Embarkation?

need some pros and cons to ones you have used. Shuttle Options to and from port as well. We will be flying into LAX on Thursday and Embark on Saturday. I like to use Marriott Brands alond with SPG, but we are open to others.

 

Once more, let me give you my standard list (same advice I've been posting on the West Coast board for some time now...I think all the links are still good...and the advice still holds.):

 

There is a very limited area of Long Beach in which you want to stay...and, therefore, a limited number of hotels.

 

"A" List:  The BEST places to stay are the Hyatt Regency, Westin, Renaissance and Hyatt Centric at the Pike) …These put you right in the heart of the tourist area with very convenient walks to restaurants, shops and attractions and easy access to the free "Passport" shuttle...and those ARE the nicest hotels in town. Doesn't necessarily mean they are higher priced, though...and you can often get a real deal via Priceline...

https://longbeach.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.westinlongbeachhotel.com/

http://thepikelongbeach.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbrn-renaissance-long-beach-hotel/

 

"B" List:  Slightly further away, but still in decent walking distance, is the Hilton.  Just across the bridge (on the same side of the channel as the Carnival Pier) are the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown and the Maya Doubletree...

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hilton-long-beach-LGBLHHF/index.html

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hotel-maya-a-doubletree-by-hilton-LGBMYDT/index.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbri-residence-inn-long-beach-downtown/

 

"C" List:  Slightly outside the prime area and/or not necessarily the nicest hotels for one reason or another, but options if all else fails are the Marriott Courtyard and the Best Western Long Beach Convention Center...The Queen Mary is across the bridge ...and right next to the Carnival Terminal...however, I am not a big fan of the Queen Mary--unless you are on there for nostalgia's sake...It's not exactly a first class hotel by today's standards--the rooms are small, condition questionable, etc.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbcy-courtyard-long-beach-downtown/

https://www.bestwestern.com/content/best-western/en_US/booking-path/hotel-details.05642.html?propertyCode=05642&arrivalMonthYear=&arrivalDay=&departureMonthYear=&departureDay=&sob=C05&disablenav=false

http://www.queenmary.com/stay-aboard/stay-aboard/

 

Getting to ANY of these hotels from LAX, you'd either have to take a taxi, car service or a shuttle...Try Uber...or, for a shared shuttle, Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle's Execucar...From hotel to pier, some of these hotels may have free shuttles, but policies change time to time, so I would check individually with the hotel...All would be a very short taxi ride from the Carnival Pier...From the Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown or Queen Mary, one could even walk...LAX is 20 miles from the San Pedro World Cruise Center, 23 miles from the Carnival Terminal in Long Beach…could take anywhere from a half an hour to an hour depending on day, time and traffic…

 

One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing...

 

One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

 

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing...Long Beach runs a free shuttle service called the "Passport" which will take you all over the Downtown area:

http://www.lbtransit.com/services/passport.aspx

Edited March 22, 2019 by Bruin Steve

[JennPVMX]

On 3/21/2019 at 11:48 PM, Bruin Steve said:

 

Once more, let me give you my standard list (same advice I've been posting on the West Coast board for some time now...I think all the links are still good...and the advice still holds.):

 

There is a very limited area of Long Beach in which you want to stay...and, therefore, a limited number of hotels.

 

"A" List:  The BEST places to stay are the Hyatt Regency, Westin, Renaissance and Hyatt Centric at the Pike) …These put you right in the heart of the tourist area with very convenient walks to restaurants, shops and attractions and easy access to the free "Passport" shuttle...and those ARE the nicest hotels in town. Doesn't necessarily mean they are higher priced, though...and you can often get a real deal via Priceline...

https://longbeach.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.westinlongbeachhotel.com/

http://thepikelongbeach.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbrn-renaissance-long-beach-hotel/

 

"B" List:  Slightly further away, but still in decent walking distance, is the Hilton.  Just across the bridge (on the same side of the channel as the Carnival Pier) are the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown and the Maya Doubletree...

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hilton-long-beach-LGBLHHF/index.html

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hotel-maya-a-doubletree-by-hilton-LGBMYDT/index.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbri-residence-inn-long-beach-downtown/

 

"C" List:  Slightly outside the prime area and/or not necessarily the nicest hotels for one reason or another, but options if all else fails are the Marriott Courtyard and the Best Western Long Beach Convention Center...The Queen Mary is across the bridge ...and right next to the Carnival Terminal...however, I am not a big fan of the Queen Mary--unless you are on there for nostalgia's sake...It's not exactly a first class hotel by today's standards--the rooms are small, condition questionable, etc.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbcy-courtyard-long-beach-downtown/

https://www.bestwestern.com/content/best-western/en_US/booking-path/hotel-details.05642.html?propertyCode=05642&arrivalMonthYear=&arrivalDay=&departureMonthYear=&departureDay=&sob=C05&disablenav=false

http://www.queenmary.com/stay-aboard/stay-aboard/

 

Getting to ANY of these hotels from LAX, you'd either have to take a taxi, car service or a shuttle...Try Uber...or, for a shared shuttle, Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle's Execucar...From hotel to pier, some of these hotels may have free shuttles, but policies change time to time, so I would check individually with the hotel...All would be a very short taxi ride from the Carnival Pier...From the Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown or Queen Mary, one could even walk...LAX is 20 miles from the San Pedro World Cruise Center, 23 miles from the Carnival Terminal in Long Beach…could take anywhere from a half an hour to an hour depending on day, time and traffic…

 

One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing...

 

One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

 

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing...Long Beach runs a free shuttle service called the "Passport" which will take you all over the Downtown area:

http://www.lbtransit.com/services/passport.aspx

Have you ever looked at Hotel Current? The area or hotel itself? It seems to get good reviews for the most part, and price is 1/3 of some that I’ve looked at. 

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, JennPVMX said:

Have you ever looked at Hotel Current? The area or hotel itself? It seems to get good reviews for the most part, and price is 1/3 of some that I’ve looked at. 

 

Okay...Remember I said Long Beach is a BIG city?  Well, the Hotel Current is way on the other side of that city.  Depending on route taken, it's about 12 and a half miles by freeway...or 7 and a half miles by surface streets with a lot of traffic lights--from the Carnival port.

 

The hotel looks nice enough (I've never stayed there myself), but more like a motel than hotel...

 

The area is not bad (it's fairly safe and not unattractive) ...BUT there really isn't a whole lot nearby...though there are a couple of restaurants and you're only a few blocks from the Cal State Long Beach campus...other than that, it's just on a major thoroughfare fronting a massive slice of suburbia.  It's okay, I guess, if you've driven to Long Beach and are taking advantage of a park and ride deal and just want a place to sleep for the night and stash your car (though it's a long shuttle ride to the port and back and you'll waste some time waiting for their shuttle)...and, since you have your car, you can go out and do things--like find a restaurant, a drive from the place...

 

But, if you are arriving by plane and have time on your hands the day before and want to feel like you are on vacation--go see a thing or two, have a nice walk by the waterfront, have a choice of restaurants, etc. it's not going to be that enjoyable...and not that convenient to the port.  You might as well stay up near the airport in El Segundo...or on the way down in Torrance...You'd have choices which are roughly similar and about the same distance from the port...

[skrufy]

We stayed at the Queen Mary and had a wonderful time. Your sent back in time staying on board. We had dinner and the early Buffett prior to boarding the ship.  The food was delicious. Walking across the parking with a hotel porter taking our luggage to the cruise drop off area was a pleasure.

[tksauter]

Hotel Maya.  They do a Park n Cruise package, and its a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the ship, or they will drive you in their van.  Water front, with a beach vibe and great pool.

[naxer]

On 3/21/2019 at 4:51 PM, jdemps said:

We like the Hyatt Regency.  No shuttle that I'm aware of but it's like a$6 cab over to the port last time we went in 2017.  Walking distance to a lot of things and about a mile from the port.  Have a great trip!

 

We like the Hyatt Regency too, because we like to walk around town and try out the different restaurants and bakeries and things.  Long Beach has a neat vibe to it and has some cool foodie options.  My cruise buddy has a knack and some kind of an app for finding holes in the wall with exceptionally good food.  Since we fly in, we also buy our wine for the cruise after we're in the port city.  We considered the Maya and QM, but decided being near shops and restaurants was a higher priority for us than nearness to the ship.  But it's still pretty close--on our return we stayed at the Hyatt again, and the taxi took us off meter from the port to the Hyatt for $5--his idea.

Edited March 27, 2019 by naxer
further explanation

[cruiseguys2009]

This April, we are sailing on The Royal Princess and arriving two days before sailing, on a Thursday.  We booked The Queen Mary for two nights for nostalgia reasons and it's proximity to the entertainment district of which they also have a shuttle from and back to the hotel. 

 

There is no shuttle from The Queen Mary to the San Pedro World Cruise Center where The Royal Princess sails from, so we intend to take Uber ($15) to the ship.  The only cruise ships that sail out of the Pier next to The Queen Mary are "Carnival" specific ships. 

[Sun4Me2Please]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks for all the great advice! I think we will look at the Marriott, I tend to like the perks, and have used them for many years. I was not sure how the Residence Inn would be but see it is on a list of ok area to be in. The QM sounds cool as well, but I think being on a ship for 7 days is enough ship for me. Again thanks for all the heads up, advice and links provided ! I love the the cruising network that this site has to offer.