Seeking Input/Advice from Long Beach Regulars

[Normal 1]

Sailing in February, 2023 on Carnival Panorama.  Have sailed from here 1 other time several years ago.  Current party is 4 seasoned (young at heart).  Will likely fly from midwest into LAX on Friday mid day for Saturday cruise.  (LAX due to one of the couples preferring direct flights rather than having connections).  

 

Current options for hotels in Long Beach are limited (believe only a few have totally released February for booking).  Considering staying at Hampton Inn Hermosa Beach (reasonable rate/good reviews).  Seems to be lots of restaurant options within a short walk.  My questions are:

• Is this a safe area for 4 60+ aged folks to walk? (realizing, we need to always be aware of our surroundings, etc.)  Thinking it might be an option for a Friday afternoon arrival to LAX
• What would you suggest for transportation from LAX to Hampton?
• From Hampton to Port?

Next, post cruise considering spending a few days in San Diego doing the Zoo and Sea World.  

• Best transportation for 4?  Car Rental?  We would then fly home from San Diego.
• Is it an 'easy' drive from Long Beach to San Diego?  (I have Chicago driving experience)
• February Hotel Costs - doable on a $150-$200 nightly budget near Zoo and Sea World?
• Is 1 day at each park enough to see most animals?  (or are we crazy for trying to cram so much into the trip?)

 

Appreciate the input from the regulars who post here.  You always have good suggestions/advice.  

[pkster]

25 minutes ago, Normal 1 said:

Considering staying at Hampton Inn Hermosa Beach (reasonable rate/good reviews).  Seems to be lots of restaurant options within a short walk.  My questions are:

• Is this a safe area for 4 60+ aged folks to walk? (realizing, we need to always be aware of our surroundings, etc.)  Thinking it might be an option for a Friday afternoon arrival to LAX

Yes, I'd say Hermosa Beach is about as safe as you can get in the Los Angeles area.  Anything near the beach in the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance) would be fine choices.

 

25 minutes ago, Normal 1 said:

Next, post cruise considering spending a few days in San Diego doing the Zoo and Sea World.  

• Best transportation for 4?  Car Rental?  We would then fly home from San Diego.
• Is it an 'easy' drive from Long Beach to San Diego?  (I have Chicago driving experience)

 

Yes, a car rental would likely make the most sense.  It's not a complicated drive from Long Beach to San Diego -- take the I-405 south and continue south after the I-405 merges with the I-5 in Orange County (note there is quite a bit of construction on the I-405 through the north part of Orange County, but nothing to be really concerned about unless you're in the far left carpool lane and not comfortable without a shoulder on that side).  That being said, depending on the day/time, you could encounter traffic all the way down to San Diego.  With little or no traffic, you're looking at a two hour drive.  With heavy traffic, you might have to double that.

Edited April 1, 2022 by pkster

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Hermosa Beach would not be my first choice, it would my fourth; with Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance being 1 thru 3. In Manhattan Beach check rates at the Belmar and Best Western Plus Manhattan Beach. In Redondo check the Redondo Beach Hotel, Sonesta and Holiday Inn Express. For Torrance, the DoubleTree, Marriott Torrance and Extended Stay America.

 

Torrance isn't as nice as Manhattan or Redondo, but these three hotels are next to the Del Amo Mall, which gives you a lot of places to eat, stores for last minute needed items and it is a safe area.

 

I'd recommend using Uber SUV at LAX since they can pick up curbside and handle all four of you.

 

For San Diego, yes driving is the best. Look at the Old Town Inn and Holiday Inn Express Old Town, maybe La Pensione in Little Italy.

[Bruin Steve]

I pretty much agree with Scott across the board here...On that Pre-cruise one night, it depends a lot on what you want...Manhattan Beach is the nicest of the towns--walkable and lots of trendy little eateries.  Torrance is not really a beach town--inland and most noted for the large shopping mall, but lots of hotel choices with reasonable prices.

 

Agree on Uber--and, for four with curbside pick-up, get the UberSUV...and rent a car to go to San Diego--it's an easy drive by freeway.

 

On the Old Town Inn:  We stayed there this past late December.  Very nice little hotel with friendly, helpful management...very reasonably priced including breakfast...The area has a few homeless people nearby, but they are harmless...my wife and I had no issues walking around there--to Old Town and back even at nights after dinner.  If you're not using a car, there is a major trolley station about a block away with connections all over the area.  Old Town is a touristy little area with lots of shops and restaurants.  Very good choice if on a budget.  If you have a car, parking is free and ample. 

[pkster]

18 hours ago, Normal 1 said:

Considering staying at Hampton Inn Hermosa Beach (reasonable rate/good reviews).  Seems to be lots of restaurant options within a short walk.

I wouldn't necessarily let the comments above sway you away from Hampton Inn Hermosa Beach.  Yes, it's on the east side of PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), which is a busy street.  However, as long as you're in OK shape, it's a 0.7 mile walk down Pier Ave. to the Hermosa Pier and the Strand.  Note that it is a little bit of a downhill walk to the pier, but nothing too crazy.  There are plenty of shops and restaurants along the way, as well as at the pier at the end of Pier Ave.  If you're there on a Friday or Saturday night, the nightlife at the pier is definitely on the younger side.  The pier and Strand (a paved and flat walking/biking path that runs right along the beach) is a great place to catch the sun setting over the ocean.

 

Regarding Manhattan Beach, yes, if you're staying downtown (adjacent to the pier), it's the nicest/trendiest/most walkable area.  You're going to pay accordingly for staying right there though.  If you choose to stay in Manhattan Beach along PCH, it's a longer and more downhill walk to the Manhattan Beach downtown/pier area though.  The same Strand that I mentioned above continues through Manhattan Beach.  It's a 1.7 mile walk on the Strand between the Hermosa and Manhattan piers.

[Normal 1]

Thank you all for your input.  After discussing San Diego with travel mates, they would rather do these sights during a future cruise (departing from San Diego).  So we need just figure out the one-night Pre Cruise and you have given me plenty to further research/consider.  Very much appreciate you folks.  

 

Scott and Steve I recognize from my prior cruise research from 2018.  Glad you are still around providing your insight!  

 

One last question....  And, I believe the answer will be Uber SUV - Will this be the best option for getting from pre-cruise hotel to Carnival Port?  We will be picking one of the prior suggested hotels.  None of us has ever 'done' Uber before so more to learn.  We are getting pretty tech savvy for 'oldsters'! 

 

Once again......  THANK YOU for your replies!   

[Bruin Steve]

3 hours ago, Normal 1 said:

One last question....  And, I believe the answer will be Uber SUV - Will this be the best option for getting from pre-cruise hotel to Carnival Port?  We will be picking one of the prior suggested hotels.  None of us has ever 'done' Uber before so more to learn.  We are getting pretty tech savvy for 'oldsters'! 

I've pretty much gone to using Uber as first choice just about everywhere...We'll be using it at the end of this month to go from home all the way down to San Pedro for our cruise ...and we will use it again when we fly back to LAX after the cruise...

 

It has a lot of advantages over other forms of ground transportation.  First, the prices tend to be very reasonable--less than a taxi, less than cruise line transfers, less than shared shuttles.  You get your own vehicle/driver door-to-door.  You get a known price when you book it.  You get told immediately your driver's name, what type of vehicle plus color and license plate number.  You get a tracker so you can see exactly where he/she is and know what time they will arrive...even see exactly where they are turn-for-turn.   The app is fairly easy...You download it, enter your information and credit card information.  When you need a ride, you input the address to which you want to go...and it gives you prices and choices (UberX, UberXL, Handicapped, etc.)...Only thing to watch here is that, from LAX, which service you choose dictates whether you meet it at the curb by baggage claim or if you have to walk or catch a shuttle to the LAX-it lot (For us, we always do UberX or XL as we don't mind going to the LAX-it lot--which is right next to Terminal1).

 

The driver knows exactly where to pick you up as your cell phone is a location tracker...Your fare is charged directly to the credit card you entered on the app.  They email you after the trip--and you can add a tip at that time.  Never have to pull out your wallet or hand anyone your credit card.

 

Note that prices may vary minute to minute...if there is high demand, the price may show as higher...Sometimes, when I think it's way too high, I wait five minutes and try again...though it might even go higher...but, often, keep checking and you find a lower price.

 

Then, just watch the tracker and you will see your driver pull up right on schedule. 

[lost4sure]

Hello Bruin Steve,

 

I am new to uber as well.  How much is the average tip on uber on an average ride? 

 

[Bruin Steve]

12 hours ago, lost4sure said:

I am new to uber as well.  How much is the average tip on uber on an average ride? 

It's really up to you...Uber, originally, didn't have tipping.  If you watch the series currently running on Showtime ("Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber" starring Joseph Gordon Levitt), you'd see how opposed to the concept the founder was.  But a lot of people, accustomed to tipping taxi drivers, did it in cash anyways...and, since the drivers were so, underpaid and pushed for it as a way to up their income, the Board finally pushed it through.  I do it similar to how I would tip a taxi driver--usually around 15-20% of the total fare...so, say it's a $30 ride, I add $5.

 

BTW, the app also asks you to rate the driver when you do this...

 

BTW also, if you watch that Showtime series, the founder, Travis Kalanick (a fellow UCLA Bruin), also comes across as an egotistical jerk and the show focuses on the allegations of sexual harassment at Uber corporate...but, if you're concerned about that, know that, largely due to that, Kalanick resigned as CEO of Uber back in 2017 and sold his stake in the company and is no longer involved.  OTOH, nobody feels sorry for Kalanick, he's now worth $2.8 Billion...  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

15 hours ago, lost4sure said:

Hello 'ruin Steve, I am new to uber as well.  How much is the average tip on uber on an average ride?

 

I don't tip a percent, I tip what feels right. $5 for a $30 Uber ride sounds about right, but $1.50 for a $10 ride doesn't. I seldom tip less than $3 for an Uber ride. I also judge by work done. LAX to San Pedro and he helps with our bags, I am topping him $10.

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

I don't tip a percent, I tip what feels right. $5 for a $30 Uber ride sounds about right, but $1.50 for a $10 ride doesn't. I seldom tip less than $3 for an Uber ride. I also judge by work done. LAX to San Pedro and he helps with our bags, I am topping him $10.

Scott, I actually agree...If I were taking a very short ride, I'm likely rounding up considerably...And, yes, as with everything else, I tip extra for extra service provided...Tips for ANYTHING should be based on service compared to the baseline of the standard expected in the industry...Same reason I tip quite a bit extra to the waiters who serve me in RCCL's Diamond Lounge or Celebrity's Elite drinking hours--because of extra service provided...and I'll add a few dollars to ship wait staff who go out of the way--like the assistant waiter on a Celebrity ship a few years back who brought Sushi to our table every dinner...

 

Likewise, if service is really poor, I might cut back on the tip...but I have almost never done that on an Uber ride...Maybe once...I went a little under the 15% level for the guy who nearly got us into 2 or 3 accidents on the way and constantly wove in and out of lanes at high speeds, infuriating my wife...She actually wanted me to not tip him at all...but I couldn't bring myself to that...

 

Largely, we've had excellent drivers with Uber...

[lost4sure]

Thank you  Bruin Steve and Scottca075 for your information. 

Always appreciated,

Grace  

[Normal 1]

Thanks again everyone!  Truly appreciate your assistance!

 

Karen