Post Cruise LA Excursion by NCL

[cfitch]

Has anyone taken the post cruise excursion offered by NCL in LA? Thoughts?

 

Rodeo Drive & LA, ending at airport

[zzdoug]

No, but reading that such a tour exists is breaks this native Angeleno's heart. I would be hard pressed to plan a less authentic Los Angeles experience than viewing Rodeo Drive out the window of a bus. How much time do you have and what is your budget and how much luggage will you have with you? Maybe we can crowdsource some better ideas for you. 

[cfitch]

There are 4 of us, we have to be at the airport by 6:30pm . We will have roughly 6 suitcases and 4 personal bags. 

 

I have looked at private tour options as well. I will scour the US Homeports thread to see if there are recommendations. 

[www3traveler]

Suggestion: book a "day room" at the NCL partnership hotel near LAX and take the NCL Hotel Shuttle from the ship to the hotel.  Then arrange a tour once you are at the hotel or just relax, have anice dinner before heading to th airport using the hotel shuttle.

[cfitch]

Do you know if I have to book through NCL for a day room to use my transfer?

[njhorseman]

51 minutes ago, cfitch said:

There are 4 of us, we have to be at the airport by 6:30pm . We will have roughly 6 suitcases and 4 personal bags. 

 

I have looked at private tour options as well. I will scour the US Homeports thread to see if there are recommendations. 

I can't personally recommend this tour because I haven't taken it, but Sunseeker Tours runs a tour that starts at San Pedro that will take you to LAX at its completion:

https://sunseekertours.com/our-tours/cruise-terminal-tours/

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by njhorseman

[njhorseman]

38 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

Suggestion: book a "day room" at the NCL partnership hotel near LAX and take the NCL Hotel Shuttle from the ship to the hotel.  Then arrange a tour once you are at the hotel or just relax, have anice dinner before heading to th airport using the hotel shuttle.

While NCL will have  a partner hotel at LAX I've not seen one instance of an NCL cruise ending in a US port (or perhaps anywhere) where you can be picked up by that hotel at the port. The shuttle is one way...from the hotel to the port for those who spent the night before the cruise at the hotel.

 

Luxury lines sometimes have this type of service, but not NCL or other mass market lines AFAIK, unless you've booked the post cruise hotel for an overnight stay through the cruise line.

Edited January 16, 2023 by njhorseman

[www3traveler]

5 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

While NCL will have  a partner hotel at LAX I've not seen one instance of an NCL cruise ending in a US port (or perhaps anywhere) where you can be picked up by that hotel at the port. The shuttle is one way...from the hotel to the port for those who spent the night before the cruise at the hotel.

 

Luxury lines sometimes have this type of service, but not NCL or other mass market lines AFAIK, unless you've booked the post cruise hotel for an overnight stay through the cruise line.

More than once in LA, I have taken the NCL shuttle from San Pedro directly to the partnership hotel.  I have also done it in Miami.

[cfitch]

I suspect it's NCL's shuttle versus the hotel shuttle?

[njhorseman]

3 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

More than once in LA, I have taken the NCL shuttle from San Pedro directly to the partnership hotel.  I have also done it in Miami.

OK...I'll bow to your personal experience. Did you have to buy a ticket from NCL?  Slip the driver a $20 bill? Show the driver a booking confirmation from the hotel?

Edited January 16, 2023 by njhorseman

[wally4ever]

I did the Rodeo Drive excursion.  It was interesting.  You do get an hour to wander around Hollywood and another to wander around the Rodeo Drive area.  I wouldn't plan a plane out of LA based around doing it again, but I consider it to have time better spent than an extra four hours at the airport would have been.

[www3traveler]

4 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

OK...I'll bow to your personal experience. Did you have to buy a ticket from NCL?  Slip the driver a $20 bill? Show the driver a booking confirmation from the hotel?

When I book a cruise, I purchase a package that includes the cruise fare, taxes and fees, pre and post hotels with the transfers.  When you disembark, you check in the the port people loading the buses, you and your luggage get on the correct bus and off you go.  For an older solo passenger, it works very well.

[zqvol]

4 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

When I book a cruise, I purchase a package that includes the cruise fare, taxes and fees, pre and post hotels with the transfers.  When you disembark, you check in the the port people loading the buses, you and your luggage get on the correct bus and off you go.  For an older solo passenger, it works very well.

Here is the key,  Post cruise hotel booked.

[njhorseman]

3 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

When I book a cruise, I purchase a package that includes the cruise fare, taxes and fees, pre and post hotels with the transfers.  When you disembark, you check in the the port people loading the buses, you and your luggage get on the correct bus and off you go.  For an older solo passenger, it works very well.

OK...you pre-booked a  cruise package that included hotel and transfers with your cruise, which is exactly what I was saying had to be done. That's not the same as just being able to board a shuttle back to the hotel because you booked a day room with the hotel, which is what you seemed to be suggesting.

[cfitch]

Do you know if I have to book through NCL for a day room to use my transfer?

[kdmbluerzr]

We did the post cruise via NCL, LA Rodeo Drive, Hollywood and Santa Monica Pier tour as well as the one that does a walking tour of downtown LA, Dolby Theater area. You have time and opportunity to have lunch along the way. Both were interesting and a decent way to burn time if you have an evening flight departure. The tour buses are very nice. They have all your luggage stored in the bus and that bus stays with your group and tour and then drops you off at LAX. It's conveinent.  Those tours end at LAX approx. 2:30ish. So you have plenty of time to have an early dinner at the airport if you want.