Princess LAX shuttle to San Pedro - Is it always a zoo?

[cjpj]

I've heard the Princess transfers from LAX to the San Pedro port are notoriously bad. Slow, not enough people for those booked, getting to the port hours after sailaway, etc., etc. I usually just Uber as it is cheaper than the shuttle.  One was included with my fare, but I'm considering canceling it and doing Uber. Just thought it would be nice to hop on the bus and not see my luggage again until it hits the room. I'm not in any rush to get on board - no Sanctuary on the ship, so don't need to try and beat the masses to book that. Please let me know your experience with the LAX shuttle. Oh, and by the way, this will be Thanksgiving Sunday.

[CruiserBruce]

Not getting there until hours after sail away? Really? Love more details about that. That would be a massive failure, if true.

[lx200gps]

11 hours ago, cjpj said:

I've heard the Princess transfers from LAX to the San Pedro port are notoriously bad. Slow, not enough people for those booked, getting to the port hours after sailaway, etc., etc. I usually just Uber as it is cheaper than the shuttle.  One was included with my fare, but I'm considering canceling it and doing Uber. Just thought it would be nice to hop on the bus and not see my luggage again until it hits the room. I'm not in any rush to get on board - no Sanctuary on the ship, so don't need to try and beat the masses to book that. Please let me know your experience with the LAX shuttle. Oh, and by the way, this will be Thanksgiving Sunday.

When are you arriving at LAX, the day before or Embarkation Day? We are flying into LAX in a few days, and due to our late flight are staying at an LAX hotel. We are Ubering down to SP early the following morning. If you are doing the correct thing and, like us, arriving the day before, the Princess shuttle would be a horrible idea, per all the comments on another active thread on this very forum.  If you have elected to fly in the day of the cruise, then all bets are off and the dreadful Princess shuttle experience at least gives you a bit of insurance for late arrival.  We've done the Princess shuttle, albeit at other ports, and will never do that again.

[cjpj]

13 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

When are you arriving at LAX, the day before or Embarkation Day? We are flying into LAX in a few days, and due to our late flight are staying at an LAX hotel. We are Ubering down to SP early the following morning. If you are doing the correct thing and, like us, arriving the day before, the Princess shuttle would be a horrible idea, per all the comments on another active thread on this very forum.  If you have elected to fly in the day of the cruise, then all bets are off and the dreadful Princess shuttle experience at least gives you a bit of insurance for late arrival.  We've done the Princess shuttle, albeit at other ports, and will never do that again.

We are arriving the day before. With departures at 3 pm now, there are not any flight options if something goes wrong with an early morning flight. I'm going to cancel the transfers and Uber it.

[lx200gps]

26 minutes ago, cjpj said:

We are arriving the day before. With departures at 3 pm now, there are not any flight options if something goes wrong with an early morning flight. I'm going to cancel the transfers and Uber it.

Great choice. Ubering around LA is so easy, so many options and always minutes away.

[Bruin Steve]

My experience with cruise line transfers--everywhere--is that it's not that they miss the ship--they don't...It's that they depart on THEIR schedule, not yours.  So, you MAY wait around at the airport...or on the bus at the airport...until they collect enough passengers to fill the bus.  They don't care if you get to the ship later in the day...they actually want that...there is usually a lot of people trying to board early, so, arriving later eases their crowd at check in.  I would rather get out of the airport as quick as I can...and get to the ship and start relaxing earlier as well.  I want transportation that works on MY time.

 

I'd do Uber.  But know that, at LAX, you need to shuttle to the LAX-it lot--the pick-up lot for Uber, Lyft, taxis, etc.  Wait until you get there to call your Uber.

 

And, yes, most definitely, I AWAYS advise getting in at least the day prior.  Less stress, nicer vacation, easy disembarkation morning.

[lx200gps]

14 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

My experience with cruise line transfers--everywhere--is that it's not that they miss the ship--they don't...It's that they depart on THEIR schedule, not yours.  So, you MAY wait around at the airport...or on the bus at the airport...until they collect enough passengers to fill the bus.  They don't care if you get to the ship later in the day...they actually want that...there is usually a lot of people trying to board early, so, arriving later eases their crowd at check in.  I would rather get out of the airport as quick as I can...and get to the ship and start relaxing earlier as well.  I want transportation that works on MY time.

 

I'd do Uber.  But know that, at LAX, you need to shuttle to the LAX-it lot--the pick-up lot for Uber, Lyft, taxis, etc.  Wait until you get there to call your Uber.

 

And, yes, most definitely, I AWAYS advise getting in at least the day prior.  Less stress, nicer vacation, easy disembarkation morning.

...unless you're "Uber" rich and are OK with paying for the Uber Black versions, which IIRC are allowed to pickup at the terminals?

 

Since you are local, is there any movement on getting rid of LAX-It? Last I heard it was now possibly October 2024?

[Ashland]

16 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

...unless you're "Uber" rich and are OK with paying for the Uber Black versions, which IIRC are allowed to pickup at the terminals?

 

Since you are local, is there any movement on getting rid of LAX-It? Last I heard it was now possibly October 2024?

Where did you hear that....???

[njhorseman]

6 hours ago, Ashland said:

Where did you hear that....???

https://www.flylax.com/lax-it

 

THESE SERVICES STILL PICK UP CURBSIDE IN THE TERMINALS:
LYFT LUX BLACK & LYFT LUX BLACK XL
UBER BLACK & UBER BLACK SUV
LIMOUSINES, TOWN CARS & PRIVATE VEHICLES

[KeepCalmBearOn]

LAX-it was supposed to be a temp solution until the People Mover is completed.

[Bruin Steve]

Be wary of what you wish for.

First, the hope is that the Peoplemover will be operational "in time for the 2028 Olympics".

It will have only three stops within the terminal ring...then three more stops a bit to the east along 96th Street...One at the Metro Station, one at a large rental car area and a third at something called the "Intermodal Transportation Facility-West", a VERY LARGE parking structure, described here:

https://www.gatewayla.org/project-intermodal-transportation-facilities-itf-eastwest

 

Sure sounds to me like this will be the new location for Uber/Lyft, Taxis and other forms of ground transportation--so, even further from your terminal than LAX-it.

 

We've actually become accustomed to LAX-it...it's really not that bad...There are busues arriving constantly at every terminal and it makes it fairly easy to find your ride.  The peoplemover trains will only handle a certain number of passengers each and you'll have to walk to one of the three airport terminal area stations.