RCI Post cruise tours - thoughts on LA Highlights or Beach

[kimmi5207]

I'm planning to take a post cruise tour in LA, which will drop us off at the airport. Our flight does not leave until after 4pm, and with my teenage son, I wanted to avoid sitting in an airport for 5 or more hours.

 

I'm trying to decide between two post cruise tours offered by Royal Caribbean, and wondered if anyone had taken them before and had any reviews/thoughts on them.

 

The first is Los Angeles Highlights with airport dropoff (LA 05)

 

This includes a stop at the Music Center (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion). Olvera St, Hollywood Bowl, Mann's Chinese Theatre, a view of the Kodak center entrance, a drive thru Hollywood and Sunset strip, with a stop at the Farmers Market, before being dropped off at the airport.

 

1) If anyone has taken this tour, did you get out at each location? Or was it just 5 hours of sitting in the bus looking out the window? Was it mostly focused on the Hollywood strip, which we will have already seen?

 

I'm actually in LA for 2 days prior to the cruise with a car. I will probably have already seen Hollywood and I plan to have already visited the Farmers market also. Of course Universal Studios and the Hollywood/Highlands center, which is next door to the Kodak Theatre/Chinese theatre. So I'm wondering if there will be too much duplication. Some of the other things like Olvera St and Hollywood bowl are not in my current plans though.

 

 

The 2nd tour is Malibu, Santa Monica, & Beverly Hills with airport dropoff.

 

It says that we travel by way of San Diego Frwy to Santa Monica pier, view the coastline of Malibu, Santa Monica, Muscle Beach and Venice beach. Continue North of Pacific Coast Hwy towards Malibu, passing beachfront estates. Return to LA and onto Century City, passing thru 20th Century Fox Film Studios. A stop will be made on Rodeo drive for an opportunity to window shop for visit the boutiques

 

1) If anyone has even done this tour, do you get out and have any beach time? Or are you solely on the bus looking out the window at the beach?

 

2) Are you literally passing thru/driving by the Fox film studios, or do you actually stop and get to see anything?

 

Basically trying to figure out if this is just a bus ride around town, with 1 stop at Rodeo drive for shopping, which I can't afford! :eek:

 

When I arrive in LA before the cruise, we actually are driving to Santa Monica from the airport and spending a couple of hours there and at Venice Beach. Probably walking around, etc as we have to be at a taping of the late show and won't have time to shower and change before hand. I hate to pay for a tour that would basically be mostly a duplicate of what we've already done since we will be in a rental car prior to the cruise.

 

Any other possible post cruise tours that we could take upon arriving back on the cruise ship? It would need to us up at the port, and drop us back off at the airport. Not interested in renting a car again. The ship's tours are actually pretty affordable, considering that it drops us off at the airport and I don't have to pay for a shuttle or cab.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

When I arrive in LA before the cruise, we actually are driving to Santa Monica from the airport and spending a couple of hours there and at Venice Beach. Probably walking around, etc as we have to be at a taping of the late show and won't have time to shower and change before hand. I hate to pay for a tour that would basically be mostly a duplicate of what we've already done since we will be in a rental car prior to the cruise.

Hey kimmi!

I remember your original thread from before (we should bring it back up again)...

And I really don't think that on that first day you are actually going to have time to spend those couple of hours in Santa Monica/Venice Beach.

 

You have tickets to a talk show. You NEED to get there EARLY and wait in line, otherwise you won't get in - the seats will be gone.

What is the point of doing this whole trip, and having talk show tickets - then not having any seats left by the time you get there?

 

Don't take the chance in your timing. Get in your car, and drive immediately to the taping. Get in line. Make sure you get a seat.

Better to do that, and make sure you get in the show; rather than take a chance with a couple hours at the beach and then miss it.

 

Then, take the tour that does the beach thing after. Or at another time in your trip.

Makes much more sense.

 

Regarding the Fox Studios - you're probably just driving by...

on Pico Blvd on your way back to the airport.

 

No one can drive through very easily, the roads in there are tight, even for a car - as you have to actually drive through outdoor street sets to get through.

Also what day is it? They're not open on the weekends...

[kimmi5207]

Thanks! I think I will take your advise regarding that Friday:).

 

I'm going to go straight to Universal area after leaving the airport instead of going by the beach. My teenager is actually really looking forward to the taping of the show (he's hoping to be in one of those occasional audience shots ;)) so I would hate to arrive too late for tickets. We can go ahead and check into the hotel, which is on that side of town.

 

Actually, we have 2 day Universal theme park tickets. I've already purchased them because someone on cruise critic posted a link to get $10/off per ticket. So we may just go ahead and go to the theme park on that Friday after checking in at the hotel - that way we will already be there and can go get in line at the appropriate time (rather than worrying about traffic, directions, etc and missing out!). Also, after the taping, we could probably visit Universal City Walk for the evening. Anything we don't do there Friday we can catch for a few hours on Saturday morning, before doing some other activities.

 

We could even travel down to the beach Saturday afternoon or evening, if I switch things around in this manner.

 

Thanks again for your great advice. I just totally changed my plans but I think that will be less stressful in the long run. I tend to over plan, as you may have noticed!

 

a couple of other question -

 

Originally I thought I could bypass the 405 if I went to the beach first, upon leaving LAX. Since I'm not going to the beach, what would be the best way to get over to Universal without hitting the 405, and what would be the approximate drive time (Friday afternoon around 10:30 am)

 

It says to get there no later than 3:30 for the tickets. Is 2:30 early enough? Should I get there even earlier?

 

The post cruise tour is on a Sunday. So that studio would be closed.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

If you are in that early on Friday, just get in the rental car and head up the 405. You will be fine.

 

I drive it every Friday (I'm about to hop in the car and do it now); and I just try to get on the road before 2 PM.

After that it's a mess!

 

Check into your hotel, and I'm guessing you're seeing The Tonight Show with Conan at Universal?

Or what show are you seeing?

 

Just get in line. ASAP. If it's a good guest, there will be people in line since 10 AM - just to give you perspective.

In this case, it's better to be way too early, than too late and miss it.

 

Get in the car. Get to the hotel. Get to the line. ASAP.:D

There will be plenty of things open, and plenty to do afterwards.

Universal is easy to hop on a few things here and there - whenever you show up (I have a season pass, so if I'm in the area I do that).

 

Saturday, take a tour/Hollywood/Universal whatever in the morning.

You can beach it pretty easily in the afternoon.

Things will be happening until dusk, so a couple of hours before that gives you time.

 

Now I gotta run and hop on the 405! Be back next week.:cool:

 

 

[kimmi5207]

Wow, 10am! Okay, that gives me some perspective! I checked online a couple of days ago, and I could only find the guest lists for this week (and of course, people I wanted to see were there this week!). Hopefully next week's guest list will be on the website tonight.

 

So hop on the 405, check in to the hotel, and head over to Universal to get tickets and hang out is my new plan.

 

Thanks again!

[svetty]

I am in a very similar boat actually, we have decided to arrive into LA on Friday and do random stuff like going to Universal and such but our return flight on sunday is at 11pm, so we have an entire day in LA, i was thinking maybe taking one of the tours from the ship - since it does a drop off at the airport, but then again what will we do at the airport for another 5 hours?? Maybe just leave the luggage and head back to explore?

I would love to hear about the tours provided by the ship , and if there are any other tours that would pick us up from the port and then drop off in the airport!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I just checked tvguide.com (tv listings) for next week, and the guests aren't listed yet. But I would definitely agree with Curt that you shouldn't wait to 2:30 to get into line. Especially as this is Conan's first month in LA. And especially as school's out (high school kids who can pass for the minimum age of 16, as well as college kids). Should be a popular (free) fun thing to do. If there's a hot group playing, expect that age group to line up extremely early.

 

If you're bringing cameras, cell phones, etc.,it's a good idea to label them well as they will be collected before you can enter the theater.

 

I wouldn't count on a beach day the week after next. Right now, our typical June gloom mornings are lasting all day, even up here by the mountains. It could change (and probably will) by the time you get here, but the water at the beaches may still be too cold.