Bruin Steve

Here's the deal: YES, it is a VERY unusual storm for us...That's because the average YEARLY rainfall in Los Angeles is only about 11 inches. And over the past decade or so, about 80% of the years can only be classified as "extreme drought". We've had several years with only 5 or 6 inches of rain. We've been forced to NOT water our lawns...turning them into dead, brownyards. So, THIS much rain IS a major story here. And, yes, there ARE places around here where there is a little "flooding". But it's not like flooding one sees in other parts of the world where whole houses are washed away. And, in a city this large, you can find plenty of places where someone's hillside has been undermined or a normally dry street looks like a river for a small distance. But, again, it's NIT extensive. But, since it's such a big story here, the news stations send reporters and camera crews to the worst instances...and those "stories" have made it to gthe national news. But, for MOST of us...even those like me-who live in the areas with the most rainfall...it's really just rain. No flooding, no mudslides. Just bring an umbrella when you walk outside...and drive a little slower because roads are slick. Normal life for most of the rest of you. But, here in SoCal, people just have no idea what all this wet stuff is or why it appears to be falling from the sky. And, there really is ZERO impact for areas like San Pedro, Long Beach, LAX, LGB...even Burbank has seen just ordinary rain. There's nothing that would keep airplanes from landing or taking off and nothing that would keep your cruise ship from embarking or disembarking. If your travel plans included walking the Venice Beach Boardwalk or doing some hot air ballooning today, you may want to rethink that...maybe visit a museum today and visit Venice Beach tomorrow. Winds have been 10-15 mph. This is NOTHING like, say, hurricanes in Florida. Our worst weather day in SoCal is the equivalent of a good day in Miami!

Here's today's report (with a lot of numbers) from the LA Daily News: Rain map: Here are the wettest spots in Los Angeles County – Daily News The town next to me, Topanga, reported 11.94 inches of rain...BUT, the areas you need to be concerned with? In that same period, LGB Airport reported 2.21 inches of rain...West Long Beach shows (on the map) 2.75 inches...Point Vicente, near San Pedro, shows a mere 1.19 inches of rain... ...And those numbers were all yesterday. The storm looks to be just about passed this morning. By next Monday? According to Accuweather.com ZERO rain: https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/long-beach/90802/daily-weather-forecast/347631?day=7

Flip a coin? Very similar. Do you want to rack up Hilton points? Or Marriott Bonvoy points? Maybe find which restaurant you'll likely eat at and pick the one with the shorter walk? This is a large shopping mall area. The Doubletree is West of the mall across the street, the Marriott is North of the mall across the street. Unless you have a specific liking for one chain or the other, you probably would not see a difference.

A little update: I live in a town that is one of the more susceptible areas to impact from a storm. We are atop the Santa Monica Mountains, inland from the coast at Malibu. Several canyon roads wind through these mountains. During "fire season", this is the area most often impacted from wildfires--so, during the rainy season, it's also where there is the most danger from mudslides, etc. Also, since clouds get stopped by the higher mountains, we might get a little more rain than most. The City just sent out an email to residents with the latest update: "Car v. power pole at Mulholland Highway and Canyon Drive in the Highlands. SCE says the intersection will be closed all night as crews make repairs. Please avoid the area. Close to seven inches of rain has fallen on Calabasas in the last two days. More on the way tonight through tomorrow Partial clearing Wednesday. Some mud and rocks have been cleared from roadways but, so far, no major damage in our city." So, basically, we've been hit with a LOT of rain...and the area in the highest mountain canyons have been hit by a minor amount of rocks and mud --which has been easily cleared away by city crews--as well as being inconvenienced by one stupid driver who hit a power pole. Other than that, yeah, it's been raining...but for me and most of my neighbors, everything is just very normal...but wet. I did have some dead fronds off one of my palm trees fall off and into my pool. And, yes, I've seen tape on some news stations showing a little minor "flooding" in some areas--but realize that those incidents are actually quite rare. Most of the warnings here just tell folks not to drive if you don't need to and consider not driving into the canyons and avoiding driving in areas that look to have a little standing water. Still haven't seen a single story where the harbor areea is impacted or cruise ships have been impacted.

Okay...remember, this is Southern California. On an average year, we get 11 inches of rain...for the entire year. It's BIG news--"Major Storm" when we get 2 or 3 inches...We get "Flood Warnings", "High Surf Advisories" and the like. Like we are seeing now. They advise people to go get sand bags and protect their property. Not becaise it rains so much, but because it usually NEVER rains. The rest of the year, it's incredibly dry. So, in areas like where I live--in the Santa Monica Mountains--we get brush fires during the long dry season. And, when hillsides burn, it leaves them without the vegetaion and root systems that keep the soil in place. So, in many areas, musdslides become a concern. That's what WE worry about when we say "floods". it's not like parts of the world where rivers overflow and low-lying land is under several feet of water. That doesn't happen here. Our "rivers" are usually dry or nearly dry. (I used to have an office virtually hanging over the Santa Ana River in Orange. I once told that to someone I was doing business with back east and they asked "So, can you take a boat to work?" I laughed and replied, "Yeah...if my boat has WHEELS!" Anyway, our "major" rivers were long ago "channelized"...Cement walls, bike paths, jogging trails. Yesterday, in San Pedro, they got 0.4 inches of rain. Today, they predicted 0.29 inches today...and a deluge--1.36 inches tonight...between the two, it's expected to rain for 12 hours...which means it won't rain the other 12. In most of the world, that's not a storm...it's just "normal". I haven't heard of any ships being affected...but, if I had to guess, it might be a little rocky at times.

I've been on 70 cruises...and even some that have allegedly docked that early...BUT I cannot remember a single cruise that started off-loading passengers earlier than 7:00-7:30...One thing in your favor here is that the port prior to disembarkation, you're already back in Japan. Even so, I would NOT attempt 11:00 am. Getting to Haneda will take at least a half an hour, Narita at ltast an hour and a half (and that's by car, public transportation takes a LOT longer)...and that is WITHOUT traffic...which, in Tokyo, can be bad. And figure you may need time to gather your luggage, you need time to walk off the ship and to wherever you catch your transportation ...and you need to check in, check your luggage, make it through security and gt to your gate. I just would not book anything until after noon for HND...or before 2:00 pm for NRT.

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.

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.

Both the Crowne Plaza and the Doubletree offer Park and Cruise hotel rates--you get a room for the night and it includes parking for the length of the cruise. Whether or not it works out cheaper than parking at the pier depends on what rate you get--as rates vary over time. We've had it where the room and parking at the CP cost us within about $20 of just parking at the pier. We've also booked the DT with Hilton points at a rate which didn't include parking--but we asked the hotel and they said they'd allow us to park for free. But, at times, the rates can also be much higher. The Parking at the CP is VERY secure. It's in th ebasement of the hotel. At the DT, the parking is in am open lot in front of the hotel...but the hotel is in a quiet area away from downtown--an area with a much lower crime rate..so, perhaps a litle safer. But we've never had a problem leaving our car at the pier or at either hotel.

The parking lot is RIGHT THERE. But, you can easily drop off the bags and circle round and park...Or, you can always pull into the lot, see if you can find a spot real close...and, if you can't, pull up near the opening between the lot and terminal and drop off your spouse and luggage, then go back and park and walk back to the opening and drag your bags from there. Either way, there's not much to worry about. We've always found a spot within walking distance...Though, of late, we've just Ubered to the pier and back from home.

Our five points showed up on our point history about a week ago...but weren't reflected in our total when logging in until yesterday! So, now, we're officially only 1,653 points from Zenith! After our May cruise, barring any additional free points, we'll be down to 1,521! If I can keep up this schedule, I just may get to Zenith before I'm 90, Of course, by then, Zenith perks will mean I get 1% off a drink package that allows any drink under $8 and a third load of laundry at 5% off! 😁

H10 Catalunya Plaza has an elevator...We've stayed there several times now...and LOVE IT. We've also stayed at the 1898, at thr Continental--also both near the Placa and both also have elevators. We've also stayed in other areas--the Hilton in the Financial district and the Gran Havana on Corts Catalans... and ALL have elevators. I think most higher end hotels in Barcelona have elevators. I'd queston any 1 or 2 star, B&B, Pension or Hostel...SOME might be walk-up, but any good hotel will have an elevator.

Were it me, I'm heading straight to San Pedro... You are getting in at 9:00 pm local time (yes, I know it feels like midnight to you)...It's going to take a little time to de-plane and get your luggage, them, either way, it will take a few more minutes to get your ride--whether it be Uber Black or an LAX hotel shuttle...so, say you'll be at one of the LAX hotels by around 10:00...or you'll ride the extra 20 miles to San Pedro and be there 10:30 (yes, zero traffic at that time)... If you are already at the CP in San Pedro, you can sleep in, relax in your room the next day as long as you want, have choices for breakfast, brunch or lunch and spend a leisurely day. But...if you're at LAX the next morning, you've got to wake up, check out of the hotel at an early hour...and,face a longer ride to San Pedro...where your room may not yet be ready.. So, I'd deal with that slightly later arrival in order to keep my following day simple and stress-free. JMHO.

Typically, I check various booking sites--usually via tripadvisor.com which checks multiple sites. Then I check the hotel's own website. In the end, most times, I find the hotel's own site is at least equal to the best deal... and that's who I book through--unless some outside site gives me a much better deal. Other rules/comments: I always try to book as early as possible... and always on a cancelable rate. Then I frequently check back to see if prices may have gone down... or if there were other choices, to see if any have better rates on the table from time to time. Always consider rates with breakfast but also check what the hotel's normal breakfast rates are. Always choose hotels for convi=enience--close to attractions, close to restaurants, close to transportation options. Never go by numerical ratings only--read the reviews... but remember, some people give good reviews to bad hotels because they have low standards...and some people give bad reviews to good hotels for reasons unconnected to the hotels (like an issue with the booking process or cancelation process or some rude agent they encountered while calling the hotel chain with a question). Read the reviews for comments regarding things important to you--location, room size, services provided, maintenance issues, etc. And also note that it's often worth it to pay a little more for a better hotel. Lowest price should not be a prime criteria...if it's about saving a few $$$ on a vacation that you are spending thousands on...

All depends on what you really want to do in each port. My comments are based on what WE have done while on port stops (we've visited all of these places many times...even lived in some). Astoria: It's a small town. You can walk around to shops and restaurants or to the Maritime Museum. Last visit, we took a nice excursion to the old Lewis And Clark fort and to the Astoria Column. Made for a nice visit. I've seen shorexes offered to Mt. St, Helens, but its a long ride for a port day. San Francisco: There is a lot walkable since it docks near Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39...but those are very touristy endless gift shops and restaurants...But you can also get Alcatraz and Harbor boat tours from there. When we stop there on our May Coastal, we'll likely wander around on our own. Might head to a good Dim Sum lunch (reachable by Cable Car, bus or Uber). Last visit, we took a great non-ship Winery Tour with an outfit called "Edge of the World Tours". Took us to four really good small wineries in Sonoma, free time for lunch in historic, picturesque Sonoma and in Sausalito. You could also take a shorex to Muir Woods. Santa Barbara (I used to live here and it's an hour from where I live now): The Downtown area is walkable...head up State Street from the tender dock. The Mission, Zoo and other attractions are a little further away. If I were stopping here, I would seriously consider some sort of winery tour up to the Santa Ynez Valley/Solvang area. Solvang is a touristy little Danish town. The San Marcos Pass to get there is quite scenic...and the wineries in this area are excellent. I would look for a local private tour provider for this. Ensenada: You can walk or take a shuttle to Downtown and shop for all sorts of junk...or eat tacos...or drink Margaritas. (The Margarita was invented here--at a bar called Hussong's Cantina). My thing EVERY time we visit over the past several years is to do the ship's shorex to the Guadalupe Valley for Wine Tasting. Avoid the Bufadora (the blowhole). Disappointing and crowded with pushy street vendors. San Diego (we used to have a beach house in La Jolla): Last couple cruise port stops (Princess last year, then Celebrity last month), we booked the shorexes to the Safari Park. BOTH times, both cruise lines, they canceled this shorex after we boarded the ship! Ended up going to the Zoo instead. It's a great zoo, but we really wanted to go to the Safari Park since we hadn't been in a while and it's pretty different. If you want to walk, the "Gaslamp District" is a few blocks away...but, again, it's basically shops and restaurants. Public Transportation is good, so you can also do the Zoo/Balboa Park on your own...or "Old Town"/the Mission, etc. You can also pick up Harbor tours, see an old Navy ship and such right near the pier. Los Angeles: Is this your disembarkation port? Note that the harbor is nowhere near most of the local attractions...You are 30 miles from Disney, Hollywood or Santa Monica--all in different directions, Hope this helps.

In May, we once again disembark in Vancouver...and, this time, we're just doing a cruise line shorex with airport drop-off. Bur our flight out is a little erlier than the OP this time. The one time we had a really late flight out, we did a tour with Landsea that dropped us at the airport around 6.... My advice to the OP is, if you can't arrange a reasonable private tour, do the one with Landsea...When you get to the airport, you can check in, go through security, then have a leisurely long dinner at an airport restaurant (assuming that's possible). You're going to be worn out from a full day touring...8 hours or so is enough...by that time, you're going to want to sit down, eat and relax...and you won't mind just sitting in the terminal and reading or playing with your cell phone...or napping. Don't have to fill every minute. JMHO.

I'd do at least two nights if you want some time to see a little. Santa Monica is great for just wandering around on foot. Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, Santa Monica Pier all right there and easily walkable. Venice Boardwalk is a long walk or a short Uber ride...or you can even take the bus (Santa Monica has its own bus line). OTOH, small live music venues are all over the city, but there are definite areas of concentration to the music scene. West Hollywood is the traditional center of the music world. The Troubador, the Roxy, the Whisky a Go Go, the Viper Room and more. Hollywood proper has some venues as does Downtown LA (though I, personally, wouldn't stay in Downtown and probably not Hollywood just for the night life...You can always just Uber there from elsewhere if you have a particular club you want to visit or show you want to see.. https://whiskyagogo.com/calendar/ https://troubadour.com/calendar/ https://www.theroxy.com/events https://www.viperroom.com/calendar.php

First, you need to realize that Greater Los Angeles is REALLY BIG. Very few metropolitan areas cover as much ground. It can take hours to get from one end of town to the other. The harbor area, which is fairly massive in its own right, is 20-25 miles south of LAX. Santa Monica (popular tourist destination) is 10 miles north of LAX and 30 miles north of San Pedro. Hollywood is 30 miles north of San Pedro and about 12-15 miles west of Santa Monica. Anaheim is about 30-32 miles east of San Pedro. When you factor in LA traffic, any of these places can be a time-consuming drive from where you may be staying...making comprehensive sight-seeing in a single day difficult...and ther is no "centrally-located" hotel area that makes sense. Therefore, most people stay near the sites they most want to visit and concentrate on those sites. Renting a car makes sense for multi-day visits since taxis and Ubers can get fairly expensive and public transit in LA is not well-suited for tourism. OTOH, renting a car cn even get somewhat difficult for many due to traffic and expensive and/or hard-to-find parking in many parts of town...and that issue of where to drop the car. As to sightseeing, that means different things to different people. Going to and amusement park--like Disneyland, Universal, Knott's or such would be a full day in itself. Staying near whatever park (Disney, for example) with a two night stay generally means choosing either staying near the port or near Disney and requires transportation either airport-port-Disney-port or airport-Disney-port. You save a step staying near Disney though overall cst may be somewhat comparable. If, by sightseeing, you mean the more typical visiting Hollywood (Sign, Grauman's Chinese, Walk of Fame, studios, etc.), many want to stay in Hollywood itself--but beware--lower cost hotels in Hollywood can be pretty seedy and in very dicey areas. If I were looking in Hollywood, I would stick to higher end hotels like the Loews or the Roosevelt--which can lso get fairly pricey...or stay nearby in Universal City or West Hollywood. The better area for tourists is Santa Monica--along the beach, near the Samta Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade. Best place to be if you are without a car. Lots of nice places to walk even at night, restaurants and a a very touristy LA vibe, Venice Boardwalk, Getty Museums and lots more a fairly short ride away...and all of the tour companies pock up at Santa Monica hotels for tours to the sights of Hollywood and rest of LA proper (Downtown, Beverly Hills, etc.)...and HOHO bus uses Santa Monica as a major hub...I always recommend this for longer multi-day visits. An alternative you have with a two night stay is to just stay in San Pedro (yes, the Crowne Plaza is ideal for location and the Douletree is nice as well) and to do an LA/Hollywood tour with Sunseeker Tours (the only major LA tour company located in the harbor area that does tour pick-ups in harbor area hotels) for your full-day Saturday tour. Welcome to LA. As you are finding out, it is a very espensive hotel town...and, believe it or not, San Pedro is usually one of the more reasonably priced areas. AND BE VERY WARY of "bargain-priced" hotels in the LA area--You are usually looking at some very BAD hotes and/or very undesirable locations. Cheap hotels are cheap for a reason. If you have a rental car and are willing to drive (and park), there are some alternative areas to look at though many of the more desirable locations will likely be even more expensive than San Pedro. So, if location is not that important to you (since you plan to have a rental car), as an alternative to San Pedro, take a look at Long Beach across the harbor--the Convention Center area--near Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, etc. (but, likely as expensive if not more) or look at Torrance, near the Del Amo Mall--halfway between LAX and San Pedro...often prices there are a bit lower and the area is okay and with lots of shopping and restaurants. Redondo Beach near King Harbor and pier is nice but may also be a bit pricier. You may have to drop everyone and luggage at the pier then return the car to LAX or either Long Beach or Torrance (beware of one-way charges) and just Uber back to the pier.

Have you ever been to Catalina Island? You're probably safer than in your back yard.Okay, maybe you aren't paying attention and get hit by a golf cart...maybe you have a beer at lunch with your fish and chips and you trip on the sidewalk and sprain an ankle. Google "Crime in Avalon" and you get this response: "Is there a crime on Catalina Island? Crime is so rare as to be nearly non-existent and Santa Catalina's unique geology protects it from most of Mother Nature's more violent outbursts. Nowhere, however, is completely devoid of danger and a bit of preparation can help make sure that you and your family survive any emergency."

Okay...So, I'm checking out shore excursions for a Los Angeles to Vancouver cruise I'm taking in May...and, I actually read these things...So, I note the new warning language that it looks like Celebrity has added to every tour description...I'm looking at a shorex on Catalina Island and come across the language: "This tour takes place in a foreign country where laws, regulations and business practices may vary from your home country. This could include significant differences in transportation mode and quality, infrastructure, regulations, and driving practices. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the associated risks and travel warning at travel.state.gov..." Wow! I guess Catalina Island has seceded from the United States! For those who don't know, last time I checked, Catalina was in California...a mere 26 miles from Los Angeles. They definitely speak English. They vote in US elections. They pay taxes to the IRS and the State of California. You don't need a passport. At least every other time I've visited. I guess I'll have to familiarize myself with their new regulations, customs and driving practices and read up on the new "significant differences"...Anyone know where I can find a copy of an English translation of the Catalina Island Laws and Codes? Too funny...

I think the OP is on NCL...so Pier 66. Seattle Marriott puts them very close...as does the Edgewater...But, depending on how much time they are spending and what else they may want to see or do, any Downtown hotel will be close by Uber/Lyft.

I've stayed at both... I like the Doubletree for its relaxing environment--but it is farther away from most restaurants and from the pier. Crowne Plaza is in a great location...Walking distance (if you want--about three blocks) to the pier...Lots of restaurants all around it. I recommend San Pedro Brewing Company or the Green Onion (Mexican)...both within less than a block from the CP. Lots of other choices as well. For you, I'd say the Crowne Plaza as well.

12:55 no problem...If you're nervous, ask for an earlier disembarkation time, you won't have to wheel off your own luggage unless you want to...Uber/Lyft would be my choice...Don't sit there while Princess fills up buses...Uber/Lyft will cost less and be easier/more efficient...Feb 6 is a Tuesday...but, even with a little rush hour traffic, you should have ample time...and your driver will know how to get around any blockages and can drop you off right at your terminal.

It is 20 miles from the World Cruise Center in San Pedro (where everyone except Carnival docks...Carnival has a pier in Long Beach, which is a few miles further). On a weekend, when you get your ride at the port, it will likely take about half an hour...unless there's a little unexpected traffic. On a "work day", there, no doubt, will be traffic on, at least, the 405 portion of the route--so, figure 45 minutes to an hour. Unfortunately, at busy airport times, you can encounter a bit of stop-and-go just moving around the loop at LAX. LAX tells you, depending on domestic/international to get to the airport 2-3 hours prior to your flight--though we've never really needed that much time. Obviously helps if you've checked in on line and have some for of TSA Pre-clearance. Getting out of the port, we've found the lines/immigration to be rather quick in LA--much better than we've seen in Florida or--the worst--Galveston. We just got off Celebrity Eclipse YESTERDAY and just walked right off and out the door! Of course the ship stopped in San Diego the day prior and we cleared immigration there... But, to be on the safe side--figure in some sort of short line, a few minutes to call an Uber, then leave an hour for the ride to LAX and get there, for most, two hours prior to deal with security, etc....So, 3.5 to 4 hours (which, of course, will turn out more than ample--but don't take chances). So, the CLOSEST you want to risk a flight out may be 11:00 am--which would require rolling off your own luggage, first off the ship and online check-in, TSA Pre-Check...or, for most, to be totally safe, call it noon!!!

It's a BIG city. Lots of hotels I recommend...but, it all depends on several assorted criteria--How long you are wanting to stay, what you are looking to do during your time here, your budget and expectations, etc. If your intent is to merely get in the day prior to your cruise and stay one night with no plans on sightseeing, then I strongly urge staying that one night in San Pedro at one of those hotels. Prices there are usually fairly reasonable compared to many other decent options...and you cannot improve on the convenience. If you have a small bit of extra time and wish to visit the Queen Mary and/or the Aquarium of the Pacific, then Long Beach--about 6-8 miles away is a good option. In Long Beach, look at the Hyatt Centric at the Pike, the Hyatt Regency, the Renaissance and the Westin...possibly the Maya Doubletreem the Residence Inn Downtown or the Hilton. If you plan on several days in So Cal, my first choice would be Santa Monica--Loews, Le Merigot, Fairmont Miramar, Shutters on the Beach, Shangri-La, Georgian, Huntley, Casa del Mar...Best tourist area, most walkable, lots of restaurants and attractions, close to many So Cal attractions, hub for most tours. There are a few other areas that work well depending on how you plan on spending your time--Marina del Rey, West Hollywood, Universal City, Redondo/Manhattan... But, if budget is your concern, most of those areas will be even pricier than San Pedro. Be VERY WARY of hotels or areas with apparent bargain hotels. They are low cost for some very good reasons--usually BAD or inconvenient areas of town, run-down or poorly managed properties, sketchy clientele, dangerous, etc.