Hvdinner

For anyone interested I got the recipe while attending the chef's table :)

Here's another idea! When my husband and I returned from our Miracle cruise to Hawaii, we decided to take an evening flight home [we live on the east coast of Canada]. To fill our day, we booked a tour with Sunseeker Tours. I think the tour was called "L.A. In A Day...Hollywood, L.A. and The Beaches".

 

The shuttle picked us up in front of the cruise building in Long Beach [there were four other people already on the shuttle, having been picked up from a Princess cruise ship at the other port], and we spent the whole day touring various famous landmarks like the Hollywood sign, Sunset Blvd, Mel's Diner, Venice Beach, etc. Then the shuttle took us to the airport. The total cost was no more than a taxi would have been, but we got to extend our vacation by another day, and my husband and I both rank this tour as one of the best we've taken!

That is actually a great idea! Unfortunately one that we personally can't do ourselves though because our flights are already booked. My daughter is missing 4 days of school as it is so we're trying to get her back to go the next day. Because we live 3.5 hours from our airport we always end up with a hotel at the end of a trip cause it usually just takes so long to get to Edmonton from wherever we were. Our cruises have been nice because instead of getting all the way home and staying at an airport hotel before our final drive all the way home, we've stayed in the port city for the night. That allowed us total relaxed freedom debarking and an early flight the next morning where we could then just drive all the way home after.

This is our first time ever flying to California and it's great because it's so much shorter and easier than our Florida cruises. The LA tour sounds like an awesome "way to get to the airport" that I will keep in mind for next time!

And you're doing a good job! It's good to find out you can still go without him if it comes to that. You've got this...:)

I know this is a sensitive time and I mean this light heartedly I really do! But maybe having along his mother-in-law isn't the best solution?! No matter what from here on out you will always have to work out continuing to parent the kids together... they are the priority and because their world is about to be forever changed, this a great way with no distractions to show them that the two of you can still be mommy and daddy together even if you aren't husband and wife... I think you know this already, which is why my advice was to urge him to see that. It's gonna be hard, but at the end of the day he's got to remember to prioritize the kids. (hug)

Even though the logistics of your husband not going appear to not pose a problem, and you yourself do feel it’s still a good idea for him to go, I can’t help but urge you to continue to nudge your husband into going. I say this also because he is “just not sure”..., not totally against it. Just from that family standpoint and your kids being so young, I’m compelled to just offer that little bit of advice. Sometimes getting away from all that crazy real life stuff on a vacation can help us get back to what matters most and allow us to see our priorities again... But even besides the personal relationship between you and your husband and however that ends up, he’s still the dad... and this would be the first opportunity to show the kids that he is still there for them if nothing else. Best wishes to you however it works out...

Thanks everyone! The Uber route is intriguing... I think I'm deciding between Uber and pre-booking super shuttle, but am wondering what happens if I'm not there right at 8:30am for my scheduled pick up? If I need to get on the next available shuttle will I lose my prepayment because it's my fault for missing my timing? Is being off the boat and through customs by 8:30 something I could realistically accomplish with no worries?

And something else, I'm thinking I might want to pick up some booze in Mexico which I will need to pick up the morning of departure... how early can I get that? Kahlua is so much cheaper there than at home but I don't want to miss a flight over it! ha! ha!

Thanks Mary! So then if I go with Super Shuttle would it be best to pre-book or just go out and I'll find them? Pre-booking has me giving them my flight time and them telling me my pick up time is 8:30am. How well am I going to be able to control making sure I am outside for 8:30? On the Imagination, what is the typical time they start disembarkation? We are not getting FTTF or have any special status obviously...

Thanks for your input, it's appreciated!

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice about transportation from the Port of Long Beach back to LAX.

Our cruise is in May and arrives back to port on a Thursday. It will be just my teenage daughter and I, we can definitely do self assist and we’ve got an international flight to Alberta, Canada already booked that leaves at 12:00pm. It has come to my attention that this may in fact be pushing the gauntlet a bit in terms of timing so I’m looking for advice or experience from others who have been in the same situation.

Has anyone used the Carnival transportation from the port to the airport? What is their system for prioritizing guests with early flights or do they even take note of that? They are twice the price of the other shuttle companies, yet still less expensive than a taxi. I was kind of thinking that as long as we were on the road by 9:00 am giving us an hour to get there, we’d be there 2 hours prior to our flight time and that that would be plenty.... but it was advised to me that arriving 3 hours prior to my flight would be better. Now that means I better be of the very first people getting off the ship and I better have a really reliable transportation plan!

I know it’s looking like grabbing a taxi would be best, but I honestly don’t want to pay $75 or more out of paranoia if I can pre-book an outside shuttle for $30... But is going with the Carnival shuttle priced in the middle at $60 sort of my best bet? Being a Canadian I’ve got the exchange rate to contend with so I want to be smart about my decisions, but I also don’t want to miss my flight!;)

Thanks in advance for any help!

You didn't say when you cruise is.

 

Noon is a bit early for an international flight out of LAX. LAX is 30 minutes without traffic on a good day. If you're debarking on a Thursday need to add more time. Truly need 3 hours at the airport. Get off the ship ASAP. If you can self assist, do it. Taxis can use the shortcuts, shuttles will have to go to several different terminals. If you're flying out of T3, T4, T5 or TBIT add extra travel time. Taxi rank is to the left and is a flat $75 to LAX.

 

Non-US CBP is to the left when entering the Dome from the gangway.

 

We have sailed many, many times out of our homeport of Long Beach.

Hmmmm... well I'm a little more nervous now! But I can't change my flight, so I've just got to get entirely prepared for the best plan of action that morning. We are doing the May 22-26 cruise so ya, that's a Thursday disembarkation. I was considering booking the Carnival transfer option, my flight time home is already noted on my booking, and then speaking to guest services on the ship to let them know I have an early international flight and also definitely do self assist. My thinking was that maybe carnival transfer customers with early flights are tended to accordingly? But I don't know how their process works as we've never used their transfer service before... And it seems they are twice the price as just pre-booking a shuttle myself with say SuperShuttle (not prime time!!) Maybe it's worth starting my own thread with this question!

Thanks for concluding your great review! I'm so sorry for that ridiculous shuttle fiasco as a way of winding things up for your family.... that is truly bizarre behaviour from that driver not to mention the run around you got for an hour and a half. One thing I know for sure now is that I will NOT be using Prime Time Shuttle!!

(Best wishes to your daughter and the upcoming graduation! Savour your next few months before the first little bird flies the nest!)

This has been such a great review, thanks so much for taking the time to be so thorough!

I’ve got a question if you don’t mind... could you go through how the debarkation and customs process went? I will be taking my daughter on the Imagination for her 16th birthday coming up in May and I’m trying to figure out my best plan for getting us to LAX that morning. Our flight is also with Westjet but headed to Edmonton (We are fellow Albertans :)) at 12:00pm. That is the earliest time Carnival has posted for return flights so I’m pretty confidant it should work out, but I also know that is assuming all things are smooth and on schedule that morning. Could you explain what Canadian/non US residents do for customs? Do we go to a designated area or lounge on the ship (that was what we had to do on the Legend a few years back) or is it outside the ship...? What time do they ask you to vacate your room? What did you guys do for disembarkation and how/when did you get to the airport?

I noticed you said at the beginning of your review that your shuttle experience after the cruise wasn’t as great so I’m anxious to hear details! I haven’t booked transportation yet and am trying to figure out what to do. How long did it take to get there? Any suggestions or advice? Thanks so much again for your review!