LAX, San Pedro or Long Beach

[dmk]

We are getting in to LAX at 8:30 p.m. the night before our cruise. Which area do you think it makes more sense to stay in at that time? We are not going to have any time to see LA anyway.

I am leaning toward staying at an airport hotel. I'd be interested in your responses.

[ezmerelda1000]

We booked the Westin LAX. It was only $99USD per night. I always feel comfortable staying with the Westin.

[jstducky]

i would stay down in the San Pedro/Long Beach area. the distance between LAX and San Pedro/Long Beach is approximately 25 miles. And with LA traffic the drive time between the airport and the port can be pretty long, over an hour if traffic is really bad. if you arrive at LAX at 8:30 pm at night, barring any traffic accidents, you can make it down to Long Beach/San Pedro in about 30 minutes.

[dmk]

jstducky:

 

Do you think the traffic from LAX to the port would be heavy on a Sunday morning. Would it also take about an hour?

[Happy ks]

Either way would be fine. I've heard the airport hotels can be a bit noisy, that may be a bit of concern. Many of the LAX hotels offer free shuttle service and you would have the advantage of getting to your hotel room sooner. Traffic on Sunday mornings is not that much of a problem, an hour is plenty of time to make it from LAX area to the port. Some of the Long Beach hotels offer shuttle service to the ports, or you can easily take a cab. It's a six of one, half dozen of the other kind of situation.

 

I would search Expedia, they have customer reviews, or Tripadvisor.com has many reviews of the different area hotels.

[ocean.queen]

The Westin LAX is a very nice hotel...they have a shuttle that will take you from the terminal to the hotel and you could be resting in your room or having a nice cocktail by 9:30. The hotel will arrange a cab for you or you could arrange for SuperShuttle or PrimeTime to take you to the pier. The traffic on Sunday mornings is light...after 12 noon it gets a bit heavier but nothing bad in the direction you will be going. IMO nothing in San Pedro is as comfortable as the Westin...there are a few nice hotels in Long Beach...which you might want to consider...check in later and sleep in. The Hyatt in Long Beach is very nice. Ask for a view of the harbor and you will have a beautiful view to wake up to.

 

K

[dmk]

Thank you all for your help. I will be getting my hotel through Priceline. So I will see where I get my best deal...near LAX or near the Port.:D

[cruisequeen10]

At San Pedro, there is a Hotel, Best Western Sunrise which I believe only charges 80 U.S. per night.

[babylene]

In San Pedro, does anyone have experience in comparing the two? Thanks

[bikevegas]

Cruising in October 2005 on the Sapphire Princess, booked the Westin in Long Beach for $92 including tax. Booked it through Priceline. Seems to be a very nice hotel with some shops and restaurants close by.

[sodell]

Our flight was due in at 8:30, late about an hour (sat nite). By the time we rented a car (Hertz gold member & it was a nightmare) drove about a mile to a Comfort Inn (never again). & checked in, it was after 11 pm. Coming in from CST, I'm glad we stayed close to LAX. We were well refreshed & ready to go in the AM. We left about 9:30 for San Pedo.Traffic was was light; no incidents.

[lccruiser]

If you are leaving on Carnival in Long Beach, I would stay at the Queen Mary.

You can get a taxi to the QM. You can also pre-register at the QM the day of the cruise and all your paper work is done. If you call the QM to book a room and tell them you are going on a cruise, they will give you a discount on your room. Just food for thought :)

[pvmkmyer]

I would advise you to stay at LAX, since you're getting in at 8:30 p.m. and who knows if you'll be on time? If you're leaving on Carnival you leave from Long Beach, not San Pedro. If you're leaving from San Pedro, this is essentially an industrial port, so there's nothing much to do until you get on board. There are plenty of good hotels near LAX. There won't be traffic on the freeway on Sunday morning so you should be able to get from LAX to San Pedro in 30 minutes. Rather than rent a car, I suggest you call Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle and see what they will charge for the trip, and ask them if they give a AAA discount if you're a member. It may work out the same as a car rental, and you'll avoid the hassle of picking up and dropping off the car. Their van will take you door-to-door.

[slineberry528]

I am not sure about staying on the Queen Mary. I was out in LA last summer and took a tour, that I would highly recemmond. The ship is old, but in her day, I am sure she was a grand ship. Not by standards today. Be sure to take a tour and do the ghosts tour also. That was awesome. You get taken in parts of the ships that are not on the other part of the tour.