Port of Los Angeles

[ctipton55]

We are flying down the day before our cruise on the NCL Star in October. Would like a hotel that picks us up and also takes us to the ship the next day. Would like to be able to do some sightseeing on foot the day we arrive. Looking for where to stay near the port.

 

Thank you.

[LMCAT123]

I am going to assume you are flying into LAX and if you are there are many airport hotels that have free shuttle from the a/p to the hotel. None have any transportation to the piers tho. There is absolutely no place to sightsee on foot around LAX, it's a commercial area and mostly hotels and car rental agencies. A taxi to the pier would be approx. $50 but it depends alot on traffic.

 

There are a couple of hotels in San Pedro (where the ships leave from) but there is nothing to walk around and see in that area either. Those motels would have shuttles to the pier I imagine, but they are not going to pick you up at the airport. The LA harbor (which is actually San Pedro) is very huge and very industrial.

[petlover]

Yes, the area around San Pedro port and the area around LAX are not areas you would consider walking around. For this, you need to get a hotel in Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Marina Del Ray or out towards Long Beach. If you stay at a hotel in San Pedro, there is a wharf you can visit with shops and restaurants. Otherwise for the most part San Pedro is either residential or industrial.

 

Long Beach airport is the airport closest to the port of Los Angeles (San Pedro) but I think we readers are assuming you're flying into LAX, correct?

[ctipton55]

Hi

 

We haven't made our air reservations yet so I could do either. Do you know anything about the

 

Sheraton Los Angeles Harbor Hotel

 

 

601 South Palos Verdes Street San Pedro, California 90731

[cynbar]

We stayed at the Marina Hotel in San Pedro before our Diamond Princess cruise last January, and we were very satisfied. We flew into Long Beach and took a shared van taxi to the hotel (no airport pick-up), but they had a free and efficient shuttle service to the ship the next morning.There didn't seem to be any hotels that provided transportation free both ways, or at least we didn't see them. This hotel is not a resort but it is right on a marina with very pretty views, was newly renovated with a pleasant and reasonably priced lobby restaurant, and a lounge looking out on the marina with free appetizers before dinner. We would definitely stay there again, and the price was right, I think we paid $65 via Priceline. There.s not much to see nearby, although we were tired after flying cross country and didn't think about sightseeing (we've been to LA before.) You could always rent a car and see anything you want in the area, then return it and be ready to head to the ship in the AM.

[gracecarmo]

cynbar: when do you suggest doing Priceline for hotels in San Pedro for a cruise in January?

 

Grace

[LMCAT123]

The Sheraton is no longer a Sheraton as of June 30. I have no idea what name it is now.

 

Just a thought - if your cruise starts on a Sat. I might suggest staying at a LAX hotel Friday nite when you fly in and taking a taxi to pier in the a.m. There will be considerably much less traffic on Sat. morning then Friday afternoon/evening since that is a work day. If you are flying in on Sat. for Sunday departure then it probably does not matter. Even in LA the freeway traffic is "usually" lighter on weekends :-) (usually I said !!)

[cynbar]

Grace --- I think we booked our hotel via Priceline between 2 and 3 months pre-cruise. We were originally hoping for Long Beach, but couldn't find anything on Priceline or even on the hotels' own websites. Come to find out, there was a jewelry convention in town that weekend!! Anyway, we had been skeptical about San Pedro, but it worked out just fine for us and we would do it again. We flew into Long Beach because we got the best fare there from Boston, but it turned out to be a real breath of fresh air from LAX ---very small, peaceful and friendly, and a fairly easy ride to the hotel/port.

[petlover]

When looking at airlines that fly into Long Beach, don't forget Jet Blue (jetblue.com) because they won't show up on many airline searchs such as Orbitz or Travelocity. American Airlines and America West seem to have lots of flights in and out of LB.

[SharB]

Sometime in the near future the Sheraton will be the Crowne Plaza with the same staff and probably few changes. They do offer a Fly and Sail package that picks you up from LAX (it's not offered for the other airports), gives you a bottle of wine, buffet breakfast, shuttle to the port, and shuttle back to the hotel and/or LAX.

 

Shar

[immargaret]

We stayed at the Sheraton in San Pedro this past April, on the club floor. The hotel was clean and in good condition. The club floor includes a continental breakfast, and snacks in the evening. We walked to a small pub like restaurant down the street. The hotel offered a free shuttle, which we took to a drug store to pick up some sodas to take on the ship. They also shuttled us to the pier in the morning. The staff was very friendly and accomodating.

[travelgoddess1]

We have stayed at the (former) Sheraton in San Pedro numerous times, on the park n' sail program (we live in SoCal). As of July 1, it is no longer a Sheraton, but if they still offer the package, it's quite nice. And the area has enough to offer to be interesting for just 1 night stay. The staff is friendly, and the shuttle will take you to a great little restaurant, Rafaelo's (Italian), and pick you up (we give the driver a nice tip). Free shuttle to the port. There's the shopping/dining area within walking distance called Ports o' Call, where you can watch the ships sail down the channel.

 

Also, the Hilton has a nice hotel at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, where we stayed several years ago. I don't have any current information on it, but they also shuttle you to the port.

 

Good luck,

Karen

[bgg]

Has anyone stayed at the Crowne Plaza (former Sheraton) since the change? We're booked for Oct. and I'm wondering if I should look for something else.

[ctipton55]

Hi,

Thanks for all the comments. Since I am unsure of the changeover at the Sheraton, we booked at the Marina San Pedro Hotel.

 

Hope to meet other cruisers there.

[traveller333]

I agree with the airports. Long Beach is the best airport to fly into if possible. No one likes LAX. Also,in case you're a baseball fan, I'd suggest taking in a game at Angel's stadium in Anaheim which isn't too far. It is the likely the nicest baseball stadium in the entire USA and worth a vist.

[Rikiw111]

Has anyone tried this. The cost is $149.00 for one night and they pick you up at LAX and take you to the cruise spot. Plus they give you a bottle of wine. Check out the site:

http://www.holidayinnsanpedro.com/cruise.htm

 

If anyone has tried this, please let me know. I am considering for a Nov. cruise...

 

Riki

[cynbar]

Well, I don't know the Holiday Inn, but $149 is more than we paid for our room plus the taxi from the airport plus the price for a bottle of wine, unless it's a really good bottle of wine. The shuttle to the ship was free from the Marina Hotel.

[traveller333]

This sounds like a good deal considering they pick you up at LAX. Guessing it would be at least a $25 taxi ride from LAX to San Pedro, maybe more.?

[gracecarmo]

Cynbar: did you book the Marina through Priceline? Currently, I have a booking at the Holiday Inn with the transfer: the room is $99 and the transfer for two people is 49.00.

If the taxi is only 25.00 (for two people) than the $149. is not such a good deal.

I am just holding this res until I can get something on Priceline. Going on the cruise in Jan.

 

Grace

[traveller333]

I do not know the price of a taxi from LAX to San Pedro, I was making a wild guess. I do know it's about a 25 minute taxi ride depending upon traffic.

[cynbar]

Yes, we got the Marina Hotel through Priceline. I think we paid about $65 for the night --- I've heard that people have gotten it for less at other times, but Long Beach was full that weekend with a jewelry convention, so that may have pushed it up a little. We flew into Long Beach, not LAX, and I think the price of the shared van to the hotel was about $25 but I'm a little vague on this, and I think part of it may have been a charge for extra luggage. Also, the Marina had a nice breakfast buffet for $9.95/person, if that helps you evaluate deals (when we were looking, some of the hotels had packages which included breakfast.)