Airport transfers LAX

[SadieN]

The area around LAX is very industrial, not much around. Basically you'd be stuck at the hotel for every meal. If you want to do a bit of sightseeing stay in Santa Monica or Long Beach. Lots to do for the day in either area.

[Colo Cruiser]

If you are arriving from Hawaii directly there shouldn't be any customs??

 

The cruise stops in Ensenada, Mexico before San Pedro. ;)

[elliair]

We are doing the Hawaii cruise next April and have no clue about transfers out there. I know traffic is a big problem so timing is a guessing game. The flight we want to take on our return is at 10am which concerns me. Would the Princess transfer be the best option? We were also considering staying an extra night in LA near the airport where they provide shuttle service. We are considering a van on the flight into LAX as we will be one or two days arriving prior to cruise and are staying in San Pedro. Thanks, barb

 

You'll never make the 10:00 am flight by taking a Princess transfer. You are herded into a lounge and you will be sitting there from anywhere from 1-2 hours. Been there done that. I will never ever use another Princess transfer. I would go with Super Shuttle or some other form of transportation, probably cheaper to do that and more reliable.

[MGAfhc]

When we stayed at an airport hotel post cruise a few years ago the shuttle (not a Princess shuttle) would only take us to LAX, not to the hotel. They told us to then take the local shuttle which does the rounds of the airport and airport hotels, free as I recall. It might be different now. It worked out fine for us.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Sometimes the ship does Ensenada before Hawaii. This usually means extra time to go through Immigrations/customs in Hilo (such a shame to take time away from this port). Then you can just walk off the ship.

 

If the ship stops in Ensenada on the way back, you do need to go through Immigrations/customs (San Pedro).

 

The LA-Hawaii RT always makes the Ensenada stop the day before landing in LA. It's the SF-Hawaii ones that may go to Ensenada first.

 

I'm glad to hear the OP changed the plan. Most of my cruises have been out of LA and our first (of three:) Hawaiian ones didn't even start the disembarkation of the first group until 8:45. We didn't get off the ship until after 11am, but since we were being picked up for our ride home, an hour's drive away, no biggie -- just keeping in touch with the driver from the company we hired. And I used to commute on the 405 freeway for many years. And know that even on weekends, it can be a basic parking lot if there's an accident or construction.

 

So here's how it'll work for the OP on disembarkation day: get off the ship in the regular fashion. No self-disembarkation necessary.

 

If you booked a shared vehicle through Super Shuttle, you go over with all your luggage and people to the shuttle island across from your terminal. Look for the curbside rep for SS and check in (bring your booking confirmation). They have the blue vans and most likely will be filling them up like crazy going to LAX (which also means the hotels in that area). So it'll just be trying to get your entire party on the same van, so you might have to let a few others in front of you to accomplish this.

 

The airport area is pretty scuzzy so you won't want to be walking around -- think strip malls in the literal sense. I usually don't recommend staying in a LAX hotel, but if you have an early flight the next day, that's fine. But expect to pay for a taxi if you want to go anywhere.

 

Hopefully you booked with a hotel that offers free transport to the airport the next day.

[Cruisin' Chick]

When we stayed at an airport hotel post cruise a few years ago the shuttle (not a Princess shuttle) would only take us to LAX, not to the hotel. They told us to then take the local shuttle which does the rounds of the airport and airport hotels, free as I recall. It might be different now. It worked out fine for us.

 

If you book Super shuttle, even a shared vehicle, it drops people off at hotels, ports, airports. If you book a vehicle for a private party (Execu-car, On Time, Karmel, Roadrunner, Coolride, etc.) they will take you point-to-point. Airport hotels with shuttle service will go between the airport and the hotel, but they won't take you to or pick you up from the ports. Too far.

 

And if some company is telling you that you need to travel to the airport just to be taken elsewhere, try another company. That's a lot of unnecessary hassle.

[skf]

Last time we did Hawaii (2011) we filled out the customs forms and left them with the collector on the way out the door. There was no inspection of US citizens. Our visitors, however, were in a long, long line.

[elliair]

The LA-Hawaii RT always makes the Ensenada stop the day before landing in LA. It's the SF-Hawaii ones that may go to Ensenada first.

 

 

Been on two Hawaiian cruises and we stopped both times in Ensenada on our way back.

[Foul Weather Cruiser]

Wrong. All cruises from Hawaii have to stop in Ensenada to be legal under the PVSA or Jones Act. Cruise ships are American Flagged therefore that can't go directly for Hawaii to San Pedro without a foreign port stop.

That means they have to clear customs and immigration in San Pedro.

 

The Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) applies to non-US flagged ships (Princess is Bermuda flagged). However, for cruises that begin and end at the same port, the PSVA does not apply. It does apply to the LA to Ft. Lauderdale Panama Canal Transit cruises and is the reason the cruises typically visit Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao - the only Caribbean ports considered to be "distant" foreign ports - no Mexican ports qualify. Not sure why the Ensenada stop, since duty-free applies as soon as you enter international waters. The Jones Act is a similar act, but applies to cargo transportation.

[Kamloops50]

The Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) applies to non-US flagged ships (Princess is Bermuda flagged). However, for cruises that begin and end at the same port, the PSVA does not apply. It does apply to the LA to Ft. Lauderdale Panama Canal Transit cruises and is the reason the cruises typically visit Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao - the only Caribbean ports considered to be "distant" foreign ports - no Mexican ports qualify. Not sure why the Ensenada stop, since duty-free applies as soon as you enter international waters. The Jones Act is a similar act, but applies to cargo transportation.

 

It does apply very much. All foreign flagged ships must stop in a foreign port . This rule applies to the Caribbean , Hawaii , Pacific Coastal (rtn LA) and Alaska.

[Foul Weather Cruiser]

It does apply very much. All foreign flagged ships must stop in a foreign port . This rule applies to the Caribbean , Hawaii , Pacific Coastal (rtn LA) and Alaska.

 

You're right, all ships visit a "nearby foreign port" on cruises originating and terminating at the same port, but I don't see anything in the PVSA text that shows that the visit changes anything. All the cruise line info I've read says the visit gets around the PVSA, and, since everyone does it, it must be correct. All I can find that hints at the legality is the quote "it's from an old interpretation when the law was enforced by the treasury department. It required at least one foreign stop for a foreign flagged ship..." I guess that will have to do. Thanks for your original posting as it caused me to dig further and get an answer for something that has puzzled me for a while.

[Cruisin' Chick]

The Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) applies to non-US flagged ships (Princess is Bermuda flagged). However, for cruises that begin and end at the same port, the PSVA does not apply. It does apply to the LA to Ft. Lauderdale Panama Canal Transit cruises and is the reason the cruises typically visit Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao - the only Caribbean ports considered to be "distant" foreign ports - no Mexican ports qualify. Not sure why the Ensenada stop, since duty-free applies as soon as you enter international waters. The Jones Act is a similar act, but applies to cargo transportation.

 

You're right, all ships visit a "nearby foreign port" on cruises originating and terminating at the same port, but I don't see anything in the PVSA text that shows that the visit changes anything. All the cruise line info I've read says the visit gets around the PVSA, and, since everyone does it, it must be correct. All I can find that hints at the legality is the quote "it's from an old interpretation when the law was enforced by the treasury department. It required at least one foreign stop for a foreign flagged ship..." I guess that will have to do. Thanks for your original posting as it caused me to dig further and get an answer for something that has puzzled me for a while.

 

The PVSA pertains to any foreign-flagged ship, even the ones that start from and return to the same port (I'm referring to US ports here). So if you're on a RT Seattle to Alaska cruise, you'll have a stop in Victoria, BC. If you're on a RT LA to Hawaii (as well as RT SF to Hawaii), you'll stop in Ensenada. These stops are not to "get around the PVSA," they are to satisfy the PVSA requirement. Big difference.