Is a rented car useful or a potential hassle?

[rbslos18]

We will be taking a Princess cruise to Hawaii. We arrive two days pre-cruise to do some sightseeing in San Pedro and Long Beach. Would renting a car be prudent or are sightseeing sites easily reached by Uber or cab or even public transportation? Ie will a rented car picked up at LAX and dropped off in San Pedro be more aggravation than help?

Bob

Edited January 10, 2016 by rbslos18

[CruiserBruce]

I would rent a car. Just easier for the number of days.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm guessing you'll be sightseeing a bit farther than Long Beach and San Pedro.

[Bruin Steve]

This really requires a lot more information...

When you say "two days", do you mean two nights...so, for example, you arrive at LAX on a Friday and our cruise leas Sunday?

If so, what time is your flight scheduled to make it in on day one?

When you say you want to sightsee in San Pedro and Long Beach, does that mean you will only be touring in the harbor area and not trying to go to Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, etc.?

Are you planning on staying in San Pedro? Long Beach? Somewhere else?

What do you want to see while here?

 

IF you are planning on staying in the harbor area but touring considerably on the West Side, Hollywood, etc., with the short time you have, a car could come in handy...but it could also be accomplished by signing up with a tour company.

 

But if I read your post accurately nod you are sticking to the Harbor area, I would no rent a car...

 

Say you are arriving midday on Friday and cruising out of San Pedro on Sunday...You could just take a shuttle or limo from LAX to, say, the Crowne Plaza San Pedro...check in, then go tour the Iowa and the Maritime Museum...then, day two, catch a car Uber to Long Beach...tour the Queen Mary and the Aquarium, stroll around Shoreline Village, go have dinner ione of the Long Beach restaurants...use the free Passport shuttle to get between the Long Beach sites (or walk between some)..then call a cab or uber to come pick you up and brig you back to San Pedro...or...

 

You could stay in Long Beach...tour around there using the Passport...and grab a taxi or Uber to the pier in Pedro the day of the cruise...

[rbslos18]

Great questions and info. We arrive on a Sunday afternoon at LAX and leave from San Pedro on Tuesday afternoon.

We only want to sightsee around the harbor.

We have yet to decide whether to stay in San Pedro or Long Beach.

RB

[Bruin Steve]

Great questions and info. We arrive on a Sunday afternoon at LAX and leave from San Pedro on Tuesday afternoon.

We only want to sightsee around the harbor.

We have yet to decide whether to stay in San Pedro or Long Beach.

RB

 

With that schedule, I'd skip renting a car...

Though I usually endorse staying in San Pedro when cruising out of San Pedro, in your case, I'd suggest this:

 

You really only have one full day to sightsee...By the time you get off an afternoon flight at LAX, collect your luggage, get to a taxi, limo or shuttle, get to your hotel and check in, most of Sunday is gone...

 

I would book a hotel in Long Beach--specifically either the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt-at-the-Pike or the Renaissance...

I would get Execucar to pick me up at LAX (or just a shuttle if on a budget)...

I'd relax a little with what time was left on Sunday, maybe walk around Shoreline Village...then eat in one of the many nearby restaurants...

Monday, I'd tour the Aquarium of the Pacific, then catch the Passport shuttle over to the Queen Mary, come back over to Downtown, another dinner...

Tuesday morning, I'd grab a cab or Uber to San Pedro, drop my luggage off at the terminal, then walk over to the Iowa (if I had time to kill), then walk back over to the ship and check in...

 

Have fun...

[Toliverair]

Thanks for the valuable information provided in this thread. I have a group of 14 family members (ages 1-72) flying in to LAX Saturday at 3pm. Our cruise leaves Sunday. We were hoping to get a little sight seeing in on Saturday evening, but haven't decided what area would be best.

 

We plan to rent two minivans and take them back on Sunday to Torrance area. I assumed we would drop everyone off at the port then the two drivers would catch uber from the car rental location in Torrance to the cruise port. Is this the best Idea or should we consider another form of transpiration?

 

We get back on Sunday morning and are planning to spend time in the Newport Beach area. Can we rent a car from the port? If not, are there any car rental companies that will deliver cars to the port?

 

Thank you in advance for your help. it is appreciated.

[Bruin Steve]

Thanks for the valuable information provided in this thread. I have a group of 14 family members (ages 1-72) flying in to LAX Saturday at 3pm. Our cruise leaves Sunday. We were hoping to get a little sight seeing in on Saturday evening, but haven't decided what area would be best.

 

We plan to rent two minivans and take them back on Sunday to Torrance area. I assumed we would drop everyone off at the port then the two drivers would catch uber from the car rental location in Torrance to the cruise port. Is this the best Idea or should we consider another form of transpiration?

 

We get back on Sunday morning and are planning to spend time in the Newport Beach area. Can we rent a car from the port? If not, are there any car rental companies that will deliver cars to the port?

 

Thank you in advance for your help. it is appreciated.

 

If your flight arrives Saturday at 3:00 pm, you really won't have a lot of time to sightsee in the LA area...by the time you make it off the plane, collect your luggage and pick up those rental vans...and then drive across town to wherever you want to go, it will almost be dinner time...

 

A more efficient way to do this is to contact a tour company (possibly Sunseeker Tours--who operate out of the harbor area--and see if you can arrange a tour that will pick up your party--and luggage--at LAX, take you on a tour of Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Venice...and then drop you all off at a hotel in San Pedro (Noting your signature, I'm guessing it's NCL in San Pedro) to check into a hotel--say, the Crowne Plaza...In the morning, you could take the CP shuttle or even just walk from there to the cruise terminal--no hassle with rental vans, no trying to coordinate two vehicles through LA streets and traffic...no need to return cars in Torrance and take ubers or taxis...