2 days in LA after cruise - what to do/stay?

[bubbadogmom]

Our Infinity cruise that starts in Vancouver ends in LA. It's me and mom - she's 76 but gets around pretty good. I doubt we will ever have a chance to be in LA again so I'm thinking we should stay 2 nights after the cruise.

 

Where is a good place/area to stay? I'm full of info about Florida but know nothing about California.

 

I don't want to get really far away from the airport because all travel will be by taxi - but we'd like to see something! We like the beach, we like to shop ( but like nice factory outlet type), not rodeo drive. :). Not really into art or architecture etc.

 

I've always wanted to do the Price is Right but that's just a silly dream. [emoji12]

 

Any thoughts for us? I know it's early but I love to plan.

 

Hopefully we can afford it. We are used to Hampton inn prices lol(( 130-350$)

 

Will accept any ideas!

 

We like trolley tours too.

Thx!

 

 

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[sooper]

You'll have a lot more options if you rent a car.

 

Since you're not, airport hotels can be had for a good price, especially through Priceline or Hotwire bids. From there you can go to the Santa Monica Beach and Pier, and shop / dine on the Third St. Promenade. Check out Hollywood / Walk of Fame another day. Maybe take a Viator tour? The Ocean Express shuttle to Manhattan Beach looks interesting, but not sure how reliable it is.

[DYKWIA]

Not a fan of LA, one of the problems is that it isn't really a single place - its a collection of smaller towns all very spread out, so without your own transport that can make getting around a bit tiresome.

 

If you don't want to hire a car then perhaps Hollywood might be suitable - whilst being NOWHERE near as glamourous as the name suggests, it is relatively convenient to travel to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica by Public Transport. Universal Studios is also close by. Loews Hollywood Hotel is quite well located.

Edited April 8, 2016 by DYKWIA

[Tommy3putts]

I presume you're flying out of LAX? There are three other airports in the LA metro area. If LAX is your departure Santa Monica is a great idea. Another idea is the beach areas south of LAX. I lived Hermosa Beach for 3 years (albeit 20 years ago). I loved living there. The Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan Beach have more of a quiet laid back vibe. It's easy to forget you're in LA when you're there. Good food and the beach, but little else tourist wise.

[BBsails]

This is a link to the West Coast Departures board. I realize you're not departing from LA, but there will be posts here that relate to LA. Type Los Angeles into the search box.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=413

 

Bon voyage

[Bruin Steve]

Our Infinity cruise that starts in Vancouver ends in LA. It's me and mom - she's 76 but gets around pretty good. I doubt we will ever have a chance to be in LA again so I'm thinking we should stay 2 nights after the cruise.

 

Where is a good place/area to stay? I'm full of info about Florida but know nothing about California.

 

I don't want to get really far away from the airport because all travel will be by taxi - but we'd like to see something! We like the beach, we like to shop ( but like nice factory outlet type), not rodeo drive. :). Not really into art or architecture etc.

 

I've always wanted to do the Price is Right but that's just a silly dream. [emoji12]

 

Any thoughts for us? I know it's early but I love to plan.

 

Hopefully we can afford it. We are used to Hampton inn prices lol(( 130-350$)

 

Will accept any ideas!

 

We like trolley tours too.

Thx!

 

Okay...Where to start?

 

First, taxis are VERY expensive since distances are long and traffic is seldom good...

Consider using shared shuttles--especially leaving the ship in San Pedro...It's about a 30 mile ride to Santa Monica--where I recommend you stay...and there should be plenty of shuttles available to pick up at the port...You might consider reserving this with SuperShuttle--the largest of the shuttle companies--as they should have lots of availability and it will save you considerably on cost over a taxi...Also look at their "Execucar" option if you don't want to share a shuttle...

 

For a great location near the beach, Santa Monica is hard to beat...here's why:

1) It is very walkable--so long as you stick to the area around the Third Street Promenade/Santa Monica Pier. There is lots to see and do in the immediate area with lots of restaurants, shops and nightlife.

2) The HOHO bus tour--which will take you all over the Los Angeles area for a reasonable price--uses Santa Monica as a hub.

3) It's an upscale area.

4) The climate is near perfect--never too hot or to cold, no smog.

5) It's only about 10 miles to LAX (that's close in LA terms).

 

Here's my Santa Monica hotel list (okay, one caveat: It may be a bit pricey--especially for the top hotels):

 

For your purposes, the best places to stay may be near the Third Street Promenade. The Fairmont Miramar (Santa Monica's traditional "Grande Dame" hotel) is right across the Street from the northern end of the Promenade...and across the street in another direction from Palisades Park--with it's great views of the Ocean. Also across from the end of the Promenade is the Huntley Hotel--much smaller and may have a little more reasonable prices. At the other end of the Promenade...and very close to the Pier...is the Wyndham. Along Ocean Avenue, parallel to the Promenade are the Shangri La, the Georgian and the Shore. For a lower priced property, there's the 2-star Hotel Carmel, right off the Promenade....or the Cal-Mar (very near the Huntley and Miramar)...

The best group of hotels--though a bit pricey--are along the beach, south of the pier--but a little longer walk to the Promenade: Loews, Marriott LeMarigot, Shutters at the Beach, Casa del Mar...I've actually stayed in the Loews and the Marriott and loved both of them--but they are pricey...

 

The Doubletree and the LeMeridien Delfina are a bit of a longer walk from most sites here and I'm not sure I'd tell a 76 year old to stay there...

 

Assuming you have a full afternoon and evening after getting off the ship, getting the ride to Santa Monica and checking in...and assuming the weather is good...I'd catch an Uber or even the public bus down to nearby Venice Beach and enjoy a stroll along the Boardwalk, then return to Santa Monica and enjoy the nightlife and street performers along the Third Street Promenade and the Pier before and after catching Dinner somewhere...

 

Then on your next, full day, I'd catch the HOHO bus for a tour of the sites of Los Angeles:

 

http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-CJHOHO.asp?origin=CJ

[Gardyloo]

I've always wanted to do the Price is Right but that's just a silly dream. [emoji12]

 

Not necessarily a silly dream.

 

Try to see if you're going to be in town on a taping day - http://on-camera-audiences.com/shows/The_Price_is_Right - and if you will be, try to get tickets booked.

 

If successful, book a room at the Farmer's Daughter - http://farmersdaughterhotel.com/ - which is located right across the street from CBS Television City, where TPIR is taped. The Farmers Daughter is a cool retro-motel sort of place, VERY comfortable, and in the lobby is a big pin-board with photos of hundreds of TPIR contestants who've stayed there.

 

The hotel is also across the street (other corner) from the marvelous LA Farmers' Market, a great old-fashioned place with numerous cool restaurants, cafes and shops. Just past the Farmers Market is the Grove shopping center - high end but not just, but also lots more places to eat, a big movie complex, etc. Honestly, with just a couple of days you could have a pretty good time staying put right there; it's real "old time" LA stuff but very walkable and accessible.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our Infinity cruise that starts in Vancouver ends in LA. It's me and mom - she's 76 but gets around pretty good. I doubt we will ever have a chance to be in LA again so I'm thinking we should stay 2 nights after the cruise.

 

Where is a good place/area to stay? I'm full of info about Florida but know nothing about California.

 

I don't want to get really far away from the airport because all travel will be by taxi - but we'd like to see something! We like the beach, we like to shop ( but like nice factory outlet type), not rodeo drive. :). Not really into art or architecture etc.

 

Don't stay by LAX or downtown LA. Check out BruinSteve's suggestions below for Santa Monica. If out of your price range, come back here and tell us. But please remember, if you find a hotel for an incredibly low price, it may be for a reason as in being in a dicey area or being a dumpy place.

 

Also don't fall for the "near" descriptions on their websites. I've seen some up in Ventura county who say they're "near Disneyland." Well, maybe compared to hotels in Peoria.:rolleyes:

 

If there's a place you're considering, post the info (name of hotel and address) here before booking, and let the locals and LA Cruising Vets give you feedback.

 

I've always wanted to do the Price is Right but that's just a silly dream. [emoji12]

 

Going to a show taping can be a time consuming activity. More tickets than seats are given away (and don't pay anything for these tickets -- the shows never sell them and some like Ellen require the names of those requesting tickets so you can't sell them on ebay, I guess). Because they're not guaranteed for most shows, people will get into line early unless they got VIP tickets (usually those are given to the ones who were at the end of the line...so they get tickets for a future taping). We had standby tickets for a September Ellen taping...and did get into the "riffraff" (flowover) room and got guaranteed tickets for a January taping.

 

It's actually pretty fun to go to tapings. But will take at least three to four hours (plus the taping) to do.

 

If this is someone you want to do, don't wait til the last minute to request tickets.

 

Any thoughts for us? I know it's early but I love to plan.

 

Hopefully we can afford it. We are used to Hampton inn prices lol(( 130-350$)

 

Will accept any ideas!

 

We like trolley tours too.

Thx!

Trolley tours tend to be pretty good. We did one in San Francisco last month.

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Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Just some more notes. Beach weather here is more like June through October. The Pacific Ocean will tend to be colder than the ocean water by Florida.

 

I think any factory outlets are a distance from LA County. At least the ones I know of. There's a lot of malls and shopping centers here that aren't like Rodeo Drive.

[ptrpanpens]

Definitely agree Santa Monica is the best place to stay then take the HoHo bus around the city to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. There is plenty to do near the beach and at 3rd Street promenade, lots of restaurants and shops. Whatever you do, I would not recommend downtown, or anyway near the airport!:eek: