Should I fly in to Long Beach or LAX?

[pudy68]

I am trying to figure out the best plan for arriving 1 day ahead of cruise departure. My TA has a hotel/transfer pkg for LAX, a hotel night at the Marriott, and transfers to the ship for $63 per person. It seems reasonable, but I am wondering if there's a better way that would involve flying into Long Beach so I can use JetBlue. I am hearing that the San Pedro pier is closer to Long Beach, so maybe doing the taxi thing isn't a bad idea. What do you guys think?

[devinc]

I am flying into LGB and will probably stay in San Pedro 1 night. However, Enterprise will not rent from LGB and allow you to drop the vehicle off at the pier in San Pedro.

[c-cruise]

We flew into LGB on Alaska for our Diamond Princess cruise in April. It is a tiny little airport and is a bit closer to San Pedro than is LAX. We took a cab to the Marriott and it ran us about $35-$40 for the 30 minute trip. Very easy to get a cab at LGB, no need to purchase the pricey Princess transfers.

[JLC@SD]

If flight costs and schedules are equivalent, I'd go with Long Beach. It is an easier to get in and out of and since it is closer the trip will be shorter. Traffic around LAX can be terrible and you can get stuck in a traffic jamb.

[pudy68]

Thanks guys/gals!

Are there any hotels around LGB without having to travel north to the Marriott? Also, do any of these possible hotels have a shuttle to the pier, or will we have to catch a taxi (for how much?)

[cruiser babe]

Thanks guys/gals!

Are there any hotels around LGB without having to travel north to the Marriott? Also, do any of these possible hotels have a shuttle to the pier, or will we have to catch a taxi (for how much?)

 

Hi, we just flew into Long Beach Airport via Jet Blue in September and did rent a car at Enterprise and dropped it off at the Enterprise office by the pier. There was a drop off charge of $25.00. Be aware that at the Long Beach Airport you will most likely have to exit the plane via the stairs and walk onto the Tarmack and then up a flight of stairs into the terminal. This is a great little airport. We had no waiting in lines and the people are very nice. We stayed at the Coast Island Hotel which is near the Queen Mary Hotel and the other pier. It took us about 10 minutes to get to the ship. On the way back you can either catch the Enterprise shuttle to rent again or if you are leaving on the same day as disembarking you can reserve a spot on the Super Shuttle or just hop a cab to the airport. All very convenient. Hope this helps.

[GloriaF]

I composed a post but it was lost somehow -

 

We flew into LGB - it is a small, quaint little airport where you walk on the tarmac to the terminal, and the baggage carousel is outside. The taxi stand is to the left under a stand of trees. There was a set fare of $17 in Apr 2004 to go from LGB airport to a LGB hotel. We stayed at the Hyatt - got it on priceline for $50 - it was nice and convenient to Rainbow Harbor for walking around and eating. We felt safe there. They did not have a comp shuttle to the pier and the taxi was about $35.

 

On the return we stayed at the Sheraton in San Pedro and walked to the harbor to watch the next cruise depart and eat dinner. It was a creepy area on the street around the hotel and the 3 blocks to the harbor. Near sundown the vagrants came out and began milling about. They did not accost us, but we felt uneasy. This hotel is no longer a Sheraton according to reports I've read on this board.

 

Flying into LGB rather than LAX is less stressful, but your TA's $63 deal is better than you can do on your own I think. It would seem that even if you were to fly into LGB on JetBlue, take your own taxi to the Mariott, and use the TA's deal for the hotel and transfer to the pier, you would still come out ahead.

[devinc]

The taxi stand is to the left under a stand of trees. There was a set fare of $17 in Apr 2004 to go from LGB airport to a LGB hotel. We stayed at the Hyatt - got it on priceline for $50 - it was nice and convenient to Rainbow Harbor for walking around and eating. We felt safe there. They did not have a comp shuttle to the pier and the taxi was about $35.

 

I am a Priceline novice but they are now only allowing me to bid on 2.5*'s. It has asked me to change the area, dates or hotel ratings. Can you provide any help/suggestions??? Many thanks.