Recent experiences disembarking at san pedro

[polmcs]

Checking the San Pedro cruise port for October 25th shows only the sun in court that day. This should be an advantage for you. I would always consider 20 bucks if necessary to get your early departure. Or more if necessary. Thinking ahead assures someone will take care of you.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

 

Technically, the Sun is a star and there is a Star scheduled to be in port at San Pedro on the 25th, but the Star in question is not our Sun! ;)

 

I was pretty sure that the Sun operated exclusively out of Australia, so was inquisitive enough to look at its itinerary for Oct. Looks like it's doing a 28 day complete circumnavigation of Australia. That would be an interesting one to take. Looks like it's fully sold out.

[Desertdoer]

LOL,,, sorry. But the one you're talking about is the only one. Right?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

[bigenna]

I have had the fear of God put into me with a lot of these posts. Obviously I had concerns or I would not have posed the original question. I have had flights around this time in the past, but always on a weekend. The rush hour work commute adds a whole new element!

Update : I have bitten the bullet and cancelled my (non refundable) flights. Surprise, I was only charged $25 each, and the rest of the fare banked to be used in the next year.

Now rebooked, but to get a decent price my flight will be leaving LAX at 5:55 pm. So I guess I will be enjoying a leisurely breakfast and last group to leave the ship. Much less stressful ending to our cruise.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[vampiress]

wise choice.

[Sandy R]

I recall that Princess offers tours for those who have later flights on disembarkation day, that drop you off at the airport after the tours. Also, you might think about renting a car that day and seeing a bit of L.A.

[Desertdoer]

You could take a taxi ride to Long Beach next door and go on the Queen Mary. And if you've never done it and Uber two Getty Museum off the 405 would be a lovely afternoon and then Uber right back down the 405 to the Airport. To Getty probably 65 bucks and back to LAX 30-ish.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

[Sandy R]

Just remember whatever you decide to do after disembarkation, you must deal with your luggage!

 

Just looked on cruisecritic and there's a post called "Ruby Princess San Pedro Post cruise excursion pre-flight". It has info on tours you might take after disembarkation that will drop you off at LAX.

[Desertdoer]

True about the bags. However I'm thinking that you could check them at the Getty. That would be a lovely visit and fit TimeWise perfectly. Check Gettys website.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

[Working 2 Cruise]

I recall that Princess offers tours for those who have later flights on disembarkation day, that drop you off at the airport after the tours. Also, you might think about renting a car that day and seeing a bit of L.A.

 

This is really BAD advice unless you're staying overnight. Maybe look around Long Beach but not LA! With the distances and traffic, there's just not enough time.

[Steelers36]

Thanks. That is what I thought when I booked this flight. Even with adding an hour for traffic and another 45 minutes for unforeseen we should still make it to the airport by 9:45.

Just started second guessing when I was not able to input "independent " travel plans on Princess site - they say not enough recommended time.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I cannot comment on SP or any CA ports, but I am not so happy with Princess extending their previous minimum recommended departure time by an hour in Florida (PE for FLL). This seemed to occur right about the time they had ships arriving back an hour earlier at the end of a cruise. This new time made sense to me as it opened up more of the morning departures for passengers when official arrival is 6:00am instead of 7:00am.

 

So, I guess that is just some itineraries that get a 6:00am arrival. Anyway, my point is that it doesn't require FOUR AND A HALF :eek: hours to make a flight when the airport is 5 minutes from the port. Princess assumes (it would appear) the very worst case to guarantee travel so they have the absolute minimum risk to cover for stranded passengers. They also don't - and can't - account for folks who may have carry-on, TSA PRE, or other priority access to check-in (if needed) or security.

 

What I find unconscionable is Princess only recommends a minimum 1.5 hr arrival time prior to sailing time. And the ALL ABOARD must be 30 minutes before that, leaving only a 1 hour safety margin. IDK how they can justify that one and then plant a 4.5 hr recommended gap from disembarkation to flight time. I would never ever accept such timing for getting to the ship on departure day. (Of course I don't even want to book on that day at all and normally book to arrive the day before - especially in winter).

[Pam in CA]

It's kind of funny how people who don't live in the LA area say, "Sure! I do it all the time!" yet anyone who lives here will say, "Not so fast." I can't tell you how many times it's taken me 30-45 minutes to go 5 miles on the 405. It's no laughing matter and not to be ignored.

 

LAX recommends arriving at the airport THREE hours before your flight for an international flight. Yes, that can be absolutely necessary. It can take 30-45 minutes just to get from the entrance to LAX to your terminal. Add check-in, security, etc. and you're cutting it close.

 

Disembarkation in San Pedro starts shortly before 8am. Those are the self-disembarking groups. In order to be in one of the first groups, you'd have to carry all of your luggage off the ship without assistance and still have one hand free to go down the escalator. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the elevator which can be a long wait. As you say you plan to do this, you should be out of the terminal by about 8:15-8:30.

 

I wish you luck and if it were me, I'd definitely have a "Plan B" in place.

[davekathy]

I have had the fear of God put into me with a lot of these posts. Obviously I had concerns or I would not have posed the original question. I have had flights around this time in the past, but always on a weekend. The rush hour work commute adds a whole new element!

Update : I have bitten the bullet and cancelled my (non refundable) flights. Surprise, I was only charged $25 each, and the rest of the fare banked to be used in the next year.

Now rebooked, but to get a decent price my flight will be leaving LAX at 5:55 pm. So I guess I will be enjoying a leisurely breakfast and last group to leave the ship. Much less stressful ending to our cruise.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Excellent move. Now you'll be able to enjoy your cruise even more.

[M4dC0w]

why ruin a good vacation with a stressful return home? I never understood that

[bigenna]

why ruin a good vacation with a stressful return home? I never understood that

 

 

 

And that is exactly why I changed my plans.

 

Thanks for all the very helpful advice.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[vampiress]

I cannot comment on SP or any CA ports, but I am not so happy with Princess extending their previous minimum recommended departure time by an hour in Florida (PE for FLL). This seemed to occur right about the time they had ships arriving back an hour earlier at the end of a cruise. This new time made sense to me as it opened up more of the morning departures for passengers when official arrival is 6:00am instead of 7:00am.

 

So, I guess that is just some itineraries that get a 6:00am arrival. Anyway, my point is that it doesn't require FOUR AND A HALF :eek: hours to make a flight when the airport is 5 minutes from the port. Princess assumes (it would appear) the very worst case to guarantee travel so they have the absolute minimum risk to cover for stranded passengers. They also don't - and can't - account for folks who may have carry-on, TSA PRE, or other priority access to check-in (if needed) or security.

 

What I find unconscionable is Princess only recommends a minimum 1.5 hr arrival time prior to sailing time. And the ALL ABOARD must be 30 minutes before that, leaving only a 1 hour safety margin. IDK how they can justify that one and then plant a 4.5 hr recommended gap from disembarkation to flight time. I would never ever accept such timing for getting to the ship on departure day. (Of course I don't even want to book on that day at all and normally book to arrive the day before - especially in winter).

 

i suspect some of that has to do with cbp and tsa shenanigans and constantly changing security procedures. i also wonder for fll/mia if they average both together since flying out of either for either port is very easy to do.

 

lax has a ton of construction on premises, changing security for driving in, sometimes the scan each car sometimes not, and this year they shuffled which airlines are in which terminals, which is still causing some delays. and that's not even counting the 405/105

 

100% agree about arriving day of, i don't do it. i'm also lucky, i live in La, and i have family in palm beach, so i have easy at either set of ports.

[janemp]

I just spoke to Princess by phone earlier this evening. We are also docking at San Pedro Pier (L.A.) on the Star on Oct 25. Officially, Princess does not recommend booking a flight before 12:30p. The ship does dock at 6:15a, which is earlier than typical. He said ship still must clear customs even though it will have been at several U.S. ports before the San Pedro, and if you walk off your own luggage and are in first group, the earliest you'd be off ship is 8:30a. He also said it's a Wednesday and there will be rush hour traffic at that hour. However, it is possible that everything will work out just right and you'll make it fine. From reading the above responses, it seems many have done it.

[pthjudy]

I just spoke to Princess by phone earlier this evening. We are also docking at San Pedro Pier (L.A.) on the Star on Oct 25. Officially, Princess does not recommend booking a flight before 12:30p. The ship does dock at 6:15a, which is earlier than typical. He said ship still must clear customs even though it will have been at several U.S. ports before the San Pedro, and if you walk off your own luggage and are in first group, the earliest you'd be off ship is 8:30a. He also said it's a Wednesday and there will be rush hour traffic at that hour. However, it is possible that everything will work out just right and you'll make it fine. From reading the above responses, it seems many have done it.

I'm really glad I read these posts. We are on the Hawaii Star in February. My EZair return is at 2:00. I was hoping an earlier flight would open up. Now I'll stay with 2:00. Thanks, everyone.

[polmcs]

The need to clear customs and immigration is based on the first US port of call after visiting a foreign port. I've done two HI round trips from LA. The first headed straight to the islands and on the way back we stopped off at Encinada the night before we arrived back in LA. As San Pedro was our first US port of call after a foreign port, we had to clear customs when we disembarked. On the second cruise, Ensenada was our first port of call and we had to clear customs and immigration prior to our arrival in HI. As we came straight back to LA from HI, we did not have to clear customs at San Pedro as technically, we had not left the US after arriving in HI.

 

We also did a CA coastal and were able to get straight off the ship at the US ports of call, but again our last port of call was Ensenada, so once again had to clear customs and immigration at San Pedro as that was our first US port of call after visiting a foreign port.

[amazona]

Whew! Thanks for all the advice. I was just able to change our departure from LAX to 2:15 instead of 12 noon. I think you saved us a lot of anxiety.