Fly to USA and Trans-Pacific Cruise back help needed

[GLO_Pro]

Hi everyone,

 

Looking some help with a Sydney-LA-Hawaii Cruise back -Sydney ( trip for September/October 2023)

Preferred option is: 
Fly Syd to LA, then LA to Hawaii
then cruise from Hawaii October 10 back to Sydney (Royal Carribean)https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/cruises/itinerary/18-night-transpacific-from-oahu-on-ovation/OV18HNL-503859041?sail-date=2023-10-15&currency=AUD&country=AUS&dates_maxDate=10%2F31%2F2023&dates_minDate=10%2F01%2F2023&ecid=sl_mdt_shrdln__4645

We are a family of 6 so i'm looking for some good tips and recommendations to save where i can.

Kids ages are 12F, 14F, 18F, 21M. Shopping, experiences and theme parks are the agenda.

Thanks in advance.
 

[Emmas71]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:27 PM, GLO_Pro said:

Hi everyone,

 

Looking some help with a Sydney-LA-Hawaii Cruise back -Sydney ( trip for September/October 2023)

Preferred option is: 
Fly Syd to LA, then LA to Hawaii
then cruise from Hawaii October 10 back to Sydney (Royal Carribean)https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/cruises/itinerary/18-night-transpacific-from-oahu-on-ovation/OV18HNL-503859041?sail-date=2023-10-15&currency=AUD&country=AUS&dates_maxDate=10%2F31%2F2023&dates_minDate=10%2F01%2F2023&ecid=sl_mdt_shrdln__4645

We are a family of 6 so i'm looking for some good tips and recommendations to save where i can.

Kids ages are 12F, 14F, 18F, 21M. Shopping, experiences and theme parks are the agenda.

Thanks in advance.
 

We flew Brisbane to LA for 2 weeks prior to cruising back to Sydney via Hawaii on a Princess Cruise.

 

not sure how long your time in LA is but we did Universal Studios and Warner Brothers under our own steam getting there by public transport which was easy enough.

we did an organised bus tour of city highlights ( Venice Beach| Hollywood sign and observatory | Rodeo Drive) we also walked to Santa Monica Pier from where we were staying at Marina Del Rey.

 

highly recommend looking into the LA GoPass for discounted entries.

 

we hired a car to Anaheim where we did 2 days at Disneyland, before driving through to Las Vegas visiting plenty of free Route 66 museums and markers. Google maps was really handy for looking up these sight seeing things. We also did Hoover Dam which was absolutely amazing and wander the strip in LV. US is not cheap and we usually shared a meal as they were so big.

 

enjoy

 

[lyndarra]

Not wanting to highjack (sorry), I have a 14 hour transit in LAX before flying to Vancouver. To kill time, is it possible to book some kind of tour at the airport?

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Not wanting to highjack (sorry), I have a 14 hour transit in LAX before flying to Vancouver. To kill time, is it possible to book some kind of tour at the airport?

Last time I passed through LAX on same plane, security were so slow I thought I was going to miss my flight to NY.  If you are lucky and pass through Customs quickly, I'd take a taxi somewhere close.

[cruiser3775]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:27 PM, GLO_Pro said:

Fly Syd to LA, then LA to Hawaii
then cruise from Hawaii October 10 back to Sydney (Royal Carribean)

Have you actually booked the cruise?   How many nights do you plan to be in LA, and how many in Hawaii?  Would you hire a car to get around?  It would need to be a big people mover to fit six with luggage.

[GLO_Pro]

8 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Have you actually booked the cruise?   How many nights do you plan to be in LA, and how many in Hawaii?  Would you hire a car to get around?  It would need to be a big people mover to fit six with luggage.

Cruise is booked!

It leaves Honolulu Oct 15 and 19nights back to Sydney.

 

we have done Honolulu before so probably 2 nights and im told its become ridiculously expensive recently.

 

Im wanting to secure my flights but am needing to confirm how many days in California we (as a family really need)

 

Was looking at people movers for a drive but still working out if we go for a drive to Sandiego or San Fran Cisco?

[MMDown Under]

30 minutes ago, GLO_Pro said:

Cruise is booked!

It leaves Honolulu Oct 15 and 19nights back to Sydney.

 

we have done Honolulu before so probably 2 nights and im told its become ridiculously expensive recently.

 

Im wanting to secure my flights but am needing to confirm how many days in California we (as a family really need)

 

Was looking at people movers for a drive but still working out if we go for a drive to Sandiego or San Fran Cisco?

Have you considered visiting the other Hawaiian islands?  For Hawaii, the Big Island we used to stay in 3 different places x 2 nights each.  The other islands we used to stay in one place and do trips from there.  We hired cars in each place to tour around.  It is a relaxing tropical holiday.

[yarramar]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

Have you considered visiting the other Hawaiian islands?  For Hawaii, the Big Island we used to stay in 3 different places x 2 nights each.  The other islands we used to stay in one place and do trips from there.  We hired cars in each place to tour around.  It is a relaxing tropical holiday.

Exactly what I was thinking. 

We have been to Honolulu as well but not the other Islands, which by all accounts, are more worthwhile visiting than Oahu.

[cruiser3775]

For LA theme parks, you need at least one full day for Disneyland, and 2-3 days if you want to go to other theme parks. I'd stay at or near Anaheim, rather than drive each day in crazy traffic to get there.  There's a huge outlet mall close to Anaheim, called Outlets at Orange for bargain shopping.

A couple of days right in LA would give time for sightseeing places like Santa Monica and Venice Beach and a movie studio tour.

You could do a day trip to San Diego, but you need much longer to drive to San Francisco. It's about 600 kms. Both are very spectacular ocean drives.

That's about five full days worth, so six nights.

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by cruiser3775

[GLO_Pro]

6 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

There's a huge outlet mall close to Anaheim, called Outlets at Orange for bargain shopping.

 

Thanks I had only heard about the Citadel Outlets.  Would it be worth going to both?

[NSWP]

Having embarked Princess ships in Hawaii, LA and San Francisco, hectic,  busy places. Take my advice have a couple of nights pre and post and relax.

[cruiser3775]

Agree with NSWP, you will be tired and probably jetlagged after the trans Pacific flight.  Don't make big plans for the first couple of days, and don't drive.  Wandering around Venice Beach in the sunshine will help with the jetlag and time difference, and it's fascinating.

I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hours at an outlet shopping mall, and certainly not at two of them. I'd rather spend my holiday seeing things, not shopping. And you'll have weight restrictions because you have to fly to Hawaii anyway.  Posting things home from the US to Australia is very slow and expensive.