Need Advice on Diamond Princess Transportation

[CrusinAgain]

I tried the cruise air board and didn't have any luck there so hopefully I can find out here.

 

I need to book the Diamond Princess that leaves out of LA for March. I thought I read not to book the Princess transfers since some have experienced problems with them and to book Prime Time or Super Shuttle?

 

So my questions are the following:

 

1) Prime Time, Super Shuttle, or Princess transfer from the airport to pier?

 

2) Is it best to take the Princess transfer back to the airport from ship?

 

3) Can we make a Southwest 1:00 flight from LA? Next one isn't until 6.

 

Thanks much for any information you can help me with that or even the ship and its itinerary. The rates just went up Thursday, naturally after we decided Thursday morning that we were going to do this and book it after we came back home that afternoon. :(

[Colo Cruiser]

I recomend taking a cab, it is a 30-40 minute trip and about $40. If you can share with another couple on the way back you can split it.

 

If you don't like waiting around for the bus to fill up then avoid the Princess transfers. They are $$$ too. :)

 

We have taken flights at 10:40 am with no problem.

[CrusinAgain]

Well there is a cheaper flight by Southwest that leaves at 11 and I'm not sure if that is pushing it or not? That would save us 70 dollars. Would this mean we would need to keep our luggage and do the early flight debark?

[Seagarr]

IMHO... the Princess shuttle is a real Cattle Call. Super Shuttle is just that...a shuttle... it can make a lot of stops both ways. As the previouls post mentioned cab is $30-40... but splitting with another couple... I dunno... 4 people AND all your luggage could be cramped.

 

We are sailing December 2nd and arranged for a Towncar... cost is $50.00 each way. Nice way to both start and end your cruise.

 

Let me know if you need the number it's at my office.

[CrusinAgain]

IMHO... the Princess shuttle is a real Cattle Call. Super Shuttle is just that...a shuttle... it can make a lot of stops both ways. As the previouls post mentioned cab is $30-40... but splitting with another couple... I dunno... 4 people AND all your luggage could be cramped.

 

We are sailing December 2nd and arranged for a Towncar... cost is $50.00 each way. Nice way to both start and end your cruise.

 

Let me know if you need the number it's at my office.

 

Seagarr, that price is the same price as the Princess shuttle so that isn't bad at all as long as the driving is their problem. Yes, would you please tell me how to get the number? I didn't even think that Super Shuttle would make other stops. The shuttle would cost us 34 and the Princess shuttle is 50. Cab also doesn't sound unreasonable.

 

Would you feel comfortable with a 11:00 flight to save 70 or pay the extra and do the 1 p.m. flight.

[LUCY55]

I looked into the same issues. I think we are on the same cruise. From what I have read the Diamond doesn't get in that early. In our Caribbean cruises sometimes the ships were docking at 5:00 a.m. eventhough schedule said 6:00 a.m.. I do not think this is true for the Diamond. I watched on the webcam a couple of Saturdays ago and she does not dock any earlier than the schedule indicates, in fact, she was a little late. This means there is no head start. LAX is a ways away--30 minutes in good traffic. I also was looking at 1:00 LAX and decided it might be difficult if debarkation was slow. (And there are reports it is slow on the Diamond.) We decided to return on Sunday.

[CrusinAgain]

I looked into the same issues. I think we are on the same cruise. From what I have read the Diamond doesn't get in that early. In our Caribbean cruises sometimes the ships were docking at 5:00 a.m. eventhough schedule said 6:00 a.m.. I do not think this is true for the Diamond. I watched on the webcam a couple of Saturdays ago and she does not dock any earlier than the schedule indicates, in fact, she was a little late. This means there is no head start. LAX is a ways away--30 minutes in good traffic. I also was looking at 1:00 LAX and decided it might be difficult if debarkation was slow. (And there are reports it is slow on the Diamond.) We decided to return on Sunday.

 

Hi Lucy, yes hopefully we can get booked. They went up tremendously last Thursday and hopefully they will go down for after Thanksgiving sales.

 

Well it looks like we would have to do the express embark and carry off our own luggage. I read somewhere that Princess says 12:30 and after for the Diamond to book airlines so the 11:00 is out but hopefully the 1:00 is doable. Also read not to take Princess shuttle but a taxi or Super Shuttle instead.

[Lynda90]

IMHO... the Princess shuttle is a real Cattle Call. Super Shuttle is just that...a shuttle... it can make a lot of stops both ways. As the previouls post mentioned cab is $30-40... but splitting with another couple... I dunno... 4 people AND all your luggage could be cramped.

 

We are sailing December 2nd and arranged for a Towncar... cost is $50.00 each way. Nice way to both start and end your cruise.

 

Let me know if you need the number it's at my office.

Would you please post the phone number or the website for this service. Sounds like something I would like to use. Thanks!

[CrusinAgain]

Lynda, its: http://www.goldenwestexpress.com/

[Lynda90]

Lynda, its: http://www.goldenwestexpress.com/

Thank you so much for your quick response. I will be sending an immediate email to them. Sounds like a great way to go!:D

[Cruisin' Chick]

You just never know how long disembarkation will take. On our last cruise, which was out of San Pedro, the process started way late -- around 8:30. Even if you do the self-disembarkation, you still have to deal with our infamous rush hour traffic (even weekends the 405 can be very busy).

[Jemima]

Disembarkation from the 11/11 cruise started about a half hour late. There were a large number (about 600) doing the express walkoff which wasn't completed till after nine. I'm assuming that the various numbers/colors were called after that. I wouldn't book a flight before noon at the very earliest.

[ocean.queen]

You also need to consider the long lines at LAX...Southwest is the worst. I always allow 2 hrs for check-in...1 1/2 at the very least!

[CrusinAgain]

So would a 1 p.m. flight be pretty safe then for Southwest since princess says flights after 12:30?

[ocean.queen]

Yes, you should be ok. The traffic is not so bad on the weekend, early in the day (it builds in the afternoon). A cab is quick and on last check it was $50. Supershuttle is good...just make sure it's a straight shot to LAX (no stops) which shouldn't be a problem from the port.

 

Our immigration process at the port can be a bit unreliable...sometimes slow sometimes quick. Once thru that it's quite easy. The curb can be backed up...try to get away from the crowd right outside the doors to grab your ride.

 

Southwest is in Terminal 1 so that saves some time.

[survivor]

We just got off The Diamond on Saturday. Diembarktion for walk-offs was horrible. It felt like a cattle call. We had booked a Town Car with Golden West for 9:00 and told them of course we may be late since you never know exactly when you will be off the ship. They said no problem. We callled about 9:30 and we were told it was too late and no cars were available! We walked to the side and Prime Shuttle was ready and able to take us for only $34.00. We saved some money and would never book with Golden West again.

[CrusinAgain]

We just got off The Diamond on Saturday. Diembarktion for walk-offs was horrible. It felt like a cattle call. We had booked a Town Car with Golden West for 9:00 and told them of course we may be late since you never know exactly when you will be off the ship. They said no problem. We callled about 9:30 and we were told it was too late and no cars were available! We walked to the side and Prime Shuttle was ready and able to take us for only $34.00. We saved some money and would never book with Golden West again.

 

Thanks for letting us know this. What time did you end up at the airport?

[calikak]

We flew into and out of Long Beach instead of LAX and it was pretty convenient. We used Prime Time Shuttle on the way from the airport to our hotel (which was very near the pier) and took a taxi on the way back. Both were reasonably priced, I think for the 6 of us we paid $63 total for the shuttle and because there were so many of us, we didn't make any other stops. Prebooked on the internet, driver was nice and all that. Taxi from the pier to the airport was about the same price, maybe even less.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We used a car service for the first time (realized that two weeks worth of luggage plus a guitar was not going to fit in our trunk). We used coolride and were scheduled for a 10am pickup. When I realized we weren't going to get off the ship by then, I called their office. Was told, no worries, the driver will just circle the port until we call again, when we're off the ship. I called when we were over in the shuttle pickup area, described what we were wearing, and minutes later, the car showed up. No extra charge for the extra time. We would use them again.

[survivor]

It took about 30 mins. to get to the airport. No traffic at all. Saturdays are a great day to travel in L.A. in the A.M. Also the check in at LAX was a breeze. We walked right thru security and it took maybe 15 mins. total. Again maybe because it was Saturday at 10:00 ish but we were pleasantly surprised since we were expecting the dreaded 1.5-2 hour wait. :)

[CrusinAgain]

I'm thinking of booking a shuttle to the pier from the airport and just catching what we can catch after we get off the ship since I have no idea what time we will get off the ship. Apparently there are the Super Shuttles and Prime Time Shuttles plus taxis waiting for your ride back to the airport? It seems like the general consensus is no on the Princess transfer that would cost $25 each way per person.

[stellalimelight]

If you are flying in the same morning I would book the Princess transfer to the ship just in case your flight is running behind, better chance they will wait for you. On the way back the disembarkation for the Diamond is trying. This cruise has a large number of passengers who live the the So Cal area and lots who drive in from Phoenix which makes the walk of vary cattle car feeling. I did my own transfer from the terminal to the airport but told Princess what time and what airline I was on and was given a time and color code different from the walk offs. Even though I was doing my own transportation, I had an easier time than the walk offs and had plenty of time to make my flight. So you can do your own, just tell them your flight time and avoid the walk off options. (I call this option the modified walk off)

[CrusinAgain]

Well since I missed Southwest cheaper air fare, I am now having to do Princess Air but I'm still debating about the use of the Princess transfers since most people dislike them due to having some type of problems with them. So since I am booking Princess Air I won't have any idea when they are flying us in until 21-30 days from cruise. I could save more money with another service and from what others have said probably get their quicker.

 

Why does everyone call it a cattle call down in LA? Is it that much different than the ports in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale?