Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach

[tradingspaces]

For some reason I am having a terrible time deciding where to stay for our pre and post cruise stay in the LA area. Can anyone give me there thoughts on the Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach as oppose to the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro? Thanks a bunch!

 

Laura

[amartin042]

I have stayed at both and I would definitely recommend the Crown Plaza over the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary is old and run down with dirty rooms. We just stayed at the Crown Plaza at the end of January for our cruise and we loved the hotel and the location.

[Wylie Coyote]

On Trip Advisor... the Queen Mary gets horrible reviews. There are alot of complaints about nightly noise from the theater and night club that is on the Queen Mary.

 

May just want to do your early check-in on the Queen Mary (starts at 9am) and tour the ship prior to boarding the Pride.

[JJ2sail]

Loved the Crowne Plaza! Very nice!

[Tahoestarr]

I've stayed at both also....if you are looking for a comfortable stay....crowne plaza for sure! However...if you'd like an historical evening....the Queen Mary is great! We had a blast on the Queen Mary...but we are the adventurous type...LOL. It's fun to have the ship to yourself after all the regular folks leave...stolling the decks...got us in the mood for our cruise!

[5fathom]

We sailed on the Island Princess out of LA last Oct. We met a couple who did a pre cruise night on the Queen Mary and were very disappointed. They said their room (cabin) was very small and not really clean. They said the hotel staff was indifferent. We personally did not stay there but this was the view of people who did.

[tinacolada]

On Trip Advisor... the Queen Mary gets horrible reviews. There are alot of complaints about nightly noise from the theater and night club that is on the Queen Mary.

 

May just want to do your early check-in on the Queen Mary (starts at 9am) and tour the ship prior to boarding the Pride.

Wylie Coyote-

I'm really baffled how you can get pre-boarding status on Carnival cruises out of LB if you don't stay at the Queen Mary the night before?? I've read a few comments about this but nothing specific. Do you just take a tour early in the AM, and then they give you a pass or something to take onboard Carnival to board early, or??? I really don't get it cuz wouldn't everyone do this if that were the case? Is the tour very pricey or something? Thanks for the help.

[cruiserbryce]

we didnt stay at Queen Mary but got a chance to see a couple of the rooms last weekend and given the choice I would stay in SP and just go take a tour of the QM...the rooms didnt appear all that nice, the rooms and hallways were a bit dim as well...either way I am sure you will have a great time, but personally I would stay in SP

[Curt Jerome Wild]

For some reason I am having a terrible time deciding where to stay for our pre and post cruise stay in the LA area. Can anyone give me there thoughts on the Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach as oppose to the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro? Thanks a bunch!

 

Laura

Queen Mary gets a thumbs down for sure...

 

But????

How long are you staying post cruise in LA?

Unless you are flying in and out of Long Beach airport, you'd get much more LA sights and things to do if you stayed closer to LAX...

 

Some post cruise suggestions...

(click on the links for pics and info)...

 

Jamaica Bay Inn - Marina Del Ray

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679886

 

Inn at Venice Beach

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=12754774

 

Cal Mar Hotel in Santa Monica

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=423818

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Wylie Coyote-

I'm really baffled how you can get pre-boarding status on Carnival cruises out of LB if you don't stay at the Queen Mary the night before?? I've read a few comments about this but nothing specific. Do you just take a tour early in the AM, and then they give you a pass or something to take onboard Carnival to board early, or??? I really don't get it cuz wouldn't everyone do this if that were the case? Is the tour very pricey or something? Thanks for the help.

 

There is an early boarding check in at the back of the Queen Mary for Carnival.

(I think it only goes from about 9 AM to 10:30 AM).

After you get your check in there, then you can go stand in the Zone 1 line for boarding/security.

 

You don't have to be a guest of the Queen Mary. If you are early, just go there and check in.

[cruznut1111]

Have you considered the Coast Hotel if you are on Carnival?

 

I'm not saying I was thrilled with everything about it, but I did think it was a perfect location for anyone on Carnival. The room service food was good and reasonable. The restaurant halfway between the Coast and the Queen Mary was very nice and prices weren't horrid.

 

For those who are as clueless as I was when I made my reservations. the Long Beach / San Pedro area is like a great big

E. The top leg is Long Beach where the Hilton is,

the center leg is Coast Hotel, Restaurant, Queen Mary and Carnival.

The bottom leg is San Pedro, Crown Plaza and the NCL dock.

The long line is the freeway.... well, big road with bridges.

 

We were docked in San Pedro and the transport cost was $30. Wouldn't do that again. I'd pick my hotel based on where my ship was docked.

[tinacolada]

There is an early boarding check in at the back of the Queen Mary for Carnival.

(I think it only goes from about 9 AM to 10:30 AM).

After you get your check in there, then you can go stand in the Zone 1 line for boarding/security.

 

You don't have to be a guest of the Queen Mary. If you are early, just go there and check in.

Thanks CJW-that explanation helps!

Tina

[tradingspaces]

CJW...thank you for your advise and recommendations.

 

What is your opinion of the Huntley Santa Monica Beach?

[Curt Jerome Wild]

CJW...thank you for your advise and recommendations.

 

What is your opinion of the Huntley Santa Monica Beach?

I apologize upfront here, as I'm working on location in Palos Verdes this week, so I don't have access to all of my pics and info...

 

That being said...

If you can afford it, or get a good deal, I love this hotel.

It's an old historic Santa Monica hotel, that recently went through a top to bottom refurb...

 

Fantastic location (right near the Third Street Promenade and further down the pier), and amazing view of Los Angeles regardless of what side of the building you are on...

 

Fantastic restaurant on the top floor...

 

I hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions...

[RustiCruiser]

We will be arriving at the Long Beach Airport about 9:30 a.m. on the day of our cruise on the Carnival Pride. We were thinking of dropping off our luggage at the cruise terminal and then visiting the Queen Mary or the Aquarium of the Pacific for a few hours before we check in. Does anyone know if that would be possible and if we would be able to walk from the cruise terminal? Thanks!

[Curt Jerome Wild]

We will be arriving at the Long Beach Airport about 9:30 a.m. on the day of our cruise on the Carnival Pride. We were thinking of dropping off our luggage at the cruise terminal and then visiting the Queen Mary or the Aquarium of the Pacific for a few hours before we check in. Does anyone know if that would be possible and if we would be able to walk from the cruise terminal? Thanks!

 

Well, if you are arriving at 9:30 AM, then you still have to get off the plane. Get your luggage, and then taxi over to the port.

 

So, it could be 10:30 AM by then, unless there are absolutely no delays and you have incredible timing.

 

At the back of the Queen Mary, they have early check in until 11 AM.

If you do that, then you probably have the time to tour the Queen Mary no problem as it's right there next door.

 

Aquarium of The Pacific in your time frame, is quite a bit away (across the bay, so you have a LONG walk or have to wait for the public Long Beach Passport Bus there and back).

 

On the other hand, be open to your timing, as by the time you get to the Queen Mary (or The Pride) and check in, they might be boarding people soon after (within 30 minutes). Bear in mind that there have been times that they are ready to board as early as early as 11:15 AM.

So, just be aware, as you may want to do that.

 

You have the options here, as long as you are aware of them to play it by ear when you get there.

 

 

[Cruisin' Chick]

My family really enjoyed the Aquarium. I would suggest this is a better activity if you have at least a few hours or more to spend there. Especially as tickets are at least $30. We were able to walk from there along the waterfront to Shoreline Village (which is next to where the Carnival berth is) even with our girl who was 9 at the time (and not exactly fond of walking). But if you're arriving the morning of your cruise, you really won't be able to devote too much time to checking out the exhibits there.

[Vic The Parrot]

I know some friends who were on board the Mary last weekend, and they had a blast. Never mentioned anything bad about the condition of the ship.

 

Like the sayin goes ... you can't please everyone. :rolleyes:

[534]

I have stayed at both and I would definitely recommend the Crown Plaza over the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary is old and run down with dirty rooms. We just stayed at the Crown Plaza at the end of January for our cruise and we loved the hotel and the location.

 

 

 

The RMS Queen Mary is one of the most beautiful OCEAN LINERS ever built. Her maiden voyage was in 1936 so yes, she is old. If you do not love ocean liners, their grand history or the Art Deco era perhaps you should stay in a hotel. She is the last of her kind and very much loved by many.

 

Her rooms are beautiful but I do admit some of the furnishings are not as they should be. The new leaseholders are suppose to be fixing the issues with that. We were just there and our room was beautiful! Ask for M115, great stateroom.

 

She is remarkable, beautiful and a VERY special Ocean Liner!!

 

You stay aboard her because she is THE RMS QUEEN MARY not because she's a hotel.

[kenish]

FYI, 2 hours is enough time for the guided tour of the Queen Mary and looking around on your own. Add another hour you're really into nautical history.

 

There is a Soviet diesel sub right next to the QM:

 

http://www.russiansublongbeach.com/ Allow 1 hour; depending on your interests, it may be more interesting than the Queen.

 

The aquarium is directly across the channel from Carnival, I'd allow 3-4 hours to do it justice, plus 30 minutes transit time each way.

[Lightsluvr]

Have you considered the Coast Hotel if you are on Carnival?

 

I'm not saying I was thrilled with everything about it, but I did think it was a perfect location for anyone on Carnival. The room service food was good and reasonable. The restaurant halfway between the Coast and the Queen Mary was very nice and prices weren't horrid.

 

For those who are as clueless as I was when I made my reservations. the Long Beach / San Pedro area is like a great big

E. The top leg is Long Beach where the Hilton is,

the center leg is Coast Hotel, Restaurant, Queen Mary and Carnival.

The bottom leg is San Pedro, Crown Plaza and the NCL dock.

The long line is the freeway.... well, big road with bridges.

 

We were docked in San Pedro and the transport cost was $30. Wouldn't do that again. I'd pick my hotel based on where my ship was docked.

 

This is very good advice... where will the Mariner sail from? San Pedro or Long Beach?

 

LL

[THERUDYS]

There is an early boarding check in at the back of the Queen Mary for Carnival.

(I think it only goes from about 9 AM to 10:30 AM).

After you get your check in there, then you can go stand in the Zone 1 line for boarding/security.

 

You don't have to be a guest of the Queen Mary. If you are early, just go there and check in.

If we check in this way how do we get to Carnival ship? Without luggage is it walkable? Sorry to sound so dumb, but we are a large group and none of us have cruised out of Long Beach before.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

If we check in this way how do we get to Carnival ship? Without luggage is it walkable? Sorry to sound so dumb, but we are a large group and none of us have cruised out of Long Beach before.

Here's a little "map" I made for the parking thread.

If you look, you can see how it is all so close.

The zones for lining up will be in front of "The Dome".

When they are ready to board, that is where you go through to get your pics taken and board.

The porters to take luggage are right there are the corner of the parking structure.

All easy walking distance.

The Queen Mary and The Dome and the parking structure all share kind of a big common courtyard.

 

[THERUDYS]

Thanks so much. We've never cruised from Ca. so this is all new to our group. If you have any other tips or suggestions feel free to add them.

[THERUDYS]

Spoke too soon. I can't open your map.