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Q: Hi guys, I'm desperate for help, as I'm having sleepless nights over this. We've booked cruise only and separate flights. ( no transfers included )
we arrive in LA (san pedro cruise port ) after our cruise and have a whopping nine hours to kill before we have to be at LAX for our flight home. Princess don't appear to offer trips on disembarkation day. We wanted to hire a car from San pedro drive around for a few hours and drop car off at LAX and catch flight. No one seems to offer one way rentals. We can't mull around the airport all that time. We can't mull around San pedro all that time as well have our cases..... Virgin won't let us check our bags in early, tour companies won't get back in time for our flight....... We could get a cab to the beach and then another to the airport, but again well have our cases with us so thats no good......have we really got to sit in LAX for nine hours? :(
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Submitted by: Lumsdale, Belper - United Kingdom on 5th Feb 2012
Subject: Princess Cruises Golden Princess Hawaii Cruises Dis/Embark
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Comment by Cruise Fairy, Indiana USA (06 Feb 12 21:16) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
Try the Hertz rental co at Lomita - 310-891-3061 or email them at Lomita-CAHLEWER@Hertz.com They should be able to help you. Enterprise car rental is right close to the port at the Doubleday Hotel, but they have hefty drop-off fees and have seen lots of negatives reports re their service. Lomita is just a few minutes up the road... Mapquest shows it as 6 miles away from the port. http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1a=1939+Pacific+Coast+Highway&1c=Lomita&1s=CA&1z=90717&cid=lfddlink&form=directions
Comment by Lumsdale, Belper (07 Feb 12 21:31) about a COMMENT by Cruise Fairy (06 Feb 12 21:16)
Thank you very much for your help, I've emailed them, I'm determined to get a car ! Watch this space
Comment by Lumsdale , Belper (06 Feb 12 20:31) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
Thanks to all that have replied, I've emailed princess and they've confirmed that there will be disembarkation tours available, but they can't tell me what or how much etc etc......... I'd still prefer to hire a car, but still can't get anything from port to lax or that do the drop off, the best I've been offered is a company in lomita and they've given me instructions on how to catch a bus from the port to their office which will take 50 mins. So I'm thinking maybe a taxi to a hotel with a day room, although this will be way more expensive than the car hire...........I can't believe I'm finding it so difficult to hire a car.........Im sure I must be doing something wrong....... None of the companies seem to be very helpful, maybe because it's a short rental and not a longer booking.
Comment by Cruise Fairy, Indiana USA (06 Feb 12 21:28) about a COMMENT by Lumsdale (06 Feb 12 20:31)
BTW- forget bus travel over here. Way too inconvenient...
Comment by Bradbury, Coventry (06 Feb 12 10:07) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
Why not find a nice hotel and ask for a day room. You can drop your bags off chill out, have a walk around/find a nice beach, freshen up in your room then head for the airport. Alternatively why not sort out your own tour. Check out whats available, tailor it to suit yourself then get online and find a company willing to give you a tour (explain that you will need a car big enough to accommodate all the luggage too and get yourself a driver and take away all the strain and worry. They can then drop you off at the airport at your designated time at the end of the tour.
Comment by Mitchell, Derby (05 Feb 12 19:38) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
We wondered the same thing when flying back at 8pm from Miami - no departure day excursions were listed on the Princess website. BUT once on the ship, when they sent the form asking about our arrangements on that day, a list of trips was attached, all offering something to do in the day and a transfer to the airport when you'd finished. I gather they do this on most of their cruises - why they don't put them on the site itself I really can't imagine; it would save a lot of worry Cheers, Lynn
Comment by Cruise Fairy, Indiana USA (05 Feb 12 19:02) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
Have a look at the Cruise Critic website. Click on Boards- then North American Homeports, then West Coast departures. There are pages of threads with questions like yours, answered by locals... it's a great resource
Comment by mona, lott (05 Feb 12 18:04) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
Lots of hotels book rooms for the day, relax and do a bit of sightseeing.
Comment by Wilba, . (05 Feb 12 17:54) about a QUESTION by Lumsdale (05 Feb 12 17:35)
I'm not sure why the sleepless nights, it took me all of 5 minutes to find at least 10 major hire companies from San Pedro with a meet & greet and a drop off at LAX with prices from $18.........Just Google car rental San Pedro to LAX
Comment by Lumps dale, Belper (05 Feb 12 19:13) about a COMMENT by Wilba (05 Feb 12 17:54)
tHanks for your reply Wilba, I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but I've emailed lots of the companies, most don't allow a different drop off from pick up.. Some won't let us have the car for 7/8 hours as its a minimum rental of 24 hours.. I'm not sure I'm seeing what your seeing.......I've googled what you suggested. Arghhhhhh. I defiantly won't book separate flights /cruise again, it's so much easier doing the complete package. :(