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Once you make the decision to take a cruise out of Los Angeles, it seems that a dizzying array of secondary decisions follow. Where do you get the cheapest flights? How far in advance should you book? Refundable or not? Which cabin? Where on the ship? Beverage card or not? Excursions? Which ones? Thankfully, once you have made your decisions of what ship and when, there is one decision you don’t have to worry about: how to get to the port. A recent survey of airport transportation options in Los Angeles takes the guess work out of the decision-making process and provides clear and concise information for each of the options available to you. Rental Car
Once arriving in Los Angeles, one option is to rent a car and take advantage of the cruise ship parking that many of the hotels surrounding the port offer. While this is a popular option, our research found that it is probably not the wisest. While there are good deals to be had with the rental companies, many travelers fail to figure in the additional costs of gas and parking, not to mention the hazards of driving in an unfamiliar area. Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic (Texas A&M researchers found it the worst in the nation) and its maze of a freeway system. Perhaps the best way to lower your stress level before even setting foot on the ship is to leave the driving to the professionals. Public Transportation
Utilizing public transportation is by far the least expensive option that we investigated. From LAX, you will exit baggage claim and look for the Lot C shuttle bus. This is a free shuttle that will take you to the LAX Transit Center. From here you take the Metro 232 bus all the way to the end of the line which is the Long Beach Transit Center. The cost is $1.50. Once in Long Beach, you will ride the Passport Shuttle C to the port. This is a free shuttle service. While the cost can’t be beat, there are two major problems with utilizing public transportation to get from LAX to the port: the bus turns a 17 mile trip into a 2 ½ hour odyssey and the bus is often quite crowded, even standing room only, making it very difficult to travel with any sort of large pieces of luggage. More information on public transit in Los Angeles is available at Metro.net or by calling (323) GO METRO. Taxi
Taxis are abundant at LAX, but the distance to the port of 17 miles makes them pretty inefficient for our purposes. There are 8 different companies licensed to serve the airport and their reported fares range from $60-$85. However, the World Taximeter calculates the fare at $79.60 after figuring in airport surcharges, tip, and potential time spent waiting in traffic. Shuttles
There are a number of airport shuttles and hotel shuttles in Los Angeles. The two shared ride services that are licensed to operate at LAX are Prime Time Shuttle and Super Shuttle. Upon exiting baggage claim, both have uniformed representatives (Prime Time in red, Super Shuttle in blue) at the curb at each terminal. Prime Time Shuttle’s fare is $16 per person. The cost is the same for the return shuttle to LAX. Super Shuttle charges $17 per person. Each are able to accommodate a maximum of 9 passengers per van. Discounted Shared Van Service
A relatively new shuttle service at LAX is Shuttle2LAX.com. As a travel wholesaler (they purchase unused seats from the other companies and resell them to the public), their rates for shuttle service from LAX to the cruise ship ports are $20 for the first passenger and $11 for each additional passenger. Once you make your reservation online, you will find out which airport shuttle will be serving you and then will need to follow the specific instructions of that carrier in order to know where to meet your shuttle. Prime Time Shuttle or SuperShuttle is cheaper if you are traveling by yourself, but for parties of two or more, Shuttle2LAX.com is the cheapest option. Private Van
Another option is a private van. Again, only Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle are licensed to provide this service at LAX. Both offer a private van that can hold up to 9 passengers for $85 one way. If you have 7, 8 or 9 passengers in your party, the exclusive van ends up being your cheapest option, even over the discounted service through Shuttle2LAX.com. Town Car
Town cars are not as strictly regulated by the airport and there are a plethora of companies that provide this service. A survey of companies revealed Go Sedan as the cheapest carrier for passengers looking for a private town car from LAX to the ports. A private town car that can carry 3 passengers and 4 pieces of luggage is available from Go Sedan for $75.82, which includes an 18% gratuity for the driver. Now that all of your options have been laid out for you, along with their relative costs, we hope that at least this one decision regarding your upcoming cruise is easier to make.
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