Cruise port transfers to San Pedro and Long Beach

Los Angeles has two neighboring cruise ports, and travelers often mix them up. The Port of Los Angeles operates the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal in San Pedro, at Berths 91 to 93 near Harbor Boulevard and Swinford Street; some maps still label it the World Cruise Center. The Long Beach Cruise Terminal is in the City of Long Beach, beside the Queen Mary at 231 Windsor Way, and is owned and operated by Carnival. The Port of Los Angeles suggests checking your itinerary's seaport code: US LAX means San Pedro, and US LGB means Long Beach.

The San Pedro terminal has direct freeway access from the I-110, and the Long Beach terminal sits across the water from downtown Long Beach. Ranges below follow the usual route in typical traffic, and the low end assumes light traffic. Your chauffeur picks the route on the day. For the airport side of the trip, see LAX car service.

• LAX to the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal (San Pedro): about 18 miles, 30 to 70 minutes, depending on traffic.
• LAX to the Long Beach Cruise Terminal: about 23 miles, 35 to 75 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) to San Pedro: about 10 miles; to the Long Beach terminal: about 9 miles; 15 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Downtown Los Angeles (Union Station area) to San Pedro: about 25 miles, 35 to 75 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Disneyland Resort to San Pedro: about 30 miles, 45 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Beverly Hills to either terminal: about 30 to 33 miles, 45 to 95 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Between the two terminals: about 8 miles, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

Your cruise line assigns a check-in or boarding time, and that is the time to plan around, not the sailing time. Work backward from it using the high end of the drive range, then add a margin for traffic at the terminal entrance. If you are flying in the same day, leave generous room between your scheduled landing and the boarding window. Many travelers fly in the day before, stay near the harbor or in Long Beach, and take a short morning transfer instead.

For a same-day flight connection, your chauffeur monitors the flight and arrives based on the actual landing time. Domestic arrivals include a complimentary waiting period after landing, and international arrivals include 45 to 60 minutes. Add Meet & Greet, which includes up to one hour of terminal waiting, if you want your chauffeur to meet you inside the airport terminal while you collect a week of luggage.

Passengers leave the ship in stages set by the cruise line, so the time you walk off depends on the debarkation option you choose and how quickly the ship is cleared. Book the pickup for your expected walk-off time, add the ship name to the booking notes and keep your phone on. Your chauffeur confirms the exact meeting point by text or phone. Waiting beyond any complimentary allowance is billed at the hourly rate of the vehicle booked, so if you are flying out the same day, allow for the drive at its slowest.

Cruise luggage usually decides the vehicle. A Comfort Sedan or Executive Sedan carries up to 3 passengers and 3 bags, the Escalade Elite up to 6 passengers and 5 bags, the Luxury SUV up to 7 passengers and 6 bags, and the Mercedes Sprinter Van up to 16 passengers and 18 bags. These are maximums, so size up when in doubt. Rear-facing child safety seats and booster seats are add-ons, up to three seats. Driving yourself is harder in a large vehicle at Long Beach, where the terminal garage has a 7-foot height limit and oversized vehicles cannot park. See the Sprinter van for groups.

The Port of Los Angeles notes that baggage cannot be stored at the terminal, so any sightseeing before boarding happens with your bags in the car. If you want a stop for a meal or supplies on the way, hourly service has a 3-hour minimum online and keeps the car with you between stops. Round trips, such as LAX to the ship and the ship back to LAX a week later, are booked together and appear as two linked reservations.