LOS ANGELES CRUISE TERMINALS

There are two terminals in Los Angeles, one in San Pedro and one in Long Beach separated by the Los Angeles cargo port. They are about 5 miles (8 km) apart so it is important to know which terminal your cruise ship will be using.

At the time of writing, only Carnival use the Long Beach terminal, but be sure to check with your cruise line which terminal you need to head to.

If you are using a GPS or map program (we use Here WeGo), input the following addresses to find your terminal

WORLD CRUISE CENTER: 100 Swinford St, San Pedro, CA 90731

LONG BEACH CRUISE CENTER: 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, CA 90802

PASSENGER & LUGGAGE DROP OFF

EMBARKATION: Luggage drop-off at parking lots is provided on a limited basis (indicated on the parking lot signage). For faster service, you can drop off your luggage and companions at the terminal first.

DISEMBARKATION: When returning you can either retrieve your vehicle and return to the terminal to pick up your companions and luggage in the loading area, or take your luggage and companions to your parking lot to retrieve your vehicle.

The area next to the cruise terminal is for loading and unloading only so you should be prepared to unload/load quickly to allow others to do the same.

TAXIS: As to be expected there is a high demand for taxis during peak disembarkation hours and they may not be readily available. Please account for this wait time in your plans for departure day, especially when booking a flight home.

PORTS OF CALL FOR SHIPS DEPARTING LOS ANGELES

Acapulco, Mexico | Aruba | Astoria, OR | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico | Cartagena, Columbia | Catalina Island, CA | Colon, Panama | Coquimbo, Chile | Dublin, Ireland | Ensenada, Mexico | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Glacier Bay, AK | Halifax, Canada | Hilo, HI | Honolulu, HI | Juneau, AK | Kauai, HI | Ketchikan, AK | Lima, Peru | Maui, HI | Mazatlan, Mexico | Miami, FL | Monterey, CA | New York, NY | Panama Canal, Panama | Pisco, Peru | Puerta Caldera, Costa Rica | Puerta Vallarta, Mexico | Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala | Puntarenas, Costa Rica | Reykjavik, Iceland | Saint Johns, Canada | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua | Santa Barbara, CA | Santiago, Chile | Seattle, WA | Skagway, AK | Southampton, UK | Vancouver, Canada | Victoria, Canada

*Please Note: These scheduled ports of call are not guaranteed as the cruise line may make changes to their itineraries due to weather or other reasons. 

MONEY MATTERS

CURRENCY

The currency of the United States is the US Dollar (USD) which is divided into 100 cents. It is printed on paper bills in the following denominations: $1, $2 (uncommon), $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. It also includes the following coins: 1¢ (penny), 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), and 25¢ (quarter). There are 50¢ pieces and dollar coins but they aren’t common.

TIPPING

Although it’s not mandatory, tipping is customary in the United States and some service industries will expect a tip for a job well done. Visitors from outside the country may also be surprised at how much is tipped as it can be quite a bit more than in, for example, European countries.

RESTAURANTS: It is customary to offer your waiter or waitress a tip between 15-20% depending on the level of service they provided. Usually, you will find the service is very attentive (refilling your drinking, checking on your party etc.) but if the service isn’t great you can leave a smaller tip or even no tip. Typically service that doesn’t warrant a tip does warrant speaking with a manager to voice your dissatisfaction. If you are dining with a large group (usually 8 or more) the restaurant may add an 18% service charge to your bill automatically so check for this before you add your tip. This is usually indicated at the bottom of a menu if the restaurant does this, or it will be indicated on your bill.

BARS: A tip of 10-15% is appropriate at a bar. In some places, you’ll find a “tip jar” on the bar and others you can give the tip to your server directly.

TAXIS: A tip of 10-15% of your fare is customary, especially if your driver helps you with your luggage.

Paying with a credit or debit card is very common and in most restaurants, bars, and even taxis,  you’ll be able to add a tip to the total on the machine when you settle the bill if you don’t have cash. This is so common that many credit card machines now even have buttons with 15% / 18% / 20% on them so it will calculate the tip for you if you choose that option. You are always given the option to select the amount you’d like to tip, or you can opt not to put the tip on your card and give a cash tip instead.

BANKS & ATMS

Finding an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) will not be too difficult in Los Angeles, with several not too far from each of the cruise terminals. We’ve pinned several banks and ATMs that are near the terminals to the map below.

Generally, in the US, you will find ATMs at banks (some may have drive-thru ATMs), in grocery stores, gas stations, and in pharmacies (of which two common ones are CVS and Walgreens).

GETTING AROUND LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles is a large city and not designed for walking around. The best option if you plan to explore is to hire a car. If you are flying in then you can rent cars from the airports, check out our transportation guide for more info.

LA does have a reasonable public transport system with three different types of Metro buses:

• Orange buses are local and make frequent stops along their routes.
• Red buses are express buses with longer distances between stops, but a faster ride if you are travelling a distance.
• Blue buses are less useful to tourists and targetted at commuters, they travel mainly between downtown and business districts.

Another option is to grab an Uber, Lyft, or a taxi. There will typically be taxis waiting at the terminal, especially during peak embarkation and disembarkation times but if not you can give one of our recommendations a call.

LOS ANGELES WEATHER

In general, you’ll find the summers are hot and arid while the winters are long, cool and overcast. The best times to visit Galveston for warm-weather outdoor activities are April, May and November.

The hottest part of the year is from June until the middle of October with average daily high temperatures above 81°F (27°C). The cooler part of the year is the end of November to the middle of March with average daily high temperatures below 50°F (10°C).

LOS ANGELES VISITOR’S CENTER

The Los Angeles Visitor’s Center is a great place for even more, in-depth, information about many treasures found in LA, however, it is quite a distance from the cruise terminals.

MAIN LOCATION:  6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

PHONE: +1 323-467-6412

HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday – Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please note though hours may be seasonal and subject to change so best to give them a call before visiting to confirm they are open.

Closer to the World Cruise Center, there is an office in San Pedro at 390 West 7th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 which is open Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the Official Los Angeles Visitor’s Guide click here to sign up to receive one by mail or instant download. 

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Almost every day in Los Angeles there are events and activities taking place so you’re bound to find some fun things to do while you’re in town. Big annual events include Tournament of Roses Parade in January, US Open of Surfing in July/August, and LA County Fair in September. Maybe you’ll be in town when a new star is being unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

As these are big events for Los Angeles, if you are planning a cruise during these times it is best to book any hotels as far in advance as possible to get your desired accommodations.

Also, keep these dates in mind if you want to join in the fun, or come another time to enjoy a quieter LA.

DINING

SHOPPING

With so many movie stars to cater for, there is no shortage of shopping on offer in Los Angeles. From boutique stores to high street favourites, LA has all shopping requirements covered.

If you want high-end shopping them the famous Rodeo Drive could be perfect.

The Grove is a large shopping centre which even has its own trolley which takes you from The Grove to the Original Farmer’s Market.

For Outlet shopping, we suggest the Citadel which boasts 130 brand name stores for your shopping pleasure.

And for delicious food from around the world, the Original Farmer’s Market has 100 gourmet grocers and other retailers to delight your palate.

MAP

The map below shows the points of interest mentioned above in relation to the cruise terminal.