This article is part of Traveller’s ultimate guide to cruise ports. See all stories . Venice Beach, LA.
Credit: Getty Images Welcome to Los Angeles: capital of consumerism, city of freeways and fashionistas, home to movie wannabes and Hollywood stars. Who goes there Los Angeles is the gateway to the Mexican Riviera, Alaska and Hawaii, as well as the South Pacific and Asia. Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean home-port ships here.
Other regulars include Celebrity, MSC, Oceania, Regent Seven and Viking. In 2023, 219 cruise ships visited, and the port processed more than 1.3 million passengers.
Note that Carnival has exclusive use of separate Long Beach Cruise Terminal. Sail on in Thanks to cinema and television, we all have a picture of this city in our minds – but you won’t get glamour on an approach by sea. Los Angeles port is at San Pedro, 30 kilometres south of downtown, and features vast shipping terminals along a huge stretch of coastline, which provides an industrial rather than romantic arrival in California.
Berth rites Not much to be said about the World Cruise Centre. It processes you, sometimes slowly, and is unrelieved by distractions. Shuttles take you to the ships.
If you have time to fill, Los Angeles Maritime Museum and the Battleship USS Iowa Museum are close to the terminal. As often in America, public transportation is convoluted, so best rely on cruise transfers, taxis or the airport’s LAX Cruise Shuttle. Before and after Many ships call into Lo.