Skip to content
CruiseDayGuide

Long Beach Airport to Port of Long Beach

Getting from Long Beach Airport to Port of Long Beach — 10-15 min, 5 miles

10-15 min5 miles

Transfer Options

Hotel Shuttle Services

Several Long Beach hotels offer Park & Cruise packages that include one night, parking for the duration of your cruise, and a shuttle to the terminal. The Cove Hotel and Residence Inn Downtown are the most popular options.

Quoted at booking; the packages do not publish a price.Best for: Cruisers who want a relaxed morning and don't want to deal with port parking

The Cove Hotel's package states one night plus free parking for up to seven nights while you sail, with transportation to and from the terminal included — that is the clearest set of inclusions published nearby. The Queen Mary's Stay and Cruise package is the trap: it does not include parking during your sailing, which is sold separately. Verify shuttle departure times when you book, since most run on a schedule rather than on demand, and price any package against $23 a day in the terminal garage plus the room.

Uber/Lyft from Anywhere

Rideshare is widely available throughout Long Beach and greater LA. The terminal has a designated drop-off area. Pricing varies wildly depending on where you're coming from and LA traffic conditions.

From downtown LB: $8-12. From LGB airport: $12-20. From Anaheim/Disneyland: $30-45. From LAX: no published fare — quoted in the app at booking.Best for: Flexibility and door-to-door service

Check prices the night before and again in the morning — surge pricing on embarkation days (especially Saturdays) is real. Coming from LAX, there is no published fare to compare against, so take the app's estimate and weigh it against the meter on a taxi. For groups of 3+, UberXL usually beats buying seats one at a time.

From Long Beach Airport (LGB)

LGB is only about 5 miles from the cruise terminal — roughly 10-15 minutes by car. It's a tiny, stress-free airport with one terminal, and you'll be at the port before you know it. Limited airline options (JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, American) but if your route works, it's the obvious choice.

Uber/Lyft: $12-20. Taxi: ~$20-25.Best for: Cruisers who can find a flight into LGB — the easiest transfer by far

LGB has no jet bridges — you walk across the tarmac to the terminal. It feels retro in the best way. If you can fly Southwest or JetBlue here instead of LAX, do it. You'll save an hour of stress and $30+ on the transfer.

Driving & Port Parking

The terminal is at 231 Windsor Way, right next to the Queen Mary. Take I-710 South, exit at Harbor Scenic Drive (Exit 1A), and follow it all the way to the end. At the Queen Mary entrance, stay far right for the cruise terminal lane. The parking garage is $23/day.

$23/day in the terminal garage — a flat posted rate rather than a price quoted inside a reservation system. Short stays: free to 30 minutes, $4 to 59 minutes, $8 for one to two hours.Best for: Cruisers driving from Southern California

The garage has a strict 7-foot height limit, and the terminal separately turns away any vehicle that uses more than one space — so a roof box, a shell, a hitch bike rack or an RV is out. If your vehicle is anywhere near either line, call 800-764-7419 before you book: the local off-site lots refuse RVs too, and the nearest facility that takes them serves a different port about 25 minutes away. Drop luggage and passengers at the terminal curbside before parking; the garage is at the terminal address itself, so it is a short walk back.

Long Beach Transit

Long Beach Transit runs the Passport shuttle on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, which is free and connects downtown Long Beach to the waterfront area near the terminal. The AquaBus water taxi also connects Shoreline Village to the Queen Mary area for $1.

Passport shuttle: Free. AquaBus: $1. Regular bus fare: $1.25.Best for: Budget-conscious cruisers already staying in downtown Long Beach

The Passport shuttle doesn't go directly to the cruise terminal — you'll still need to walk or grab a short rideshare from the Queen Mary area. Fine if you're traveling light, but not practical with heavy luggage.

Flying into a different airport?LAX to Port of Long Beach

Cost Comparison

How each way from LGB to Port of Long Beach compares
Hotel Shuttle ServicesCostQuoted at booking; the packages do not publish a price.Best ForCruisers who want a relaxed morning and don't want to deal with port parking
Uber/Lyft from AnywhereCostFrom downtown LB: $8-12. From LGB airport: $12-20. From Anaheim/Disneyland: $30-45. From LAX: no published fare — quoted in the app at booking.Best ForFlexibility and door-to-door service
From Long Beach Airport (LGB)CostUber/Lyft: $12-20. Taxi: ~$20-25.Best ForCruisers who can find a flight into LGB — the easiest transfer by far
Driving & Port ParkingCost$23/day in the terminal garage — a flat posted rate rather than a price quoted inside a reservation system. Short stays: free to 30 minutes, $4 to 59 minutes, $8 for one to two hours.Best ForCruisers driving from Southern California
Long Beach TransitCostPassport shuttle: Free. AquaBus: $1. Regular bus fare: $1.25.Best ForBudget-conscious cruisers already staying in downtown Long Beach

Local Tip

There are no jet bridges at LGB — you'll walk across the tarmac to the small terminal building, and rideshare/taxi pickup is right outside. Hotel Park & Cruise shuttles run scheduled departures, not on demand, so confirm your pickup time and the last morning run when you book. LGB is domestic-only, so there's no immigration wait to plan around here. If you are flying in from outside the US, sort your entry authorization before you book: most visa-waiver travelers need an approved ESTA, it is not issued at the airport, and without one the airline will not board you. Apply through the official CBP site at esta.cbp.dhs.gov — never a paid intermediary.

Once you arrive, find your terminal:

Want the complete Port of Long Beach cruise guide?

Restaurants, activities, hotels, terminal tips, parking, packing lists, and boarding advice — all in one page.

View Full Guide