cruisinqt

Or you could wash a few items each night in your sink then hang them to dry on the clothes line in the shower. Before I became Platinum I did this and it’s super easy. You can buy Sink Suds on Amazon for $8.48 which has 8 packets of laundry detergent made for sinks. I would wash several items then hang them up and they’d be dry or almost dry the next morning. It was much easier, cheaper, and more convenient than using the laundry room.

Wow what great info! We were looking at airport hotels (the ones near Tukwila were very reasonably priced) but decided against it. The idea of driving 30+ minutes each way to get to the sights in Seattle was just too much for me. I’ve had a very long stressful commute to work for many years and when I’m on vacation I avoid driving as much as possible. We found some great deals in the Lake Union area and are currently leaning in that direction. We are sailing on the Quantam of the Seas from pier 91. We plan on taking Uber or Lyft to the port. We will also be using buses, light rail, or Uber & Lyft to get around town. We discussed it and parking is expensive and a hassle so we won’t be doing a rental car. We will definitely be checking out 13 Coins it sounds like a cool restaurant. And I love history so the Klondike will be put on my list of things we have to see. Thanks for your input it helps a lot.

For anyone reading this thread looking for a decent priced hotel near the downtown area that’s not a cheap budget place but not a super expensive high end hotel either, I found a couple. Keep in mind that I’m looking for something family friendly with a fridge, microwave, and sitting area so our family of 4 don’t feel over crowded. First off, don’t use kayak.com. For some reason a lot of decent hotels in Seattle weren’t showing up there and was the reason I wasn’t seeing many good deals. I went to skyscanner.com and there were tons of good hotels to choose from. I narrowed it down to either Silver Cloud Seattle Lake Union (a local chain), or Staybridge Suites downtown/Lake Union. Both have suites at reasonable prices and are located pretty close to all of the attractions downtown. They also have fridges, microwaves, free breakfast, free WiFi and laundry rooms. I can get a studio suite room at Silver Cloud with 2 queen beds, a sofa/sitting area, and kitchenette for $239 a night. And Staybridge Suites has the same amenities for $259 a night. Both are in the Lake Union area close to downtown. And they both have 4.5 stars out of 5 at TripAdvisor with great reviews. I’ll be booking our stay at Staybridge Suites since the rooms are a little bit nicer and they offer government discounts (I work for the government). We will be there in May so I’ll come back with a review of the hotel after our trip for anyone interested.

That sounds like a good idea. I’ll keep checking to see if I find any deals on something closer to Seattle and if not then I’ll do an airport hotel and use the light rail. Thanks.

This is exactly the information I was looking for. It’s a long drive and there’s not much to do in the area. That’s what I was worried about. I guess I need to focus my search on Seattle itself instead of the suburbs. We will be staying in Seattle from 5/19/23-5/22/23. We are going on the Quantam of the Seas so we will be using pier 91. I’d prefer a suite since my girls are adults now and tall just like my husband who is 6’6”. I don’t want to be packed like sardines into a small basic hotel room for several days. I was hoping to not go over $300 a night which I know is asking a lot for a popular city like Seattle during tourist season. I’ve been mostly looking at Hilton hotels since I could use my points but Hilton is super expensive in Seattle. Thanks for the info I’ll start looking around Seattle Center and Lake Union.

We are trying to decide what area of Seattle to stay in pre cruise. The hotels in downtown Seattle are pretty expensive (and small) for a family of 4 requiring at least 2 queen sized beds. It’s a lot cheaper to stay in Tukwila (and the rooms are suites) but it’s a 30 minute ride to the downtown Seattle area from there. We will probably get a rental car since we will be there 3 days but I dread driving an hour round trip to Seattle every time we decide to go somewhere. Is the Tukwila area pretty nice with shopping and restaurants? Or will be be constantly schlepping back and forth to Seattle? I’m torn because I want the bigger roomier & cheaper rooms in Tukwila but the convenience of being in downtown Seattle is appealing too. Right now I’m looking at the Sound Hotel Seattle Belltown or the Home2 Suites Seattle airport.

They open at 8 am so I imagine you can. We never had them for breakfast but that’s a great idea. I might try them for breakfast on the Celebration next month.

Yes those are the two I was looking at. But the reviews for the Hilton London Hyde Park had a lot of negative comments. They renovated an older building and guests say it’s a bit worn down so I may pass on that one. I don’t want to use my points for something that isn’t worth it. I’ve been leaning toward the Doubletree Hilton London Hyde Park. It has very good reviews, the tube and buses are nearby, and it doesn’t require as many Hilton points as some of the others. The Hilton hotel that was a good ways from the Tube that I was considering wasn’t the Hilton London Hyde Park one, I misspoke. It was the Westminster London Curio Collection Hilton. I was very interested in it because it sounds like a really cool hotel and it’s so close to the palace. But I’m thinking the Doubletree in Hyde Park may be the better choice it’s less points and is a great location. I like the Doubletree by Hilton Victoria too. It has great reviews but it costs more just like the Westminster one. And the Doubletree Hyde Park fits my needs just fine. For some reason I’m getting offered a rate of $205 a night for a king room with a view under some promotional sale and that’s without using my points. It’s hard to resist that price. The Premier Inn wants $159 a night. You make some good points on the bus versus the Tube. If we are in a hurry we will use the Tube but if we have time we will enjoy the bus. Thanks for the insight.

If luggage is a worry try stasher.com. They have dozens of locations all over London and will hold your luggage while you go sightseeing.

One of the hotels in Hyde Park had a room with an outdoor patio and I really liked it. But even though the bus was right next door, the Tube was a good 15 minute walk. I’d prefer a hotel with the Tube and a bus right next door so I’d have a choice of both pretty close by. I’m not sure which we will be using between a bus and the Tube. Is one better than the other? Is the price a big difference?

That’s the info I was looking for. Thanks.

Yes. My daughters have been staying in their own cabin next to ours for many years. They are 23 & 25 now but they started cruising when they were 3 & 5 so many those years they had their own cabin they were under 18. My husband and I get really good casino deals so we usually book one cabin under my name and another cabin under his name and split the girls between us. Then when we get on board we go to guest services and switch it around to where the girls have one cabin and we have the other cabin. Carnival has never had a problem putting the girls in their own cabin as long as we were nearby and they had adults cruising with them.

Your 19 year old son and his girlfriend in a nearby interior cabin is just fine. You and your youngest son in the balcony cabin is fine. You could wait till you’re onboard and go to guest services and switch everyone around to the new cabins if both offers booked are yours or your kids offers. I do it all of the time. BUT, if one of the cabins is booked under an offer from your husband then the offer won’t be honored unless he’s there. I would call Carnival and put both rooms under offers you or your children have received and move the people to the cabin you want them in if one of the cabins is booked under an offer of your husband’s. A good PVP at Carnival can easily arrange that.

Thanks I’ll check them out

I don’t lean over the railing and look down, I look out. So having something below isn’t a big deal to me. I’ve had plenty of cabins with something beneath the balcony and I just don’t get why people complain. I look out across the horizon to see the sunset or sunrise. I look off into the distance to wildlife or other ships. But it doesn’t occur to me to lean over and look down. Maybe I’m different I don’t know but it just isn’t a big deal to me. As to privacy I rarely see people out and about when I’m on my balcony so it’s never been a problem. I had an ocean suite on deck 9 on the Mardi Gras in February and liked it so much I booked an Ocean Suite on the Celebration for July and I’m really looking forward to it.

Thanks I didn’t know Windsor castle was further away. Yeah the hotels in the Hyde Park area were a bit cheaper but after further investigation they have mixed reviews so with you saying it’s further away I’ll pass on them. So that narrows it down to just 2 hotels, thanks.

This is our first visit to London so we are looking at the the main stuff everyone wants to see when they first go there. Like Buckingham Palace, Windsor castle, taking a boat ride on the Thames, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of london, having a nice meal at a local pub, and seeing a show at the theater. I know all of those things aren’t together in the same spot but as long as I’m kind of in the middle of things where I can hop on the tube or a bus and get there in a decent amount of time I’m good. I just don’t want to be off in the outskirts away from the main attractions taking forever to get there.

I’ve been looking for a decent hotel in a safe area of London close to all of the sights with transportation nearby (we aren’t renting a car). I’m not wanting anything super expensive but I don’t want a dump either. I had almost decided on the Premier Inn in Waterloo since it’s reasonably priced and a great location. But first I decided to check my Hilton app and see how many points I have and if they had any good deals. Well I’m seeing some pretty good deals but they’re not in Waterloo (which is an area I researched a lot) so I’m unsure if the new locations I’m considering are good ones. I’m looking at one hotel in Victoria (Hilton Doubletree), one in Westminster (Westminster London Curio Collection), and 2 in Hyde Park (a Hilton & a Doubletree) between Paddington and Knotting Hill right next to Hyde Park. Are these good hotels in safe areas close to all the sights with transportation nearby? If it were you which one would you choose? Or would you just stick with the Premier Inn?

That’s good to know. I had knee surgery a while back and steps may bother my knees after walking around London sightseeing. Thanks

I use VRBO all the time here in the USA and love them. I’m a little concerned about staying in someone’s home in another country though. Homes are usually in residential areas where you need a car to get around and we don’t plan on renting a car. London has so many different ways of getting around that’s really cheap so we plan on using them instead.

Thanks for the link. The prices aren’t too bad and more what I’m looking for. But I have a question. There seems to be several Premier Inns and everyone recommends a different one. There’s Premier Inn Westminster, the Premier Inn Waterloo, the Premier Inn Kings Cross, the Premier Inn St Pancras, etc. If it were you and you were choosing a Premier Inn, which one would you choose to stay in?

That sounds like a great idea, thanks.

That’s something I’ll definitely be using. Thanks for the info.

We are doing Quantam of the Seas with Royal because we have 2 daughters and we know they want young fun stuff to do. Quantam has laser tag, bumper cars, the flowrider, an escape room, a rock climbing wall, a skydiving simulator and a fully enclosed pool. Plus there are lots of specialty restaurants they’ll enjoy like Johnny Rocket’s where they can get cheeseburgers and milkshakes. I think your grandson would enjoy a ship like this.

Same here the wait was never over 10 minutes and that was during peak dinner times too. We’ve found YTD to be consistently faster than the MDR on our past 3 sailings (Horizon, Mardi Gras, Panorama). And if you get a great waiter you can ask to be seated at his table every night. That way you have the same MDR waitstaff throughout the cruise, just like with the fixed dining. I like it better because I can eat when I’m actually hungry, not when I’m told it’s time to eat.