Constellation from San Diego

[celebrityprincess]

Hello,

 

I'm booked on the Constellation leaving San Diego on March 28. I'm planning on flying out a day or two before the cruise and am trying to decide if I should book my hotel and transfers through Celebrity or book my own hotel and take a cab to the ship. Does anyone know how much transfers cost? The cab from the Hilton near the convention center to the ship would only be about $13 (according to info I found on-line). Also, has anyone stayed at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront? Can you tell me anything about it?

 

Thanks!

[dixie69]

We are travelling on Constellation March 13-28th. So will be coming off as you get on....We also wanted to get to San Diego a few days early but we booked our hotel online and not thru Celebrity or Travel agent. We are staying at Holiday Inn on the Bay which is right accros from the cruise ship terminal, so no need for cab....They also offer free shuttle from airport.

[LuAnn]

so have not stayed at the Hilton...but I'm sure it is an OK property.

 

Personally...I would not book the transfers with the ship...I think you can get a taxi for alot less.

 

So my suggestions would be 1) book your own hotel 2) do your own transfers.

 

The airport is only several minutes away from the port and/or downtown SD so you can do your own thing very easily...

 

Questions??? Let me know and I'll try and answer them....LuAnn

[celebrityprincess]

Staying at the Holiday Inn on the Bay sounds like a good idea. And the fact that they offer a free shuttle from the airport is a bonus!

 

I am so excited about this cruise. I've always cruised from East Coast ports but wanted to do something different this time. I've also never been to San Diego and even though I'm only going to get a taste of it, I can't wait. Only 78 days to go....

 

Thank you!

[M&Dcruisers]

We're taking the same cruise as you (Constellation March 28) and we booked the hotel through Celebrity. We're staying at the Embassy suites (free breakfast and Managers reception). I looked into booking directly with several hotels and didn't find there was any big savings. Looked at the Holiday Inn and read some reviews but didn't like what I read (noisy). Decided to go with Celebrity. Gone with Celebrity several times and never had problems.

[celebrityprincess]

LuAnn,

 

Have you ever eaten at Hodad's? Guy Fieri from the Food Network did one of his Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives from there and he loved it. Is it really worth the trip?

 

Is there anything that is a "must-see" in San Diego if you only have one day?

 

Thanks!

[GeorgeL]

We are travelling on Constellation March 13-28th. So will be coming off as you get on....We also wanted to get to San Diego a few days early but we booked our hotel online and not thru Celebrity or Travel agent. We are staying at Holiday Inn on the Bay which is right accros from the cruise ship terminal, so no need for cab....They also offer free shuttle from airport.

 

Are you planning to visit San Diego a little bit before the cruise? If you are traveling with children you may want to consider staying In Holiday Inn Downtown. It is very close (even walking distance) to many attractions including the San Diego Zoo but also many other interesting places. So, if you are traveling with kids, this may be the way to go. I think they also offer free shuttle to the port but I am not 100% sure.

[celebrityprincess]

No kids...3 adults. We thought we might do the Olde Towne Trolley - which is about a 2 hour ride - to get a look at San Diego. It' a hop-on/hop-off tour so we could get off and see what we wanted. We'll only have one day to look around the city.

[GeorgeL]

No kids...3 adults. We thought we might do the Olde Towne Trolley - which is about a 2 hour ride - to get a look at San Diego. It' a hop-on/hop-off tour so we could get off and see what we wanted. We'll only have one day to look around the city.

 

Hi,

 

I was actually addressing my question to Dixie69 ( for some reason I thought she was the OP) because she mentioned staying at Holiday Inn by the Bay. I really like Holiday Inn (have stayed in many of them, including overseas) so I was suggesting she might want to stay at the other Holiday Inn (downtown) especially if she was traveling with children.

San Diego is great and I am sure you will have a great time on the hop-on, hop-off tour.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

We're doing this same cruise, leaving January 17. Staying at the Holiday Inn on the Bay which will pick us up at the airport. We will just walk across street to cruise terminal. They also have a shuttle which will take you to various points downtown--I believe they'll even take you to the zoo. They have excellent AAA rates if you're a member. One of the people we're cruising with was in San Diego for a conference and she checked out the HI on the Bay and pronounced it great--even took pictures of a bayside room for us.

 

Would definitely recommend booking hotel on your own and doing your own transport arrangements if you're not staying at the HI on the Bay. Will be much cheaper than Celebrity.

[mamadot]

We stay at the Hampton Inn which is between the airport and port. I like it because we can see the ships come in. They have a shuttle which picks you up at the airport and takes you to dinner as well as coming for you after dinner. This port is a great one for walking and such lovely views. Little Italy is very near so you can walk to dinner there, as well!

[LuAnn]

LuAnn,

 

Have you ever eaten at Hodad's? Guy Fieri from the Food Network did one of his Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives from there and he loved it. Is it really worth the trip?

 

Is there anything that is a "must-see" in San Diego if you only have one day?

 

Thanks!

 

In fact, I haven't heard about it! Who knew??? :p Do you remember where it is located?

 

I think the Old Town Trolley is a good bet for the day to see the high-lights. If you are into animals our SD Zoo is world famous and the new, baby panda just went on display 2 days ago. You can check their web-site for when he will be "out" for viewing.

 

Also Sea World is great ...with the emphasis on marine mammal, whales, dolphins etc.

 

I would not recommend going to Tijuana...far to much violence now and too dangerous...and not really indicitive of Mexico as it is a true "border town".

 

Dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter and/or Little Italy is fun. In Little Italy I love Fillipis Pizza Grotto...it has an old fashion food store in the front which is very cool unto it self..it has been there since the mid 40's and is a SD favorite.

 

If you are into museum our Balboa Park offers almost 30 of them...from art, to cars, to photos, to Nationa History etc. You can check them out on the Balboa Park website.

 

I'm a native...so a little partial! but I think you will love SD! Please let me know if I can help you any further! LuAnn

[celebrityprincess]

Thank you all for your input. I am so excited I don't know that I can wait until the end of March! Hodad's is at 5010 Newport Ave., San Diego 92107. Here is a link to their website - http://www.hodadies.com/home.htm. I think it would be a fun place to try out. I thought I might want to have dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy and now I know I want to!

Happy Cruiser, I'd love to hear about your trip when you get back. I'll be glued to the boards for your report.:)

 

Thank you all for the info! Only 77 days......

[Nancyquilts]

IMHO I'd never use a cruise company transfer, unless it were a whole lot cheaper than a taxi. A taxi will get you where you want to go, when you want to go, rather than waiting in milling mob for a bus. ;)

[LuAnn]

Thank you all for your input. I am so excited I don't know that I can wait until the end of March! Hodad's is at 5010 Newport Ave., San Diego 92107. Here is a link to their website - http://www.hodadies.com/home.htm. I think it would be a fun place to try out. I thought I might want to have dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy and now I know I want to!

Happy Cruiser, I'd love to hear about your trip when you get back. I'll be glued to the boards for your report.:)

 

Thank you all for the info! Only 77 days......

 

in an area of SD called Ocean Beach. It would be about a 10 minute cab ride from the downtown/port area...not too far but don't know how much the ride would cost..maybe $20.00 each way? Ocean Beach is an area known for it's small beach bungalows and lots of "young people" live there..as in college kids etc. (In fact I lived there for several years while attending school). It is "funky" and a bit of a throw-back to the 60s and 70s. It is definately a So Cal beach community...if you want to experience that it would be a perfect choice!

 

The Gaslamp and Little Italy are also truly unique experiences...with tons of restaurants and up-scale bars (in the Gaslamp) and great for "people watching". Enjoy!! LuAnn

[cruiseinfoseeker]

Hello,

 

I'm booked on the Constellation leaving San Diego on March 28. I'm planning on flying out a day or two before the cruise and am trying to decide if I should book my hotel and transfers through Celebrity or book my own hotel and take a cab to the ship. Does anyone know how much transfers cost? The cab from the Hilton near the convention center to the ship would only be about $13 (according to info I found on-line). Also, has anyone stayed at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront? Can you tell me anything about it?

 

Thanks!

 

We're taking the same cruise as you (Constellation March 28) and we booked the hotel through Celebrity. We're staying at the Embassy suites (free breakfast and Managers reception). I looked into booking directly with several hotels and didn't find there was any big savings. Looked at the Holiday Inn and read some reviews but didn't like what I read (noisy). Decided to go with Celebrity. Gone with Celebrity several times and never had problems.

 

 

We(myself, DH and DS(7)) are getting to SD on 3/26 so that we have 3/27 to explore. Staying at the HI across from the pier, and I tentatively booked a rental car for friday and saturday so that we can expore at our leisure. We are so so exited about this trip as well. DH's 40th is on 3/30. It will be nice to celebrate it in Cabo!

[loosygoosy]

Staying at the Holiday Inn on the Bay sounds like a good idea. And the fact that they offer a free shuttle from the airport is a bonus!

 

We're also on this cruise. We are booked at the Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside (shuttle from airport included). We booked our own air, will take cab from hotel to cruise terminal. We are also booked for dinner on the 27th at the Bali Hai Restaurant - Shelter Bay.

It has been our experience that transfers cost about 1/2 of what the cruiselines charge!

[cruiseinfoseeker]

...Guy Fieri from the Food Network did one of his Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives from there and he loved it...

 

This made me laugh because DH is always saying that Guy "LOVES!!!" every stop he makes and everything he eats. :D

DH wants just once to hear him say..... "You know, I am sorry *(Diner/Dive-owner dude) but this here chicken knuckle sandwich is the most disgusting thing I ever ate. I think I may have to flip my sunglasses in the right direction now."

 

LOL He is a lot of fun to watch. I am glad he became big after the Next Foodnetwork Star. So many reality winners just fade away into oblivion...

[Ruthk]

2yrs. ago we sailed out of San Diego for a 2wk. Hawaiian cruise. It is the perfect city to sail in and out of. The airport is very close to the cruise terminal - you can see all the flights coming in and flying out. We stayed at the Holiday Inn across from the terminal and it was fine - it isn't the St. Regis - but the rooms were clean, it was convenient, had a swimming pool and a couple of restaurants. There was a very good restaurant across the street and you can also do take-out there. The Holiday Inn will pick you up at the airport and we didn't have to wait very long. We also did the old time trolley for sightseeing and it was very good. We were there for two days before the sailing and the day we were sailing out, in the early morning hours we watched our ship sail in, from our balcony.

Last year we did the Panama sailing and sailed into San Diego. We just took a cab straight to the airport and there were tons of cabs lined up. I can't remember how expensive it was but remember the cab ride was not very expensive. It was maybe a 15 minute drive.

Have a great cruise and I hope my information was of some help.

 

Ruthk

St. Catharines, Canada.

[cruiseinfoseeker]

For those of you that are on the 3/28/2010 Constellation Panama Canal out of San Diego but have not joined the roll call I thought I'd post this here as well as there:

I just noticed that the resident rate for NY has the CC class room cheaper than any of the balconies. Just thought maybe some other states have it too. If anyone is interested, see if it beats the prices you are booked at.----(1899.00pp first two, 699.00pp third person)

[dixie69]

GeorgeL....We are not traveling with kids 4 adults. Have heard that the Holiday Inn on the Bay is not Ritz quality but still nice....Besides all I need is a place to lay my head down. Rest of the time I will be site seeing

[ccletzgo]

Just returned. Cab fare from airport to the ship was $12.00

[hisandiegoonthebay]

Hello,

 

I'm booked on the Constellation leaving San Diego on March 28. I'm planning on flying out a day or two before the cruise and am trying to decide if I should book my hotel and transfers through Celebrity or book my own hotel and take a cab to the ship. Does anyone know how much transfers cost? The cab from the Hilton near the convention center to the ship would only be about $13 (according to info I found on-line). Also, has anyone stayed at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront? Can you tell me anything about it?

 

Thanks!

 

Both the Hampton Inn and Hilton Bayfront are good hotel options. I can't say if the Holiday Inn On the Bay is a better option or not. What I can say is that the Holiday Inn On the Bay has the most experience in caring for pre-cruise travelers as it is right across from the terminal, which can allow for a few more minutes of sleep time.