Pre-cruise hotel through Celebrity?

[skiiergirl]

Considering booking the pre-cruise nights through the cruiseline and these are the hotels they show (see list below). Anyone have any pros and/or cons you can give me about any of these?

 

Crowne Plaza St. Peter

Empire Palace Hotel

Hotel Cicerone

Jolly Leonardo Da Vinci

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[CathyCruises]

Be careful! Celebrity will quote prices per person! You will pay way more than if you book the hotels yourself. There are many recommendations for Rome hotels on these boards.

 

I used Celebrity's hotel for my first trip to Barcelona; paid almost $500 for that room! On my next trip, I did my research and booked on my own, paid about $275 for a fabulous place, way better in every way than the Celebrity hotel.

 

Just a word to the wise. . .

 

Cathy

[skiiergirl]

Be careful! Celebrity will quote prices per person! You will pay way more than if you book the hotels yourself. There are many recommendations for Rome hotels on these boards.

 

I used Celebrity's hotel for my first trip to Barcelona; paid almost $500 for that room! On my next trip, I did my research and booked on my own, paid about $275 for a fabulous place, way better in every way than the Celebrity hotel.

 

Just a word to the wise. . .

 

Cathy

 

Cathy....Thanks so much for the info. However, doesn't the pre-cruise package also include transfers from hotel to the pier? In the case of Rome that is about a 90 minute drive (if I recall correctly) so that would be a big expense if doing it separately. And that may be the way we go...just checking out all of the options. Thanks so much for your info!

[Susan-M]

Tripadvisor (sister site to CC) is a great site to get hotel reviews.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d229422-Reviews-Crowne_Plaza_Rome_St_Peter_s-Rome_Lazio.html

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d506490-Reviews-Empire_Palace_Hotel-Rome_Lazio.html

 

We book independently both for cost savings and because we like to make our own transportation arrangements.

 

On a pre-cruise stay in Rome we had our hotel arrange a van for us for airport-hotel transfer, and then we took the train to get to the port. Others at our hotel who were also on our cruise had the hotel arrange for a van transfer to the port.

[euro cruiser]

None of these are what I could call an ideal location, especially for a short visit to Rome. The sites are a bit of a hike from each of these (although less so for the last two), but if you are comfortable using the public bus system (very easy to use, in my opinion), being this far out may not be an issue for you.

 

Specific comments inserted below:

 

Considering booking the pre-cruise nights through the cruiseline and these are the hotels they show (see list below). Anyone have any pros and/or cons you can give me about any of these?

 

Crowne Plaza St. Peter - a considerable distance from main sites

 

Empire Palace Hotel - also a bit of a distance from the main sites, but on the other side of town from the Crowne Plaza

 

Hotel Cicerone - This is a little closer in than the first two, behind Castel Sant' Angelo

 

Jolly Leonardo Da Vinci - A little farther out than the Cicerone, in the same neighborhood.

[cruisemom42]

Considering booking the pre-cruise nights through the cruiseline and these are the hotels they show (see list below). Anyone have any pros and/or cons you can give me about any of these?

 

Crowne Plaza St. Peter Inconveniently located; must take shuttle bus from hotel to get to most sights

 

Empire Palace Hotel Appears to be a nice hotel in a quiet area but again, not very centrally located.

 

Hotel Cicerone Location is pretty good, but hotel is abysmally low-rated on TripAdvisor (currently number 501 -- that's pretty low!)

 

Jolly Leonardo Da Vinci Close to subway but otherwise not near Historic Center; about 15 min. walk to Vatican; middling reviews.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Trust me, you can do better on your own. I've priced out ship packages for my parents and you can stay in a better hotel and pay for a private transfer for two to the port and STILL pay less than these cruise-offered "deals". :rolleyes:

[doublemm16]

I stayed at this hotel through Celebrity in 2006. Back then it was so-so. It is clean, but more like a dorm for cruise ship passengers. The restaurant attached to the hotel was very expensive. We did do a lot of walking to get to the sites.

[CathyCruises]

Totally agree. Last year I was considering staying at the White Hotel near the Trevi Fountain; if you stayed 3 nights they would pick you up at the hotel in a limo. You might check that out too.

 

Cathy

[Onessa]

We did X out of Rome last year in November. Stayed at the Crowne Plaza St. Peters -- agree it is a bit far from the sights, but the hotel had free shuttles with pretty convenient times.

 

After considerable research we did determine that X's price triple occupancy (DH, DD and I) with all xfers (airport to hotel, hotel to ship, ship to airport after) was actually less than what we could find for similar accomodations elsewhere. That's triple occupancy -- DD qualifies for some of the kid pricing, DH qualified for 55+ pricing for some of the stuff -- so we may have just had a perfect combination of factors.

 

It was VERY convenient. The cruiseline rep was allowed in the baggage area at the airport - helped with luggage retreival, arranged to have the driver right outside the door, placed all luggage into the van. Direct transportation to the hotel (no stops at other arrival gates or other hotels). The xportation company handled ALL luggage, delivering it to our room, picking it up and placing it into the bus xfer. Hotel price through X included a full breakfast (independent booking did not). Ship's xfer picked up right at the hotel - and as guests who had also booked hotel, we had priority booking for the xfer and were on the first bus to the ship. At the ship, all of the luggage went directly to the ship (didn't have to schlep it off the bus). Similarly for debarkation xfers.

 

As to the OP, price it out and do what is "worth" it for you.

 

The Crown Plaza was a very nice facility - but was a bit out of the way (we were in Roma two full days ahead, and did very early dinners both days in the center of Rome, because there was really ONLY the hotel dining facilities -- nice for an "included" breakfast, not as nice for a evening dinner (rather pricey and a bit of a limited menu)

[iancal]

As others have said, you will do MUCH better on your own. You should be able to cut the Celebrity price by half or two thirds and still end up with a better, more centrally located hotel. I am always amazed at what the cruise lines charge for pre and post hotels. I think think that they count on people being unsure of 'foreign' surroundings and take advantage of this, plus the convenience factor.