pre and post cruise stays in boston

[kosoffj]

hey all - going on the dawn the last week of august, still need to finalize hotel arranements

 

one night pre cruise stay next thursday (ie a week away) looking for an easy hotel (traveling with 2 kids though so not too dumpy) looked at the four points boston airport but was also intrigued by the westin on the waterfront, i know it's not at the airport but doesn;t look far, and also looks near the cruise terminal - is this accurate? how hard is it to get too from the ariport? any reviews?

 

on the back end we are spending laborday weekend in boston, again looking at the westin waterfront (they have a great deal) , hotel marlowe (kimpton) in cambridge, the hilton or doubletree downtown, the omni parker house or the westin copley

 

for the back end we plan to do some kid friendly sites (ie childrens museum, duck boats, a baseball game at fenway), and we need an indoor pool for the kids to blow off steam at the end of the day - recommendations?

[cruising mickey]

Hi,

 

The Omni rooms, last time stayed there, were on the small side and no pool. Not sure how old the kids are but they do have kids "activities": http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/BostonParkerHouse/HotelHighlights/OmniKids.aspx. Marriott Long Wharf http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/boslw-boston-marriott-long-wharf/is centrally located on the waterfront (with an indoor pool), near the Aquarium http://www.neaq.org/index.php, Faneuil Hall and the Freedom Trail. :D

 

hey all - going on the dawn the last week of august, still need to finalize hotel arranements

 

one night pre cruise stay next thursday (ie a week away) looking for an easy hotel (traveling with 2 kids though so not too dumpy) looked at the four points boston airport but was also intrigued by the westin on the waterfront, i know it's not at the airport but doesn;t look far, and also looks near the cruise terminal - is this accurate? how hard is it to get too from the ariport? any reviews?

 

on the back end we are spending laborday weekend in boston, again looking at the westin waterfront (they have a great deal) , hotel marlowe (kimpton) in cambridge, the hilton or doubletree downtown, the omni parker house or the westin copley

 

for the back end we plan to do some kid friendly sites (ie childrens museum, duck boats, a baseball game at fenway), and we need an indoor pool for the kids to blow off steam at the end of the day - recommendations?

[Twickenham]

Yikes, you have left it to the last minute! For pre-cruise, I'd definitely go with the Westin Waterfront if you can get a good deal, but for touring post-cruise, the Westin Copley is a better location.

[138east]

hey all - going on the dawn the last week of august, still need to finalize hotel arranements

 

one night pre cruise stay next thursday (ie a week away) looking for an easy hotel (traveling with 2 kids though so not too dumpy) looked at the four points boston airport but was also intrigued by the westin on the waterfront, i know it's not at the airport but doesn;t look far, and also looks near the cruise terminal - is this accurate? how hard is it to get too from the ariport? any reviews? Stay at the Westin - the Sheraton four points is in Revere. It will be expensive to take a cab to the port from there. To keep the cost down you would have to take the hotel shuttle back to the airport and then take a cab to the port. For 9/22 the Westin is on Hotwire for $241 for 4 people - it's the 4* hotel in the Waterfront area. You would be only a few blocks from the pier and probably could see the ship from somewhere in the hotel when it docks the next morning. If you're trying to save $$, you can take the Silver Line directly from the Logan terminal to the World Trade Center for $2/pp (kids under 12 free). The World Trade Center station has escalators and elevators and is 1 long block from the Westin.

 

on the back end we are spending laborday weekend in boston, again looking at the westin waterfront (they have a great deal) , hotel marlowe (kimpton) in cambridge, the hilton or doubletree downtown, the omni parker house or the westin copley. I'd pick the Westin Copley as well. What are the prices you are looking at for these various hotels?

 

for the back end we plan to do some kid friendly sites (ie childrens museum, duck boats, a baseball game at fenway), and we need an indoor pool for the kids to blow off steam at the end of the day - recommendations?

 

The "T" is a great way to get around - print out some maps and get a Charlie Card for the $1.70 fare. How old are your children? The Science Museum or the Aquarium might be of interest as well.

[mollyanne]

The Marlowe is a beautiful hotel with nice ammenties but no pool - plus, the area is not the easiest to get to. It is very close to the Science Museum.

 

The Hilton in Back Bay has a pool and we always loved the location - you can walk to so much.

[Got2Cruise]

We always stayed at the Hilton Back Bay when visiting our dd when she was at BU. You can walk to Fenway from there, plus you can walk to the Duck Tour, the swan boats too. You say you are staying with points? They also offer freebreakfast if you have a certain number of points. You should inquire. The rooms are nice sized if you are staying four in a room.

The Marlowe is a beautiful hotel with nice ammenties but no pool - plus, the area is not the easiest to get to. It is very close to the Science Museum.

 

The Hilton in Back Bay has a pool and we always loved the location - you can walk to so much.

[Lmack]

We're sailing on the Jewel out of Boston the end of Oct. Having never been to the Boston area, we need all the help you can give us. We're arriving in Boston by Amtrak (Which station? South Boston, North Boston, Back Bay?). We need to book a pre-cruise hotel. Is the train station near the cruise port? We would like a hotel near the cruise port to lower our cost to the port. Is a taxi the best way to get to the port? By the way, it's only the two of us.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions you can give us.

Lynn

[Traveling Library]

Amtrak arrives at South Station. You can easily get from South Station to the ship via the Silver Line (it's a bus) or by taxi. Depends on how much luggage you have.

 

If you are staying a night or so in Boston then you may want to get off at Back Bay Station. You can walk to the Weston Copley (directly across the street), the Copley Square Hotel, Copley Fairmont (barely a block away), the Colonnade (across and down the street), Back Bay Hilton (a walk but can be done via connecting malls/skyways) and the Marriott Copley Place (across and down the street), and I'm sure a few other hotels.

 

There also is the Seaport Hotel which is in the seaport district so closer to the ship but you'll still need a taxi or the Silver Line.

 

Boston isn't that big. Taxi's are reasonable...just remember not all take credit cards so ask before you get in unless you want to pay cash.

[Lmack]

Amtrak arrives at South Station. You can easily get from South Station to the ship via the Silver Line (it's a bus) or by taxi. Depends on how much luggage you have.

 

If you are staying a night or so in Boston then you may want to get off at Back Bay Station. You can walk to the Weston Copley (directly across the street), the Copley Square Hotel, Copley Fairmont (barely a block away), the Colonnade (across and down the street), Back Bay Hilton (a walk but can be done via connecting malls/skyways) and the Marriott Copley Place (across and down the street), and I'm sure a few other hotels.

 

There also is the Seaport Hotel which is in the seaport district so closer to the ship but you'll still need a taxi or the Silver Line.

 

Boston isn't that big. Taxi's are reasonable...just remember not all take credit cards so ask before you get in unless you want to pay cash.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. It sounds like you're recommending we get off at the Back Bay station. How do you suggest we book a hotel in the Back Bay area? I've used Priceline in the past for hotels in other cities, but regarding the Boston area I don't see on Priceline what area I should bid to get the Back Bay area. Any suggestions? Also, Hotwire has been mentioned but since I've never used Hotwire I'm not sure how to book a hotel.

 

Regarding transportation it sounds like we could possibly walk from the train station to the hotel. Do you have any idea how much a taxi charges from the Back Bay area hotel to the cruise port?

 

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions you're giving us.

Lynn

 

We appreci

[Traveling Library]

I looked at the Westin Copley website and they say a taxi from the Westin to the Black Falcon Terminal is about $9 plus tip.

I'm sorry but someone will have to help you with Priceline. I think there is a forum on Cruise Critic about this service that might help you.

What ever you do, enjoy your time in Boston. If you stay in the Back Bay make sure you stop in at the Boston Public Library. The John Singer Sargent murals are wonderful.

[Lmack]

I looked at the Westin Copley website and they say a taxi from the Westin to the Black Falcon Terminal is about $9 plus tip.

I'm sorry but someone will have to help you with Priceline. I think there is a forum on Cruise Critic about this service that might help you.

What ever you do, enjoy your time in Boston. If you stay in the Back Bay make sure you stop in at the Boston Public Library. The John Singer Sargent murals are wonderful.

 

Thank you so much for all the information. I'll let you know where we book. If you think of anything else, please let me know.

 

Lynn

[138east]

What's your hotel budget? What time are you arriving? I'm not seeing any particularly good deals on Hotwire right now. The least expensive 3* Back Bay/Copley hotel is $143 with a 60% approval rating. I can't identify the hotel - it must be new to Hotwire. The Westin Convention Center would be the closest to the pier and it is showing as 4* in the Waterfront area for $226.

 

I'd focus on the hotel first and then worry about what station to get off at and the taxi cost. Don't delay in doing this - it's a fall weekend and the college activities can really fill up the hotels.

[138east]

I looked around and the last folks that got a 3* Back Bay/Copley hotel got the Hotel 140 - no frills hotel 2 blocks from the Back Bay Amtrak station - smaller rooms, but it sounds adequate for 1 night. There's not much out there for under $200/night.

[yoyocruiser]

I personally would get off at South Station and I would look for a hotel in the waterfront area--they are generally fairly cheap on priceline and there isn't a bad one you could end up in if you know what I mean. That area is very close to the ship. Back Bay is better if you want to go shopping and be near a lot of restaurants. South Station area is near the water and the large waterfront hotels.

[138east]

The problem is that it is very late. There aren't many hotels on Hotwire now. They were there a few months ago and lots of folks got good deals. The waterfront hotels are $250+ for Oct 28.

[Lmack]

I personally would get off at South Station and I would look for a hotel in the waterfront area--they are generally fairly cheap on priceline and there isn't a bad one you could end up in if you know what I mean. That area is very close to the ship. Back Bay is better if you want to go shopping and be near a lot of restaurants. South Station area is near the water and the large waterfront hotels.

 

Any suggestions on how to book a hotel on Priceline for the Waterfront or Back Bay? What areas should I include on Priceline to bid?

 

I read on the thread for our particular sailing on Oct 29th and someone booked on their first try on Priceline - Sheraton for $95. She did her bidding at 1:30am this morning. I made my last bid around 10:30pm. Does it make a difference as to what time of day I should try to bid on Priceline? I'm going to try again tomorrow. Please continue sending me your advice and suggestions. We really appreciate them.

[megr1125]

IIRC (carol-or someone, please correct me if i am wrong..) back bay station either doesn't have an elevator or escalator...or if so, not for the T....

 

South station, while not as convenient to anything in back bay, at least has elevators and is a bit more comfortable as well.....there are some hotels that aren't too far from there...a Hyatt I believe, and several others.....

 

the only Amtrak service at North Station is for the Downeaster to Maine...

[138east]

On Priceline you want to look at Boston Waterfront (this is closest to the pier), Copley Square/Theater District (this is where the Sheraton is), Qunicy Market, or Boston Harborfront. No less than a 3* hotel. The Sheraton is a 3.5* hotel.

 

I can't advise you on using Priceline. I prefer Hotwire because I can see the hotel amenities which usually identify the hotel, so I can give better advice to someone who is buying "blind". Also, you don't have to go through the agony of bidding and getting rejected. It may cost a bit more, but IMO it's worth it. On Hotwire you also have the option of insuring your purchase. However, the Sheraton is not currently on Hotwire, so Priceline might be your only option.

 

At this point I'd bid a bit more just to get the hotel and settle the issue. Quite frankly any downtown 3*+ downtown Boston hotel under $150 is a good deal - the $95 is an extraordinary rate.

[Traveling Library]

On the MBTA website (Mass Bay Transit Authority) http://www.mbta.com Back Bay Station is coded as accessible. I don't remember if that is an escalator or elevator.

Boston has a good transit system. Safe and easy to navigate.

[megr1125]

On the MBTA website (Mass Bay Transit Authority) http://www.mbta.com Back Bay Station is coded as accessible. I don't remember if that is an escalator or elevator.

Boston has a good transit system. Safe and easy to navigate.

 

ok...thanks.....i just had in my overcrowded mind that it wasn't.....maybe it's that it was hard to find!! (and i remember lugging my stuff up stairs..)

 

it is pretty easy to get around....i just took me a couple rides to get the hang of which way was which....

[Nana G]

ok...thanks.....i just had in my overcrowded mind that it wasn't.....maybe it's that it was hard to find!! (and i remember lugging my stuff up stairs..)

 

it is pretty easy to get around....i just took me a couple rides to get the hang of which way was which....

 

We bid $135 for waterfront/ Westin for next April on Priceline. Our first bid was accepted! Big deal for us since we had never used Priceline before. But read all the advice and 138 East posts. On betterbidding dot com, suggestions on how to bid helped. This was pretty far ahead, so don't know if that will help you or not.

[cruising mickey]

Amtrak also stops at Back Bay, so it would depend on where in the city you are looking to stay. South Station would be the better option as there is the Silver Line bus from there either http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL1 or http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=SL2

 

Bon voyage:o:):cool:

 

Thanks for your suggestions. It sounds like you're recommending we get off at the Back Bay station. How do you suggest we book a hotel in the Back Bay area? I've used Priceline in the past for hotels in other cities, but regarding the Boston area I don't see on Priceline what area I should bid to get the Back Bay area. Any suggestions? Also, Hotwire has been mentioned but since I've never used Hotwire I'm not sure how to book a hotel.

 

Regarding transportation it sounds like we could possibly walk from the train station to the hotel. Do you have any idea how much a taxi charges from the Back Bay area hotel to the cruise port?

 

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions you're giving us.

Lynn

 

We appreci

[kosoffj]

Thanks all!

Getting in at 10 pm with a 1 and 5 yr old we stuck w embassy suites at airport for the way in. We went w Westin waterfront on return - it's not as centrally located as I would have liked - but hotels were pricey and they were running a buy 2 get 1 night free promo I could not pass up :)

 

Hopefully Irene will stay away!

[Lmack]

138 East & Traveling Library - Just to give you an update and to again ask for your advice & suggestions. As I mentioned last week we finally booked a hotel on Hotwire - Hotel 140 in Back Bay. We were trying to get in the Back Bay area because we were arriving in Boston by Amtrak. As we were about to purchase our train tickets we found out there wasn't baggage service in Back Bay. After checking out many other options, we discovered Jet Blue airlines this evening. Long story short we booked our flights - they had a sale & it ended up costing us less $ than Amtrak or SW. If we had known we'd be flying into Boston we would have booked a hotel by the airport. Oh well! Do you know what's the best way for us to get from the airport to Hotel 140 and possible cost? We appreciate any information you can give us.

 

Thanks

Lynn