Wait Listed for Pre-Cruise Hotel Package

[jlesw]

We are booked on a June 29 cruise sailing from Southampton, UK. Our TA has been attempting to book a Pre-Cruise Hotel package through Princess in London for the 5 days prior. We have been told that we are number 1 on the wait list, but we have had that designation since August. Has anyone faced this dilemma before? Any thoughts on how to deal with this scenario? Thanks

[Seal]

Maybe you should be looking for yourself also---we werent able to obtain a post cruise stay in Venice with Princess--soooo--we got in touch with hotel and had better room, breakfast with the other regular travelers outside on the water--Princess folks ate in what appeared to be a good-sized conference room--we paid less--got a much better room etc.

Just never know ---get some information--you could be pleasantly surprised.

 

Good Luck

Nancy:D:D

[sunluva7]

I agree with Seal. If you're wait listed, book a hotel on your own, or have your TA book a package separately. TAs have access to agent hotel booking sites that are great resources for Pre or post cruise stays. While the cruise line may only contract with one or two hotels, there are many, many other wonderful hotels and cozy B&Bs in Southhampton, London and the rest of the UK, as well as private car services or taxi services to get you back and forth. Good luck!:)

[5326jan]

We always book our own hotels. We can usually save about 40%. Princess prices don't look too bad on first glance, but when you realize that is a per person rate, it's quite high! As for the transfers, it's a lot faster to go by cab. Good luck! :)

[highheel girl]

I agree book it yourself and you may save $$$. :)

[sunluva7]

We always book our own hotels. We can usually save about 40%. Princess prices don't look too bad on first glance, but when you realize that is a per person rate, it's quite high! As for the transfers, it's a lot faster to go by cab. Good luck! :)

That's true for the most part, but there are some situations where the cruise hotel/transfer package is the same or less than the lowest price through a booking engine or through the hotel itself. For instance, the hotel Princess uses in San Francisco is the Mark Hopkins - nice 4-star hotel, great reviews, AND the total for the both hotel & transfers is less than the lowest price I could find for just the hotel alone. Yes, sometimes a taxi can get you there faster - again, it depends on how far away you are from the ship. A place like Ft. Lauderdale, yes, take a taxi. However, San Francisco airport is 30 minutes away from the city - the transfer price isn't much different than a taxi. As another example, last year, we took the ship's transfer from the ship in Dover to Heathrow, a two hour ride, which was well worth it. The big disadvantage I see with a cruise hotel, is the limitation in hotel and area of the city - it may not be an area you are looking to stay in.

 

Some people love the convenience of a hotel package. Sometimes they are worth it and sometimes not. You have to examine the price of both the package and doing it on your own, as well as the amount of travel hassle involved.:)

[Sailingpeace]

That's true for the most part, but there are some situations where the cruise hotel/transfer package is the same or less than the lowest price through a booking engine or through the hotel itself. For instance, the hotel Princess uses in San Francisco is the Mark Hopkins - nice 4-star hotel, great reviews, AND the total for the both hotel & transfers is less than the lowest price I could find for just the hotel alone. Yes, sometimes a taxi can get you there faster - again, it depends on how far away you are from the ship. A place like Ft. Lauderdale, yes, take a taxi. However, San Francisco airport is 30 minutes away from the city - the transfer price isn't much different than a taxi. As another example, last year, we took the ship's transfer from the ship in Dover to Heathrow, a two hour ride, which was well worth it. The big disadvantage I see with a cruise hotel, is the limitation in hotel and area of the city - it may not be an area you are looking to stay in.

 

Some people love the convenience of a hotel package. Sometimes they are worth it and sometimes not. You have to examine the price of both the package and doing it on your own, as well as the amount of travel hassle involved.:)

N

 

Sadly, I disagree with the Mark Hopkins beeing a good value. We we very very very disappointed by that hotel.barely a lobby, well overdue for paint etc halls and rooms. The hotel across the street ( i forgot the name ) that we visited while staying at the MH, was far better . So much so that we have friends who moved to that one from the MH on a private trip just after our stay. We had not shared hotel reviews... I do agree that in SF getting from hotel to airport is easy and having paid for the Princess transfers made no difference in logistics: we were given a prepaid card for the cab . We had to make arrangements through the concierge for the cab, specifying that it had to be one that took the card given to us. The next morning we took the cab , hotel handled our luggage as they did for any other client and off to the airport we went....only to realise after a while that our taxi was driving around in circles trying to find a taxi that took the card because he could not !!!! It was early morning and few taxis were on the streets. I had to make him go back to the hotel, ask for a cab that took the famous card , switch the luggage to the other cab . Hotel concierge apologized for the person handling making the taxi reservation. In some cities I would use Princess transfers but not in SF if they still go to the MH.

[5326jan]

With the bus transfers there's notoriously someone who is late, so by the time everyone and their luggage has been loaded, you could be at the airport or ship! :rolleyes: We prefer to move at our own speed and depend on ourselves, rather than be held hostage to the masses. Which is also the reason we do independent tours rather than ship's excursions. :)

[dtb55]

With the bus transfers there's notoriously someone who is late, so by the time everyone and their luggage has been loaded, you could be at the airport or ship! :rolleyes: We prefer to move at our own speed and depend on ourselves, rather than be held hostage to the masses. Which is also the reason we do independent tours rather than ship's excursions. :)

 

We did a Princess package for our Barcelona to Venice cruise this past September and they were wonderful. We were a family of seven and I didn't want to bother with all the luggage and 3-4 taxis. We were picked up at the airport in a private van and taken to the hotel and had private water taxis to and from the hotel in Venice. We were on a group bus from the hotel in Barcelona to the pier, but there was no delay. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. A Princess rep even met us at the hotel in Venice and escorted us to the check in at the airport.

 

 

 

Denise

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[janina]

I agree book it yourself and you may save $$$. :)

 

Definitely will save money booking on your own. We've done that and used the same hotels for less that Princess used.

[highheel girl]

Definitely will save money booking on your own. We've done that and used the same hotels for less that Princess used.

 

I would imagine in cities where the trip from the airport to the ship may be costly and difficult and the hotels scarce etc, may justify a package but we never use the cruiseline for hotels. Especialy in Ft Lauderdale, the airport is so close you can see the ships from the gates. :D