Boston Pre-cruise & Masdam Questions

[sail7seas]

I am looking at Westin for Montreal and Liberty or Westin for Boston.

 

 

For those who do not know, the Liberty Hotel is a converted jail. They left signs and details of the jail in place and made a comfortable hotel. :) What a hoot!! :D

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

You too!! Love them Hilton Honor Points!! :D ;)

 

We actually get more American Express points and then convert them over to Hilton Hoor points.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For those who do not know, the Liberty Hotel is a converted jail. They left signs and details of the jail in place and made a comfortable hotel. :) What a hoot!! :D

 

 

We stayed in a jail once.

It was in Istanbul -- Four Seasons Hotel -- used to be a jail.

Junior suite -- upgraded -- huge separate living room, small pantry, bedroon and huge bathroom. Larger than the Penthouse Suites on the S and R class ships of HAL.

[sail7seas]

You have wonderful good luck being upgraded in hotels. :)

 

We love (most) Four Seasons Hotels...... ;)

I love when we can get a special price. AmEx Plat. sometimes makes upgrades possible.

[TheEmerson]

For those who do not know, the Liberty Hotel is a converted jail. They left signs and details of the jail in place and made a comfortable hotel. :) What a hoot!! :D

 

 

That is one main reason I am going to book there. Also I can get a "steal" of a price per night.

[sail7seas]

There was a nice fund raiser party there the other night. I saw highlights on local news. Enjoy. A night or two in 'jail' named Liberty could be fun.

 

A great ice breaker to start converation when meeting new folks on your cruise. :)

[mamaofami]

We stayed at The Four Seasons in Boston many years ago. We were there for a Sunday wedding. DH put his shoes outside the door to be shined and put them in the proper bag provided for the service. When they weren't back in the morning, he called the front desk and no one could find his shoes. (obviously, someone took his shoes)He had to run to some store to buy shoes for this black tie wedding. Of course, Four Seasons repaid him for the shoes he bought at home to replace his original pair, since he wound up at some inexpensive shoe store in a mall.

[sail7seas]

We stayed at The Four Seasons in Boston many years ago. We were there for a Sunday wedding. DH put his shoes outside the door to be shined and put them in the proper bag provided for the service. When they weren't back in the morning, he called the front desk and no one could find his shoes. (obviously, someone took his shoes)He had to run to some store to buy shoes for this black tie wedding. Of course, Four Seasons repaid him for the shoes he bought at home to replace his original pair, since he wound up at some inexpensive shoe store in a mall.

 

 

Though we live near Boston, when we attend a wonderul wedding at that Four Seasons, we always stay over. A treat.....

 

Sadly, they closed Aujourd 'hui which used to be our elegant restaurant of choice to celebrate major events and where we loved Sunday brunch. We miss that restaurant each time a 'milestone' event rolls around. :)

 

[fatcat04]

We actually get more American Express points and then convert them over to Hilton Hoor points.

 

We started out with Hilton many years ago when dh traveled 4 nights a week. Hilton properties were reasonable, clean, and convenient in most cases so it was just his go to brand. You can imagine, the points accumulate fast. Good to know about Amex points as well. We try to take advantage of every points and frequent traveler programs we can find. Amazing what you can save. :)

[Infi]

Does anyone have any personal experiences or thoughts on the Westin Waterfront in Boston? I've booked this hotel for our upcoming cruise. Location doesn't matter much - we will arrive the day before our cruise and don't have much interest in touring Boston, as we have spent a lot of time there previously.

[sail7seas]

Does anyone have any personal experiences or thoughts on the Westin Waterfront in Boston? I've booked this hotel for our upcoming cruise. Location doesn't matter much - we will arrive the day before our cruise and don't have much interest in touring Boston, as we have spent a lot of time there previously.

 

 

It's newish, used for large groups and conventions and is fine for your pre-cruise night. There isn't much around it and a walk to get anywhere but if you don't care about being out and about Boston, no problem. On Friday night, it isn't likely to be all that full which is probably a good thing. :)

 

[RetiredMustang]

We stayed at the Hyatt Harborside by the airport when we went on that one two years ago. You will never hear a plane, not even outside on the patio. It's obviously not in walking distance of anything but it does have good links. There is a T stop just down the harbor walk. A water shuttle leaves from the dock at the hotel and goes across the harbor to downtown. There are regular shuttles to the airport and from there to the rental care places. You can also get a water taxi to the USS Constitution. We started the Freedom Trail from that end in the morning to beat the crowds that arrive later at the ship. The food at the hotel restaurant was really good, better than the ship. This was the view from the restaurant patio. It was even better at night.

 

 

FWIW, the lower building with the slanted red roof toward the lower right of this picture is the Marriott Long Wharf. The tower with the clock face a bit to the left of that is the Customs House, also a Marriott. We stayed at the Customs House a few years ago in a suite (on points!) and it was a very comfortable and interesting place, and easy distance to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. The walk to the North End was pretty easy, but back then we had to dodge the Big Dig construction -- it should be a snap now.

 

Dave

[sail7seas]

What a gorgeous photo of our pretty city. :)

 

Thanks for sharing it.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Not sure when you are going on cruise. Hotels fill up very fast and you have to book early. We have a lot of univeristy, colleges in the city. Kids moving in or out. Graduations will fill up hotels

 

Our sport teams playoffs will bring people to city

Marathons, races on the Charles river. Pops 4th of juky concert.

'

Boston is a perfect walking city, Many conventions are held here.

 

One thing use cabs If you never been to Boston you will be very frustrated wiith traffic. Renting a car will driving you crazy it does to people who drive in to Boston daily.

[innlady1]

We're from the Boston area as well...and I, too, recommend taking a cab or public transportation...you do NOT want to drive in the city! We don't look forward to driving in town...and we've lived here since 1962! :eek:

[sail7seas]

Another vote for visitors to not rent cars to drive in Boston.

 

Our streets are not neatly lined up in numbers and letters. Our roads all developed from former cow paths and they wind and roam like that. :) Many one way streets and they are always one way the other way from how you wish to travel. :)

Also very hard to find parking and when you do it is very pricey.

 

Take a taxi or our public transportation called the "T".

 

[NCSunshine]

thanks for all the tips on places to stay and NOT driving in Boston. We are a family of 5 sailing on the Maasdam on the 20th July. We arrive on the 17th so have 3 nights in Boston before the cruise. We booked at the Embassy Suites, but when my husband went to book at least a month ago, they only had a room we could use (2 double beds with the sofa bed) for the first 2 nights and not the 20th). I have tried to get him to check with the hotel directly (manager .someone) to see if they could accommodate us on the last night as we are already booked in.. (he says he tried it the day he booked but was sent directly to reservations and they could do nothing).

 

Anyway.. I am also holding a 2 room suite but with 1 king bed and 1 double sofa bed, at the Homewood Suites in Cambridge for all 3 nights but really need to give one or the other up... is this a good or better or not better choice for us regarding site-seeing etc.. (funny enough they are sister companies, but the Embassy suites told him they couldn't book a king bed room for 5 people.. )..

 

any suggestions are welcome. (by the way.. there are only a handful of hotels we can book at this point for 5 people (2 adults/3 children - 2teens and a pre-teen) and most are our of our budget.. thus the hotels we have choice.

[Infi]

It's newish, used for large groups and conventions and is fine for your pre-cruise night. There isn't much around it and a walk to get anywhere but if you don't care about being out and about Boston, no problem. On Friday night, it isn't likely to be all that full which is probably a good thing. :)

 

 

Good to hear, thanks. According to Tripadvisor, it seems nice and sufficient for a short stay.

[jplewis]

I don't know about a room for 5 but we got a decent rate at the Marriott Copley Place.

[NCSunshine]

the rates I'm finding are over 350.00 and 400.00 for most if not all the hotels the area of the Airport, BackBay and wharf.. even with 2 rooms, it's still about the same cost...

 

What we found is that the Embassy Suites will not let us do a 1 king bed with a double sofa in 2 rooms but their "Hilton" sister, Homewood Suites will. Looks like this might be our hotel to choose...

 

Residence Inn has been our hotel of choices, staying in 4 of them in the last 3 years. Unfortunately the one we have found is, again, over 400.00. There is a new one opening in the BackBay area, due to open in June, but no rooms are open for sale as yet..

 

We like them because we can spread out in a 2 bedroom suite..

[sail7seas]

Boston is an expensive city. Most of our prices are on a par with NYC and we both offer so much for the traveler/tourist. :)

 

[NCSunshine]

Thanks Sail7Seas..

 

Need to ask about the 2 different areas.. Husband is set on the Embassy Suites.. but is it worth staying there for 2 nights then moving to somewhere else for a night?? or should we just stick with the Homewood Suites in Arlington/Cambridge for all 3 nights. Any advise on subways/trains buses is helpful.. We know we are taking a taxi to the port on the 20th, but it's really convenience to all the sites, restaurants, shopping, etc that we are most interested in.. with 3 children (11,15,17).. just getting around is going to be fun.. oh joy...