ONLY airport AND cruiseport free shuttle in Baltimore Best Western & Comfort Inn??

[roothy123]

Where is the Pride? I transport dogs from northern Virginia to Baltimore and got so used to seeing her in Baltimore as I went flying past the cruise port. She seemed to be there every single Sunday and I wondered where she went in the summer, as it really didn't seem like a good time to cruise to the Caribbean! Now I don't go through Baltimore on Sundays very often (just Saturdays now!), but was bored and started reading posts here and saw your mention that she's not going out of Baltimore. Where is she, or why isn't she around?

[mitsugirly]

Where is the Pride? I transport dogs from northern Virginia to Baltimore and got so used to seeing her in Baltimore as I went flying past the cruise port. She seemed to be there every single Sunday and I wondered where she went in the summer, as it really didn't seem like a good time to cruise to the Caribbean! Now I don't go through Baltimore on Sundays very often (just Saturdays now!), but was bored and started reading posts here and saw your mention that she's not going out of Baltimore. Where is she, or why isn't she around?

 

She moved to Tampa and will return to Baltimore at the end of March. :D

[Mkehlb]

Mitsugirly: off topic here. I had a dream about you last night, well, your name I guess. Cruise critic was having a contest for $1000 toward a cruise and we were both trying to get it. Ultimately I decided (sort of) you deserved to get it because of your daughter. But...I was in the bathroom on the ship, someone had been "messy" so I was trying to clean it up to help win the contest, and to be helpful. Not so altruistic after all, daughter or not. Then I woke up...to use the facilities. Guess that was why I was cleaning the bathroom in my dream! (Not that I was messy!)

[mitsugirly]

Mitsugirly: off topic here. I had a dream about you last night, well, your name I guess. Cruise critic was having a contest for $1000 toward a cruise and we were both trying to get it. Ultimately I decided (sort of) you deserved to get it because of your daughter. But...I was in the bathroom on the ship, someone had been "messy" so I was trying to clean it up to help win the contest, and to be helpful. Not so altruistic after all, daughter or not. Then I woke up...to use the facilities. Guess that was why I was cleaning the bathroom in my dream! (Not that I was messy!)

 

LOL oh my gosh that's hilarious! You sure I wasn't the one in there cleaning up the "mess"? I have cleaned up quite a few messes in my day at the hospital. :D

 

Too bad you didn't see who won. I say we both win and split the money toward a cruise we both go on together and have a drink! :p :D

[mitsugirly]

OK JUST AN UPDATE...I HAVE FINALLY PICKED MY PLACE...WHEW!!! :o

 

After tons of research and getting in touch with both Comfort Inn & BW located on Annapolis and personally speaking to them about the complaints of the shuttle service and how it was ran (they confirmed they DO NOT take cruise passengers over to the port until AFTER they get a call from the port confirming that all passengers boarding the ship are now being released onto the ship...which obviously is NOT going to work for me) that they also do not let you sign up ahead of time for the shuttle. You sign up AFTER you check out of the hotel and then it's a first come first serve situation. If the shuttle is full, you wait until it returns...causing the huge delay that everyone is complaining about.

 

Returning from the ship and going to the airport. You call the shuttle, when they arrive, they take you back to the hotel. She "said" you transfer to the airport hotel and then on to the airport. :confused: It just seems weird they would transfer people from one shuttle to another...and all the luggage.

 

 

So, I played phone tag all week with the Director of Sales located on the property at Elkridge and finally touched base with her today...as a matter of fact just now.

 

WHEN you check in the day before, they take your name for what time you want to shuttle to the cruise port the next day. She said they usually go at 10am and 11am. They do NOT wait for a call from the port that they are allowing passengers on. It's entirely up to you when you want to go for the sign up times.

 

Next-returning from the cruise and going to the airport. You get on the shuttle and tell the driver you are not going back to the hotel, but going to the airport instead and that's where they will take you. (Of course I assume that if they have people going back to the hotel, you might have a short stop to let them out and I would expect that).

 

I also inquired about a shuttle to take you to a nearby place for either food or shopping. She said it does depend on the availability of the driver and when you check in, let them know you need to go to the mall and they will let you know when they can take you...which is fine with me. We will be flexible the rest of the day to go. She said that they will take you and drop you off and when you are ready to come back, they will tell you when and where they will pull up. I did inquire if we just wanted to go to the mall (there's a Walmart there) just to run in and pick up soda only and back out if they would wait and she said that you are more than welcome to ask the driver to do that and if they can they would.

 

So...I will be booking BW Elkridge. :D

[Mkehlb]

I'm in for the drink, particularly if it is a Spicy Re-mix from the disco! Yummy!

[bridgie04]

I am just dipping into this thread I realize very late--but Baltimore Inner harbor is a destination by itself and has a ton of restaurants etc. And world class aquarium. If you don't need the park option because you are flying in, maybe a better location than the suburbs. Quick shuttle or cab to the port departure day. CVS etc. Downtown to grab any last minute needs.

[mitsugirly]

I am just dipping into this thread I realize very late--but Baltimore Inner harbor is a destination by itself and has a ton of restaurants etc. And world class aquarium. If you don't need the park option because you are flying in, maybe a better location than the suburbs. Quick shuttle or cab to the port departure day. CVS etc. Downtown to grab any last minute needs.

 

 

Yep a little late but it wouldn't have worked for us unless it covered both shuttle from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise port and then back to the airport after the cruise. :)

[roothy123]

Well, I agree that for many cruisers, staying in Baltimore is a better choice. Of course, you'll probably pay more for staying there, especially if you're going for the Inner Harbor area. However, if you're up for a small gamble, you may be able to get a reasonable hotel on Priceline's Name Your Own Price bidding process, or Hotwire. I've seldom been disappointed by either one, although I've never used those sites to book a Baltimore hotel.

 

At least then you're in Baltimore, so you could just take cabs, which probably aren't that much for the trip to and from the port. For getting to and from the airport, there's always Super Shuttle. I'm a little afraid of what it might cost to park and leave your car during a cruise, however, so I suppose it's not a good option for people planning to drive rather than fly to Baltimore!

 

Good to have options, at least!

Edited March 16, 2015 by roothy123

[mitsugirly]

No actually it's pretty cheap. We used Trinity Reservations to book (which was recommended by the good people on these boards) and the price is the total price (no tax) and offers all the shuttle transportation in that price (including shuttle to the mall and places around there). We paid $109 total, which I thought was an excellent price for Easter weekend. :)

[Crusin Karen]

No actually it's pretty cheap. We used Trinity Reservations to book (which was recommended by the good people on these boards) and the price is the total price (no tax) and offers all the shuttle transportation in that price (including shuttle to the mall and places around there). We paid $109 total, which I thought was an excellent price for Easter weekend. :)

We used Trinity also and our fee was $127 for 5/9. We have to park our car, but that's supposed to be included in the fee. Wonder how you got a lower fee than me!? :confused::confused:

[mitsugirly]

We used Trinity also and our fee was $127 for 5/9. We have to park our car, but that's supposed to be included in the fee. Wonder how you got a lower fee than me!? :confused::confused:

 

 

Probably because of the dates? I'm sure the dates fluctuate all the time. :)

[megr1125]

Rates will always be different based on supply, demand, time of year, price the wholesaler paid the hotel for the block of rooms that they're reselling...

 

Expecting rates to be the same at the same hotel on different dates is well, sort of unreasonable......

[Crusin Karen]

Probably because of the dates? I'm sure the dates fluctuate all the time. :)

 

Rates will always be different based on supply, demand, time of year, price the wholesaler paid the hotel for the block of rooms that they're reselling...

 

Expecting rates to be the same at the same hotel on different dates is well, sort of unreasonable......

Yea, I figured as much. And it IS the Friday of Mother's Day weekend, and not that big a rate hike. I'm not complaining, just kind of wondered because of the lower price for a HOLIDAY weekend (Easter) No big deal! It's all good! ;)

[roothy123]

No actually it's pretty cheap. We used Trinity Reservations to book (which was recommended by the good people on these boards) and the price is the total price (no tax) and offers all the shuttle transportation in that price (including shuttle to the mall and places around there). We paid $109 total, which I thought was an excellent price for Easter weekend. :)

 

I wasn't saying that Elkridge would be expensive, just that downtown Baltimore would be more expensive. Elkridge is Elkridge and Baltimore is Baltimore....but that hotel sounds like they are pretty smart to offer shuttles to the port and whatnot. No, there isn't anything much around there, but at least there's transportation, and a reasonable rate, so it sounds like a win-win situation for cruisers AND the hotel.

Edited March 16, 2015 by roothy123