NCL transfer to port when flying in day prior

[jtdlmc]

We are flying into Panama City the day prior to the cruise which departs from Colon.  We paid for transfers as per our reservation.  If we don’t book a hotel through NCL does anyone know how we arrange the transfer?  Wondering if we can make arrangements to get back to the airport the next day to meet the bus?  Anyone done this before?  

[ColeThornton]

I'm not familiar with the procedures for the port but you may want to contact the Ground Transportation folks at NCL.   800.327.7030

[julig22]

You can but it takes some effort. I'm planning on doing the same thing for a couple of cruises out of Europe so I've made the arrangements for the first one but haven't actually gone on the cruise yet.

When you take the deviation the transfer is automatically taken off.  My pcc can't put it back on so I had to call the transfer folks.  Depending on who you get, they may tell you to just pay at the airport (nope, I want them expecting me) or it can't be done ( yes it can, ask your supervisor).

Good luck.  I just added a day on another cruise so will have to call on that one as well.

[Middleager]

1 hour ago, jtdlmc said:

We are flying into Panama City the day prior to the cruise which departs from Colon.  We paid for transfers as per our reservation.  If we don’t book a hotel through NCL does anyone know how we arrange the transfer?  Wondering if we can make arrangements to get back to the airport the next day to meet the bus?  Anyone done this before?  

We arrange our own transfers.  In our rollcall, we found out we had 4 couples at the same hotel (Le Meridien, Panama).  I arranged a shuttle to pick us up at 8am, with a detour stop at Fort San Lorenzo for 1hr, then got to cruise port in Colon at 11:35am in time for lunch.

 

I arranged with Shaun, by whatsapp 507 6710-2607.  There were good reviews in TA for Shaun and we were happy for our arrangement.

[bluesea777]

@Middleager is spot on in making own transfers from Panama City to Colon (and back).

 

Alternatively, can you swap your Jan 26 cruise with the Feb 13 one? This way you can start the first leg (Feb 4) of your B2B cruise in Panama City and end your second leg also in Panama City?

 

It's still early days yet, and you can cancel Jan 26 and rebook Feb 13 on the same reservation/booking without penalty. Any deposit paid, CNs, etc for Jan 26 will stay on the reservation for Feb 13.

 

Really cool to be going the Panama Canal twice - in different directions! Panama Canal is still on my bucket list. We will do that only on smaller/med-size ship, not on the mega ship. 

 

 

[ronheg]

We called last week and ncl set us up with 3 transfers.  Airport to hotel the day before the cruise, then hotel to cruise and finally cruise to airport.  We were charged $100 for two transfers involving the airport and $280 for the hotel and the transfer to the hotel from the airport.  The cost of he panama hilton without the transfers is $186.  It’s 40 miles from colon to airport or the hotel.  This seems very reasonable to us.

[CaptainBazz]

When you made your booking and selected transfers did it not ask for your flight details? It always did when I have done it. If you are not flying in on the same day as the cruise leaves it will not let you book and you have to call. At least that is what has happened to me. I show up at the airport the next day and meet the shuttle. 

[Middleager]

From Panama airport PTY, to hotel in Panama city, it was $21 uber for us (around 3pm so near rush hour).  Another couple paid $15.  Or taxi is $30.

 

Hotels are inexpensive in Panama.  Le Meridien (a block from Hilton) or Sheraton (both 4*) was around $100 in late March.  Corporate, Government, or some other rates may be cheaper.  If you have status (usually Plat, but someone said with Gold they got it), can get buffet breakfast included.

[bluesea777]

Yes, @Middleager is correct, hotels in Panama City are inexpensive ... we have never booked NCL air,  hotels or transfers - we prefer to book and do things our way.

 

 

[ronheg]

The value in the $280 charge is that it takes you 40 miles from panama city to colon.  It’s not just the short uber trip from the airport to the hotel.  The $280 includes breakfast the morning of the cruise

[jtdlmc]

3 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

@Middleager is spot on in making own transfers from Panama City to Colon (and back).

 

Alternatively, can you swap your Jan 26 cruise with the Feb 13 one? This way you can start the first leg (Feb 4) of your B2B cruise in Panama City and end your second leg also in Panama City?

 

It's still early days yet, and you can cancel Jan 26 and rebook Feb 13 on the same reservation/booking without penalty. Any deposit paid, CNs, etc for Jan 26 will stay on the reservation for Feb 13.

 

Really cool to be going the Panama Canal twice - in different directions! Panama Canal is still on my bucket list. We will do that only on smaller/med-size ship, not on the mega ship. 

 

 

We aren’t doing a back to back - you must’ve seen that I am posting on two roll calls.  There is nobody talking on the roll call for my sailing so I joined the conversation in the roll call on the next sailing which is pretty active after explaining the circumstances 😊

[jtdlmc]

3 hours ago, CaptainBazz said:

When you made your booking and selected transfers did it not ask for your flight details? It always did when I have done it. If you are not flying in on the same day as the cruise leaves it will not let you book and you have to call. At least that is what has happened to me. I show up at the airport the next day and meet the shuttle. 

We booked BOGO airfare with NCL.  There is a transfer fee of $250, I’m not sure if that is round trip or not, it doesn’t state.  I will have to give them a call.  

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

Really cool to be going the Panama Canal twice - in different directions! Panama Canal is still on my bucket list. We will do that only on smaller/med-size ship, not on the mega ship. 

Here you go: the Gem is sailing from NY to Panama City on January 25, 2023, then departing from Panama City on February 6 for the return to NY.  Book those two cruises B2B (as we have) and you will transit the Canal in both directions.  😊

[reeinaz]

20 hours ago, Middleager said:

We arrange our own transfers.  In our rollcall, we found out we had 4 couples at the same hotel (Le Meridien, Panama).  I arranged a shuttle to pick us up at 8am, with a detour stop at Fort San Lorenzo for 1hr, then got to cruise port in Colon at 11:35am in time for lunch.

 

I arranged with Shaun, by whatsapp 507 6710-2607.  There were good reviews in TA for Shaun and we were happy for our arrangement.

How was Le Meridien? I'm thinking of booking them for my Panama Canal cruise March of 2023. This cruise leaves out of the new port, Fuerte Amador. I was looking at the Radisson that's closer to there but there seems to be more things near Le Meridien. 

[Middleager]

3 hours ago, reeinaz said:

How was Le Meridien? I'm thinking of booking them for my Panama Canal cruise March of 2023. This cruise leaves out of the new port, Fuerte Amador. I was looking at the Radisson that's closer to there but there seems to be more things near Le Meridien. 

Mostly good.  Rate cheap (if you're government, it was $89/n).  Two problems, on a Sat. night there was a party on the 6th fl banquet room that was loud till about 2am, we (on 5th floor) couldn't sleep.  Also the frontdesk doesn't know how to redeem Marriott gift card properly.

 

Other than that the breakfast buffet was good. I'm plat so my wife and I get breakfast free, another couple said they're gold and also got it.  We got upgraded to a suite.  There's a pool (plus spa) on 6th fl.

 

There's a daily happy hour 6-7pm, you can get free drinks (red or white wine, beer, etc.) and a small plate of snacks.  Sometimes I ask for another plate.  It was usually filling enough we don't need dinner.

 

You can walk around the area.  To the west is the coast/shore, walled off but nice stroll by the water.  To the east you can walk to many places, restaurants, shops, including a clinic we got our Antigen test pre-cruise.  To the south, 1km, is the Megapolis Outlet Mall, which is not mega but has some shops including a Conway which is like a small Target but cheaper.

[The Shrike]

We did this in Sydney.  All we needed to do was tale a cab from our hotel to the airport and meet the NCL rep at the airport arrivals area.

[Middleager]

37 minutes ago, The Shrike said:

We did this in Sydney.  All we needed to do was tale a cab from our hotel to the airport and meet the NCL rep at the airport arrivals area.

Sydney is one of those places you definitely don't need NCL hotel or transfer.  From the airport, taxi/uber are plentiful and cheaper than NCL's transfer.  As soon as you get luggages, get on taxi or like us wait a few minutes for uber, rather than waiting for the NCL bus to fill up.

 

There are many hotels near the Sydney cruise port.  This is a beautiful port area where you can walk to the iconic Opera House (take a tour to see inside) or Harbor bridge, etc.   We stayed at Marriott Harbor Hotel (used 2 Marriott vouchers).  The subway train is also very convenient and can actually come to very near the port (and several hotels there), and also airport.  On embarkation day, we walked 3 blocks from hotel to cruise terminal. 

(San Diego or Vancouver are like that, many hotels near the convenient cruise terminal)

 

For disembarkation, we came out of the cruise terminal building and right there entered our uber car for airport.  Uber was fairly cheap and a fraction of what NCL transfer x 2 would be.

[CaptainBazz]

39 minutes ago, Middleager said:

There are many hotels near the Sydney cruise port.  This is a beautiful port area where you can walk to the iconic Opera House (take a tour to see inside) or Harbor bridge, etc.

I agree, a great area to stay in. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel. A short walk to the harbour, Opera House, Darling Harbour. Lots of bars and restaurants. A 5min Uber ride to the ship.

[The Shrike]

3 hours ago, Middleager said:

Sydney is one of those places you definitely don't need NCL hotel or transfer.  From the airport, taxi/uber are plentiful and cheaper than NCL's transfer.  As soon as you get luggages, get on taxi or like us wait a few minutes for uber, rather than waiting for the NCL bus to fill up.

 

There are many hotels near the Sydney cruise port.  This is a beautiful port area where you can walk to the iconic Opera House (take a tour to see inside) or Harbor bridge, etc.   We stayed at Marriott Harbor Hotel (used 2 Marriott vouchers).  The subway train is also very convenient and can actually come to very near the port (and several hotels there), and also airport.  On embarkation day, we walked 3 blocks from hotel to cruise terminal. 

(San Diego or Vancouver are like that, many hotels near the convenient cruise terminal)

 

For disembarkation, we came out of the cruise terminal building and right there entered our uber car for airport.  Uber was fairly cheap and a fraction of what NCL transfer x 2 would be.

Yep, that's in the "If we knew then what we know now" file.  

[Middleager]

1 hour ago, The Shrike said:

Yep, that's in the "If we knew then what we know now" file.  

Haha, don't we all have file(s) like that.  We're all here to learn and share.  I continue to learn a lot here in CC.