Lisbon hotel suggestions

[Kirstys1]

I’m booked on Norwegian sun in January - but I’m struggling with choosing hotel. 
 

does anyone have any suggestions? Im

debating staying city centre whereas I normally stay close to port and just walk to port. I’ve a 2 night pre cruise stay. 

[edinburgher]

Lisbon is extremely hilly and can be difficult with luggage in addition so I would suggest you look at central areas which are on even/level/flat ground.

 

We had visited several times on cruises but returned in Feb 2020 for a land stay and booked an aparthotel (which sadly closed through the Covid period) on Rua da Prata.  There were so many restaurants, bars, shops all around and it was really convenient for all sorts of transport including the airport bus, trams, buses and Metro from Praça da Figueira and was one of the main reasons we booked that area, the other being that it was on even ground as you cannot underestimate the steepness of many Lisbon streets.

 

Running parallel is Rua Augusta, another popular accomnmodation area so I would suggest you look at anywhere in that Augusta, Prata, Praca de Figuera area. which also has the Augusta Arch and is only minutes (flat) walk to the huge Praca do Comercio on the waterfront.

 

If your luggage has wheels and you are docked near Praca do Comercio you could probably walk to the ship but Lisbon has several docking locations so you would need to check which one.

 

Can I suggest you read these two previous threads which might be helpful:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2800644-lisbon-hotel-choice/#comment-61863345

 

This one has another cruise passenger mentioning Rua Augusta area.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2832656-what-to-do-on-lisbon-disembarkation-day/#comment-62740525

 

[Kirstys1]

That’s really helpful.
 

The only thing I know about the port is ncl says it’s port of Lisbon - so non specific! I’m sure the edocs will be more specific. If needed I’ll get a taxi to port, I just normally walk everywhere. I do have wheeled luggage. 

[edinburgher]

The only thing I know about the port is ncl says it’s port of Lisbon

 

You could try looking at the official website for the Port of Lisbon. where you can click on the english version for easier reading.

 

They describe the different terminals and their locations, but pre-covid they used to also show which terminal each cruise ship was to dock at.

 

Or, If you are on a RC for your sailing, others may have already looked into it.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by edinburgher

[Kirstys1]

Unfortunately there isn’t anyone else on our roll call yet. (It was the rerouted Asia cruises so the only chat is about those and nothing recent) no Facebook group either.  I think ncl normally use jardim do tabaco so I’m going to plan around that for now.. 

 

The port does release the expected terminals but it doesn’t go as far as January yet, they are using jardim in November so it does seem likely to be that one. 🙂

[edinburgher]

The port does release the expected terminals but it doesn’t go as far as January yet, they are using jardim in November so it does seem likely to be that one. 🙂

 

that is quite central and could be doable as a walk on even ground if you were staying in the suggested area- or even closer to the dock than that.

[Kirstys1]

I’ve actually booked emporium Lisbon suites for now, it’s next to the marina next to the cruise port and has a river view. I imagine the walk along the river is flat! 😉

[edinburgher]

I imagine the walk along the river is flat

 

yes the riverfront is flat. and all the way to Rossio station too.  Unfortunately for most sights and views you can expect uphill. There are a number of elevators, some with a fee, some free.  These help so you could read up on them. Or buses or trams. Pr de Figuera isn't far either if you have no luggage and is an excellent transport hub for moving around the city and out to Belem, but you may find you can do that from a stop closer to you as  you must be close to Pr do Commercio which is also  a good transport hub.  When arriving I know the airport bus terminates there so that could be an option for you. Do read about using public transport.

 

On a first visit to Lisbon you could ride the quite famous tram route #28. There will be much online info about it and you can check the stop closest to your accommodation. We rode vintage trams on our first couple of visits just because the vintage ones are different and one of the symbols of Lisbon, but thereafter we preferred the modern ones as we thought them more spacious and comfortable.

 

Reads as if you made a good choice re location.  Should you want to buy breakfast items or snacks, I could recommend any of the Pingo Doce supermarkets which offer more choices than the mini marts although they vary in size depending on location (which you can find online).

 

Enjoy.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by edinburgher

[erby2283]

Hello! We flew to Lisbon for three days following our cruise in Barcelona.  Have you thought about possibly booking through VRBO or another type of vacation rental company? We found a fabulous one bedroom apt right on Rua Augusta and the cost was around $530 USD for all three nights.  Just a thought. 🙂 

[Kirstys1]

On 10/20/2022 at 6:34 PM, erby2283 said:

Hello! We flew to Lisbon for three days following our cruise in Barcelona.  Have you thought about possibly booking through VRBO or another type of vacation rental company? We found a fabulous one bedroom apt right on Rua Augusta and the cost was around $530 USD for all three nights.  Just a thought. 🙂 

I didn’t like the look of the ones I found. As I travel solo I’m just extra picky. I generally use hotels. But I have found some apartments that look like they fit the bill and actually cheaper than yours was. 

[erby2283]

5 hours ago, Kirstys1 said:

I didn’t like the look of the ones I found. As I travel solo I’m just extra picky. I generally use hotels. But I have found some apartments that look like they fit the bill and actually cheaper than yours was. 

Maybe you’ll find the right one. Mine was just perfect. I double checked and looks like we paid 340 euro for 3 nights - this was back in 2019. Posted a few pics  below. Totally understand about wanting a hotel though, especially traveling solo. 

[ahl]

We stayed at the Hotel Tivoli on Avenida Liberdade two weeks ago. (It was the assigned hotel for our Viking Douro river cruise.) It was a very nice hotel on the main shopping street. Great breakfast buffet and lunch is available from the lobby bar between sightseeing trips. The Marques de Pombal traffic circle and Edward VII Park is a short walk in one direction. Restoration Square and the start of the old town are a few blocks in the other direction. Along the way you will find restaurants, the central Museum Store, and one of the Lisbon funiculars.The closest Metro station is Avenida.

 

We saw the cruise port, not far from the Tile Museum. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I always choose unusual hotels, so you may not be interested in any I've got my eye on.  However, I CAN tell you that it's very likely you'll dock in front of the Alfama area.  I may have a photo.  There were 3 cruise ships there recently, all lined up, but in same area (I believe what's called Tabac, but can't remember for sure.)  Oceania's Sirena was nestled between 2 others. The Military Museum, Fado Museum, etc. are there. There is a good amount of  public transportation there, plus when we docked there before (on Oceania) there were cabs as well.  And I hear Uber is big in Lisbon, so that's another option.  

 

When I was in Lisbon before, to board a cruise, I stayed in the Baixa area.  It's a good area for getting just about anywhere in the city.  For next spring I'm thinking of staying in Alfama, although there is less great transportation, plus many more steps to climb, so I may regret it later.  Or I may decide on Baixa again, probably at FLH Tempo. It's not the least cushy, but is in a good location for touring, and inexpensive.  The place in Alfama is On/Set Cinema and it's an apartment that has a website, and is listed on Booking.com. It looks to be quite nice, and a little bit of an "experience" - hopefully the real Alfama, not a sanitized hotel.  This is one studio: https://onsetalfama.com/o-castelo/  Both of these places, however, may not be right for you, as they're modern, and inexpensive.  In Lisbon, I've lusted over MEMMO in Alfama, but find it too expensive for me.  But others might like it.  Also in Alfama are FLH Urbano (inexpensive) and Solar do Castelo (more expensive).

 

I would book something central that appeals to you rather than staying near the port. But unless it's just for a quick stay, I look for something in an area I like, and not necessarily near the port.

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[edinburgher]

For next spring I'm thinking of staying in Alfama, although there is less great transportation, plus many more steps to climb, so I may regret it

 

Not only many staircases and steps, but really steep hills too. Lisbon uphill streets can be challenging for even the fittest as you probably already know.

 

Should you be staying in the Alfama  area, you might want to read this thread which has info on the two elevators in that area as one or both could be useful if you are staying  in the vicinity of either.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2875458-lisbon-self-guided-tour-best-route-to-castelo-sao-jorge/#comment-64160805

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by edinburgher