How do transfers work?

[MudderBear]

For example, say we disembark in Rome and I book an extended stay hotel through Princess for a night or two after the cruise.  If I buy a transfer, I'm assuming they will transfer me to the hotel.  However, do they provide transportation from the hotel to the airport after the two nights I spend in the Rome hotel?  I'm guessing not, but just wanted to double check.

[Coral]

If you book a hotel through Princess pre or post cruise - they will provide transportation and transfers are not required.

 

Let's say you book 2 nights post cruise in Rome through Princess. They will provide a bus from your ship to the Rome hotel. No transfers are needed. They will also provide transportation to the airport (probably town car or van) depending on time and how many people. You do not need to buy any transfers post cruise.

 

I have only done the reserve (before cruise). They picked me up at the airport in a town car. Then we got on a bus to the ship the morning of the cruise.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Coral

[Lady Arwen]

Honestly, you can do better booking your hotel and transfers yourself.  Princess charges exorbitant prices for hotels and the transfers are buses.  When you disembark in Civitavecchia have your pre booked private car waiting to take you to your hotel that you have booked yourself.  Use that same car service to pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport.  You will get a much nicer hotel and better transportation for less money.  Rome in Limo is a highly recommended car service.  There are many travel sites online to help you book your hotel.  Trip Advisor is a wealth of information.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Rick&Jeannie]

While I very much respect the opinion of @Lady Arwen, we like to book the pre and post cruise hotels through Princess.  Yes, we're fully aware that you can certainly "beat the price" by doing it yourself.  However...there's really something to be said for just sitting back and letting Princess handle *everything*! We just consider this as part of our entire cruise package and don't worry about the cost.  I particularly like the fact that Princess automatically throws in the transfers to/from airport/hotel (whichever direction is needed).  When you factor the cost of those transfers into the total cost of the hotel package it really brings it much more in line with "do it yourself" endeavors.  And there's always a Princess rep available (either at the airport and the hotel) to help guide things along.  Since we have made the decision to always go in at least a day early before a cruise (don't get me started on *that* topic!) it just makes things go a whole lot smoother for us.  We don't always do a post-cruise hotel; if we are domestic at cruise end we will often go straight on to the airport...still via a Princess transfer.

[Lady Arwen]

17 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

While I very much respect the opinion of @Lady Arwen, we like to book the pre and post cruise hotels through Princess.  Yes, we're fully aware that you can certainly "beat the price" by doing it yourself.  However...there's really something to be said for just sitting back and letting Princess handle *everything*! We just consider this as part of our entire cruise package and don't worry about the cost.  I particularly like the fact that Princess automatically throws in the transfers to/from airport/hotel (whichever direction is needed).  When you factor the cost of those transfers into the total cost of the hotel package it really brings it much more in line with "do it yourself" endeavors.  And there's always a Princess rep available (either at the airport and the hotel) to help guide things along.  Since we have made the decision to always go in at least a day early before a cruise (don't get me started on *that* topic!) it just makes things go a whole lot smoother for us.  We don't always do a post-cruise hotel; if we are domestic at cruise end we will often go straight on to the airport...still via a Princess transfer.

First, let me say that you guys are one of sweetest and kindest members of CC.  Your opinions and your advice are always spot on and presented with respect and understanding.  You offer so much to these boards and I thank you!

Back to the question of our OP.  Yes, you are correct that the easiest way to achieve everything they want is to do it through Princess and for folks who like it simple your suggestion, of course, works great.  My DH and I are those people who look at everything as an adventure and never do anything the easy way.  BTW this has, at times, backfired on us, but that’s a whole different story lol.  We love to search out hotels and locations.  We go to Google Earth, find the hotel and then do a “walk” up and down the street to check out the area.  Then we read the reviews by fellow travellers.  We’ve looked at the Princess hotels and they just don’t live up to our expectations, especially with location.  Yes, we’re picky, but if you’re staying in Rome, you want to be close to the attractions.

 

Princess transfers are fine.  We’ve used them to get to the airport if we have an afternoon flight and the airport is close.  However, for trips over an hour, we prefer a private car, but that’s just us.

 

Enjoy Rome!  It is magical and unforgettable.  Please stay a couple of days to see as much as possible.  

 

 

[trvlwrld]

We have done Princess hotels in Rome, Athens, Barcelona, London, Bangkok, Lima, & Sydney and have never been disappointed in the location.  The price is higher, but the convenience of transfers and booking ease makes it worth it for us!

[Lady Arwen]

4 minutes ago, trvlwrld said:

We have done Princess hotels in Rome, Athens, Barcelona, London, Bangkok, Lima, & Sydney and have never been disappointed in the location.  The price is higher, but the convenience of transfers and booking ease makes it worth it for us!

I’m sure the hotels were just fine!  It’s definitely us being extremely picky about hotels.  We’ve looked at the ones Princess were offering and they were just not for us,  Yes, it is easy peasy your way!

[Paula_MacFan]

2 hours ago, MudderBear said:

For example, say we disembark in Rome and I book an extended stay hotel through Princess for a night or two after the cruise.  If I buy a transfer, I'm assuming they will transfer me to the hotel.  However, do they provide transportation from the hotel to the airport after the two nights I spend in the Rome hotel?  I'm guessing not, but just wanted to double check.

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/cruise-ports-and-hotels/

 

Explained on the Princess website.  

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Paula_MacFan

[Coral]

I have only used Princess hotels in London and pre-cruise. Honestly - with the cost from airport to the city and then to the pier - it wasn't unreasonable.

 

There are times where I have booked the hotel Princess uses but booked it independently and arranged my own transfers in other cities.

 

I have seen prices in FLL where it is the same as booking direct.

 

I am staying in Vancouver in soon. I thought the cost was reasonable given what hotels cost there. I though chose to book my own hotel as I have stayed at several hotels there and have a preference to a different hotel.

 

I would look at the whole picture. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes it doesn't.

[MudderBear]

Thank you all for your advice!  I actually LOVE to research hotels, but when it comes to international travel, I am not that savy and really need to rely on a TA or Princess.

[Tedferg]

How do you find Princess Hotels? Do they have to be booked via TA? I think Transfers have to go through TA, right?

[Lady Arwen]

43 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

How do you find Princess Hotels? Do they have to be booked via TA? I think Transfers have to go through TA, right?

You find your transfers in Manage Your Booking under the Travel banner at the top of the page.  First listed is flights and then scroll to Transfers and choose what suits you and add to your booking.  For hotels click on Booked Guests and scroll to Cruise Ports and Hotels.  Choose your embarkation/disembarkation country and the hotels that Princess offers are shown.  Click on each of them for descriptions.

[Tedferg]

5 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

You find your transfers in Manage Your Booking under the Travel banner at the top of the page.  First listed is flights and then scroll to Transfers and choose what suits you and add to your booking.  For hotels click on Booked Guests and scroll to Cruise Ports and Hotels.  Choose your embarkation/disembarkation country and the hotels that Princess offers are shown.  Click on each of them for descriptions.

Thanks, mine says "Princess offers convenient transportation to and from the ship – usually in the form of a motorcoach or van. This service can be arranged through your Travel Agent."

 

So I assume I have to go through TA, ditto for Hotels.

 

Correction your advice for hotels works.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Tedferg

[Lady Arwen]

2 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks, mine says "Princess offers convenient transportation to and from the ship – usually in the form of a motorcoach or van. This service can be arranged through your Travel Agent."

 

So I assume I have to go through TA, ditto for Hotels.

 

Correction your advice for hotels works.

You do not need a travel agent for either.  Do it online within your booking.  Just look under travel.  If you don’t have an existing reservation this may not be possible to peruse.

[Tedferg]

26 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

You do not need a travel agent for either.  Do it online within your booking.  Just look under travel.  If you don’t have an existing reservation this may not be possible to peruse.

I looked under travel for an existing booking Transfer still refer to TA. I tried entering our independent air travel but it will not take our flight information. Could be because our travel dates do not coincide with cruise dates. Only mildly interested on post cruise transfer, so no problem.

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Tedferg said:

I looked under travel for an existing booking Transfer still refer to TA. I tried entering our independent air travel but it will not take our flight information. Could be because our travel dates do not coincide with cruise dates. Only mildly interested on post cruise transfer, so no problem.

Sorry, I just don’t know what’s going wrong for you.  Tried it on my current booking and all is there to choose transfers both pre and post cruise and I’m able to enter our independent flights which are not the same dates as the actual cruise date.  Wish I could be more helpful. 

[DallasGuy75219]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Only mildly interested on post cruise transfer, so no problem.

Post-cruise transfers can also be booked onboard once you're on the ship.

[Tedferg]

Just now, Lady Arwen said:

Sorry, I just don’t know what’s going wrong for you.  Tried it on my current booking and all is there to choose transfers both pre and post cruise and I’m able to enter our independent flights which are not the same dates as the actual cruise date.  Wish I could be more helpful. 

Thanks for your help, I assume you are using a TA. I get fascinated with website quirks and try to solve them 🙂

Just now, DallasGuy75219 said:

Post-cruise transfers can also be booked onboard once you're on the ship.

Good news, thanks.

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks for your help, I assume you are using a TA. I get fascinated with website quirks and try to solve them 🙂

Good news, thanks.

I don’t use a TA, I have a Princess CVP, but I do all of this myself online.

[Tedferg]

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

 

 

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

I don’t use a TA, I have a Princess CVP, but I do all of this myself online.

Ah, I do suspect transfers have to be done via TA . Tried many combinations of personal flight info, to no avail. It complains about the flight numbers.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Tedferg

[EDDY0827]

My cruise, May 23rd, is over 2 months away and I have never been able to add transfers on my own  since booking. It says to contact my TA to arrange transfers.

[Lady Arwen]

This is weird because I added a post cruise transfer to my booking last week for a September 2023 cruise with no problem and no TA.  It was added to my booking and the transfer fee was added to my final payment in June.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Paula_MacFan]

Edit to delete 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Paula_MacFan

[Lady Arwen]

16 minutes ago, EDDY0827 said:

My cruise, May 23rd, is over 2 months away and I have never been able to add transfers on my own  since booking. It says to contact my TA to arrange transfers.

Did you book your cruise originally with a TA or directly with Princess?  If with a TA, that’s why you can’t do it yourself.  I’ve had no problem doing it at all.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Tedferg]

Solved flight information problem. We have connecting flights. I entered both legs in both directions and website accepted them. Still refers to TA for transfer.