Question about booking Celebrity pre-cruise hotel w/kids

[junglejane]

DH and I are booked on the Summit cruise from Venice to Barcelona on June 16, 2008. I've been reading with interest the thread about Celebrity air. We are wondering whether to stick with Celebrity air also, and that thread has been very informative. The Celebrity air went up $200pp after we booked, so we're thinking it may turn out to pay to stick with the cruise air. But we're also thinking about flying into Venice a day early.

 

Here's my issue. DH and I are traveling with our kids, who will be 7 and 11. For the cruise, we are booked in two connecting cabins. Therefore our kids are booked as 2nd pax, not as 3rd & 4th. If we book a pre-cruise hotel stay with Celebrity, how will that work? Will we end up with two hotel rooms? That sounds very expensive. Or will Celebrity put us all in one hotel room and charge less for the kids? Anyone have experience with this?

 

--Junglejane

[ocngypz]

You will have two hotel rooms. Most hotels they contract do not even have triple occupancy rooms, let alone quad rooms. What typically happens with families of three.... it's two hotel rooms..one double and one single.. and it runs into serious money.

[rebeccalouise]

If you can book on your own there are some nice hotels around the Piazzle Roma. The bus from the airport takes you right there for three Euros. The one I would recommend for a quad- would be the Santa Chiara. Book directly through the hotel. I booked through Expedia and got bumped and moved to another hotel.

[junglejane]

Thanks very much Ocngypz and Rebeccalouise. Your replies pretty much confirm what I was afraid of -- two expensive hotel rooms. We'll just have to wait until airfares for June 2008 come out so that we can compare booking our own air to Celebrity, and then factor in hotel costs. Right now our Celebrity air add on from Phoenix is $1479 pp. (For new bookings it's currently $1679 pp from Phx.)

 

As I understand it, if we want to fly in early and don't use a Celebrity hotel, we can do Celebrity custom air but may have to pay more for the air add on.

 

Thanks Rebeccalouise for the hotel recommendation. You're definitely the CC Resident Expert on sailing on Celebrity with kids. I know I can count on you for great information. Hopefully we'll be able to get a good deal on booking our own air and stay at the Santa Chiara. Can you tell me how the quad rooms work? Do they have rollaways, sofa beds or what? Why don't European hotels have rooms with two queens, anyway?

 

Thanks again! --Junglejane

[dilacruiser]

Jungle Jane,

 

We're on that same cruise. How far in advance do roll calls usually show up? Do you usually participate in them? Are they helpful?

 

Diane

[junglejane]

Jungle Jane,

 

We're on that same cruise. How far in advance do roll calls usually show up? Do you usually participate in them? Are they helpful?

 

Diane

 

Hi, Diane. You inspired me to go start a roll call for our cruise. Here's the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=565734

I've only participated in a roll call once before, for my last Mexican Riviera cruise. I'm hoping that we get some experienced cruisers on this roll call with good tips about the Mediterranean, especially regarding shore excursions. The Mediterranean ports of call board has some good info, too.

 

Come over and join the Roll Call and then maybe some more people will come out of the woodwork!

 

--Junglejane

[rebeccalouise]

Thanks very much Ocngypz and Rebeccalouise. Your replies pretty much confirm what I was afraid of -- two expensive hotel rooms. We'll just have to wait until airfares for June 2008 come out so that we can compare booking our own air to Celebrity, and then factor in hotel costs. Right now our Celebrity air add on from Phoenix is $1479 pp. (For new bookings it's currently $1679 pp from Phx.)

 

As I understand it, if we want to fly in early and don't use a Celebrity hotel, we can do Celebrity custom air but may have to pay more for the air add on.

 

Thanks Rebeccalouise for the hotel recommendation. You're definitely the CC Resident Expert on sailing on Celebrity with kids. I know I can count on you for great information. Hopefully we'll be able to get a good deal on booking our own air and stay at the Santa Chiara. Can you tell me how the quad rooms work? Do they have rollaways, sofa beds or what? Why don't European hotels have rooms with two queens, anyway?

 

Thanks again! --Junglejane

 

Venice is a small compact city and the hotel rooms are also small. A triple or quad will be much bigger than a standard double rooms. I have stayed at the Bauer, The Sofitel Venezia, The Santa Chiara, the Hotel San Marco, the Metropole and the Continental. None of the doubles I stayed in was anywhere near the size of a Hyatt or Marriot in New York City. The rooms with two double beds just don't exist. But a quad or triple will be a double bed and one or two twin beds. It will be comfortable and usually have a bigger bathroom than a double room. You'll be fine and it is only for one night it sounds like.

 

As for airfare- for July 2007 we paid $ 1100 per person from Philly-Barcelona, Venice- Philly. So, I think you are going to be better off with your own air and hotel.

[junglejane]

Thanks again for your suggestions. It's still over a year away, but I'm pretty excited about it.

--Junglejane

[rebeccalouise]

Have a wonderful time! I am doing the Barcelona- Venice (7/24/07) cruise- so will let you know the highlights and lowlights of the trip. We are staying a small little hotel in Venice that was only $ 155 per night (for a double). It is called the Carlton Capri Hotel. I am planning to write a review on the trip and I'll post it on here when I get back. I'll let you know what I thought of this hotel.

I am on a budget this time and this hotel is off the beaten path but I know my way around Venice by now. This will be my fifth trip there in the past five years. Don't know what it is about Venice that thrills me. I guess it is the fact that there are no cars. It is romantic and feels like you are back in time.