OK I am going to try Priceline on most of you recommend for FLL

[LAFFNVEGAS]

OK, I am going to try Priceline for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale to try to get the Embassey Suite. Couple of quick questions which area do I choose, the FLL Airport area or Downtown? Then I take it I click a 3 star hotel.

Thanks for this quick help:)

[amyfromjersey]

Fort Lauderdale Downtown to try and get the embassy by the pier.
Good Luck! Let us know how it goes.

[doone]

As you are aware, your not guaranteed of your hotel choice, its which ever hotel accepts your bid. So far I have bid downtown and beach zones, 3*, I have received the Marriott Hotel and Marina twice and the Radisson once. Good luck.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have just gone back into Priceline before it only gave me an option for 3 star as the highest this time it shows up to a 4 star is the Marriott and Embassy a 3 star?

[doone]

I know the Marriott is a 3 *, I believe the Embassy Suites IS as well, but not sure on that.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Well, it did not work. I went in and put in a price of $65.00 based on what others have said they paid and it came back saying it would not except so now I have to wait 72 hours to try again at a high price unless I choose another date or another area or a lower star rating:( Anyone have any other recommendations???:confused:

[doone]

What dates are you looking for? I know March 19th I got the Marriott for $75, but needed another room for March 11th, couldn't get a thing. After 3 months, I put in a bid for 3* both beach and downtown areas for $100, that's when I got the Radisson.

[Giorgi-one]

Well, it did not work. I went in and put in a price of $65.00 based on what others have said they paid and it came back saying it would not except so now I have to wait 72 hours to try again at a high price unless I choose another date or another area or a lower star rating:( Anyone have any other recommendations???:confused:

Don't panic. I have rarely gotten my room on the first try. What dates are you looking for and where did you get the $65 figure. I have room at Marriott Marina for Jan 14/15 and paid $75 per night. Did you check biddingfortravel.com to get idea of rates for you dates?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We need it for the night of March 12th, could it be this is Spring Break Time? I may be stuck with our Amerisuite. I was able to get that for total price with taxes for $78.00 but that was this past summer.

[Giorgi-one]

You have plenty of time to get a room on Priceline. If you are nervous, go to Expedia or some other site, find the best price you can get on a hotel you want and book it. Then when you get your Priceline hotel, you can cancel the other booking. This will also give you a good idea of how much you are saving!

[doone]

Lisa, your right, that was a tough time for me to get something in priceline for March 11th. I had to bid beach zone and downtown for $100, finally got the Radisson. Give the $100 bid a try, you may get the Radisson like I did. I have rarely heard of anyone getting the Embassy Suites this year in the winter, someone wrote on the hotel area that one of the cruiselines are using the Embassy Suites for their passengers. Hope this helps.

[Giorgi-one]

I just saw some successful bids for 3* FLL hotels in March for $75. Successful bid was for Marriott Marina which I always get and like. I would not panic and go for $100 right now. Just take your time, raise to $70, then to $75.

[doone]

A week after Lisa's date, I got the Marriott, March 19th, for $75, but like I stated above, the day before Lisa needs the hotel, I had to pay $100 and I have been bidding since August for the March 11th date. I think that has to be a popular spring break week.

[Tatka]

Well, it did not work. I went in and put in a price of $65.00 based on what others have said they paid and it came back saying it would not except so now I have to wait 72 hours to try again at a high price unless I choose another date or another area or a lower star rating:( Anyone have any other recommendations???:confused:
LAFFNVEGAS,

Did you check www.biddingfortravel.com (http://www.biddingfortravel.com) ?

It's a good source for info and how to bid to get most out of it?

By the way..prices are vary for different seasons. I got $64 (bidding $50) for August. If you check www I mentioned above you will see what people got for your particular season.

doone,

Looks like Radisson belongs to a different zone (Fort Lauderdale Beach) not Downtown. You probably got it when you've changed conditions.

http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm161.showMessage?topi cID=275.topic

[doone]

Tatka, your right, I always bid downtown and beach zones. For one stay, got the Marriott (downtown area) and then finally got the Radisson for my other stay (beach zone).

This past March, I got the Marriott for $52, for March 2005, had to pay $75, still a bargain, no complaining here.

[obriendan]

You may bid again without waiting for 72 hours if you make use of the available free rebid zone. In Ft. Lauderdale, there is only one of these, Mirimar. Add this to the Downtown zone and bid again slightly higher. Mirimar is a free rebid zone for 3* bids because its highest hotel is only 2*.

[obriendan]

Oops! The Mirimar zone is 2 1/2* not 2*, but it is still a free rebid zone for other 3* or higher * zones.

[doone]

obriendan, your right, I forgot about that free re-bid zone, I used it each time to my free re-bid without waiting the 72 hours.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Lisa if you got the AmeriaSuites for $78 - stay with them. Remember that breakfast is included in the price.

If you start bidding higher than $65 (where you started), then you will be in the hole. Especially if you end up at the Marina or the Radisson which does not include breakfast.

So keep that in mind.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Someone posted a thread here a couple of weeks ago that gave a link as to when many of the collegese and universities have spring break - and the dates were all over the calendar.

[ekerr19]

Lisa - Did you end up switching? I think that week is a big Spring Break week, but I think ours is too. We leave the same time as doone, 3/19 and are staying at the Renaissance...

I tried to get a quote for 1st class air from Denver, best I could do is $960 per person and the kids want to sit up front, though I'm not sure I could justify that cost - the TA said the reason for the high fare is because it's Spring Break travel week and the prices are higher... :(

Let me know - the breakfast we had at AmeriSuites was continental and nothing all that special, the rate you have is good, but I think I told you all the problems we had when we stayed there.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Laura, No I have not switched yet, I have been busy at work and doing things with the new computer. I need to find my sheet of paper I printed out for our reservations to reconfirm the price I have it for. I think you are right about being a big spring break week. DH thinks we should just leave it, we will barely be at the hotel. We have friends picking us up at the airport to take us to dinner. We probably won't get checked into the hotel till 9 or 9:30 then get up early and attempt to get on their first van load over to the pier. If the morning food is not that great that they offer I think I can hold out till we get on the ship.:D Fortutately we did bump up to a suite so we can surely get on the ship fairly early.

[ekerr19]

Sounds like a good plan! That week is getting tough for accomodations and air... I need to book airfare soon -

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sounds like a good plan! That week is getting tough for accomodations and air... I need to book airfare soon -
I booked the airfare last June but I bought it with United Air Miles. Unfortuately United/TED is taking us to FLL the long way:o We fly from here to Your back door Denver with a continuing flight number to Washington DC, then lay over then an hour then catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale. We leave here around 8:30 in the morning and get there about 7 PM but when you figure the 7 is actually 4 our time, it still is a long all day trip UGH! But what can I say we only paid $7.00 per person:D

[ekerr19]

I booked the airfare last June but I bought it with United Air Miles. Unfortuately United/TED is taking us to FLL the long way:o We fly from here to Your back door Denver with a continuing flight number to Washington DC, then lay over then an hour then catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale. We leave here around 8:30 in the morning and get there about 7 PM but when you figure the 7 is actually 4 our time, it still is a long all day trip UGH! But what can I say we only paid $7.00 per person:D

Well, you can't beat that price! What a deal - I hate booking air, especially with the kids. We try and go direct, but options are so limited now that Spirit Air has pulled out of Denver...

What day are you returning to FLL? We will be there on the 19th so will doone...

[LAFFNVEGAS]

What day are you returning to FLL? We will be there on the 19th so will doone...
The Westerdam gets back into FLL on the 20th and we fly out about 1 in the afternoon and get home at 5, now that at least sounds better:)

[ekerr19]

The Westerdam gets back into FLL on the 20th and we fly out about 1 in the afternoon and get home at 5, now that at least sounds better:)

So we might run into you at the pier - we leave 3/20 and will probably get an early start to the ship...

[doone]

Ekerr, you know I'll be there early. Planning on leaving the Marriott at around 11 or so. If we can't get that shuttle to the pier at the time, we'll take a cab.

I purchased my airfare back in June, Jetblue out of Boston, got a great price of $192.20 round trip, non stop, thought it was great, grabbed it at the time and I have only seen the prices go up since then. Glad I booked when I did.

See you onboard.

[ekerr19]

Ekerr, you know I'll be there early. Planning on leaving the Marriott at around 11 or so. If we can't get that shuttle to the pier at the time, we'll take a cab.

I purchased my airfare back in June, Jetblue out of Boston, got a great price of $192.20 round trip, non stop, thought it was great, grabbed it at the time and I have only seen the prices go up since then. Glad I booked when I did.

See you onboard.

You got a great deal on your airfare! We want to fly direct and options are limited to United and Frontier... we have two unused Frontier tix for DH and DS so we will probably go with them... I have been waiting to see the price drop, so far - no luck. I thought (for about 40 seconds!) about booking first class, I got a quote of $900 pp, but I think I can get all of our air for that price using the two credits we have, so it really is a "no brainer" :D

Can't wait to get on board - I'm surprised the Roll Call isn't doing so well... on our last Spring Break cruise in April, the Roll Call was hopping!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Can't wait to get on board - I'm surprised the Roll Call isn't doing so well... on our last Spring Break cruise in April, the Roll Call was hopping!
My Roll Call is doing terrible. My honest opinion is since there is no long an easy link at the top from this board less people actually go to the Roll Call Board.

[anngie]

Lisa, I bid on Priceline several months ago for our hotel stay pre-cruise on the Westerdam last week. I offered $65 just like you did hoping to book Embassy Suites. I was turned down. However, I was allowed to re-bid and bid $75 without having to wait. The bid was accepted for the 3 star hotel but was upgraded to a 4 star which was Renaissance. I was a little upset at the time because we really wanted to stay at Embassy Suites. After staying at the Renaissance last week now we are happy that it worked out that way.
It is such a nice hotel and you do not get the free breakfast but they do have in-room coffee. The shuttle to the pier is contracted and the driver was a real jerk. It was supposed to cost $4 a person and he charges $4 a bag, even for carryons. We gave him a $20 bill and he kept the change without even saying thanks. If we stayed there again we would get a cab to the pier.