San Diego Pre-Cruise Hotel

I'm sure that this has been posted here before, but the seach function isn't working for me.

We're sailing on the Mercury next January and are looking for a pre-cruise hotel that has an airport/port shuttle.

We always do the Embassy Suites in FLL and that has worked out well for us. But, we've never sailed out of San Diego before...thanks!

Rick

The Holiday Inn on the bay is great. They will pick you up from the airport and the hotel is directory across from the terminal. You can literally walk across the street to the ship.

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Looking forward to Alaska, Infinity

I second Luvtotrav's suggestion. Very convenient hotel, good cafe, nice staff. Even have a shuttle to the zoo.

Celebrity Summit 12/17/04
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Actually, you can look on the millenium cam @celebrityatsea.com right now and see how close!!! celebritya

Thanks for the link! I saw the hotel from the ship. You can't get closer than that!

Rick

There is an Embassy Suites near the pier. They offer transfers to/from airport as well as the pier. Frankly, the taxi ride to it is only about $10 so we don't waste time waiting for the pickup. But the short drive to the pier is worth it (as are the complimentary cocktail hour and breakfast).

George & MaryBeth

The Best Western Bayside is just 3 blocks up from the Holiday Inn...also great views from their bayside rooms, we watched the Radiance
come into port from Ensenada after we were bussed back. They offer airport and cruise port transportation, as well as free parking.
We've stayed there twice and will be returning again in December. Great rates and great staff.
Nice pool area also, very convenient to the trolly and train station. Walking distance to bay, little italy and chinatown. You should lcheck it out.

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Untile Our Enchantment Cruise

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Until My Cruise to Hawaii on Infinity

This is all great info!!! Thanks for posting it. I can't believe the port is right across the street from the Holiday in. When I checked out the bridge cam from the Millenium is was just unbelieveable. You certainly can't beat the convenience. Although we're not sailing until a year from now, I've already started doing my hotel and excursion research. You can never be too prepared!!! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Happy Cruising all!
Michele

Celebrity Infinity - 4/17/05
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Celebrity Summit - 10/03
Explorer of the Seas - 8/02
Fascination - 8/01
Costa Romantica - 3/94
Celebrity Zenith - 9/92
Celebrity Zenith - 5/92
Celebrity Horizon - 7/91
Carla Costa - 5/91
Costa Riviera - 5/90
Costa Riviera - 10/89
Costa Daphne - 4/89
Costa Riviera - 10/88
Costa Daphne - 5/88
Carla Costa - 8/87
Costa Flavia - 1960's

There are several hotels along Pacific Highway to suit any budget. There is a nice Hampton Inn, REsidence Inn, several smaller independent hotels, La Pensione in Little Italy, and you are not far from the Convention center and the Gaslamp. I note that the Holiday really jacks up its prices on cruise days. All have airport transfers as well as cruise ship shuttles. Hey, I saw the Millennium in Port yesterday but the brochure says it was to leave Ft. Lauderdale yesterday. Celebrity seems to have printed its brochure too early!

Hi Cauvet! We are planning to spend a weekend in La Jolla, post-cruise, in March. We are looking at the Best Western by the Sea (I think that's the full name) and the Hotel La Jolla. Are you familiar with either? Do you have a better suggestion? Our budget is around $150 U.S. per night. Thanks for any help.

You can get on the trolley just down the street from the hotel. We spent an entire day sight seeing and used the trolley for the entire trip. It cost us $50.00. There is also a marine museum right next to the cruise terminal and it is very interesting as well. It cost $8.00 each.

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Looking forward to Alaska, Infinity

I think that might be the Best Western Inn By the Sea and the Hotel La Jolla at the Shores. My AAA book quotes $169-229 and $209-229 for these two hotels. La Jolla is kind of Hoidy Toidy and expensive. For my money, I would rather be downtown where the action is. There are several good restaurants in La Jolla but everything is absolutely overpriced. You will probably need a car too but in town you can trolley around--even to the ship! LaJolla is not close to the airport nor the cruise ship. There are many nice hotels in town near the Gaslamp where all the nightlife is. March could be rainy and/or foggy and not very good beach weather. If you play golf, San Diego is the place to be!

Go to [url="http://www.biddingfortravel.com"]www.biddingfortravel.com[/url] and get an idea of what San Diego hotels are going for on Priceline. Do not pay rack rates, internet specials from the hotel, or Expedia or Hotwire rates if you can get one through Priceline!!! You will save big bucks. I stayed at a Hilton near Seaworld a few months ago for $60 per night. This was truly a 4 star establishment, great campus, great pool, great rooms. The money I saved more than paid for a rental car. Anyway, go to the bidding for travel website and get some tips on how to place a successful Priceline bid. It's fun and almost always worth a little extra effort for big savings.

What ever you do, DO NOT USE PRICELINE for hotels in San Diego..I did use them for the very first time and ended up at a Holiday Inn about 12 miles from the airport. A taxie costs $25 and the same to the pier. Later I found that I could have booked a hotel much closer with shuttle service from the airport and even to the pier and some with free breakfast..Check out hotel availability first and book direct.....

The person who stated do not use Priceline is ignorant of the fact that San Diego is broken up into different zones that you may bid in. Study the priceline zone map carefully and only make your original bid in the zones you would be willing to stay in. Use free rebids to adjust your price upwards.

A free rebid is one where you add a zone that only has lower classifications of hotels than your original bid. Say, for example, you bid on a 4 star downtown for $xx and are denied. You may bid immediately for the same dates by adding a zone (making sure that zone does not have any 4 star properties, only lesser rated properties) and raising your price. By doing this you are essentially bidding the higher price for the downtown area only since the area added has no 4 star properties. San Diego has many zones without 4 star properties, therefore a prime place to use free rebids. Remember, only use zones for free rebidding that only have lesser rated properties than your original bid.

We used Priceline and got Holiday Inn on the Bay(right across from the pier) for $70. Rack rate is $135 for the night we booked. Use priceline!! As TOMCAt said, just pay attention to what zone you are booking in.

Yeah but did you get the Holiday Inn for a Cruise night? The rates change radically for when the ship is in and when it is not.

I got a AAA rate of $99 the night before the cruise.

Rick

I got the Holiday Inn on the Bay (across the st from pier) from Priceline (my 1st time w/Priceline) for $85.00 on Thanksgiving night! We sail on Friday. Great experience! I'm VERY happy!

Rosie

E-mail me <a href="mailto:JNLROSE@AOL.COM">here</a href>

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CELEBRITY MERCURY HERE I COME!!!

Will they take you to the pier? There's a big group of us with a lot of luggage.

Rick

Yep, we got our room for a cruise night. We booked for Jan. 6 and we sail away Jan. 7. I think it helps that we have booked very far in advance. It is a great deal!

ricka47-From what I have been told...a bellhop will take your luggage over to the pier for you.

I have also been told the bellhops will gladly take the luggage across the st. for you. I'm sure a lg group can be accomodated if you make arrangements early with them! (and tip well too I'm sure)

Rosie

E-mail me <a href="mailto:JNLROSE@AOL.COM">here</a href>

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CELEBRITY MERCURY HERE I COME!!!

Hello,

We, too, stayed at the Holidy Inn on the Bay the night before our sailing on the Mercury on Feb.20, 04.

Our personal experience was that the Bell Hops were completely over-whelmed with mountains of luggage. We found it much simpler to just take our own wheeled luggage with us and just walk across the street in the designated area to the cruise ship terminal.

It was simply a matter of logistics, that's all!
Have a wonderful cruise!

Don and Kathie

Carnivale - March 1980 Honeymoon Cruise
Horizon, Feb. '01 Deep Western Caribbean out of Aruba
Horizon, Feb. '03 Western Caribbean We Missed the Boat!!
Mercury, Feb. 04 10-Night San Diego Round-Trip
Summit, Feb 18, 05 10-Day Ultimate Caribbean Our 25th Anniversary

Miatakath,

What time of day did you go to the pier? Our luggage is not "all portable" by us! We'll need some help. Maybe we can go over earlier than the "crowds".

Rosie

E-mail me <a href="mailto:JNLROSE@AOL.COM">here</a href>

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CELEBRITY MERCURY HERE I COME!!!

Hi,

In answer to your question, it was, I recall, about 11:30 - 11:45 A.M.

Don and Kathie

Carnivale - March 1980 Honeymoon Cruise
Horizon, Feb. '01 Deep Western Caribbean out of Aruba
Horizon, Feb. '03 Western Caribbean We Missed the Boat!!
Mercury, Feb. 04 10-Night San Diego Round-Trip
Summit, Feb 18, 05 10-Day Ultimate Caribbean Our 25th Anniversary