How difficult to arrange for own transfers?

Planning to go on 7/5 cruise from Barcelona to Venice. Doing one night pre- and one night post-cruise. Thinking about using Starpoints (eraned on my SPG Amex) to book the hotels in both cities. My only hesitation is arranging our own transfers from airport to hotel, hotel to ship, ship to hotel, and hotel to airport. How difficult (and confusing) would that be? I could save a lot of $$$ over what Celebrity charges for the hotel stays, but at least the transfers would be included. I belive that breakfast is also included when you book hotels through Celebrity.

When I cruised out of Lisbon, I booked my own transportation from the airport to the hotel and then hotel to ship. I googled Lisbon car service and then got some companies names and then went to trip advisor and researched the companies on their website. I was not disappointed, as both cars showed up on time.

Barcelona is easy. Just take a taxi from the airport to your hotel and another from hotel to port. No need to take cruise transfers. Can't comment on Venice.

I've booked hotel and transportation to and from hotels, airports and cruise terminals. It does help if you have a global phone. What I have done is email the concierge at the hotel I'm staying at and ask what company they use for transportation. Look them up online. The hotel may setup the transportation for you. When your picked up at the airport. Tell the drive about your pickup the next day. Hope this gives you insight and ideas of how to plan your transportation. Richard

Check on your Roll Call to see what other folks are doing in Venice and ask for some recommendations. You can get some ideas from others who have disembarked there in the past re shuttles/water taxis.

Just did the RCCL Serenade's trans-Atlantic leaving from Barcelona. Took a taxi from the airport to the hotel 25 Euros (We stayed at the Majestic Hotel) and a taxi from the hotel to the ship 12 Euros. There couldn't have been anything easier...I would definitely do the taxi again, rather than pay more for a car service.

Barcelona is easy. Just take a taxi from the airport to your hotel and another from hotel to port. No need to take cruise transfers. Can't comment on Venice.

Ditto here on all counts. I would just add to have your destinations in Barcelona written down, as you are not likely to have a taxi driver who speaks English.

Thanks for thr info! Does anyone have any experience arranging own transfers in Venice?

Venice it depends on where you're staying since so much of the city isn't accessible by car but only by boat. (the last place for cars is Piazzale Roma near the S.Lucia train station). Mestre is a good option and very easy to get to with a cab to and from airport and port. It's only one stop by train if you want to explore the city on your own. I lived 40 minutes outside of Venice for 2 years.

In Venice, we will be at the Hilton Molino Stucky Hotel. Is there anyone else staying there that would like to share a water taxi? It is not the best location for transportation but we have stayed there before & I LOVE THE HOTEL. It is a refurbished 400 yr old flour mill and now a fantastic hotel. The free shuttle goes back and forth to San Marco but to get from the ship to the hotel and to the airport the next morning, a water taxi or alilugana is needed. Let me know if you would like to share a water taxi. Thanks!

Booking your own hotel will save some money. Taxis are often less than the cost of the cruiseline transfers. Research the boards - most port cities have many pre and post cruise options.

We have taken more cruises then we can remember (started forgetting the after the first 60 or so) and have only used a cruise line transfer on one cruise.....and that was a disaster. If you go to the Ports of Call boards here on CC you will find lots of tips and recommendations for just about every port in the world. In Barcelona, it is actually a lot cheaper to simply book your own hotel and use taxis. Venice is a bit more complicate and quite unique....so if you want info on that city come to the Ports....Italy board. We can usually tell folks how to do transfers from almost any hotel....but it is a lot easier if you stay in the Piazale Roma or possibly out of town in Mestre.

Hank

We've used Autosvilar for transfers in Barcelona, I can highly recommend them. We booked a water taxi online for Venice with Motoscavi when we stayed at the Molino Stucky, expensive but worth it for the experience :)