Baltimore hotel needed-not for parking

After so much research and finding a park and cruise hotel with so many helpful people on here...the hubby insisted on flying to Baltimore for our April cruise. :rolleyes: :o

So now, I no longer need a park and cruise package and just looking for a place to stay with airport to hotel and hotel to cruise port shuttle service. I also need it to be within walking distance to someplace "cheap" to eat (like fast food) and also within walking distance to any grocery store, gas station, CVS or some place to be able to buy soda before the cruise.

I tried skimming the pages to see if anything was mentioned, but I seem to see everyone driving in and looking for those packages. So, I thought I would ask you fine people again for advice.

Or...do I simply still stay at one of the park and cruise hotels? Will it be a different package or cheaper since I won't be parking my car there? Do I have to book a different way? Can I still use trinity (since they all mention park and cruise). I'm confused.

Thanks in advance. :)

Your plans sound almost identical to mine. We are going out in August. I booked the BWI Comfort Inn and Suites thru Trinity for $106. There's a shuttle to/from airport and to/from cruise port. There is a restaurant and a couple of fast food places and a liquor store and gas station to buy soda & water that look like walking distance from hotel (according to Google Earth). I also read that the hotel has a shuttle that will take you around town as well. Not sure if there is a cost. Hope this helps.

Your plans sound almost identical to mine. We are going out in August. I booked the BWI Comfort Inn and Suites thru Trinity for $106. There's a shuttle to/from airport and to/from cruise port. There is a restaurant and a couple of fast food places and a liquor store and gas station to buy soda & water that look like walking distance from hotel (according to Google Earth). I also read that the hotel has a shuttle that will take you around town as well. Not sure if there is a cost. Hope this helps.

Yea, that's one of the hotels that was mentioned when I was looking for a park and stay package. I wasn't sure if you can still do this and book them with Trinity if you are not actually going to park there? So it's the same price even if you are not keeping a vehicle there correct?

As far as I know. I let them (Trinity) know that I did not require parking and only needed shuttle from airport to hotel, from hotel to cruise port and from cruise port to airport (or to hotel then airport). They charged me $106 for a king bed. But there was 2 double bed rooms as well. I know your trip is before mine and therefore you are now my guinea pig and for that I thank you :) Keep me posted if you go this route. I'm curious to know if it will work out as smoothly as I am imagining in my head lol.

As far as I know. I let them (Trinity) know that I did not require parking and only needed shuttle from airport to hotel, from hotel to cruise port and from cruise port to airport (or to hotel then airport). They charged me $106 for a king bed. But there was 2 double bed rooms as well. I know your trip is before mine and therefore you are now my guinea pig and for that I thank you :) Keep me posted if you go this route. I'm curious to know if it will work out as smoothly as I am imagining in my head lol.

So once you return on the cruise they will pick you back up from the cruise port and take you back to the airport with this deal? I hadn't thought about that since we won't be returning back to the hotel. Did you confirm this with them?

BWI Comfort Inn and Suites thru Trinity for $106.

 

 

There is a restaurant and a couple of fast food places and a liquor store and gas station to buy soda & water that look like walking distance from hotel (according to Google Earth). I also read that the hotel has a shuttle that will take you around town as well. Not sure if there is a cost. Hope this helps.

Is this the one with the address on Baltimore Annapolis?

I did the google earth thing to and it looks like there's a Shell across the street and the only fast food place I'm seeing is a "Checkers", which I think is like our "Rallys" here. Do you see any other places around there?

I also noticed that when I put in the address for the BWI Best Western at 6055 Belle Grove Dr, google earth says it's right next door?? (Wonder why 2 different street names) and when I look at it on google earth, it says Sleep Inn.

Anyone on here know about this? :confused:

What is trinity that many keep mentioning?

What is trinity that many keep mentioning?

It's a booking site that many use on here that gives you an awesome deal with hotel, transportation (by shuttle to and from) and parking for the week for free...all at a very good rate. :)

It's a booking site that many use on here that gives you an awesome deal with hotel, transportation (by shuttle to and from) and parking for the week for free...all at a very good rate. :)

Is that just trinity.com?

trinity reservations

I have used trinityservations . com

If you have ANY questions, I highly recommend sending them an email. They were very personal and answered all questions I had. They are not a large company, so you get small personal service.

I stayed at the Best Western in Elkridge, it was a nice hotel.. park/stay/breakfast and shuttle..

Again, just use the contact button on the Trinity Reservations site. They will reply :)

Have a nice cruise

I have used trinityservations . com

If you have ANY questions, I highly recommend sending them an email. They were very personal and answered all questions I had. They are not a large company, so you get small personal service.

 

I stayed at the Best Western in Elkridge, it was a nice hotel.. park/stay/breakfast and shuttle..

 

Again, just use the contact button on the Trinity Reservations site. They will reply :)

 

Have a nice cruise

Thanks for the advice. I actually thought about doing this last night. I wonder if they are even aware of all of the issues with the shuttle service. We'll see what they say.

He emailed me back and said he was going to check into it for me. Hopefully I can figure this out soon and have good news. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)

Good news! I have found them to be very fast, and very friendly.

I hope you can get your plans all sorted out....

I cruise again, real soon... and we are again booked at the Best Western Elkridge.. can't wait... I need to get away from all this snow and cold and old man winter...

Good news! I have found them to be very fast, and very friendly.

I hope you can get your plans all sorted out....

 

I cruise again, real soon... and we are again booked at the Best Western Elkridge.. can't wait... I need to get away from all this snow and cold and old man winter...

They did answer me rather quickly and informed me that the hotel shuttle at Elkridge will take me to the local mall.

However, they did mention that the airport people get first priority over everyone with the shuttle. So if they need to pick up airport people the day of the cruise, they will be doing that (which seems to be a problem with both of the BWI hotels I was looking into and making everyone extremely late getting to the port). There are just so many bad reviews on both of the BWI hotels with the shuttle that I'm not sure I want to risk that.

Just wondering, have you ever had any problems with waiting around to be shuttled to the cruise port? How does it work there at Elkridge? Is there a sign up sheet or first come first serve? What time do they start taking people over to the cruise port?

No, actually last time we booked the first shuttle, we were quite early, 9-930. When we got back- it was a big mess- but had a freak snow storm, so?

They did answer me rather quickly and informed me that the hotel shuttle at Elkridge will take me to the local mall.

 

However, they did mention that the airport people get first priority over everyone with the shuttle. So if they need to pick up airport people the day of the cruise, they will be doing that (which seems to be a problem with both of the BWI hotels I was looking into and making everyone extremely late getting to the port). There are just so many bad reviews on both of the BWI hotels with the shuttle that I'm not sure I want to risk that.

 

Just wondering, have you ever had any problems with waiting around to be shuttled to the cruise port? How does it work there at Elkridge? Is there a sign up sheet or first come first serve? What time do they start taking people over to the cruise port?

Would like to know this also. We have some options I am exploring and staying here is one of them. We prefer to be at the ship as early as possible. We are platinum on CCL and can board the ship as soon as it is cleared of previous cruise pax.

No, actually last time we booked the first shuttle, we were quite early, 9-930. When we got back- it was a big mess- but had a freak snow storm, so?

Great. Glad to hear you didn't have any problems actually getting TO the cruise port. That's what I'm more worried about than returning. When we return we have a good 4+ hours of waiting to get to the airport before our plane leaves. :)

OK JUST AN UPDATE...I HAVE FINALLY PICKED MY PLACE...WHEW!!! :o

After tons of research and getting in touch with both Comfort Inn & BW located on Annapolis and personally speaking to them about the complaints of the shuttle service and how it was ran (they confirmed they DO NOT take cruise passengers over to the port until AFTER they get a call from the port confirming that all passengers boarding the ship are now being released onto the ship...which obviously is NOT going to work for me) that they also do not let you sign up ahead of time for the shuttle. You sign up AFTER you check out of the hotel and then it's a first come first serve situation. If the shuttle is full, you wait until it returns...causing the huge delay that everyone is complaining about.

Returning from the ship and going to the airport. You call the shuttle, when they arrive, they take you back to the hotel. She "said" you transfer to the airport hotel and then on to the airport. :confused: It just seems weird they would transfer people from one shuttle to another...and all the luggage.

So, I played phone tag all week with the Director of Sales located on the property at Elkridge and finally touched base with her today...as a matter of fact just now.

WHEN you check in the day before, they take your name for what time you want to shuttle to the cruise port the next day. She said they usually go at 10am and 11am. They do NOT wait for a call from the port that they are allowing passengers on. It's entirely up to you when you want to go for the sign up times.

Next-returning from the cruise and going to the airport. You get on the shuttle and tell the driver you are not going back to the hotel, but going to the airport instead and that's where they will take you. (Of course I assume that if they have people going back to the hotel, you might have a short stop to let them out and I would expect that).

I also inquired about a shuttle to take you to a nearby place for either food or shopping. She said it does depend on the availability of the driver and when you check in, let them know you need to go to the mall and they will let you know when they can take you...which is fine with me. We will be flexible the rest of the day to go. She said that they will take you and drop you off and when you are ready to come back, they will tell you when and where they will pull up. I did inquire if we just wanted to go to the mall (there's a Walmart there) just to run in and pick up soda only and back out if they would wait and she said that you are more than welcome to ask the driver to do that and if they can they would.

So...I will be booking BW Elkridge. :D

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONES HELP. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. :)

Hugely helpful advice, thanks so much for the detail! I was going to book at that BW that you mentioned but after reading this will look at the other hotel on Elkridge instead. Which one was it that you spoke to there?

Again, thanks so much.

OK JUST AN UPDATE...I HAVE FINALLY PICKED MY PLACE...WHEW!!! :o

 

After tons of research and getting in touch with both Comfort Inn & BW located on Annapolis and personally speaking to them about the complaints of the shuttle service and how it was ran (they confirmed they DO NOT take cruise passengers over to the port until AFTER they get a call from the port confirming that all passengers boarding the ship are now being released onto the ship...which obviously is NOT going to work for me) that they also do not let you sign up ahead of time for the shuttle. You sign up AFTER you check out of the hotel and then it's a first come first serve situation. If the shuttle is full, you wait until it returns...causing the huge delay that everyone is complaining about.

 

Returning from the ship and going to the airport. You call the shuttle, when they arrive, they take you back to the hotel. She "said" you transfer to the airport hotel and then on to the airport. :confused: It just seems weird they would transfer people from one shuttle to another...and all the luggage.

 

 

So, I played phone tag all week with the Director of Sales located on the property at Elkridge and finally touched base with her today...as a matter of fact just now.

 

WHEN you check in the day before, they take your name for what time you want to shuttle to the cruise port the next day. She said they usually go at 10am and 11am. They do NOT wait for a call from the port that they are allowing passengers on. It's entirely up to you when you want to go for the sign up times.

 

Next-returning from the cruise and going to the airport. You get on the shuttle and tell the driver you are not going back to the hotel, but going to the airport instead and that's where they will take you. (Of course I assume that if they have people going back to the hotel, you might have a short stop to let them out and I would expect that).

 

I also inquired about a shuttle to take you to a nearby place for either food or shopping. She said it does depend on the availability of the driver and when you check in, let them know you need to go to the mall and they will let you know when they can take you...which is fine with me. We will be flexible the rest of the day to go. She said that they will take you and drop you off and when you are ready to come back, they will tell you when and where they will pull up. I did inquire if we just wanted to go to the mall (there's a Walmart there) just to run in and pick up soda only and back out if they would wait and she said that you are more than welcome to ask the driver to do that and if they can they would.

 

So...I will be booking BW Elkridge. :D

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONES HELP. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. :)

Hugely helpful advice, thanks so much for the detail! I was going to book at that BW that you mentioned but after reading this will look at the other hotel on Elkridge instead. Which one was it that you spoke to there?

 

Again, thanks so much.

You are very welcome for the help and we absolutely loved BW Elkridge and will always book there when we are in Baltimore.

I'm not sure I'm understanding your question with "Which one was it that you spoke to there?" Which one what?

You are very welcome for the help and we absolutely loved BW Elkridge and will always book there when we are in Baltimore.

 

I'm not sure I'm understanding your question with "Which one was it that you spoke to there?" Which one what?

I mistyped that. What I meant was what hotel in Elkridge but I see now it is the BW there. :) I shall be checking them out. We are driving from London Canada which is about 10 hours so we will be hoping to flop down in a hotel for an hour or so and then get the shuttle to the inner harbour and see some of that.

Thanks again.

I mistyped that. What I meant was what hotel in Elkridge but I see now it is the BW there. :) I shall be checking them out. We are driving from London Canada which is about 10 hours so we will be hoping to flop down in a hotel for an hour or so and then get the shuttle to the inner harbour and see some of that.

 

Thanks again.

Oh ok. :D I read your question a few times just to make sure I wasn't missing something but thought I should probably ask. I did do a full review on the BW Elkridge and it has tons of pictures in it if you are interested. (Not sure if you seen it yet or not). It's listed in my signature line under the Carnival Pride review at the very beginning. :)

Your plans sound almost identical to mine. We are going out in August. I booked the BWI Comfort Inn and Suites thru Trinity for $106. There's a shuttle to/from airport and to/from cruise port. There is a restaurant and a couple of fast food places and a liquor store and gas station to buy soda & water that look like walking distance from hotel (according to Google Earth). I also read that the hotel has a shuttle that will take you around town as well. Not sure if there is a cost. Hope this helps.

Have you already stayed here? If so, how was your stay? Also, I'm assuming it does, but will the hotel's shuttle take you from cruise port to airport after the cruise?

I will be heading to Baltimore in a couple of days. I'll give you a report when I return. Keep your crossables crossed for me that the shuttle lives up to the advertising.

SoCal Gal trapped in the frozen tundra in dire need of some sunshine