d&a Delaware

Used Priceline via betterbidding.com, began with 3.5* in zone 9 with bid of $97. Proceeded to add additional zones (with no hotels above 3*) with appx. $5 price increases each bid (last one went from $117 to $121) until win at $121 plus $21.14 taxes and fees for $142.40 total for 1 night pre-cruise on 3/29/2013.

Tonight (11/3), after trying over several months, I was successful bidding on Priceline for both a pre-cruise night and a post-cruise night. In August I was starting at $75 and going up by $5 increments for the full 7 bids, using the free re-bid zones (those with no 4* or higher properties). Have raised my starting point gradually over time. Tonight I began at $100 for each of the nights I wanted, and won the Marriott at $130 on the 7th bid each time. Again, I went up by a $5 increment on each bid.

 

For each night (4/22 and 4/30):

$130.00 bid

23.03 taxes & fees

$153.03 total charges

 

Considering this is the beginning and end of Easter week, I am happy:).

 

Does anyone know what the resort fee is likely to be?

 

David

I wonder if you got an "upgrade"? I thought the Conrad was a "resort", but you said you got it as a 3.5*. Or perhaps Priceline has lowered its rating to 3.%*

Can you provide more information about your winning bid (even though it may be the wrong month).

Thank you.

 

When one bids at the 3.5* level the bid automatically covers hotels at higher star levels (4* & Resort). Winning at a higher level doesn't happen all that often, but this may have been one of those times.

cAN ANYONE TELL ME THE ZONE FOR OLD SJ SO I CAN TRY PRICELINE OR HOTWIRE BIDDING. THANKS SO MUCH.

 

For Priceline there is no separate zone for Old San Juan -- it is included in Zone 6 for all of San Juan.

 

David

Sorry to hear that. It's so easy to screw up like on that Priceline (they really ought to add a "confirmation screen" of some sort before your pickings become finalized), and I make boo-boo's like that all the time. There's no way to retract your bid as far as I know, is there?

 

Actually they do show a confirmation screen before you finalize your offer. The screen does not, of course, show you what hotel you might win, but it does show the details of dates, star level, and zones your are bidding.

 

And, in very specific circumstances, it is possible to ask Priceline to recind your bid, but you have to contact them immediately when you see your error, pay a small penalty and complete a re-bid under specific conditions before they will actually give you a credit for your cancelled reservation. Here is a previous post where I described how this worked for me when I made a Zone error in my pre-cruise hotel bid:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=17281276&highlight=#post17281276

 

David

[quote name='Sass4']Hi

I would like this hotel pre cruise night of 2/21/09. Which search area should I use?

So it's no stars
and check Resort
then ....

Thanks!![/quote]

The Marriott Stellaris Resort & Casino is in San Juan itself, Zone 6. If you want to maximize your chance of getting this hotel via Priceline, please go to betterbidding.com for guidance. If you want to be SURE of getting this hotel, go to the hotel's web site and purchase it there.

[quote name='LALAFRANCE'][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue]Hi, does any one have any advice on booking the Radisson Ambassador Plaza it says Condado...it looks close enough to places but I am not sure. It is listed @ $164 for 2-7/9. :confused:[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][COLOR=#0000ff]I started looking because I've had no luck bidding:rolleyes:[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][COLOR=#0000ff]Thanks,[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][COLOR=#0000ff]Patti[/COLOR][/SIZE][/quote]

Trip Advisor reviews for this hotel:
[URL]http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147320-d150444-Reviews-Radisson_Ambassador_Plaza_Hotel_Casino_San_Juan-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html[/URL]

[quote name='LALAFRANCE']HI, after I read about all the good deals I thought I would try out the PRICELINE site. I am really confused....I saw a list of hotels and also the place where you pick an area, I want San Juan as we are leaving out of Pan American pier, [I]I picked a price and a category, now do I pay up front ?? It is asking me to initial if I acccept the conditions??[/I]
[I]I guess i really don't know what to do or to expect[/I]
[I]Can you give me some more info of what to do...I haven't paid anything and will wait to hear.[/I]
[I]Thanks[/I][/quote]

LALAFRANCE,

Go to this website to get good information about using Priceline: [URL]http://www.betterbidding.com/[/URL]

You can get great deals through Priceline, but you can also get burned. Betterbidding can help you. Once you know just what you want, they can even provide a strategy for bidding.

David

[quote name='rockymtn']Just got the Gran Melia for 3 nights at 98 per night. Anyone been there[/quote]

rockymtn,

I have no direct knowledge of this hotel, but I see that it is not in San Juan (Priceline Zone 6), but in Zone 5 (Rio Grande) instead:
[INDENT] [U]San Juan (Rio Grande - Humacao)
[/U]Resort El Conquistador Wyndham--
Resort Wyndham Rio Mar Westin Rio Mar [URL="http://www.betterbidding.com/show.php/showtopic/5096"]REVIEW[/URL] / [URL="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147324-d148598-Reviews-Westin_Rio_Mar_Beach_Resort_Golf_Club-El_Yunque_National_Forest_Puerto_Rico-m10528.html"]tripadvisor review[/URL]
4* Gran Melia

[/INDENT]Were you aware that this hotel will require some extra arrangements for transportation from the airport? Post your same question on the San Juan board itself (not just in the Priceline wins thread) as you might get even more responses there.

David

Successful Priceline bid for Sheraton Old San Juan, 4/11/09 (Saturday of Easter/Spring Break weekend), one night pre-cruise, $120 -- with taxes and fees comes to $152.80.

Began bidding 3.5* level Zone 6 (San Juan) at $100, worked up in $5 increments using free bid zones. This was available for base rate $162 on Hotwire, and $259 on Sheraton web site.

I'm very happy:). I figure we'll also save on taxi fares getting to Old San Juan that evening if we had been staying somewhere else. Now I have to figure out some restaurant possibilities in OSJ for dinner.

David

Priceline

2 nights (Jan 10 & 11, 2009), bid 3.5* at $130/night.

Won: Hudson Hotel, 58th St. near Columbus Circle, Central Park South area (I was also looking in Midtown West and Times Square areas) on first bid. Great location! Should have started lower, but happy with this.

 

Clearly not for one of our cruises, but may be helpful for someone looking for a pre or post cruise NYC hotel.

 

David

No fumes on our aft CC balcony on Millennium in March.

 

David

I have just returned home from a fantastic cruise on the Millennium this past week -- and it appears to be the very same cruise that is the subject of the review by the OP. I am dumbfounded that reviews posted by passengers who, for various reasons that obviously reflect their honest and unvarnished experiences and perceptions, feel that their dissatisfaction with a particular experience empowers them to condemn the ship and cruise line for all other passengers. The experience of the OP is entirely opposite of my experience on the same cruise, and none of the others I met during our cruise (actually quite a lot of fellow cruisers) mentioned any experiences remotely resembling the OP's experience.

 

I was in an aft CC cabin on deck 7. It was clearly a cabin on an 8 year old ship, but it was clean and very well maintained, and our cabin attendant was excellent, extremely attentive to our every request and provided many tips for us which helped us enjoy our cruise. As an example, we had friends visit our cabin for a wine and cheese party on the last sea day, and Merlin (our cabin attendant) provided extra glasses, made suggestions about ordering our cheese platters, and actually came up with a couple of bottles of wine to augment what we and our friends already had. WAY above the call of duty. He also knew our names and addressed us by name from day 1.

 

At dinner (late seating), we were at table 509 of the Metropolitan Restaurant. Our waiter was Boni and asst. waiter was Jorge. Both were excellent, and made our cruise dinners truely memorable. Yes, no pepper grinder with the salad course, but that does not ruin a wonderful dinner. I agree with the OP that the food/service in Olympic was not $30 per person better than Metropolitan, and since we were enjoying our table mates so much we never went to the specialty restaurant -- but some of our table mates did and enjoyed it very much. None of us were so egotistical that we thought our personal experiences entitled us to advise the others as to what was "good" or "bad" or what our fellow passengers should be doing.

 

I don't dispute that this was a bad cruise experience for the OP for whatever reasons he percieved, but to expect that those perceptions and that experience must have been shared by others on that cruise is (at best) very unrealisitic. The March 23 sailing of Millennium was, for Allen and me, an exceptionally good and enjoyable cruise, as it seemed to be for everyone else we met on the cruise.

 

David

 

PS -- Hi, Teresa. Glad to know you're home safely and enjoyed the cruise as well. Hope you got home to melted snow.

Jazzbo,

We were in a sky suite (1204) on the Century Sports Deck this past April. Great room, butler service, and fantastic huge balcony. When these are offered at a good price (and they were when we booked it in December or November 2006) they are a great deal. Those balconies make it all worthwhile.

 

David