Transfers with Seabourn

[PAULINELESLEY]

We are arriving in Barbados to board our cruise, does anyone know if Seabourn will organise a transfer from the airport at a cost or is it better to get a taxi as we have booked our own flights.

[wripro]

Take a Taxi. It will cost far more to book a transfer through Seabourn.

[Tom504]

Wripro is correct. A transfer via Seabourn means they contract a local car to meet you at the airport and charge more than double what a reasonable taxi will charge. The key in choosing a taxi is to look at how large their luggage capacity may be.

 

A somewhat different but related question is whether to utilize a last-day-of-cruise transfer from the cruise ship to the airport. Whether this is a good idea goes to when your flight leaves. Some people might prefer to spend one more night in the end-cruise city and then, perhaps the next day, have the hotel help the, to the airport in a timely fashion without the crowd. If you choose the transfer, it will usually include a sort of tour around the destination then drop off at the airport, all very efficient. 

 

Its at at this point — when you get to the airport — that the sense of being pampered which you have learned to expect, will no longer be present. If you have access to an airline lounge and have any time to wait, head there straightaway. If you don’t think you have access, try anyway, since most charge a per day per person cost to enter. While it might seem pricey in that moment, depending on the airport, ask yourself how long you have to wait. 

[raphael360]

We bought the airport to cruise transfers from Seabourn for our Barbados cruise.  I think it was around $50 and they put us in a taxi.  It's more money to buy the transfer from Seabourn than the taxi fare was but they met us at baggage claim and had us in a taxi in 10 mins.

 

Barbados can be a bit confusing.

[salbags]

Our friends were quoted only yesterday $80 which is ridiculous!  Just get a taxi outside as its not that far to the port and The Odyssey can't be that hard to find?

[raphael360]

Take the taxi.  Should be about $25 if memory serves.

 

$80 is ridiculous but/and more that we paid Seabourn for the Barbados airport to cruise ship transfer last year.

 

Heck, you can save that money and get a 30 min massage on board or better, a hamburger and 2 beers at the airport.

[raphael360]

On 10/20/2018 at 12:40 PM, wripro said:

Take a Taxi. It will cost far more to book a transfer through Seabourn.

Seabourn transfers will always be more than local transportation - always.  But they do make it easy, convenient and safe.  They even have a nice lady standing outside of customs holding a sign with your name on it.

[raphael360]

On 10/20/2018 at 12:01 PM, PAULINELESLEY said:

We are arriving in Barbados to board our cruise, does anyone know if Seabourn will organise a transfer from the airport at a cost or is it better to get a taxi as we have booked our own flights.

Giving the subject more thought I can tell you this:

I purchased the Seabourn transfer from the airport to the ship because I wasn't sure how the Barbados taxi situation would be.  Simply exit airport and find the taxi Que like any other international airport in the world.  That's the easy part.

HOWEVER - We were doing the Barbados to Barbados 14 day cruise and decided to take a taxi "back" and not use a Seabourn transfer - now THAT was a mistake.  We waited in the taxi Que at the Port for almost an hour before the first taxi showed up.  The Port is quite a way from the airport and it took that long for taxis to start picking up people at the ship.  Some passengers walked towards the port entrance and snagged incoming taxis while we stood in line at the Que. 

When we do this cruise next time we will taxi to the ship but Seabourn transfer back to the airport.  Hay, after spending $10k for a cruise, what's an extra $50 to avoid standing in the rain for an hour.

[PAULINELESLEY]

Hi Raphael360,

 

Thank you you so much for your advice re transfer from the airport and returning, it is very helpful.

[raphael360]

14 hours ago, PAULINELESLEY said:

Hi Raphael360,

 

Thank you you so much for your advice re transfer from the airport and returning, it is very helpful.

 

Actually, Paulinelesley, I want to thank you for starting the thread.  It made me think about our experience in Barbados and jogged my memory about our ship to airport experience.  We've done over 30 cruises and waiting for the taxi after debarkation in Barbados was one the worst. Watching fellow passengers load up in limos back to the airport while we waited for almost an hour before we saw the first Taxi arrive.

 

We're leaving on Dec. 8th, same cruise but doing the St Martin - St Martin run so... I emailed my TA and told her to book us the Seabourn transfers back to the airport.  Again thanks for discussion :0  Maybe we'll see you on board if your on the same cruise.

[PAULINELESLEY]

Hi Raphael360,

Lovely to hear from you again, we are not going until the 26th of January, Barbados to Barbados, our flight back to Uk leaves at 17.20 so we have booked a car and driver to take us on a tour of the island then to the airport. I posted on the board months ago asking if anyone had ideas of things to do a few people recommended this guy so I booked him, he said he will email me after Christmas to confine everything, so fingers crossed. How was your arrival at the airport in Barbados I've heard it is mayhem!

 

Sorry we won't see you on the 9th of December but have a wonderful trip.

 

Thank  you once again.

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

[raphael360]

Dear Pauline,

Regarding arrival at Barbados airport: after doing my pre-cruise homework, I decided to purchase the Seabourn transfer because I also heard the mayhem stories.  With that said, I found it to be pretty straight forward and much like any other midsize airport in that you come out of customs and can easily find the taxi Que.  I was warned not to accept rides from rouge taxis and only use the ones from the taxi que but we all know that:)  The port is quite a ways away from the airport but I only paid $25 from the ship back to airport.

 

You're hiring a private driver back to the airport is an excellent idea - brilliant actually.  I'm sorry we will miss you but you will have excellent weather in Jan.  We're doing the 14 day Sint Maarten to Sint Maarten run this December but is the exact same cruise as the 14 day Barbados to Barbados run.

 

I like to do my homework on the "getting to the ship when I arrive in a new country" scenario.  Approx. how far should the trip be, how much local currency will I need (plus tip) and so on.  I once had a taxi driver still my credit card ID info and my bank shut my card off when they detected the fraud and this was bad being the first day of a cruise in a foreign county. I always take $100-200 of the local currency for the first taxi fare.

 

I was planning to doing the Kobe to Alaska cruise a year ago and after a lot of research I discovered the 1 to 2 hour taxi ride would have cost $250 - $350 US but found a 30 min ferry boat option across bay from the airport to the cruise port for $15 (reservations required).

Have a GREAT cruise :)

Raphael

[PAULINELESLEY]

Dear Raphael,

 

Thank you for your very helpful information I really appreciate you replying, I think it is so helpful this Cruise critic board somebody always has an answer. I hope you enjoy your cruise -  not long now, I hope we hear from you on your trip.

 

many thanks, take care,

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

[raphael360]

HI Pauline,

When is your cruise out of Barbados? 

Raphael

 

[PAULINELESLEY]

Hi Raphael,

 

Our cruise out of Barbados is Saturday 26th of January departing at 23.00

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

[raphael360]

Pauline,

We are on the second week of our Sint Maartin to Sint Maartin 14 day cruise and met a few fellow passengers last Saturday who boarded in Barbados. They said they waited 2 hours in the immigration line.  I would consider buying the Fast Track arrival service in Barbados.  I use a similar service at the Mobay airport in Jamaica called Club Mobay.  In Jamaica it cost $35 pp and they meet you at your arrival gate and escort you to a special immigration line bypassing the regular immigration lines.  It's a VIP arrival service offered at many Caribbean airports.

[PAULINELESLEY]

Hi Raphael,

Lovely to hear from you I hope you are enjoying your cruise. Thank you so much for the information re immigration at Barbados airport, I will certainly look into booking the VIP service.

Thank goodness we are not flying this weekend as London Gatwick is completely closed down as someone is flying drones over the runways, it has been closed for nearly 24 hours!

Enjoy your second week.

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

[dalliowner]

As long as the price is close to what I can get I always book Air with Seabourn as it takes the worry out of it. I have usually ( but not always )founds the pricing very competative.

[Fletcher]

Paulinelesley - Knowing how concerned you are about getting to the ship on time, it's lucky you weren't flying out from Gatwick yesterday and today . . . 

[PAULINELESLEY]

Cool cruiser, you are so right.😟 Let's hope all these poor travellers get to their destinations soon.  Happy Christmas, happy cruising. Kind regards, Pauline

[cherylgrrl]

Am about to book an Antarctica cruise on Seabourn. It leaves from the San Antonio cruise port 70 miles from Santiago, Chile. Any advice about an airport transfer?

 

Thanks in advance!

Cheryl

[Hellojw]

On 11/29/2018 at 3:54 PM, PAULINELESLEY said:

Hi Raphael,

 

Our cruise out of Barbados is Saturday 26th of January departing at 23.00

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

Hi Pauline, We are on this same cruise on the 26th that departs Barbados at 11pm, do you know how early we can board the ship?  I thought we’d see that somewhere in the itinerary but I don’t.  Thank you!

[PAULINELESLEY]

Hi Hellohjw

 

How nice is that being on the same cruise, on our itinerary it said we can board at 2pm, but I have read of passengers getting on at 1pm and having lunch!

 

Happy New Year, see you on the boat.

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

Edited January 5, 2019 by PAULINELESLEY

[rallydave]

2 hours ago, PAULINELESLEY said:

Hi Hellohjw

 

How nice is that being on the same cruise, on our itinerary it said we can board at 2pm, but I have read of passengers getting on at 1pm and having lunch!

 

Happy New Year, see you on the boat.

 

kind regards,

 

Pauline

While information provided states boarding at 2, we have found 1130 to 12 noon works just fine an we are welcomed aboard easily with lunch available starting at 1230.

[raphael360]

6 hours ago, rallydave said:

While information provided states boarding at 2, we have found 1130 to 12 noon works just fine an we are welcomed aboard easily with lunch available starting at 1230.

     We've found SB to welcome guest onboard around noon (as early as 10am for Diamond Members) with rooms becoming available about 2pm.  We arrived at the port of Barcelona before noon and had to wait until at least noon to register and board.

    One of my favorite parts of the cruise is going to the Colonnades restaurant as soon as I board, bag a table outside and start my cruise with a fabulous lunch and my first glass of champagne while looking out over the Caribbean. The: "I'm finally on board Seabourn, eating my first meal, drinking champagne and feeling the warm sun" moment.