X goes Greyhound?

[dmarch@islc.net]

Just received a "special rate" for Zenith out of NJ. It included free motorcoach transportation between any major East coast city and the pier. After reading some of latest reviews on Z and now this, I'm getting nervous. Who wants to ride the dog for 12hrs?

[tuggers]

I rode one of those buses once. Never again. And for hours and hours? No thank you!:)

[ocngypz]

Perhaps not for you in SC, but for folks in the mid atlantic states, the tri-state area.. and New England.. it's a no brainer. Especially for large families sailing together.

 

I am wondering though, if when the direct marketing piece was sent out, it was sorted via zip code????? The farthest southern departure point in the past has been DC.

[dkjretired]

from NJ to Baltimore and it was great except for the rude woman behind me and her cell phone. Luggage was put on the bus and didn't see it until it was outside the stateroom. As Babette said, maybe not for a long trip from S. C. but for quick trips their buses can be a good deal.

[psupa]

For us in PA it's great. Dont' have to fly and that's why I love the cruises from New York and New Jersey. We're there in 2 or 3 hours.

[Jimsgirl]

Puzzlement! Celebrity is going to offer Greyhound transport for "long hours at a time", yet here in Florida, they will not use the Cruise Connection bus, that only takes 2-3 hours from most East Florida cities to Fort Lauderdale or Miami!

 

In Sept I have to fly from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, change planes and then fly to Fort Myers. then get a limo home to Port Charlotte

With Cruise Connection, I could have boarded the bus at the debarkation point, my luggage would have been put in the storage area of the bus and I

could have traveled in comfort for just over 2 hours to my own home town.

No security lines, no walking from one gate or terminal to another etc.

 

I really would like Celebrity to explain their thinking to me

[ocngypz]

Puzzlement! Celebrity is going to offer Greyhound transport for "long hours at a time", yet here in Florida, they will not use the Cruise Connection bus, that only takes 2-3 hours from most East Florida cities to Fort Lauderdale or Miami!

 

In Sept I have to fly from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, change planes and then fly to Fort Myers. then get a limo home to Port Charlotte

With Cruise Connection, I could have boarded the bus at the debarkation point, my luggage would have been put in the storage area of the bus and I

could have traveled in comfort for just over 2 hours to my own home town.

No security lines, no walking from one gate or terminal to another etc.

 

I really would like Celebrity to explain their thinking to me

 

 

They don't use Greyhound. They contracted with Academy Coach which has modern touring coaches.

 

Bermuda is a soft market and to compete with NCL who runs two ships to Bermuda they added free bus transportation to and from the pier.

 

As for Florida, did you call Cruise Connection yourself?

[mafig]

Jimsgirl, I'm confused. Why are you doing all that? Why not drive from Pt. Charlotte to Ft. Lauderdale and then park either at the cruise lot or park n' fly? Or you could rent a car to Ft. Lauderdale. We're in Punta Gorda and it only takes about three hours (or less).

 

Another thought is to call Cruise Connections and ask if you can pay their full fare.

[ocngypz]

Jimsgirl, I'm confused. Why are you doing all that? Why not drive from Pt. Charlotte to Ft. Lauderdale and then park either at the cruise lot or park n' fly? Or you could rent a car to Ft. Lauderdale. We're in Punta Gorda and it only takes about three hours (or less).

 

Another thought is to call Cruise Connections and ask if you can pay their full fare.

 

You can book Cruise Connection right online. You can pick it up in Pt Charlotte.

[dkjretired]

You can book Cruise Connection right online. You can pick it up in Pt Charlotte.

 

this site doesn't do NY or NJ.

 

http://www.cruise-connection.com/

[ocngypz]

this site doesn't do NY or NJ.

 

http://www.cruise-connection.com/

 

 

LOL.. no Don, they are a FL outfit.. and that's the bus service many folks use instead of driving to the port. These are for Florida ports.

 

I have a Boston-based coach company I am using for Manhattan departures.. and the new Red Hook, Brooklyn departures.. and thank goodness.. parking rates keep going up. Port Liberty has raised their parking rates too since last year. Combine fuel, tolls, parking.. and the aggravation of traffic... give me a coach anyday.

 

Coach to Port Liberty for the Zenith last October was such a breeze...and so easy. I am definitely NOT looking forward to having to fly down to FLL next weekend for my Century sailing. But fly, I must. Grrrrrr

[dkjretired]

LOL.. no Don, they are a FL outfit.. and that's the bus service many folks use instead of driving to the port. These are for Florida ports.

 

I have a Boston-based coach company I am using for Manhattan departures.. and the new Red Hook, Brooklyn departures.. and thank goodness.. parking rates keep going up. Port Liberty has raised their parking rates too since last year. Combine fuel, tolls, parking.. and the aggravation of traffic... give me a coach anyday.

 

Coach to Port Liberty for the Zenith last October was such a breeze...and so easy. I am definitely NOT looking forward to having to fly down to FLL next weekend for my Century sailing. But fly, I must. Grrrrrr

 

According to the web site in the about us area they do Norfolk and Baltimore and they were the ones we took to Baltimore several years back. Probably have a different site for other than Florida ports.

[Jimsgirl]

I am over 80 , a solo traveler and cannot drive all the way to Fort Lauderdale.I called Cruise Connection and was told, "you will have to wait until a week before the cruise, we only take individual bookings if we have vacant seats,and a bus going there at the right time"

 

Obviously I cannot wait until a week before the cruise to make arrangements for my return home.

 

The total cost of flying is over $200, the cost to me for a Cruise Connectin would be about $60.

[patrickc]

Tell me more about the free bus offer.. my family (7 of us) booked Zenith.. celebrity rep told me once during a phone call-- "ahh, I see you get free bus service from Baltimore"-- then she corrected herself. Am wondering what market offered the free bus to Bayonne. It's quite an expensive cruise as we're going peak of summer- so any "perks" to offset the steap price tag I want in-on!

[seagulls]

We live in South Carolina and when we drive to Ft Lauderdale we break the journey by stopping overnight at a hotel. We also have another night's stay when we arrive in Ft Lauderdale. If we fly we can never do it direct we have to go from Myrtle Beach to Altanta and Atlanta to Ft Lauderdale and the cost is anything but cheap for either of these options. We would love it if there was a bus service that we could take and just sit back and relax. But certainly not Greyhound as I have heard some not so good things about them.

[etoile]

My family just booked today for this offer. We will be taking the Celebrity-provided bus from Union Station in DC to Bayonne. My partner and I are quite used to taking Greyhound between DC and NYC, it really is not so bad, and certainly more economical than any other option. My partner also cruised RCCL with her mother out of Bayonne and they took a bus from Union Station. When I picked them up on the way home the bus was MUCH nicer than any of Greyhound's buses.

 

I'm not sure where they are marketing this to, but I know they are offering it between Union Station (DC) and Bayonne. Don't know about anywhere else. But it really should be a perfectly nice ride.

[Host Anne]

Jim's Girl ~ we'll let you know the next time we are sailing out of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and we'll stop and pick you up on the way as we go right past Port Charlotte. Unfortunately, we don't have another cruise planned out of south Florida for the foreseeable future. :o

 

By the way (I know this could happen to any bus or anyone at any time) on our trip back from Miami last week after we got off Zenith there was a broken down Cruise Connection bus on Alligator Alley. :o