Pre-Cruise hotel stay through cruise line.

[poohs4me]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread, but then I thought maybe it belongs here instead.

 

What are the reasons people book their pre-cruise hotel stay through the cruise line? I am getting ready to book a pre-cruise hotel stay for two days and the difference in price is about $6. When I look at the information the cruise line has it just says a room at the hotel. If I book on the hotel's website it says king bed, etc. So what is the benefit of booking through the cruise line for only the hotel? Since I am not booking airfare through them transfers are extra.

[cb at sea]

You book through the cruiseline, because you don't know the area or where is a good place to stay!!!! If you're familiar with the port city, it's cheaper to book on your own. If the price difference is only $6, then let the cruiseline do it! Why not?

There is no other benefit.

[pauline664]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread, but then I thought maybe it belongs here instead.

 

What are the reasons people book their pre-cruise hotel stay through the cruise line? I am getting ready to book a pre-cruise hotel stay for two days and the difference in price is about $6. When I look at the information the cruise line has it just says a room at the hotel. If I book on the hotel's website it says king bed, etc. So what is the benefit of booking through the cruise line for only the hotel? Since I am not booking airfare through them transfers are extra.

My advice is to go to the departure sites there is some very good info on them for hotel stays where others have stayed. Like in east coast for Port Canaveral we like cocoa beach area right near the port and you can leave your car free and the transportation is very cheap and you dont have to worry about your car. Just ask for in a thread for the port your departing from then look up the responses for there differant places they may reccomend if its Port Canaveral email me and i will give you 2 that i know of that are excellent at pauline664@yahoo dot com

[AllieInMD]

I check tripadvisor.com anytime I travel - sometimes a hotel in a chain doesn't meet it's usual standards - especially in highly traffic'd tourist areas.

 

Also look nearby - I got a room cheaper in Hollywood, FL - with good reviews - for a sailing from Ft. Lauderdale. As we'll be in early the day before, we'll just rent a car and drop it off right before we sail.

 

 

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread, but then I thought maybe it belongs here instead.

 

What are the reasons people book their pre-cruise hotel stay through the cruise line? I am getting ready to book a pre-cruise hotel stay for two days and the difference in price is about $6. When I look at the information the cruise line has it just says a room at the hotel. If I book on the hotel's website it says king bed, etc. So what is the benefit of booking through the cruise line for only the hotel? Since I am not booking airfare through them transfers are extra.

[Mama2Tay]

If you book through the cruiseline, your transfer from the hotel to the port will be included even though you booked your own air. Our friends who cruised with us in March booked their own air, but they booked the hotel through RCCL and they were transferred to the port from the hotel.

 

That might make the price difference a little more favorable.

[vjblk]

And one thing to remember is that the cruiseline charges per person for the hotel. If there are two of you that price might be doubled and that is why alot of people find it cheaper to book the hotel on their own. And of course transport to the port is included and depending on what port it is sometimes that is a plus. But more often it's cheaper to just book on your own even with the added cost of transport to the pier.

[jerseygirl3]

Sometimes (but not usually) it works out to be less expensive to do hotel through the cruiseline. Case in point...a few years ago we were taking our 4 kids on a cruise. We needed two hotel rooms and transfers. The hotel we wanted to stay at was charging $250/night per room. We were able to book it through the cruiseline for $80 pp for the first two, and $40 pp for the third and fourth sharing the room. So for a totel of $400, we got two hotel rooms AND transfers included. If we had done it on our own, the same hotel would have charged $500 (plus tax) and we'd be on our own for transfers. It doesn't usually work out to be less expensive, but in our case it did. I'm guessing the OP doesn't realize the price quoted by the cruiseline is pp, though.