winky12

New booking today, Ron & Helen formally from Virginia Beach, now Williamsburg, VA. Excited to learn we are going, thought the ship was full. Ready to plan hotel for the 16th, have air booked, any ideas from anyone would be welcome. We have done the itinerary in the past but it will be nice to get warm again. Helen 

Saw the Connie in FLL on Sept 17 as we docked on Equinox, happens to be our next cruise Dec 3 and 13th , I'm pretty sure it was heading for Tampa.  I had email for port changes and time changes a couple of days ago, also notifying us of a delay in final payment to 60 days out.  Of course we  had already paid them both.

Someone asked about the 72 hour swab for Covid, I went to CVS Pharmacy Thursday before our Sunday pm sailing, my husband's result came in 24 hours, mine done at the same time was more than 36 hours.  There is a pricy small clinic in the FLL airport, have not checked Tampa. Helen

On 7/8/2019 at 4:07 PM, 138east said:

What exact date and time does your flight arrive?  The problem with EWR hotels is that many hotels that offer free breakfast have no other food service and there is no place you can easily walk to to get food except maybe a neighboring hotel.  Hampton Inn is one of those hotels.  Give me your date, number of people, hotel budget,  bed size requirements, and any other considerations and I’ll look at options.

 

Could you provide a link for “Go”?  The feedback on this board is that most folks are using Uber/Lyft.

We arrive at 11:15 am and having read more of your tips, we have changed hotels, comfort and safety are our foremost concerns.  For about 100 more we are at the Embassy Suites, deciding a restaurant in house is best, we do like their style and feel the breakfast and Happy Hour will help offset the difference.  Also they have a $20 pp shuttle to the pier.

Will await your thoughts as there still is time to change.

What a marvelous site?  Great find, thanks to all who contribute  We are flying into EWK and are looking at hotels & transport to the pier Oct 5.  In the past we have stayed at the Staten Island Hilton Garden Inn with our car and used their transfer.  We have a tentative reservation at the Elizabeth Hampton Inn with thoughts about going back to the airport for Summit transportation.  Any pros and cons on our choice?  Dial 7  sounded good for a private transfer have you heard of "Go" it looks promising?

Sorry I didn't check this site sooner.  We are leaving Fri. 24th for Bayonne NJ (Cape Liberty) and the Bermuda cruise on X Summit. This will be our 3rd stay at the Hilton Garden Inn on Staten Island but we are driving from the south. EZPZ

Both safe for the car and ourselves, huge parking area shared by the Hampton Inn and lovely walks all around.  Family owned,  great Italian restaurant, it is used as a wedding reception venue and for other family celebrations.

They booked our transfer to the ship and gave us the drivers cell number for the call back he was already there when we disembarked.  We payed $200 but that was 6 months ago.

Good luck hunting.

Hello and good luck building your roll call;)

I tried to start one for this trip tomorrow, alas.... just found it again and it still slim pickin's. We loved the whole experience and so off we go and expect to see a lot of snow on the tops, do have warm clothing.

River boating doesn't seem to have the CC following that ocean going cruises have, perhaps with time. Helen

I'm booked on the Empress in cabin 321 which has the elevators right next to it. Has anyone stayed in or near this cabin. If so, is noise from the elevators a problem. Thanks

We were on the Nov.13 journey last fall and are re-booked leaving this Sunday, Mar19, I found it quiet up on deck 4 forward room 403. The entertainment is really fun but our passenger were mostly of the "early to bed" variety so not much late night noise.

The piano player was fabulous, ragtime and more, sure hope we have the same entertainers this week.

We mostly used the stairs but mealtimes and showtime the elevators were busy.

Actually remember this Empress experience as being at the top of many cruises we have made, regardless of weather.:D Helen

where is a good place to stay pre-cruise that has tampa airport ans cruise port shuttles ?

We just returned from a 7 day cruise from Tampa, drove to Florida but stayed at Embassy Suites Airport because of free cruise parking and shuttle. They offer complimentary airport shuttle and $10 per each way to the port. The hotel booked it and it was most satisfactory for our needs. We had priority disembarkation and after about 30 mins. of waiting, were in our car ready to leave town by 10:30 am. Cabs seemed plentiful, don't know how many there would have been for later passengers.

Looking for a clean, close to port with a shuttle hotel for 1 night December 3. There will b 2 adults & 1 child arriving around 9 pm. I'm going nuts trying to figure this out. We will be boarding the Caribbean princess December 4. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

Sorry no one has replied as yet, March, we stayed at the Springhill Suites, Airport - Cruiseport, free airport shuttle and free cruiseport shuttle. You will need to register for the transportation list as soon as you arrive, wasn't cheap but we didn't book this early.

Our next cruise, Nov.30 we are driving down and are staying at the Fairfield Inn, airport - cruiseport, we do not have to pay to leave our car there but do have to pay for the port shuttle. I believe it will be $8 per person. I am sure that you have read some of this thread, there are some good links to hotels along with looking on google for FLL hotels, you should be well informed. Best of luck

Thanks to all for your input, we are sailing on Eurodam Oct.10. Will plough through the list of recommendations. This site is a new tool for me although we have been on more than 25 cruises. Hope to hook up with the roll call.

Helen from Virginia.

Any tips on hotels in Quebec City, leaving on repositioning in October, HAL Eurodam. Transfer tips welcome too. Taxis?