Pam in MA

[pudy68]

Please tell me how the Princess transfers worked for you, starting at the airport and ending at the pier. We've booked the same Marriott package you used.

 

Thanks!:)

[banditmag]

We used the Princess pre-cruise package and stayed (or were supposed to) at the Marriott North. After we got off the plane we proceeded to baggage claim where there was a Princess Employee walking back and fourth holding up a sign that said Princess. We gave her our name and she instructed us to get our luggage and go wait by the pay phones, which we did. After approximately 10 minutes she took us outside and walked us 2 blocks to a Greyhound bus. We boarded the bus which was approximately 75% full. Some passengers were grumbling that they had been waiting for close to an hour. We sat for about another 15 minutes, loaded a few more passengers, and then departed for the hotels. Our first stop was the Westin followed by the Marriott. At the Marriott our luggage was unloaded, we carried it into the lobby for check in only to be told the hotel was overbooked by 10 rooms and we were being shipped back over to the Westin (I am sure this will not happen to you). After about 30 minutes we were driven over to the Westin where we spent the night. The next morning we were driven back to the Marriott and had breakfast. We were told the buses would come for us at 1:00 P.M. Spent a couple hours sitting in the lobby and walking around the area. In actuality we boarded the buses to the pier at about 1:45 and arrived at Port Everglades around 2:00. We waited for our luggage and proceed to get in the embarkation line.

 

My opinion, the service was okay but I will not use it again. I was told by the Princess Rep that they try to wait until the buses are full, or near full, so sometimes there can be quite a wait at the airport. In the future I will most likely take a cab. After a full day of travel I just want to get to my hotel as quickly as possible. Hope this helps.

[pudy68]

Thanks Banditmag.

Did you receive a hotel confirmation number before you arrived? I don't have one, and last night I had a dream about the hotel losing our reservations.:o

Should I bother calling the Marriott now to confirm our booking through our TA?

 

Also, what was it like at the Marriott when you were waiting for the shuttle to the pier? Was there only 1 bus? Did you have to get your name on a list, or was it first come, first serve? I dislike the latter because no matter how early I get in line, the johnny-come-latelys also seem to push into the line before me, with care or concern about who they might be cutting off.

 

Of course, if there's only 1 bus, then they must have room for everybody, right?!

[Pam in CA]

Please tell me how the Princess transfers worked for you, starting at the airport and ending at the pier. We've booked the same Marriott package you used.

Pudy... we rented a car at LAX to go visit family in the area before checking into the hotel so I can't comment about the transfer from LAX to the hotel. My recommendation is to just take the hotel shuttle. The hotel is just outside the entrance to the airport, on Century Blvd. We went past it on the Hertz shuttle.

 

As an FYI, I'd rented a Hertz car and thought I had to return the car to the Hertz rental place. It turned out that the Marriott has a Hertz desk in the hotel so all I had to do was park the car in the parking lot and put the key and the return portion of my contract in the slot. (The desk closes at 6PM.) It couldn't have been quicker or easier.

 

We met a friend for breakfast at the hotel so we were busy yakking away when they started loading the busses. :( We'd checked out and left our luggage in the room before meeting her for breakfast at 10AM. There were three bus loads from the hotel to the pier. As it turned out, we were assigned to the last bus which meant that the bus wasn't full and we could wait comfortably in the lobby of the hotel.

 

The first group going to the bus left the lobby at about 11:45AM. Our last group left the lobby just after 12:15PM. We were led through the hotel and down some stairs to the side entrance. Since we were the last bus, our luggage was the only luggage left in the loading area to check. We just had to look and see that our luggage was there and it was loaded directly onto the bus without our having to do anything.

 

The bus drove very slowly to the pier, taking about 25 minutes. When we got there, we had to wait about 15 minutes at the entrance because there were two other busses offloading. Once we pulled up, they started offloading the luggage immediately and putting it directly onto the porters trolleys. It was too fast to even tip the porter. My daughter needed wheelchair assistance (recovering from a broken leg) and they had a wheelchair right there and we were wisked directly inside to check in. I think we were in our cabin by 1:15PM. Our luggage was there within two hours.

 

For us, the whole process couldn't have been easier or more efficient. With my daughter wearing a cast, we knew it was going to be a challenge to deal with our luggage so this worked out fine. We were relaxed and just went with the flow, knowing we were not going to be among the first to board.

 

Banditmag -- you were boarding in FLL, not LAX/San Pedro. Not at all the same. Different coast, different airport, different port, different experience. I've done the pre-cruise package at FLL and wouldn't do it again. The Princess pre-cruise package with the Marriott LAX for $59/night, including transfer to San Pedro, is definitely worth it, IMHO.

[pudy68]

Thanks Pam!

 

So, did you receive a confirmation number before you arrived?

 

Also, how were you assigned to the 3rd bus? Was it the order you checked into the hotel, or was it random? When did you find out what bus you were on, and what time to meet for it?

[Pam in CA]

Our confirmation was a page in the cruise documents but we really didn't need it. When we checked in, I just gave them my name and they had the Princess information already flagged. As a matter of fact, I called from our plane as it landed to make sure we were guaranteed late arrival since we weren't going to be checking in until 10 - 11PM. They told me everything had been pre-paid by Princess and we were guaranteed the room.

 

As for the bus, we were so busy talking with our friend that we didn't know we had to check in with the Princess Rep in the Lobby. So when we checked, we found out that we'd been assigned to the 3rd bus. (It was done by colors.) I don't know how the assignments were made but I assume they were done ahead of time since she had our name(s) and bus color. I'd get to the Lobby by 11:30 to check in with the Princess rep and find out what time your bus is.

[pudy68]

Thanks again, Pam.

You always have good info to share!:D

[Pam in CA]

Thanks again, Pam.

You always have good info to share!:D

Awww... thanks. You're going to love the Sapphire. We had a great time.

 

One thing I forgot to mention is that when you check into the hotel, they'll give you a sheet of paper with directions on what to expect and what to do. I don't know if I kept it or not.

 

I'm just bummed that the hotel is completely sold out the night before my Island Princess cruise in March. I was hoping to be able to do it again.

[devinc]

Thanks again, Pam.

You always have good info to share!:D

 

I'll 2nd that.