Using Go Port for hotel/transportation

[jls431978]

Has anyone ever used Go Port for pre-cruise hotel stays and transportation to the ship?  I had a package booked through this company (which came highly recommended) for a cruise booked at the end of August.  Their contract states that if the package is cancelled, refunds are only given for future credit.  When my cruise was cancelled...due to COVID-19...I was hoping that Go Port would make exceptions and offer full refunds.  The airlines and cruise companies have done this.  While I understand that their contract states in advance their policy....does anyone think that in these times and under these circumstances...and exception should be made?  Just interested in others opinions.

[JohninDC]

Welcome to the boards! 😎

 

Have not seen any discussion on this board of their refund policy, or requests for exceptions to their contract.

[bigrednole]

I too had an August cruise. Their options was 100% future cruise credit or 70% refund. They simply didn't care. I heard great things about them when I booked. However, their hotel options in PC were nearly non-existent. We took the $30 loss and booked a cancel anytime hotel with free parking. The problem now is our November cruise looks to be getting canceled as well.

 

Prior to cv19, I read very good things about GoPort, staying at the hotels in Orlando, and the shuttle service. That is why we booked initially. 

[jls431978]

Sorry to hear about your cancelled trip.  It's interesting though that you had an option for a 70% refund.  Wonder why they have different contracts??  Thanks for the information!  Take care and happy cruising!

[ranchette]

We were thinking about using them for our cruise in March,but now having second thoughts. Wanted. to stay in PC

[jls431978]

Ranchette...I had heard very good things about them...just won't use them now due to their customer service and business practices.  I guess if you know for sure you will definitely NOT have to cancel your trip for any reason...they're fine to use.  However, in these times it's impossible to know.

[ranchette]

8 minutes ago, jls431978 said:

Ranchette...I had heard very good things about them...just won't use them now due to their customer service and business practices.  I guess if you know for sure you will definitely NOT have to cancel your trip for any reason...they're fine to use.  However, in these times it's impossible to know.

 

8 minutes ago, jls431978 said:

Ranchette...I had heard very good things about them...just won't use them now due to their customer service and business practices.  I guess if you know for sure you will definitely NOT have to cancel your trip for any reason...they're fine to use.  However, in these times it's impossible to know.

Thanks for your reply. Do you have to pay the full amount in advance or just a deposit?

[jls431978]

You have to pay the full amount in advance

 

[ranchette]

5 hours ago, jls431978 said:

You have to pay the full amount in advance

 

That's not good will look for other options

[Ashland]

I with (an extended family group of 10) priced this option out for our May 2020 Harmony cruise (cancelled by RCI) and found that I could do much better booking the options I needed directly myself. So very glad I did.

[bigrednole]

To add, we are still waiting for the refund from Go Port. I am also against taking any shuttle moving forward. The cruise ports will have the manifest all passengers entering ports on a shuttle. If any one on the shuttle tests positive for Covid, the potential is everyone on that shuttle being banned from embarking regardless of your negative covid test. This happened with the MSC cruise. It will be private transportation for me or my own vehicle. 

[JohninDC]

18 hours ago, bigrednole said:

To add, we are still waiting for the refund from Go Port. I am also against taking any shuttle moving forward. The cruise ports will have the manifest all passengers entering ports on a shuttle. If any one on the shuttle tests positive for Covid, the potential is everyone on that shuttle being banned from embarking regardless of your negative covid test. This happened with the MSC cruise. It will be private transportation for me or my own vehicle. 

Good point!  I had not considered the possibility of exposure on the shuttle affecting your cruise.

[bigrednole]

2 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

Good point!  I had not considered the possibility of exposure on the shuttle affecting your cruise.

Once that MSC situation occurred the other week, it is going to interesting on how they manage mass transit at the ports. I expect the manifests to be linked port wide. People will have to detail how they got there and let the database control the information. I am not sure how it would work for lets say 6 cruises out of a port compared to a controlled single cruise. But say you are on a GoPort shuttle from MCO to PC. There are 60 people on the shuttle. If one tests positive that was dropped off at the Disney terminal, it could flag all passengers at Carnival, RCL, NCL that were on that shuttle to ban boarding. I am still not sure how it would work because those people may be negative but already interacted with 100s of others.

[coldferret]

On 9/1/2020 at 6:06 AM, bigrednole said:

Once that MSC situation occurred the other week, it is going to interesting on how they manage mass transit at the ports. I expect the manifests to be linked port wide. People will have to detail how they got there and let the database control the information. I am not sure how it would work for lets say 6 cruises out of a port compared to a controlled single cruise. But say you are on a GoPort shuttle from MCO to PC. There are 60 people on the shuttle. If one tests positive that was dropped off at the Disney terminal, it could flag all passengers at Carnival, RCL, NCL that were on that shuttle to ban boarding. I am still not sure how it would work because those people may be negative but already interacted with 100s of others.

Thanks, I hadn't even thought about that issue. Thinking our Jan 2021 cruise may not be cancelled so starting to look for hotel and transportation. Most rental cars  seem to be close to 100 a day just to go from airport to hotel for one night and drop at port.

[bigrednole]

Until there is any real information on cruising, I am planning things to be easy. The way I see it, that $100 car rental will amount to nothing if told an hour after getting dropped off that someone on the shuttle tested positive and you are not permitted to board the ship. Obviously, there are more the one ship in port most likely and there is no telling how this information would be shared. Shuttles may be required to provide a manifest so the information is shared across all ships in port. We are going to use Uber because that information is far less likely to be traceable and minimizes the chances. Unless, they test Uber and tax drivers as well, but I don't see that happening.

[JohninDC]

11 hours ago, coldferret said:

Thanks, I hadn't even thought about that issue. Thinking our Jan 2021 cruise may not be cancelled so starting to look for hotel and transportation. Most rental cars  seem to be close to 100 a day just to go from airport to hotel for one night and drop at port.

Keep shopping - car rental rates fluctuate a great deal, although January in FLA is a high demand part of the year.  Use a travel web site that compares rates among several carriers.  I like www dot carrentals dot com but there are others and you may get a better deal booking directly with the rental agency.  If you have time, some of the WDW chat boards (All ears, etc.) used to post FLA specific discount codes - not sure how the virus has affected those.

[Ashland]

Car rentals...if you're a Costco member...I've always gotten my best rates with them. But do keep checking their website before travel...if they post a lower rate easy to cancel and rebook online.