Advice on RCCL Pre Cruise Hotels and Transfers to Pier

[chelsea_gal]

Hi looking for any advice, tips or recommendations on the RCCL pre cruise hotel packages.

 

We are thinking about doing a few days pre cruise hotel stay to a) avoid any travel delays, b) get into the cruise vacation relaxation a few days early :)

 

We are considering booking one of the RCCL hotel pre cruise packages for the sailings out of Port Canaveral .

 

And wondered if anyone has used the pre cruise hotel packages?advertised in the RCCL brochure? and if so what hotels ? and what where the impressions? , advice or recommendation.

 

We are sailing Oct 1 - Mariner of the Seas - Eastern Caribbean.

 

Any advice tips or recommendations will be greatly appreciated !!

 

Thanks

[shellden]

I found RCCL prices a bit high for pre and post packages. We used FL tours (i believe) for transportation. Check out the Pre -Post thread for hotels in Cocoa beach area I bet you can get some great suggestions and save some $$$.

Good Luck

[xpcdoojk]

You can save money and have a better experience by booking this stuff on your own. If you are capable of independant travel, I would do so.

 

jc

[isujim]

RC pre cruise packages are VERY high......sometimes 50% or more on what you can book them on your own.

 

We stayed at the Radisson Resort in Cocoa Beach in April........we thought it was nice and they have a free shuttle that will take you to the pier.

[mamaneedstogo]

:) My family went on a cruise in Febuary. We stayed at the Raddison at the Port. We had a nice room overlooking the pier. They had a large swimming pool and a nice restuarant. They offer shuttle service to and from the port. The price was GREAT!!!!!

[artk]

i'm leaving on saturday for the 7/30 sailing of the mariner out of canaveral...booked the radisson at the port for the overnite stay, as have a number of my fellow cc'ers...

also... in terms of getting from the airport (orlando) to the hotel... rci may not run their shuttle a day or two before the cruise, so you may have to look into alternate transport... lots of people use shuttles, but it may pay to look into a one way car rental from budget from the airport.. its less than the shuttle, and the drop off is right near the hotel... and they offer a free shuttle from the drop-off to the pier

[negc]

Check out your options before you decide but in most cases, especially in Port Canaveral, you may be much better off handling your hotel and transfers on your own. We got a much better price at the Radisson by booking on their website and we rented a car from the airport in Orlando. On the morning we sailed, we drove the car to the pier, dropped off our luggage, drove the car back to the Budget office which is close to the Radisson, and took their free shuttle back to the pier. Very easy, and considerably less expensive than what the cruiseline wanted to charge. Now for a transatlantic, it might be worth taking their hotel package which includes transfers from the hotel in London to the pier in Harwich, if you are spending a day or more in London before your cruise. We used our hotel reward points for the first few days of our pre-cruise stay in London and then transferred to one of RCI's hotels for the final night in order to get the transfers to the ship.

In October, we used Priceline to get rooms at the Hyatt Regency Downtown and will take a cab from the hotel to the pier.

[cb at sea]

Definitely go early--one day is ample in our case. (That way, you don't need to pack for extra non-cruise days!) Yes, it's less expensive to book on your own. And taxi's really don't cost more than transfers--and you don't have to wait for the bus to fill with other passengers! Or, if you prefer, you can book transfers only. That said, we did use the pre-hotel package out of Miami once (didn't feel like researching hotels!) and it was just fine! Very nice hotel for the day before our trip. (We booked air on our own.) Whichever way you decide to do it, you will have a great time.