Benefits of NCL booked pre-hotel in HNL?

[traveljule]

We are sailing on the POAL this Christmas. I have heard that there are benefits with booking a pre-cruise hotel through NCL - specifically the Marritott. Can anyone please tell me what the benefits are? I found nothing on NCL's web site. Thanks!

[Droopy_Sails]

NCL cruises are good values. NCL pre- and post-cruise hotel stays are not.

 

The cost of an NCL hotel is generally about twice what you'd pay if you booked it yourself. It includes gratuities (not a lot of money) and a ride from the hotel to the pier (or the pier to the hotel). Unless you really hate dealing with luggage, you're better off booking your own hotel and paying for a cab to the pier.

[Maxxie]

The main benefit to staying at the Marriott through NCL is you are able to do your cruise pre-checkin. Once you get to the pier, you go to the Marriott desk where your stateroom card is ready for you - took us all of 5 minutes from the time of getting off the bus to getting on the ship.

[Droopy_Sails]

Didn't realize they had that benefit, Maxie, and a quick look at the Marriott site shows that the NCL charge of $129 PER PERSON per night is not out of line with what you'd pay on your own at the Marriott if you have two people in the room. So I should amend my comment to say that NCL's hotel packages are often twice as much as you'd pay at the same hotel on your own.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

if you dont mind paying extra, its a nice pre check in thing.

[traveljule]

Thanks everyone! Since our cruise is during Christmas, it may be worth it to have checkin at the marriott. I saw somewhere on the boards that you can also book dinner reservations at the marriott...is that true?

[Maxxie]

Since you now can only make your reservations for the current night or the next night, we did not ask if could make reservations while at the Marriott. Only those staying in a suite can make dinner reservations for the whole week (don't know if they had this option at the Marriott).

[RachieLnnn]

Thanks for the info on this. We were going to book through NCL for a pre-cruise stay too, but I might check on prices first. I've heard that you get a "better" quality room if through NCL (oceanview, etc.). Does anyone know if this is true?

[Aloha Gal]

Don't know about any perks if you book thru NCL, but as a resident of Honolulu, we love the Marriott. It is very well located in the heart of Waikiki and right across Waikiki Beach. There is an excellent sushi bar (Sansei) and steakhouse (DK's) in the hotel. Also, a nice poolside bar/snack area that offers live Hawaiian music.