Booking Princess Pre-Cruise Hotel

[jt58203]

Haven't decided which Princess cruise yet, but was wondering if you can later book the Princess Pre-Cruise hotel though the cruise personalizer on princess.com.

[Rob & Beckys mom]

Haven't decided which Princess cruise yet, but was wondering if you can later book the Princess Pre-Cruise hotel though the cruise personalizer on princess.com.

 

I'm not sure about booking online, but you will be paying way more than you need to find the same hotel on your own. Princess prices are per person not by the room. When you decide on the cruise go to port of call & do a search there. Good luck!

 

Jan

[can786]

I believe you must go through your TA (or call Princess if you booked directly through them) if you want to add a pre-cruise hotel stay. I have added them on after making my initial booking by calling my TA. Pre and post cruise hotels through Princess do tend to be higher priced than doing it on your own, but sometimes the convenience factor outweighs the price difference, especially if the port is quite a distance from the city. When booking a pre or post cruise hotel through Princess the cost includes the transfers between the airport/hotel/ship. For those who don't care to handle their luggage much this is very convenient.

[jt58203]

I know it's based upon availablity, but on the Embassy Suites website, for Ft. Lauderdale, several dates I checked one night would cost $299 (that is rack rate, maybe there's AAA discount or something). Princess literature says it's $129 a night per person. So $258 for meet & greet at the airport, transportation to the hotel, one night at the hotel, and then transfers to the pier sounds like a good deal to me. I will be a first time cruiser, so would prefer a Princess Pre-Cruise Hotel this time around.

[vince_g]

I know it's based upon availablity, but on the Embassy Suites website, for Ft. Lauderdale, several dates I checked one night would cost $299 (that is rack rate, maybe there's AAA discount or something). Princess literature says it's $129 a night per person. So $258 for meet & greet at the airport, transportation to the hotel, one night at the hotel, and then transfers to the pier sounds like a good deal to me. I will be a first time cruiser, so would prefer a Princess Pre-Cruise Hotel this time around.

 

Might I suggest looking at Hotels.com or Travelocity? The prices on those can be quite a little bit less than Embassy's (or the Hilton) website. What date are you looking at? Maybe it's a peak time.

[jt58203]

Might I suggest looking at Hotels.com or Travelocity? The prices on those can be quite a little bit less than Embassy's (or the Hilton) website. What date are you looking at? Maybe it's a peak time.

 

I'm very familiar with various websites in search of bargains and not afraid to use them. FYI, I was looking at almost all the Feb 2008 dates, have not decided yet whether to take the Grand or CB. I appreciate everyone's help in finding the best deal as we all probably want to save $$$, but all I wanted to know is whether on not I can book pre-cruise hotel through the princess.com website and thought someone might know.

[flamomo]

We have booked pre and post hotel stays with Princess in the past, and have done so for 2 upcoming cruises. Ours are for cruises that depart from LA.

For $69 per person per night, we get our luggage from the carousel, go outside and hop on the hotel shuttle from LAX. Check-in is a beeeze because our names are on the list from Princess, and we have had very nice accomodations. The morning of the cruise, we leave our luggage in the room, where it is picked up by the cruiseline, and the next time we see it is in our cabin. In the meantime, the bus that transfers us to the pier picks us up and delivers us there, and we go thru check-in, and board.

After the cruise, we do the usual placement of our luggage out in the passageway the night before the end of the cruise. When we disembark and get thru customs, we pick up our luggage and tote it to the bus that is waiting at the curb. The driver loads it, and at the hotel it is delivered to our room. Again, check-in is simple. The following morning, we check out with our luggage, board the hotel shuttle back to the airport, and we are then on our own.

I presume if we were to book cruise-air, they might handle our luggage from the airport. But we like to book our own flights, and the arrangements for the hotel suit us just fine.

We have never attempted to book the hotel via the website. We always just call Princess.

[sultan_sfo]

For FLL priceline 5* or 4* is the way to go. Airport / Hotel and Hotel / Pier is very simple. One can save quite a bundle doing it on one's own./Sultan

[Retired 07]

Does anybody know what hotel(s) Princess uses in Vancouver? In looking into it on my own, the ones nearest the dock are $275-350/night in September.

[Jetswdo]

Princess uses Pan Pacific. It is pricy, but if you want that hotel, it may actually end up costing less by booking through Princess. For example, I want to stay there one night before my cruise (next July). Right now it is at a ridiculous price to book. So I am booking it through Princess, which is expensive but within reason. If I can get it eventually much cheaper on my own, then I can always cancel with Princess. Anita

[Coral]

If you are thinking of using a Princess hotel - book it now. You can always cancel it at final payment. If you don't book it, the cruise line's allocated rooms may book up.

 

Princess uses Pan Pacific in Vancouver. They may use a few others but this is the main one.

[Princess Chatterer]

I love Princess pre and post hotel packages. If you add in transfers, a free city tour and Princess hand holding at the hotel it can be an OK deal. Princess reps may or may not even help you jump the airport ticketing line on departure.

 

The big problem is knowing when the pre and post hotel packages open up. Princess is consistently inconsistent on this and when the better hotel in the package is sold out you are S.O.L. Princess, as far as I know, doesn't tell the travel agents when the "Extend your stay" bookings open. Therefore you must keep calling Princess to find out on your own when the Princess hotel bookings are actually opened for booking. Some cruises hotel packages open early, some late.