mfinn

Chose 4*, bid $50.00, Downtown Miami, got rejected Added 3 1/2* and North Miami, bid $55.00, got rejected Added Adventura, bid $60.00, accepted, Hotel InterContinental, Downtown Thank you, Better Bidding!

We are flying into Ft. Lauderdale and taking SAS Transportation to our hotel in Miami and then taking the hotel's free shuttle to the cruise port. On our return, we are taking SAS Transportation from the cruise port to the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. They charge $15 PP each way to/from the port and come highly recommended. http://www.ridesas.com/ Hope this helps. Have a great time on your cruise!

We did not go through Priceline or Hotwire to obtain our accommodations. Thanks anyway.

Our plans changed. We booked one night after our trip in Miami on our own. Thanks!

Sorry for the delay in updating this forum. We went with the Day's Inn back in Feb. which we booked on our own since the rate was decent. We arrived at the Day's Inn at 4:20 p.m. to check-in. The cc # they had in their system was incorrect, so they canceled our room at 4:00 p.m. that day. I asked why they hadn't called me on my cell ph, since they had the # in their system. The gentleman working at the desk was very rude and non-accommodating. He said it isn't their policy to do that. According to him, in twenty minutes, he had given our room away and the hotel was completely sold out since it was a Sat. evening. We drove down the road and found the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. They had two rooms left for a rate of $255.34 for one night. The room was worse than disgusting. The carpet was so filthy that it made our feet black after showering. Our beds had brown stains all over them and they were falling apart. The shower and floor had hair all over it. I spoke to a lady in the hallway that said the same about her room. Upon returning home, I contacted Marriott to let them know about our experience. I was given 10,000 points on my Marriott frequent guest account and an apology from several Marriott Corp. key execs. I was told the Fairfield in Key West was scheduled for demolition prior to our stay but they could not obtain the necessary permit. It is still scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt. One of the execs. I spoke with told me we should have stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott property in Key West since it is much nicer. At least it was only for one night.

Hello. I need some help with a bidding strategy for FLL for Monday, May 29, 2006. I need two rooms. We would prefer a beach property either in Ft. Lauderdale or Hollywood, but would settle for a nice property close to the airport or downtown. I tried bidding today with no luck: 1. FLL Beach 3* $47, rejected 2. Added Miramar $50, rejected 3. Added Hollywood, $50 rejected 4. Added DT FLL, $50 rejected 5. Added FLL Airport, $50 rejected Is it true that the lock-out period is only 24 hours now? Thanks for any help you can provide! Mary

I was originally told that Alamo had a return facility at Port Everglades, but I was misinformed. We rented a vehicle from Alamo. The car rental facility is at the airport and there is a free shuttle to/from the airport/car rental facility. We returned the car and caught the shuttle to the airport on our cruise in Feb. It worked out really well.

Thank you. Yes, our plans are firm. We are willing to spend around $250 per night, but really can't afford to spend much more than that since we plan to spend one night prior and one night after our stay in Key West for a total of six nights. I am thinking about going to Priceline to try to get a resort in Key West for a little bit less. What are your thoughts? We plan to book something on Friday, March 10th. Thanks again!!

I did call the Day's Inn Keywest prior to our stay and was told they were back in business. I booked the hotel directly with them since we were not firm on our plans.

We received a free offer from our travel agent for two free nights at the Westin hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. It was a very nice hotel in the business district. I would not recommend this hotel for vacation travelers since it is pretty far from the beach or touristy activities. The "Heavenly Bed" was very comfortable, though. Thanks again for your help!

We received a free hotel offer from our travel agent for the pre-cruise. We ended up booking our Key West hotel through the Day's Inn website since we were not firm on our plans. I apologize if I was to notate this on those posts. I would appreciate any help you could provide.

Hi. Could you please help me identify a 4* in Key West?: Dates: 5/25-5/29/06 - $256/night -Oceanfront -Restaurant(s) -Fitness Center -Business Center -Near Beach -Pool(s) -Tennis Nearby Thank you!! Mary in KC

Thanks for the information. I called them direct to make the reservation and they did not mention any damage. I am assuming they think the damages will be repaired by Feb. I will call them ahead of time just to make sure. Thanks again!

Thanks for the info., frenchmn! I have the Days Inn booked for a back-up plan. However, it is $297.48 plus tax for the two nights for one room with two beds. I am hoping to get something a little nicer for the two nights. If not, we can always stay there. Thanks again for your help! Mary

Thank you for the update. I had heard there was extensive damage to certain parts of the Keys. I hope repairs will be done by Feb. This will be our first visit to the Keys. Again, does anyone know if it is too early to bid on rooms in Key West for Feb. due to the damage from the hurricanes? What is a good bid strategy? We don't want to spend over $100 per night incl. taxes and service charges. Thank you!

Hi. I need some help, please. Is it too early to bid on PL for Feb. 11-13 (checking out on 2/13)? There will be four adults traveling together and we plan to stay in one room. I understand that we won't be guaranteed two beds, but we are hoping for the best. We have been lucky so far through PL receiving two beds when there are four of us. We are driving to Key West from Ft. Lauderdale following a Caribbean cruise, so we will have a car. We would like to stay close to the water or at a beach resort. Also, what is a good bid strategy? We don't want to spend over $100 per night incl. taxes and service charges. Thanks for your help! Mary

Thanks again for your assistance. It is greatly appreciated!

One other question. Would you recommend purchasing the insurance for the extra $5? Thanks!

thereuare, thanks so much for your help. Is it too early to start the bidding process? If so, when would you recommend I start (keeping in mind we are staying in Miami on 5/21)? I'll make sure I post my results. Thanks again! Mary

Hello and thanks for replying. Yes, we will only be in the Miami area for one night, 5/21. Our ship leaves on 5/22 and returns on 5/29. We are flying out the same day we arrive back in Miami. Thanks so much for your help!

Hello, I will be flying into the FLL airport on May 21st (arriving around 5:30 p.m. eastern) along with 6 others in my family for a May 22-May29 cruise out of the Port of Miami. We are renting a large van from the airport and will be returning it the next day to the car rental agency at the port since this seems to be more economical than taking taxis for the seven of us. We need help finding a nice hotel in a safe area with family type restaurants within close distance (5 miles) ($6-15 per entree for dinner). We are planning to book 2 or 3 rooms depending on the cost for one night (a Saturday). We would prefer a hotel that does not charge for parking, but will pay it based on the location and cost of the rooms. We would also like to be close to a beach or the port so we can see the cruise ships. We would like to stay in the $40-$70 price range (after taxes and charges). Is it too early to start bidding on Priceline? If so, when should we start? We will be in Miami from 5/21-5/29 (flying out on the 29th). What would be a good bidding strategy? Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!!

I used Priceline for Friday, Nov. 26th in New Orleans (Metairie). First bid of $30 was accepted. Congratulations, you got your price of $30 for a 3-star hotel room. Four Points Sheraton New Orleans Airport New Orleans Airport (MSY) 6401 Veterans Memorial Boulevard Metairie, LA 70003 504-85-5700 Check-In Date: Fri, Nov 26, 2004 Check-In Time: After 03:00 PM Check-Out Date: Sat, Nov 27, 2004 Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM Your Offer Price: $30.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 1 Subtotal: $32.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $10.12 Total Charges: $40.12

Actually, I was told if you purchase the cruise package for $99, it includes 7 nights parking so Sat. night would be included and you are not charged the $22 that it would normally cost. Thanks for the info.

Thank you Swag and thereyouare! I appreciate the information. The NO C&VB gave me a link to info. regarding different pre/post cruise packages around the port (http://www.nomcvb.com/travelagent/cruisedetails.htm). I called the Hilton toll-free # (1-800-Hiltons) and requested the code "HILTON CRUISIN" and received a 99.00/night for a 2 bed deluxe room that includes free 7 day parking while we are at sea (a $84 value). The total with tax came to $114.87. I thought this is a good deal since we would have to pay for parking anyway making the room $30.87 for a Saturday night. I was told the Hilton Riverside is 8/10 of a mile from the cruise ship port, so this is going to work out real well. The package price is only good for the Sat. night stay and you need to show the front desk your cruise docs. in order to get the rate. I inquired about Friday night and it was $279.00 for the night, plus $22.00 to park the car, so I am still interested in trying to get it at a better rate on Priceline. It would make it so much more convenient to stay at one hotel the entire time. If we were to get a room with only one bed, it would not be the end of the world. However, I am hoping since we requested a room with 2 beds for the Sat. night, they might be willing to accommodate us for Friday night. Also, the Hilton does accept Debit cards to pay for the room as long as it has a MC or Visa logo on it. Thanks again for your assistance. I really appreciate it! Mary in KC

I need help with bidding on Priceline in New Orleans. This will be my first time using Priceline and I am a little nervous. Desired Zone: Convention Center District. I would like to get the Hilton Riverside close to Canal Street, next to the Riverwalk. I believe this hotel is considered 3*. We are going on a cruise from this port and would like to be as close as possible. Second Choice: French Quarter, no specific hotel in mind. Check-in: 11/26 Check-out: 11/28 4 people, 1 room Free rebid zones: NO East, NO West Bank Max. Bid $60.00/nite Current rates for these dates: Hilton Riverside - $249/nite Renaissance arts Hotel - $159/nite Hampton Inn Suites Convention Center - $212/nite W New Orleans - $209/nite All of these rates found on Sidestep.com Also, can one use a debit card instead of a credit card with Priceline? I need to save my credit card for the cruise. Thanks for your help!