rob6465 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Taking a cruise from Miami port in december. Is it better to book a hotel in miami or Fort Lauderdale? Traveling from houston. First time cruising outside of galveston. Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Welcome to BetterBidding! My preference is to stay as close to the port as possible so that if there are any issues getting to the pier (traffic, flat time, mechanical issues, forget something back at the hotel, etc) it is an easier situation to handle (and less travel time also leaves less opportunity for something to go wrong) With the above noted, i would be a premium to stay closer to the embarkation pier, but if a VERY BIG difference, i would stay at the further alternate location (and leave plenty of time in the morning to get to the port) What are the actual dates of your stay? What is your target star rating and budget? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or you may also be interested in our sister site Pre Cruise Hotels Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Ship(Breeze) leaves on 12/5/15 and wife and i leaving houston on 12/4. I tried a test bid on priceline for a 4 star deluxe hotel in miami and got $50. Can it be that low? Will it be a 4 star deluxe hotel? any fine print that will change the price after i win? I put miami int'l airport area...is that close? Link to comment
rob6465 Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Never mind..incorrect bid. I put in a bid of $75 but was not accept...oops Link to comment
thereuare Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Using our sister site Pre Cruise Hotels you can easily see how close any area is to the port... simply click a hotel near the airport (or downtown, etc) and within the info bubble you will see a link to distance and driving directions to the pier. ;) I assume you're flying in? If so, the Airport zone is acceptable (about 20-25 minutes) and a flat fee (~$25 + tip)... the downtown hotels are generally a bit more expensive than the airport hotels, but a trip to the pier is only 5-10 minutes. What is your expected budget for this trip and desired star rating? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Wife and I are cruising from miami on december 5,2015. We would prefer to stay downtown miami to be close to cruise port. We're noticing that either the downtown hotels are sold out or too expensive. What price should i start on a 4-5 star hotel that the cost is $300-350 a night. I am new to priceline bidding. Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. At current rates you're likely looking at $150-$170 for a 4* Downtown hotel... is this within your target budget given current regular rates for these dates? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thank you for your reply. For a downtown hotel that is close to cruise port we are ok with that range. I know the hotels by airport are less expensive but being close to ship and finding a very good hotel matters more. Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 When bidding 4* in Miami you have SEVEN re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding. Select 4* Downtown... Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $135, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $140, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $153, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $155, if the above is rejected wait 2 hours (this has been lowered from the previously required 24 hours) and use this link to re-access PRICELINE, and re-try: Select 4* Downtown... Bid $158, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $160, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $163, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $165, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $168, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $170, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $173, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $175 Any questions feel free to ask. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Wife and I really like the 3.5* Miami (Downtown) Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel And Marina. Wonder what bids we can start for a hotel like this. I think they offer complimentary shuttle to port. Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 You can't bid on a specific hotel when using PRICELINE... are you willing to accept any 3.5* hotel in the Downtown zone? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I typed it wrong. Hoping that the winning bid is this hotel...lol Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm not sure what it is that you typed wrong... what is it that you want to do in order to move forward? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Some people say it's too early to book a hotel for december in miami. I just keep seeing hotels there selling out quick. Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Nobody can say if rates will come down, or move even higher, between now and your trip... it all depends how actual new reservations/cancellations come in relative to expected new reservations/cancellations. If you're happy with the price, and want the peace of mind knowing that you're plans are set, then move forward. If you do choose to wait, i'd book a refundable backup using RefundableRates.com and then set a few price alerts at RateDrop so that you'll be aware of the price does indeed drop. (see Priceline rejected bid for additional information) Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Let us know what you decide and how it goes or if we can be of further help. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 HOT RATE HOTELDowntown Miami area Complimentary Free InternetAmenities Fitness center Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business centerSelf-service laundry 4 out of 5.0 on tripadvisor Link to comment
rob6465 Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 THANKS EVERYONE !! Link to comment
thereuare Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Congratulations on your success! Glad to see you're pleased with the results and your pre-cruise hotel stay is now all settled and you can start to look forward to the other aspects of your trip. Thank you for sharing your win with the board. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Enjoy your stay. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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