You’ve spent a lot of time, effort, and money planning your cruise holiday so it is well worth it and a smart idea to arrive in the port city for your cruise the day before departure and stay in a cruise hotel.
There are so many possible travel issues, especially with air travel; you never know what can happen to delay you. You can easily experience delays at the airport going through security and with your flight. You also never know when traffic problems can arise.
The cruise ship isn’t going to wait for you. If you arrive in time to see your ship sailing off into the sunset you can either lose your holiday completely (and the money you paid for it), or you may have to pay for another flight to get you to the next port of call to catch up with your cruise. Now you’ve spent even more money and have lost some of your precious cruise time.
There is an easy way to avoid this disaster. Arrive the day before and stay in a hotel, preferably one near the port. Another good reason for this is because the whole process of dealing with traffic, parking the car, and embarkation can be stressful, and who wants to start their holiday in a bad mood or a nervous wreck?
The majority of cruise hotels and motels that are located near a port terminal are there specifically to serve cruise passengers. Therefore, it is likely that they have free parking for your car while you are on cruise and have a complimentary shuttle service to and from the terminal. Even if they don’t, you will have a short taxi ride.
Pre and Post Cruise Hotels give you time to unwind
Some cruisers consider the day before the cruise embarks as the first day of their holiday. Checking into the hotel the day before, getting a good night’s sleep, sleeping late, and then enjoying a leisurely breakfast is all part of the holiday experience.
When your cruise returns, you may not be ready to jump in a taxi and rush to the airport to catch a plane and endure a long flight home, let alone drive for hours to get home. One extra night in a hotel to unwind can spare you more stress. If possible, book this night’s stay in a hotel near the airport.
Some of the larger port cities like Venice have a number of terminals from which your cruise could be departing. There may be a lot of hotels from which to choose, located near each terminal. Be sure that you know which terminal your cruise ship will be using and stay near that terminal.
Cruise hotels are often very budget friendly. You have already spent enough money on your cruise where you will be pampered every day, so a reasonably priced no-frills hotel can be a blessing.
Pre Cruise hotels are an ideal way to start your holiday off right and bring it to an anti-climactic end. Relax and enjoy yourself for a day before the cruise and then wind down and get ready for the long trip home.
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