Four Reasons Why a Pre or Post Cruise Hotel Stay is Advantageous
Many of the cruise travelers I have spoken with over the course of the last several years have never conducted a pre or post-cruise hotel stay. Nearly all of those travelers have departed numerous times from the same port without once considering the sounds and attractions of the local area. Their primary justification is that they never had the time or thought about the possibility of touring the port city. I guess the cruise lines are doing an excellent job of keeping their clients focused on their ships and amenities. Without a doubt, there are some distinct advantages to conducting a pre and post-cruise hotel stay that are often never considered or explored by most cruise travelers. The benefits and rewards of conducting a pre or post-cruise hotel stay are worth exploring and allow travelers to rest, reduce the risk of missing their cruise, dine, unwind, and tour local attractions.
Winter Months
The winters in the northern part of the United States can be fierce and unpredictable. Therefore, the risk of flight delays is exceptionally high. So, an early morning flight departure from Chicago or Detroit may be problematic during the winter months. So, to reduce the risk of a flight cancellation, it is always good to depart a day in advance. This proposed shift in your regular travel plans will reduce the likelihood of ultimately missing your cruise.
Long Drives
Furthermore, if you reside in a remote city or town (far from a major airport) and the only available flights from your home airport arrive within a 2-hour window before your “all aboard” time; I highly recommend that you leave your departure airport a day ahead of schedule. In this scenario, Mother Nature has a high probability of ruining your day or maybe even your vacation.
Long Term Parking
Another advantage of arriving a day early to your cruise departure city is the ability to find long-term parking options. This is appealing to those that drive to the cruise port city. Believe it or not, many hotels in the cruise departure city use reduced-rate-parking as a marketing tool to attract tourists to their hotel. Let’s face it; cruise line parking can cost you about $15-$20 per day. Hotels are fully aware of cruise parking rates are high, and they will significantly reduce their rates to attract customers. I have even seen hotels offer free parking after only a one night stay. So, if you are on a 7-day cruise, this can become a $140+ savings.
Therefore, a $140 savings can be put to good use onboard the cruise ship. So, make sure you read the fine print on the hotel’s website. I have included https://www.parksleepfly.com/ as a reference to reduce parking. Even though reduced parking is a tremendous economic advantage, the enjoyment of an enjoyable land tour is a far better advantage.
Fill Your Time with Tours
With these factors in mind, why not add on an extra day or two to your next cruise. Viator offers many pre and post-cruise tour options at nearly all cruise departure ports. Viator has over 200,000+ things to do and has become the travel industry’s “go-to” site to find tours and various excursions.
Secondly, many air consolidators have pre and post-cruise air rates to accommodate travelers that like to add on extra vacation options as well as reduce their risks of flight cancellations during winter months. Let’s face it empty ships due to airline delays do not help a cruise ship’s bottom line. So, how do you find these flights? Many cruise line websites give travelers an option to purchase pre and post-cruise flights. Note, pre and post-cruise trips are generally cheaper because cruise lines have contracts with various airlines as B2B (business to business) agreements.
If you are planning on booking a pre or post-cruise flight, please visit the airline’s air consolidator or cruise website for rules and restrictions that apply to these reduced fares. Airlines will verify that the dates reasonably match-up with the cruise dates. Otherwise, people will try to take advantage of the opportunity.
Conclusion
In closing, I have mentioned four reasons why travelers should consider a pre or post-cruise hotel stay. All in all, cruise vacations are supposed to be fun, enjoyable and relaxing, so why add stress to your vacation by booking your winter flights the day-of your planned cruise departure. Give yourself a little extra time filled with enjoyment, excitement, and laughter by arriving a little early and staying over an extra day. So, are you considering adding a a pre or post cruise stay to your next vacation?
Are you looking for a great cruise wardrobe planner? Please feel free to use my cruise packing lists below.
