Transfers are a good thing when cruising

I’m surprised frequently by the amount of friends that don’t plan transfers ahead of time, leaving it to chance. Yes, I know I’m an excessive planner, but, peace of mind to me is worth so much! Transfers are a good thing! I like knowing that a driver will be waiting for us with an air conditioned car when we have been on a 5 hour train trip without air con, in blistering heat. I like knowing that ‘absolutely, for sure, there will be taxis available at a taxi stand’ when I get off the plane – or, better yet, that there is a train direct from the airport to our hotel. Or, a boat transfer across the harbour to our accommodation.

Why?

Taxis aren’t always there, and they are not always available. Case in point – getting off a cruise in Sydney, Australia in the Spring 2014, and we had a lovely rental waiting for us – about 30-45 minutes away by car in the traffic. We disembarked the cruise ship and thank goodness we weren’t in a rush – we waited. And waited. And waited some more. Alot of taxis were available but there were alot of people wanting them. Should have booked a transfer – instead, knowing taxis were there we thought it wouldn’t take too long to get one. We were wrong. Oh well, we got where we needed to be a little later than we thought.

Options

Even if we don’t pre book them, knowing what transfer options are available is a great idea. Having a short list of names/sites/numbers will at least prepare you if there isn’t a handy taxi or train.

Caution

Another note of caution – if you are relying on taxis, check ahead to make sure that there isn’t a strike looming or taking place. Trust me. Seeing a strike last minute in Naples gave me enough time to book a car to pick us up from the train station to get us to our accommodation down by the waterfront!

Check out our posts on cruising itineraries to start planning your next trip!