happy cruisers 2 Posted November 2, 2023 Report Share Posted November 2, 2023 This isn't exactly a shore excursion question, but does anyone have hotel recommendations in Boston? We will fly in a couple days before the cruise and hope to do a tour to Cape Cod the day before the cruise begins. We don't feel the need to be right near the cruise port, but something nice, in a walkable area and close to the harbor is what we would like. Any suggestions on places you've stayed would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan79 Posted November 2, 2023 Report Share Posted November 2, 2023 Marriott in Copley Square is my Boston go-to foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 4, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2023 Thanks Ryan79 for the reply. I'll look at this Marriott. Hoping to get a few more suggestions, if anyone has spent a night or two not too far from the airport and cruise port and really liked the hotel you were in. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted November 4, 2023 Report Share Posted November 4, 2023 Boston to Cape Cod and back is a traffic nightmare, so plan accordingly. Our middle son and his family live on the Cape, and we’ve never been able to find a time to go visit when the traffic isn’t awful. Definitely go if you want to, just be aware that you may come to a complete stop on I-93. There are a lot of hotels in the Seaport area of Boston. Any of the chain ones will have no surprises. You definitely want to stay in Boston itself, not near the airport…..the airport is across the harbor from the city. RCIfan1912, foxrunner and Ryan79 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2023 Thanks for your advice, Teddy. I think my hopes of a day tour (we won't be renting a car) from a Boston hotel to Cape Cod are probably unrealistic. I find 12 and 13 hour tours to Martha's Vineyard, but I was hoping we could see Hyannis and other areas on the Cape. If you or others have any suggestions I would love to hear them. Perhaps instead of trying to tie this into a pre-cruise sightseeing trip we actually need to plan a week or more somewhere on the Cape at a future time. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanBrian Posted November 6, 2023 Report Share Posted November 6, 2023 Boston to the Cape (and further, to M.V.) is a big negative. By the time you cross the bridge, it will be almost time to turn around and go back. Many non-New Englanders don't realize how bad the traffic is, and it doesn't get any better when you get over the bridges. Further, the Cape is a lot longer than many realize. From the bridge to Provincetown can easily be another 2 hours during tourist season. I've lived in this area all my 63 years and I've been to the Cape no more than a dozen times, just a handful in the past 20 years. It is not a place for a day trip. If it's off-season, winter, then traffic is manageable, but no one needs to be on the Cape in the winter unless you live or work there. If you have a couple of days in Boston, just stay in the city. Boston is a very walkable city, most that you would want to do is within a 2 mile radius. The Gardens and Common is very nice, Fanueil Hall, Back Bay shopping, Fenway Park area, Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill, North End Italian Restaurants and the Revere House. Just walk the Freedom Trail (easily mapped) to see so many historic sites. Do a Duck Tour, they are always fun. You will have no shortage of things to do in the city, foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2023 PatsFanBrian, you are the local expert who I needed to hear from. I sure do appreciate your input. You have convinced us that trying to do the day-trip to Cape Cod is not a good idea. It's disappointing, but I know we need to spend more time in the area if we want to explore the Cape. Last time we were in Boston (another cruise) we did the Hop-On, Hop-Off tour which gave us just a bit of an overview of some things. This time we'll have a full day to do some walking, eating, etc. close to wherever we get a hotel. Thanks again. Your advice is invaluable and most likely saves us a lot of frustration. We hope to have a great time in the city prior to our cruise the next day. PatsFanBrian and foxrunner 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter D Posted November 11, 2023 Report Share Posted November 11, 2023 If you really wanted to go to the Cape, perhaps taking the ferry from Boston to Provincetown is an option. Provincetown is a unique experience, that is for sure....... foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 3 hours ago, Peter D said: If you really wanted to go to the Cape, perhaps taking the ferry from Boston to Provincetown is an option. Provincetown is a unique experience, that is for sure....... Thanks, Peter D. That is something that I had wondered about. Seems like it would save some time, and perhaps there are some tours out of Provincetown. I'll look into it, although we have accepted the fact that the Cape might be unrealistic for just one day. We'll find plenty to do in Boston, but I'll do more research on Provincetown. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanBrian Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 The Boston-Provincetown ferry is 1 hour 40 minutes in each direction and there's only one ferry in each direction per day. It's a good idea, but you'll only get about 4 hours in Provincetown. I can't say how easy it is to get around PTown, haven't been there in decades. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 You guys have convinced us that skipping the Cape is the right thing. We'll turn our focus to staying in a nice hotel for two nights and seeing what interests us in Boston. I appreciate your help. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zacharius Posted November 13, 2023 Report Share Posted November 13, 2023 On 11/4/2023 at 5:42 PM, teddy said: You definitely want to stay in Boston itself, not near the airport…..the airport is across the harbor from the city. Boston is one of those few major US cities (along with San Diego, Vegas, and DC (Reagan Airport, at least)) where there really is almost no point of staying in an airport hotel. The city center is so close and easy to get to that it would be crazy not to stay in the city. foxrunner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxrunner Posted November 14, 2023 Report Share Posted November 14, 2023 Life long Coder, and I wouldn't advise visiting for less than a couple of days. The traffic is overstated IMHO but travel from Boston is long. Too much to see and much of the best parts of the Cape center around relaxing or not on a beach. Come for a week in Sept. and you might not go home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted November 29, 2023 Report Share Posted November 29, 2023 We just stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Downtown/Seaport. There was a lot walkable near the hotel as far as dining and shopping and it was a short ride to the port the morning of the cruise. Probably about 20 minute walk to the Boston Harbor and 20 mins to Boston Commons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billdauterive Posted November 29, 2023 Report Share Posted November 29, 2023 I stayed at the Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall recently and I thought the location was perfect even if the rooms were on the small side. It's literally half a block from the old state house (and Boston massacre site) so it's on the middle of the freedom trail. The freedom trail is an extremely easy walk and you can make it as long or short as you want. Also it was only about half a mile to the north end so very easy walk to restaurants. The cruise port was only about a 15-20 min uber through downtown. It's technically walkable from there as it's less than 2 miles, but I definitely wouldn't want to do it with luggage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruisers 2 Posted November 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2023 Thanks, AshleyDillo and billdauterive. I will keep your suggestions in mind and look into them further. Both sound like what we're looking for. AshleyDillo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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