Unfortunately, our experience with Premier Limousine was disappointing…read more
I originally contacted them about transportation for a group cruise and initially estimated 12 passengers. Before making the reservation, I specifically updated them that our group had grown to 18 people and asked for additional information regarding their 23-passenger minibus. Based on the information provided, we discussed the price with our entire group, everyone agreed, and we moved forward with the online booking and paid a deposit.
After the reservation was made, we were contacted and advised that although the minibus seats 23 passengers, it has very limited luggage storage and no underbelly storage. We were told that with 18 passengers, we should limit everyone to one suitcase each and that additional luggage could create a problem. We later asked specifically about carry-on bags, backpacks, garment bags, etc. and were then told that carry-on-sized suitcases would not fit in the overhead storage and that suitcases could not be kept in the passenger compartment due to safety regulations.
At that point, the alternative presented to us was upgrading to a small motorcoach, which increased our round-trip cost from $2,433.60 to $3,384.
My issue is not that there are luggage limitations on a minibus. I completely understand that different vehicles have different storage capacities and that safety requirements need to be followed. My disappointment is that this information was not communicated before we booked. We had already specifically disclosed that we had 18 passengers traveling to a cruise and had asked about the minibus before making the reservation. Luggage is obviously a significant consideration for 18 people traveling on a cruise, and knowing these limitations beforehand would have absolutely affected our decision.
To their credit, they did bring the issue to our attention before the trip and confirmed that they would provide a full refund of our deposit if we chose to cancel. After discussing it with our group, that is ultimately what we decided to do because we did not want to risk luggage not fitting on the morning of our cruise.
I appreciate that they notified us well in advance and agreed to refund our deposit, but the entire situation could have been avoided with more thorough communication before the booking was made. When someone specifically provides a passenger count and asks questions about a vehicle before committing to a reservation, important limitations like luggage capacity should be clearly explained at that time.
Unfortunately, the experience left us disappointed and looking elsewhere for our transportation.
