KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

I would NOT want to be under the buffet at any time.

It's been my experience that the basic internet is good for looking at websites, looking at the news, looking at your email and things like that. Yes, looking at social media including posting should work too but trying to upload any photos could be a struggle unless you do it early in the morning or late at night when few others are using it. I blog a lot and I have to purchase the upgrade to get all my pics to upload. You should be able to go to the MSC website to see what upgrading would cost for your cruise (meaning you need to log in to your reservation).

This is what it says on Brightline's website regarding their Orlando station: Rideshare Use address 10705 Jeff Fuqua Blvd Orlando, FL 32827 when requesting your rideshare and your driver will drop you off right at the entrance of Brightline Orlando Station. Take the elevators or escalators up to Level 5 to reach the train station.

We hear mention of it having happened to someone in the past, but not any actual person mentioning that it happened to them. But I still fall back on my advice. Don't call MSC ahead of time to inform them since Conditions of Carriage could more likely be invoked. Just show up at the pier and inform your check-in agent.

Well unless you have status on American or one of their credit cards, they're going to charge you for your baggage too. Only Southwest gives free bags. But you can always look what current prices are to fly home from MCO and consider that vs the expense of flying back from SFB.

Keep in mind that there is a hotel right in the airport terminal itself; no shuttle needed. It has mixed reviews but it would be OK for one night. https://www.miahotel.com/

Not a lot of options for SFB; hopefully one of the companies on the above list might go there but will charge per person. A Uber/Lyft might be cheaper, but not cheap.

I agree with the Intercontinental but keep in mind that ships usually arrive in the dark (5am-7am) and with early sunset now, might leave at 4pm (daylight) or 5pm (dusk) or 6pm (dark). And some days there may be no sailings. If you're ok watching docked ships, they would be there all day for you.

My recommendation is to NOT call MSC in advance. If you do the MSC employee on the phone has little choice but to invoke their rules which may be to demand additional payment right then and there. When you do this at the pier, most employees there are employed by the port and not by MSC and will likely do when they did for me, delete the missing passenger and issue boarding docs for the person that is there. While this could be different for you, this is what seems to work now.

Forgot to mention that I also purchase the ship's magnet to begin the port lineup. At home, the magnets eventually make it to our cruise wall, lol.

I always purchase one magnet in each port and line them up on a cabin wall as the cruise progresses. I've been on three Seaside class ships (Seaview/Seashore/Seaside) and have been able to line my magnets up every time.

You can also take MetroRail from Government Center in Miami to the Airport. The free Uber rides Brightline once offered had a 5 mile limit. A taxi or rideshare to the airport from downtown is another $25 and from FLL, much more. Again, TriRail goes directly to MIA. If that's where Balloonman511 wants to go, your ideas are pointless.

Brightline is a beautiful train but it goes to downtown Miami, not to Miami International Airport. So that's kind of pointless. Also, keep in mind that TriRail has reduced service on weekend days.

On the MSC website you can pre-purchase the internet packages ahead of the cruise. At that time you select how many devices you want to purchase for. If you select one device, only one person can use the internet. Other passengers could use the internet if they use the exact same device only. If 3 people want to use 3 devices, you'll have to select that number. Unlike NCL where I could log out of my laptop and use my phone, one at a time, that can't be done on MSC.

Since that's illegal, that can't happen. Trump directive made Cuba travel illegal again for most Americans. In addition, the heirs of the former owners of the port facilities there which were confiscated by the communist government without compensation sued the cruise lines because they were docking ships there without their permission and I believe the cruise lines were found liable under American law.

I've been on two MSC cruises this year where the second person in my booking could not attend. If you're beyond the cancellation window, my recommendation is do NOT call in advance and just show up at the pier and inform them the second person got sick and can't attend. (In my case, one was illness and the second was hurricane damage that prevented leaving.) In both cases the second passenger was removed from the booking. Once I got on board I verified at Reception that there was only myself showing in the booking to assure I'd only get billed for the gratuities x 1 passenger.

A 2-nt cruise from Tampa seems impossible.

Every ship departing the port sails past Grills (except Royal Caribbean which is just beyond Grills). Check the port website for sailing times on your date because some ships sail as early as 4PM and of course on some dates, there are zero sailings.

It's helpful to many people who read these threads that might be in YC so now they know the answer without having to ask about it. Get a life.

By the way, even though you don't need a toll transponder for this trip, doesn't mean you shouldn't have one for other trips. Stop at any Publix, CVS or Walgreens while you're in Florida and for $14.95 you can buy a SunPass Pro. Not only is it valid throughout Florida but also in the northeast and midwest in E-ZPass lanes. See details & map at: https://www.sunpass.com/en/about/pro.shtml.

Unless there are some toll roads I'm not familiar with in NC, there are no toll roads on that route you've posted. I-95 is completely toll free as is SR 528 from I-95 to the port. (SR 528 from I-95 towards Orlando does have tolls but you're not going that way.)

One of the things I dislike about PortMiami is that you pay for parking when you leave. Of course everyone coming off a ship leaves about the same time so the lines to pay are horrendous. At Port Canaveral you pay when you enter the garage. It's much better because not everyone arrives at the same time to park so the queues are much shorter.

Should you still make it to MIA earlier than expected, ask at the AA counter if the earlier flight still has seats on it that you can standby for. A confirmed booking on the earlier flight with seats would be $75/person but I believe if you agree to standby, it's free. If there are a lot of empties, you'll clear standby. If there's only a few seats left, you might get on or you might not. You do need to go to the gate of the flight you're standing by for and tell the Gate Agent you're there.

I've never had a problem parking at Port Miami. Keep in mind that your ship arrived that morning and thousands of passengers disembarked and many vacated their parking spaces. So there are plenty of spaces for the next batch of passengers.

They always have a Black Friday special that actually runs into early December. Write down current pricing now so that you can compare to what they're offering at the end of November.