BrightyB

Had a 7:30 am flight from Ft.Lauderdale to LaGuardia several years ago for a Maasdam cruise to Bermuda on a Saturday.  Pulled away from the gate on time, only to return to the gate with a mechanical issue. Fortunately, Jet Blue had another plane available 2 hours later so we made it to the port in New York around 1:30pm. Very nerve-racking experience!  Will never fly in the day of departure again!!

Customs and Border Protection pretty much control your situation. You will probably  assemble in a lounge with other guests " in transit" and be given an "In Transit" card. Ship will advise whether you have to get off or have your passport checked on board. If you are required to get off, you will procede to the Luggage Hall and show your documents and key card. Once done you will not have to check in again in the terminal. You may have to wait in the terminal until the ship has a Zero count meaning all guests have departed from your last voyage. If you are not changing cabins you can use your same key card and will be in the first group to reboard. Hope this answers some of your concerns!

I am a checkin agent for HAL at Port Everglades. 
As others have suggested, virtually no one pays attention to the suggested arrival times. Usually, by 3pm, 90% of the guests have checked in and are on board. Only those with late arriving flights haven't shown up yet.  Just be aware that the Port is very crowded on Sundays and it will take time to get to your terminal!

I am a checkin agent for HAL at Port Everglades and usually work the Oosterdam  every Saturday. Passport or Drivers License with photo ID are acceptable.  Of course, as others have suggested, if you are ever stranded and must fly home,  Drivers license  is not acceptable.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (local daily paper) recently stated that during the coming cruise season there will be 10 dates when all 8 terminals will be in use. Lots of auto and bus traffic between 9am and 1:30pm. Just be patient when arriving at the Port!

If you go to PortEverglades.net, you can see at: Ship Schedule what ships are in port for the coming week. Also, A 2019 Directory will list all departures for the season for all cruise lines but it is not available there yet.

If in fact you arrive at Terminal 29, there is a free shuttle bus to the Mid-port parking garage which will leave you in the vicinity of the HAL ships, if you don't mind dragging your luggage! Terminals 19, 21, and 26 are all within walking distance of the garage.

We are booked on the Harmony-Western Carib. in Sept. Can you advise where the ship usually docks in Cozumel?

At Port Everglades, HAL ships normally use terminals 19, 21, & 26. 21 and 26 are across the street from each other. 19 is a bit of a walk. If you walk thru the Mid-port garage it isn't too bad to get to 19. In any case, hire a porter and they will assist you. They have done this before!

On the 3/22 KO, my DW requested a paper receipt after every drink purchase. Servers had to return to their service bars to get them but it was never a problem. Made her happy since, when supermarket shopping, she checks every item for correctness before we leave the premises!!

I am a check-in agent for HAL and work the Eurodam every Saturday. As has been previously mentioned, normally by 1:30 to 2:00 pm the lines are gone as approx. 90-95% of the guests have checked on and are on board. There is a mandatory muster drill around 3:00 to 3:15 so be sure to be checked in by then. Good Luck!

I have done check-ins for most of the Holland ships in Port Everglades. Generally, doors open for all ships at 9:30 unless there is some problem and boarding is at 11:30. Boarding could be delayed for ship inspections by Coast Guard and/or Customs but that is usually when the ships return from Europe in the Fall.

I am a check-in agent for HAL and have worked the K'dam several times in Port Everglades. The lines are extremely long between 11am and 2pm. Doors for check-in open at 9:30am usually, so either come early or after 2pm to avoid the crowds.(Boarding never starts before 11:30.)

I do checkins for HAL at Port Everglades. My experience is that usually by 1:30 pm on all the ships there are no lines and 90-95% of the guests are on board.

A recent guest review of the Royal indicates that, during the next dry-dock in Sept., stairs will be installed mid-ship, where there are presently only elevators. Anyone know more about this?

Wife and I were on it. If you read the full review recently submitted: An Unfortunate Series of Events, I think it very accurately describes exactly what we all experienced. Kind of strange being able to touch land only once in six days! We felt the compensation offered from Princess was fair and we hope to travel with them again but,certainly, not the Coral!

The overall price of our Coral Princess cruise has been reduced approx. $400 for two since final payment was made. Any tips on getting some compensation from Princess? We already have shipboard credit but, in the interest of customer service, would be nice to receive something else!

Traditionally, all major malls and stores are closed in the Greater Ft.Laud. area. One exception is the Festival Flea Market in Pompano Beach, about 30 minutes by taxi from the Port. Some K-Marts, if still in business, may be open. Many of the restaurant chains will be open. Publix supermarkets are closed but Winn-Dixie stores are open with limited hours, usually!

Most of the major companies (Hertz, National, Avis, Budget) provide shuttle bus service to their respective locations. The shuttles circle the port on a regular basis. Just ask HAL upon exiting their terminal where the rental-car shuttles pickup area is. To clarify, the Ft. Laud. airport is 2 miles away! As an alternative, you might consider taxi service to Hollywood to visit your friends. They are readily available outside the terminals.

To clarify, when you check in for the cruise you will each be given your boarding cards. On the face of the card, on the lower left, your dining time along with your assigned table number is listed. If this is not to your satisfaction you can change it onboard if you see the Maitre D' in the MDR.

Fixed seating in the MDR is either "Early" or "Late" seating. Early would be somewhere between 5:15 and 5:45pm. Late seating is usually somewhere between 7:45 and 8:15pm. These times may vary slightly depending on where the ship is and guests being off on tours, etc.

The drill is generally done 30-60 minutes prior to sailing and is mandatory for all guests to attend. Good Luck!

My wife is concerned on what type clothing to pack for Westerdam visit on 6/21 voyage. Understand temp. will be generally in the 50s and 60s. Any suggestions?

Not that it will make you (Imentser) feel any better but Westerdam is scheduled for drydock on April 5th, returning on April 15th. She will then reposition to Seattle for 7-day Alaska trips next summer. Try her again after the re-fit!

Sail7Seas: Just completed my fifth season with HAL at Ft.Laud. Spent most of the time at the check-in counter, although we are assigned other duties occasionally. In previous years I did assist in the Luggage Hall at debark and/or assist in loading buses for guests transferring to the airport.