Florissouri

We are doing something similar in December. We are flying from RFD (Rockford, IL) to PGD (Punta Gorda, FL) instead of flying directly to Miami.

We like the idea of the smaller airports....less people, no lines.

It's a 2.5 hour drive from Punta Gorda to Miami......we are renting an SUV for one day from Budget for $44.00. So now we will have a car to get us to the Port and we don't have to worry about a taxi or shuttle the morning of the cruise

 

PBI is West Palm Beach.

 

Kirkland is only about 75 miles from Midway so why don't you fly into FLL? All Southwest fares were bumped up a couple of days ago and the fare is $220 each way from MDW to FLL, but they will drop again in a few days.

Oh...I left out K-Mart which has a decent selection of popular wines and BJ's Wholesale where you don't need a membership to buy liquor. There's a new Sports Authority store there if you want to buy your own snorkeling equipment.

 

http://fort.lauderdale.retailguide.com/data/m101620.htm

We are thinking of staying at the Springhill Suites in Ft Lauderdale for a pre cruise night in April 2014. Are there eateries, shops, stores within walking distance to this property? Any better choices? Thanks

 

Yes, the following list is in order from the closest to the SpringHill Suites on Stirling Road and then on into Oakwood Plaza Mall. All of them are easily walkable with the farthest being Red Lobster which is maybe a half mile or less...

 

Burger King, Chipotle, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Moonlite Diner, Hollywood Ale House, Dave and Buster's, TGI Friday's, Sal's Italian Ristorante, Sweet Tomatoes and Red Lobster.

 

If you look at La Quinta Inn then this list would go in reverse with Red Lobster being the closest.

Take tri rail.

Free shuttle from PBI to train station.

There are luggage racks in every car.

Trains are every hour on weekends and holidays now.

Get off at Fort Laud. airport station, there are taxis at the station.

$15 ride to port everglades.

 

Or you can get off at the Broward Blvd. station. It's closer to the Princess terminal.

Use the 17th street causeway entrance.

This is an Amtrak station, Taxis are there as well.

 

Its about an $80 cab ride from PBI to port Everglades.

 

Tri rail is $5p.p. on weekends.

 

The OP is planning to spend the night in Ft Lauderdale so getting off at either of those stops will probably not work for them.

I'm considering tri-rail to FLL, any idea on the cost of a cab from PBI to Tri-Rail station? Would it be a horrid trip on the commuter train to the FLL-airport station?

 

We are able to carry our bags and do steps no problem. I might do a rental car on the way home, since the flight home doesn't leave PBI until about 4:30pm

 

If you don't take my advice above about flying Southwest from St Louis or Kansas City and you do actually fly into PBI and you do take the Tri-Rail, then I would book either Homewood Suites or Fairfield Inn on Griffin Road as your pre-cruise hotel. Both are right across Griffin Road from the Tri-Rail station.

It is $142 each was less expensive for me to fly to PBI instead of FLL this February. For that amount, I'm seriously considering it.

 

Can I get some opinions on the best way for us to get from PBI to FLL? The hotel we are using the night before has a few shuttle from FLL to the hotel. They do, however, charge for parking, so if I rent a car, I won't be keeping it very long.

 

The flights do require me to change planes instead of non-stop each way, but I'm seriously considering it since the travel time isn't that much more, and WN has a decent on time and baggage history.

 

Where are you flying from and what airline?

 

I'm pulling up fares on Southwest nonstop from MCI-FLL right now from $149-$159 each way. And your bags fly free.

 

St Louis is a bit higher at $212 each way, but both these fares fluctuate almost daily. I fly regularly between FLL and both cities year round so I know the price of the St Louis fare will drop sooner or later and so will the fare from MCI. I know October is not February, but I just booked a roundtrip to STL for $105 each way with a return in November.

I got a double suite (as they call it) for four people, but it looks like from website I may not have the kitchen, if we do, that's a hugh plus. So, Hyatt House is nice?

 

That doesn't make any sense. It's either a studio, a 1 BR or a 2 BR suite. I'm guessing it's just a studio which is basically a normal hotel room with two double beds and a kitchen. All rooms at the Hyatt House have a kitchen.

 

Yes, Hyatt House is nice.

Thanks for the good advice. I think I'll stay w/ the Hyatt House for 139.00

 

You didn't say whether that rate at Hyatt House was for a studio, 1 or 2 BR suite. Regardless, all rooms at Hyatt House have full sized kitchens which I believe is added room and convenience.

 

If there is more than two people in your party then the 1 and 2 BR suites are great because they also have 2 bathrooms and a parlor.

[quote name='cruise cruise cruise']With out going through and reading all 200+ pages of posts, I hope my question is not too redundant.
myself, Dh, son (10) and daughter (9) will be cruising out of FT Lauderdale. We would like to arrive in town 2-3 nights pre cruise.
Since we are looking for more than a pre cruise 1 night stay, what hotel would you recommend?
A good pool is a must, beach front would be nice, but not required. A view of the cruise ships coming and going is not important. Acessability to restaurants, shops, things to do would be of importance.
If we arrive 3 days prior we may get a rental and go to a gator farm, if 2 days we will just stay in/around the hotel enjoying the pool (beach?) and adjusting to the time zone[/quote]

Not to be blunt, but your question is the most asked in this thread and the board itself. You don't have to read all 200 pages, just the last 8 or 10 and all your questions will be answered.

[quote name='wmac']We get in to FLL at 11:30 pm. We have 2 nights and then cruise out of Miami. I was thinking of spending the first night in FLL and then heading down to Miami
I have found the Hyatt Pier 66 for $99.00. The Hyatt place FLL airpot for $67.00 (they have a shuttle from the airport) or the Courtyard FLL beach for $119.00 (it includes breakfast for 2). There are 4 of us myself, dh and dd 18 and her friend. Would you recommend any of these hotels?

Thank you![/quote]

I would spend both nights in Ft Lauderdale. By the time you get to the hotel it is going to be late, so you're going to get to bed late, then you got to repack, reload and get to another hotel and do it all over again, but with nothing really to do.

Stay at the Courtyard, relax and enjoy the beach and the rocking booths on the patio of the Oasis Cafe.

[quote name='Ctrinh225']Also...if anyone wanted a "Day Room" from 10-6 and not wait at the airports if u have a late flight...Rhode Way Inn....it was only 49 bucks and include breakfast, free wifi, and use of pools etc...and they shuttle u from port and shuttle u to airport for free. Rooms were spotless and recently renovated.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD[/quote]

You didn't like the Embassy Suites, but you recommend the Rodeway Inn? Interesting...

Wow!

 

Just, wow!

I was on there, too, but I ABSOLUTELY HATED THE EPIC!

 

Kaj and the crew were wonderful, the food was great and Blue Man Group was entertaining, but IMO the Epic is an epic disaster as far as a cruise ship. No open decks so I felt like I was enclosed on a luxury prison ship.

 

You know the old saying, "Don't fix what isn't broken?"

 

Well that absolutely applies to the Epic. A lot of things were "fixed" that weren't broke, but everyone assured me NCL has "fixed" everything that is wrong with the Epic on the Breakaway. Gee...I can't wait.

 

[/sarcasm]

Waiting an hour or more is not uncommon. Leaving before a delayed cruise sponsored excursion can return to the ship is certainly less common, but not all that rare. And this is from personal experience obtained on more than 30 cruises, not from an excursion rep (One has to laugh that this is given as the source of information :))

 

Hahahahahaha!

 

You're really funny!

I remain amazed that this completely false information continuously reappears on Cruise Critic, especially as it is always pointed out to be incorrect.

 

On a cruiseline excursion, they DO NOT have to wait for you, and frequently do not. There are any number of reasons they will not, or can not, wait. The remaining itinerary, navigational challenges (even including low bridges !) which require departure in fixed time intervals, port schedules and requirements. While the decision is generally up to the captain, the final decision rests with the port authority.

 

What cruiseline excursions guarantee is that the cruiseline will take full responsibility to return you to your cruise, even if it requires overnighting and flying to a further cruise destination.

 

Of course, ships do delay departure to wait for returning cruiseline tours when the captain decides it is feasible, as is often the case.

 

Well...The source of this information is from cruise line excursion representatives themselves and not Cruise Critic. Sure, there's probably some very rare circumstances in which the ship must sail, but they would be extenuating circumstances and not the norm.

 

My personal experience has been several ships waited for ship sponsored excursions that were late (one was well over an hour) and none that were left behind.

A quick review shows 73% of "pier runners" are wearing back packs.

 

Coincidence?

The port agent in Barcelona told me a story about a family that got left behind after waiting for them for over an hour. They finally show up after the ship had pushed off so the husband/father dove into the water and started swimming towards the ship.

 

Which proves Ron White correct yet again...

 

"You just can't fix stupid."

And I can guarantee there's a limit to how long they would have waited for you. After which you would have found your daughter's meds in an ice chest with the port agent, and your ship long gone. And then they would have made transportation arrangements for you.

 

And you know all this how?

Don't be late and you won't be heckled.

 

Now there is a big difference between the pier runners who have balloon hats, boas and plastic neon yard glasses and the couple who had the broken leg.

 

That being said, one of the great joys of cruising is watching people run, stumble and make fools of themselves, because they can't tell time.

 

-F-

 

I love it in Cozumel when the ship starts blasting their horn after they're missing a few people past boarding time and watch people in Senor Frogs (or whatever that open air bar is) at the end of the pier wake the hell up and start scrambling out running for dear life with their balloon sombreros and drinks in their hands.

Really .... ? Heckling? :rolleyes: I hope this behavior isn't typical of Carnival guests ... if so, we should christen Carnival with a new nickname ... rather than 'The Everyday Man's Cruise Line' ... maybe we should re-name it 'The Pubescent People's Cruise Line"?

 

Oh, puh-leeze...

 

Yes, heckling. It must be difficult for you to go through daily life always prepared to be offended by anything and everything.

If you leave your passport in your cabin safe, carry a photocopy of it with you when you go ashore. Also, you can scan a color image of your passport and ship's boarding passes, and send it to yourself via email (hotmail, gmail, etc) prior to your trip. That way, you have an accessible copy if the original gets stolen. That makes it much easier when trying to get everything sorted out with the authorities.

 

 

All that sounds good, but I'm not sure in reality if it accomplishes anything. No country is going to allow you in on a photocopy of a passport, so you would still have to go to the US Consulate and they can pull your passport up in their computer.

What they don't say is that they will wait for a longer period of time than they would for a non Carnival excursion.

 

I've been on a ship where an excursion has been left behind. The guests were put on another Carnival ship with a later departure time.

 

Then they weren't actually "left behind." They had the option of an additional ship, but Carnival is responsible for everyone on a ship sponsored excursion.

Thanks for the first hand account. You have made up my mind as to whether we will carry out passports with us when we get off in ports in Europe. We will have them in a money belt with us (copies left on ship)

 

The chances are somewhat remote you may experience a problem, but if you do, having your passports somewhere other than a purse is a good idea.

 

One couple at the Consulate told me how they were driving a rental car after a stop at some tourist attraction when a motorcycle pulled up beside them and motioned that their rear tire was almost flat. The husband pulled over to the side of the road and the motorcyclist stopped as well. While the husband and the motorcyclist were having a conversation at the back of the car another motorcycle pulled up in front of the car, walked to the passenger side where the wife was sitting, opened the door, snatched her purse that was on the floor between her feet, then jumped back on his motorcycle and zoomed away.

Will you explain the "thing with tickets" that caused your daughter to miss the ship?

 

My sister and I will be in the Bahamas in a couple of weeks and planned to just taxi around to some favorite places...we're mean old women too, but I need to know what the scam is.

 

And being on a ship sponsored excursion doesn't mean the ship HAS to wait on you. Sometimes they simply can't stay beyond a certain timeframe. I do think that they have some liability to pay for things and make the arrangements for the guests to catch back up or get home.

 

If you're on an excursion you purchased through the cruise line and the group has some problems getting back on time the ship will wait on them. That's their biggest selling point.

I heard about...We saw people running...There's youtube videos...

 

Am I the only one here that can give a first hand account of missing a ship in port?

 

Nassau? Pffft...That's nothing. It's just a short hop back to Miami.

 

Try missing the ship in Barcelona with your passport locked safely in your cabin safe. Without a passport we could leave Spain, but where are you going to go? No country will allow you into their country without a passport. We kept getting warnings about pickpockets on La Rambla, so since we didn't need our passports to get back on the ship I left them where they would be safe.

 

I was on a transatlantic cruise on the Costa Fortuna and Barcelona was the last port before ending the cruise in Savona. It was a very short stop in which the last shuttle back to the ship was at 12:30 PM, but I thought it was 1:30. While we were walking around La Rambla the Costa Concordia (yes, that ship) had slipped into port as well so as we were getting near the shuttle area we could see a Costa ship. It wasn't until we were driving up in a taxi could we see our ship, the Fortuna, sailing away. I can tell you it's a very lonely feeling standing in a vast, empty terminal with no one around because their job is done, the ship is away, so they went home.

 

Fortunately, Costa's port agent was a trio of wonderful people. They escorted us onto the Concordia to spend a few hours. We helped ourselves to the buffet and explored the doomed ship while the port agents got us a hotel room (which we had to pay for), drove us there and then took us to the US Consulate the next day. The port agents were wonderful people which Costa, Carnival and any other cruise line pay to take care of such incidents. So make sure you always look in your daily newsletter and get their contact information for whatever port you're in.

 

When we got to the Consulate it was very interesting to talk to a group of Americans who had been ripped off, robbed and purse snatched. That was quite a lesson in traveling in a foreign country itself. The Consulate Folks gave us the option of canceling our passports and reissuing them for about $300. That's when the light went on in my head and I told the port agent to have Costa put our clothes in our suitcases, empty the safe and send it back to Barcelona on the Costa Atlantica (Don't ask how I remembered their itinerary but I did) in three days.

 

So...We spent three days in Barcelona with just the clothes on our backs. I was wearing shorts and a polo shirt. It's amazing what you can wash in the sink of your hotel room and dry with a hair dryer. We had no deodorant, no toothbrush, no toothpaste, no shaving cream or razor. Thanks to the hotel and the farmacia down the street that problem was solved and the farmacia also gladly sold our daily medications to us which were also left on the ship.

 

On the fourth day we flew to London from Barcelona instead of from Savona as planned. We lost the money on our hotel reservation in Savona, the flight from Savona to London and had to pay for the new flight. So missing a ship can get quite expensive.

 

The whole ordeal was quite an experience and education, but I don't recommend anyone try it intentionally.