Airport to cruise port? shuttle?

[wrxrob]

Hello CruiseCritic:). I'm going to be a first timer, cruising at the age of 33. I have a logistical question regarding getting to the ship itself.

 

I'm used to booking destinations where I book the flight first, then reserve a rental car, and finally the hotel.

 

For a cruise, I'm guessing reserve the cruise first, then the flight to port. But how does one get to the ship from the airport? Is this something that most book all at once as a "package"? Do the major airports offer shuttles to the cruise ship? When booking a flight, should I allow a specified block of extra time of an early arrival to make sure we don't miss the boat?

 

I'm sure there's a thread on this, but I'm not sure what to search for.

[LHT28]

Depends on what airport & port :confused:

 

Taxis are usually a good rate & plentiful

[sjcruiser]

Usually I book the cruise first, then airfare following right after, I book the hotel usually on I have the flight, but reserve the room with a reservation that can be cancelled without penalty, and use Priceline or Hotwire to to get a better rate. It's rare I book everything with the same vendor. Also, don't forget about travel insurance to protect your trip.

[kitty9]

If you're cruising out of Ft Lauderdale, it's less than a ten minute taxi ride to the port. You can hop in a cab at the airport and get to the cruise terminal for about $15.

[househunter]

It is almost always cheaper and way faster to take a cab.

[AlanAllyn]

You should plan to fly in the day before and book a hotel. Airlines are so unpredictable these days that arriving the day of the cruise might mean missing the boat. You must be checked in at the cruise terminal 90 minutes before schedule departure!

 

How to get to the port depends on where you are sailing from. Usually, it is best to book independently. The only time I booked through the cruise line was last summer out of Seattle where HAL offered a first class downtown hotel, with transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship for about $120 pp. (There were two of us.)

[scottbee]

Hello CruiseCritic:). I'm going to be a first timer, cruising at the age of 33. I have a logistical question regarding getting to the ship itself.

 

I'm used to booking destinations where I book the flight first, then reserve a rental car, and finally the hotel.

 

For a cruise, I'm guessing reserve the cruise first, then the flight to port. But how does one get to the ship from the airport? Is this something that most book all at once as a "package"? Do the major airports offer shuttles to the cruise ship? When booking a flight, should I allow a specified block of extra time of an early arrival to make sure we don't miss the boat?

 

I'm sure there's a thread on this, but I'm not sure what to search for.

 

If you could tell us which port; I'm sure you'll get a lot of recommendations as to the best transfer method. Which ranges from taxis, trains, subway, shuttles; heck in San Diego, it's only about a 2 mile walk if you wanted to.

[wrxrob]

Thanks for the replies. We haven't decided on a port (or a cruise line for that matter), though I was liking an itinerary out of Tampa for the western caribbean. I'm trying to avoid New Orleans. We also found something out of Port Canaveral, but that seems to be nowhere near the airport.

 

I figured I'd ask about the cruise lines in a different thread ;)

[cb at sea]

For Pt. Canaveral, the most-used airport is Orlando...so either a shuttle or rental car is the way to go...it's about 45 mins. away (if traffic keeps moving!).

 

If you use Miami, both airport and port, then a cab is your best and cheapest option. Same with Ft. Laud./Pt. Everglades....a cab is the way to go there.

 

If you fly into, say, Ft. Laud, but sail out of Port of Miami, then a taxi is NOT the option...a private company (SAS Transportation) seems to be the least expensive way...

 

It really depends on where you fly in to, and where you sail from!

[ab0si]

Thanks for the replies. We haven't decided on a port (or a cruise line for that matter), though I was liking an itinerary out of Tampa for the western caribbean. I'm trying to avoid New Orleans. We also found something out of Port Canaveral, but that seems to be nowhere near the airport.

 

I figured I'd ask about the cruise lines in a different thread ;)

 

The cruise port is very close to the Tampa Airport and to downtown Tampa. What that means for you is simply that a taxi will be inexpensive and you will have many choices of hotels a short ride from both the airport and the crusie port.

[SeaTeach]

Whatever you decide just be sure to give youself at least a full day pre-cruise. You never know when weather conditions and/or airline glitches will occur. Personally, I like even more pre-cruise time. On our last cruise we spent almost 2 hours inching and bouncing on the runway. Good thing we had a 4 day cushion, or I would have had an attack of the bad kind!! As it turned out, I had no worries and was calm the entire time.

[blondi_21]

For Pt. Canaveral, the most-used airport is Orlando...so either a shuttle or rental car is the way to go...it's about 45 mins. away (if traffic keeps moving!).

 

If you use Miami, both airport and port, then a cab is your best and cheapest option. Same with Ft. Laud./Pt. Everglades....a cab is the way to go there.

 

If you fly into, say, Ft. Laud, but sail out of Port of Miami, then a taxi is NOT the option...a private company (SAS Transportation) seems to be the least expensive way...

 

It really depends on where you fly in to, and where you sail from!

 

 

This is our first family vacation. We're going to be traveling with a 16 month old. We're not going to have a carseat for him since he's going to be seating in our lap on the flight. I heard that you're required to have a carseat in a taxi. Is that true? I also heard that shuttles dont have seat belt so carseat isnt required. But they're more expensive.

[Twickenham]

Hello CruiseCritic:). I'm going to be a first timer, cruising at the age of 33. I have a logistical question regarding getting to the ship itself.

 

I'm used to booking destinations where I book the flight first, then reserve a rental car, and finally the hotel.

 

For a cruise, I'm guessing reserve the cruise first, then the flight to port. But how does one get to the ship from the airport? Is this something that most book all at once as a "package"? Do the major airports offer shuttles to the cruise ship? When booking a flight, should I allow a specified block of extra time of an early arrival to make sure we don't miss the boat?

 

I'm sure there's a thread on this, but I'm not sure what to search for.

 

Firstly, I'll address your order of booking. Most people book a cruise then go shopping for airfare, only to suffer sticker shock. Personally, the last cruise I took, my cruise and airfare booking process ran parallel (although separately booked), and I chose an entirely different cruise than I was first looking at due to the available FF tickets - booked a 10-day cruise instead of 7 days, because the only FF tickets available were mid-week. So, be sure you check both before commiting yourself.

As for transfers, every port has their own particularities, but one thing you can be sure: if there's a 2000+ passenger cruise ship boarding, there will be plenty of ways to get there. And of course, ALWAYS fly down the day before, to allow for delays/problems.

[sjcruiser]

We sailed out of Port Canaveral, and flew into Orlando. We flew in the day before, rented a car ($45 each way), and stayed the night at Comfort Inn in Cocoa Beach. We had breakfast at IHOP, mentioned CC to Shirley the owner/manager, and got a discount on our meal, which we gave back as a tip to the waitress. This board will have all the tips and tricks to get the most out of your trip. I find that most of the work for a vacation, except choosing the ship and itinerary has already been done for me on this board. I use the tips and trick for booking land vacations also.

[marco]

If you're going to sail out of Ft Lauderdale or Miami and flying in the day before, many, if not most hotels offer complimentary airport shuttle from the airport to the hotel the day you arrive and then to the ship the next day. If you "shop" for a hotel on Expedia or similar site, they all mention whether they offer these services or not. You can browse these sites, check out rates and ameinities, book the cruise and then book the hotel.

[sjcruiser]

I booked a rental car from FLL to MIA for my cruise on the Liberty. I belong to Nationals Emerald Club, so when I book a midsize, I can take any car in the Emerald Aisle. Hopefully its warm in January, and maybe I can get a convertible. I'm waiting to change my return flight to a later time, and then will decide which shuttle to use on the return from the Port of Miami to FLL, but it's probably going to be SAS since they are highly recommended by many on CC. I wanted to stay downtown Miami, but now with the car, I'll keep my reservation at Courtyard Airport. Dont want to spend an arm or leg paying for parking.

[linnybinny]

I totally agree with the whole "concurrent" process of researching/booking flights and cruises!! Just my two cents. ;)

[Linda&Vern]

This is our first family vacation. We're going to be traveling with a 16 month old. We're not going to have a carseat for him since he's going to be seating in our lap on the flight. I heard that you're required to have a carseat in a taxi. Is that true? I also heard that shuttles dont have seat belt so carseat isnt required. But they're more expensive.

I "think" that airlines have to let you check a car seat as baggage at no charge. I know my kids do that all the time. Check with your airline. I do not know about car seats in taxis or shuttles.

[Hlitner]

If you are only talking about Florida ports, you will find that taking a taxi from MIA, FLL or Tampa will be faster, cheaper and nicer than getting yourself involved with formal transfer programs. In MIA the price of a taxi is actually regulated by local authorities and posted right inside the cab (it is a fixed rate from MIA to the Miami cruise port). One potential problem in Florida is that if you fly into MIA for a cruise out of Port Everglades (Ft Lauderdale) or vice-versa (Fly into FLL for a cruise out of Miami's port) you are faced with a 45 min drive and will need to book some kind of transfer (there are many companies that provide this service).

 

Hank

[Semi Retired]

WE always book flight through cruiseline and get the free transfer with it (this includes tranfer after cruise too), otherwise, you can book the cruiselines transfer (same pre & post deal) for a fee. Its peace of mind when you can go get your luggage and see your rep there with a cruiseline sign and greeting you all the way to the bus. ENJOYABLE!

[Hlitner]

WE always book flight through cruiseline and get the free transfer with it (this includes tranfer after cruise too), otherwise, you can book the cruiselines transfer (same pre & post deal) for a fee. Its peace of mind when you can go get your luggage and see your rep there with a cruiseline sign and greeting you all the way to the bus. ENJOYABLE!

 

This might be a good deal when flying from BC, but not always so smart from the US. For many in the states we can save money doing our own air although the cruise lines have lately gotten more competitive. One popular option in the states is using Southwest Airlines because they are very reliable and still do not charge for luggage (2 pieces free). SW is not generally offered by the cruise lines and its the same problem with JetBlue. As to bus transfers, at FLL we get our luggage, walk out the door, jump into a taxi and can be at the port in 5 min for less than $15 (total cost for the taxi) while those with cruise line transfers are still waiting to get a full bus or van.

 

This being said, we always recommend that anyone taking any cruise always fly-in to their departure port at least one day in advance. This avoids issues if your flight is late or cancelled, gives some extra time for lost luggage to catch-up before your cruise, and gives the traveler an chance to relax, have a good nights sleep, and be at the port before noon with little stress. In most ports there are a few motels that offer terrific deals including transfers from the airport and to the port. As an example, in Ft Lauderdale we go to a place that has all the transfers, room, and free breakfast for a total cost of less than $75. This particular motel (its a Comfort Inn) is close to a BJs Warehouse Club (and other stores) where we can buy some wine (Florida has great prices) and soda to take on our cruise.

 

Hank