FLL airport to Miami Cruiseport

[richardj450]

I am trying to make reservations for four for the Jan 10 four night RC Bahamas cruise out of Miami. It seems that the best airport is Fort Lauderdale and coming from Richmond,VA. We would like to fly the day of departure and the flight arrives just before 12:00. The ship leaves at 5:00 so we would need to be there by 3:30. Assuming the flight is on time I guess we would take a shuttle or cab and take out the Royal Caribbean travel insurance for $29 in case the flight is canceled or late. Does anyone have any advice on handling this differently and how much/how long the cab ride is?

[BobT172]

If you search the boards, you will see that smart cruisers fly in the day before the cruise... especially your January date is probably the highest probability of flight deays/cancellations due to weather... appreciate that flight problems in other parts of the country can/will affect your flight.

 

We were on a cruise last March and several hundred people missed the cruise due to flight delays/weather. They were catching up to the ship at ports along the way...even tho insurance MAY cover it, it kind of ruins the vacation...

 

My recommendation would be to fly in the day before.

 

That being said, a taxi from Fll to Miami cruise port will run in the $85 plus range...plan on 45 minutes drive if things are average...add on your time waiting for luggage. What is the latest you can check in with your cruiseline? It might be one hour before sailing...

 

Think about going a day ahead and enjoying time in Miaml or Fort Lauderdale.

[JohninDC]

The ride form FLL to POM takes about 40 minutes or so. A taxi will cost $85+:eek: Many on these boards suggest SAS (www.ridesas.com) for shuttle service - typical fare is $15 per person; your group may save a dollar or so per person. SAS can also take you back to FLL after your cruise.

 

The smart cruiser ALWAYS flies in a day in advance so that a mechanical or weather related flight delay does not spoil your cruise. I would change my plans to arrive the day before or at least try to get an earlier flight into FLL. Will the $29 insurance transport you to the ships next port call?:confused:

 

If you change and fly into MIA the taxi to POM takes 15 minutes and costs a flate rate of $24+tip. Good luck!:)

[cruisingmommaRN]

there are SEVERAL recommendations on here for SAS travel (www.ridesas.com) I haven't read one bad word about them yet. I just booked them for Dec. We are coming from Indiana into Ft. Lauderdale but sailing out of Miami. We were scared of weather so fly in a day early. Will report back after Dec. how SAS was....good luck!

[SailingGrace]

If you can't fly in the day prior....take the FIRST flight available of the day. This lessens the chances of delays. If we don't fly in the day before we take the first flight and have had no problems.

 

We also took Carnival's transfers the first time out of Miami...but never again. This time we are taking SAS as they came highly recommended.

[nascar20fan]

there are SEVERAL recommendations on here for SAS travel (www.ridesas.com) I haven't read one bad word about them yet. I just booked them for Dec. We are coming from Indiana into Ft. Lauderdale but sailing out of Miami. We were scared of weather so fly in a day early. Will report back after Dec. how SAS was....good luck!

 

We used SAS last year and we are using them again in January for our family of 14 cruise. Steven has already responded back with a confirmation. We are staying at Embassy Suites in Fort Lauderdale. One the return, we are sending 12 of them home and DH and I are staying on the Glory for a B2B. Btw, we are from Indiana (6 of our group).

[patseacruiser]

I would not fly into FLL and hope to land at 12:00, get bags, cab and board at POM on the same day but to each his own. If you take the travel insurance make sure it covers you if your air is only 5 hours from sailing. Some travel insurance policies will not cover expenses unless it is 6 hours from sailing. My personal advice - go in the day before.

[unfdoug]

This may sound silly but I have done this a couple times. Living in Jax and flying to FLL is about 200 dollars cheaper than flying American Eagle to MIA.

 

I rent a car at FLL and drive it to Miami and drop it off. I always come in the night before and get a hotel with an airport shuttle.

 

A couple of months ago I rented from budget I want to say and the economy car was only $9.99, just under $20 total. Flying into FLL and sailing out of MIA in the same day just seems way to rushed.

[RuthlessBunny]

You've got the two most important pieces of information:

 

1. Come in a day early

2. Use SAS

 

I will say that if it's raining in FLL, baggage handlers won't unload due to concerns about lightning. So your plane might be on time, but your bags may take awhile to disgorge from the plane.

 

Also, traffic on I-95 should be fine in the middle of the day, but it's never a given, they also choose to do roadwork around rush hours, so you could still be in heavy traffic.