Questions about Easter cruise on Sun 2013 Catholic Mass?

[DMH15]

I booked my cruise for the Sun 3 - 20 - 2013 about a year ago but I just now realized that we arrive in Miami, our disembarkation port on Easter morning! I am cruising with my mother aka The Catholic Police. In other words, we must attend Mass.

 

So, I was wondering... I know Priests are on board sometimes, but certainly not likely. If one was to be on our sailing I would expect a vigil on Saturday that would count. But I know not likely. So, here is my thoughts for a plan... book afternoon flight from Miami to Dallas, which would get us back in the evening, but not too late. If we had a rental car arranged in Miami we could put the luggage in the trunk, out of sight, drive to a church for Mass and then return the car, perhaps at the airport.

 

Has anyone picked up a rental car after their cruise? How easy/difficult is this in Miami? Anything near the port? Has anyone picked up a car near the port and returned it to the airport?

 

I want to have all of this worked out in advance of our trip to ease my mother's mind. I figure if by some chance there is a Priest on board we could have a nice drive around sightseeing.

 

Thanks.

[gofigyawhy]

For my cruise in May out of Miami, I am renting a car thru Dollar when we return. Dollar has a shuttle that will pick you up at the port and take you to the cars at MIA. I then will be leaving the car at MIA and flying home.

[ColinIllinois]

There is a chapel in the airport in Miami. I wonder if they will have a priest there to do services for travelers?

[DMH15]

For my cruise in May out of Miami, I am renting a car thru Dollar when we return. Dollar has a shuttle that will pick you up at the port and take you to the cars at MIA. I then will be leaving the car at MIA and flying home.

Thank you for this information. Sounds like it would work.

[DMH15]

There is a chapel in the airport in Miami. I wonder if they will have a priest there to do services for travelers?

 

Never thought about that. Thanks.

[mpk218]

We cruised over Easter one year and they did have a service on board. I think it was in the Stardust... ;)

[soaringfalcon]

I wouldn't count on a vigil mass. In fact, I would be highly surprised.

 

Car rental at the airport will be easy. No issue at all. I would bet there's a church a short cab ride away.

[sdmike]

I had a similar issue with my very religious mother-in-law. Let's just say it took her a week to start talking to me again afterwards. Wish it was longer.

 

I doubt whatever god she worships takes attendance, but that's just me. :)

 

There are car rental agencies by the port that will pick you up. Just call to make sure you can return your car to the airport (or get a shuttle to the airport after you drop off the car). Make your mom pay for it :)

[bluesea777]

We cruised over Easter one year and they did have a service on board. I think it was in the Stardust... ;)

 

Hey there! We were on same sailing with you - Pearl Easter 2008!

 

Remember we were already out sailing on Easter day, and OP is disembarking on Easter Day ....

 

OP - Hopefully there should be an early morning mass on ship before disembarkation?? Why don't you go to the roll calls of the recent cruises that ended on Easter day and ask if they noticed anything in the dailies about the Mass.

[ibcnusoon]

I am on a cruise that disembarks on Easter morning at 10:00am (Gem out of NYC), which is a rather "late" arrival time. I too am wondering if there will be an early morning vigil prior to docking/disembarking at 10:00am.

[mkad1109]

Different times since we sailed out on Saturday, but this year on the Epic there were both a Catholic mass at 8:45 am and a non demoniational one at 10am.....No Easter Vigil and I would not have expected one.

 

It was in the Epic theatre...Very Surreal to be at Mass surrounded by billboards which had dancing girls dressed, welll, as dancing girls are dressed.....LOL!

[luvcruzing]

We disembarked from the Star on this Easter Sunday. No Catholic Mass. My son told me there was a non-denominational service being held somewhere on Saturday around noon. I checked the Freestyle Daily, and there was no mention of this, so perhaps he had heard a PA announcement (I was in the casino). My son did speak to his priest before our cruise, and the priest told him that under those circumstances our family was excused from attending Mass.

[Vyhanek]

Don't count on and services on the ship the day you disembark. NCL wants you focused on getting your butt off the ship. They want you focused on eating and leaving that's it. There probably will be something on Saturday though.

 

If you really had to find a church in Miami on Easter Sunday it could be done but it will be an exhausting effort. The easiest thing would be for you to have several churches with Mass starting times in the area all written down and ready to go depending on what time you get thru the process. You will have to catch a cab to the rental agency, rent a car then find the church. This will be an undertaking and you will be tired from the disembarking process of waiting in lines. Lines to disembark the ship, lines at customs, lines for taxi's, etc. Then once you get off the ship you will feel the urge to just get on a plane and get home!! Hassling around finding a church is going to feel like a lot.

 

Is there any way you could catch an early flight home.....11:30 ish and then try to catch a mass somewhere once you get back home in the late afternoon of Easter?

[wibeachbum]

We are on that cuise:) I feel a little guilty. Whos gonna make Easter dinner back home?

 

Catholic Easter Vigil has to be after sundown and the chance of a priest taking a cruise during holy week is pretty slim. Probly no mass on the ship as you thought.

 

Sorry I sympathize.

[DMH15]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Gives me lots to think of and research.

 

Mike, you crack me up. Thanks for the chuckle. My mom really is very easy going, (she pretty much lets me make our travel plans to suit me), and she doesn't ask for much so I like making her happy and in the grand scheme of things it's really not that much.

 

A funny story though... We did cruise out of Miami in 2005 and if my memory serves me right we stayed at the Sheraton Five points. We arrived a day early. We took a cab to a Catholic Church (the one the hotel concierge recommended), and as we saw the meter go up and up we realized that we wouldn't have enough cash to get back unless we had the cab wait while we went upstairs to our room safe to get more money. We also considered taking the bus back, if we could even afford that. We arrived at the church a little early and we met our angel. There was a man there who was an usher and he was setting the church up for Mass. We asked him about the bus. He said we should meet him after Mass out front and he would get the info for us. We were of course nervous throughout Mass and prayed for help. Well, after Mass here comes our new friend in his convertable and he insisted that he drive us back to the hotel. We offered him the money we had left but he would not take a dime.

 

This was the church that Fr. Cutie was at. He said our Mass. He was the famous tv Priest who later left the Church to marry.