Miami port taxi

[rallydave]

gee after reading the post about that excellent meet and greet...wonder what Frank Del Rio is doing on the 20th ? big grin:D

 

Probably cooking up some more hidden price increases before the end of the year for Oceania as well as Regent.

[doubledobles]

It's not tipping, it's BRIBERY!!!!

I tip for services rendered and I don't consider it bribery. For me, the extra $20 was well worth it, since I avoided a long line waiting for cabs along with schleping the luggage down that line.

[rallydave]

I tip for services rendered and I don't consider it bribery. For me, the extra $20 was well worth it, since I avoided a long line waiting for cabs along with schleping the luggage down that line.

 

You would be correct if you gave them the $20 after they got you the cab. You commented " I told the porter "here's an extra $20 for you if you can get us a taxi right away.

 

So you weren't paying for services rendered since nothing had been rendered. The porter might not have gotten you a cab quickly so would you have asked for your bribe back.

 

It is a bribe to pay in advance and a tip to pay after services were rendered. therefore in this specific case it was a bribe!!

[doubledobles]

You would be correct if you gave them the $20 after they got you the cab. You commented " I told the porter "here's an extra $20 for you if you can get us a taxi right away.

 

So you weren't paying for services rendered since nothing had been rendered. The porter might not have gotten you a cab quickly so would you have asked for your bribe back.

 

It is a bribe to pay in advance and a tip to pay after services were rendered. therefore in this specific case it was a bribe!!

 

OK, call it what you want. Tip or bribe, I'm going to continue to do it and continue to get a cab when I need it.

[MightyQuinn]

We were also on the recent Riviera crossing and had the best disembarkation ever in Miami! We were off the ship shortly after 8:00 am, collected our luggage and were in a taxi in less than 10 minutes. We were at MIA by 8:35 am. The taxi line at the pier was very well organized and there were plenty of cars available when we disembarked. Fixed price of $24 to the airport.

[Baby Hughy]

What you said initially that you are willing to jump the q because you are willing to put out extra cash. Seems like you have a lot of respect for your fellow passengers. Bill

[JimandStan]

What you said initially that you are willing to jump the q because you are willing to put out extra cash. Seems like you have a lot of respect for your fellow passengers. Bill

 

Learning how the system works is not disrespectful, however, refusing to admit that money makes the World go around is extremely naive. :cool:

[Hambagahle]

You would be correct if you gave them the $20 after they got you the cab. You commented " I told the porter "here's an extra $20 for you if you can get us a taxi right away.

 

So you weren't paying for services rendered since nothing had been rendered. The porter might not have gotten you a cab quickly so would you have asked for your bribe back.

 

It is a bribe to pay in advance and a tip to pay after services were rendered. therefore in this specific case it was a bribe!!

 

Disagree, Dave - and hi, BTW!! - do you know what TIPS came from?? To Insure Prompt Service is what it means. (Old expression from the days of the Raj like POSH (Port Out, Starboard Home). So giving a TIPS in advance makes all the sense in the world. All this is, also, very useful when you play Trivia!!

[rallydave]

Disagree, Dave - and hi, BTW!! - do you know what TIPS came from?? To Insure Prompt Service is what it means. (Old expression from the days of the Raj like POSH (Port Out, Starboard Home). So giving a TIPS in advance makes all the sense in the world. All this is, also, very useful when you play Trivia!!

 

Hi to you as well Gerry. Yes, very familiar with that phrase as my father said it often. Have to ask though why then are tips the last thing one does after the service is performed in restaurants, taxis, tours, hotels, etc?

 

Quite a dichotomy don't you think. Do see exactly what you are saying and perhaps the tip should be given before whatever we are tipping for at the beginning of the process but, it doesn't except in cases like this and in the minds of Jim and Stan who seem to believe that money makes the world go round.

 

It is difficult to disagree with you based on the acronym but, tips have come to also mean payment for a job well done and bribes seem to mean payment in advance for an advantage which seems to be what the OP was doing in jumping the Que and going around his fellow passengers.

 

At this point not sure there is a totally correct answer to this issue and it depends on each person's POV. Think it best to leave it that way.

 

By the way, not looking forward to find better trivia partners for our next cruise than our last one. Hope you have a wonderful cruise on Oceania in the Caribbean while we are crossing the Pacific on our next adventure.

[Caroldoll]

What is wrong in Miami is their baggage handling--we have had to wait more than an hour for our bags to be unloaded! Last time it came fast. I am not booking a driver this time from the ship to the airport as we have a lot of time..we will use your magic method! LOL

[Love.II.Cruise]

On Nov 29the it was extremely easy to get a cab. There was an organized line to wait in that moved very quickly. We had one within 20 minutes and we were on our way.

 

I didn't see any other ships docked on the other side. So I think the lack of ships in Miami that day made a big difference. Below is a link to some of the ships in port that month (I'm not sure on the reliability of this site).

 

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/United_States_Of_America/426-Miami_Florida/November_2012/

[JAKUEHNLE]

04-Mar-13 14,027 Norwegian Sky, Majesty Of The Seas, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Victory, Celebrity Constellation, Riviera

 

With 6 ships in port, and 14,000 passengers, taxis might be a slight problem!:eek:

[Hambagahle]

Dave - I think after our TA cruise and highly successful partnership I am giving up Trivia! unless you and Paige are on board (which you won't be!!) why bother?

 

Back to tips/taxis etc. Makes a lot of sense to me to make it worth the porter's while to get one a taxi quickly. Could be done either way - as JimandStan suggest, $20 up front, or a promise of a nice tip followed by the $20 when one gets one's taxi.

 

I looked up our cruise's arrival in Miami and think we are the only ship in port that day. So maybe $10 will do??

 

Have a wonderful RTW cruise Dave!!

[wristband]

There is a flat taxi rate from port to airport of $25. You have to ask/insist otherwise the meter runs and runs.

 

We were on Riviera last week, got off quickly, claimed our bags and went to the taxi stand. No one was in line, we hopped in an awaiting cab, zipped off to the terminal.

 

However, we saw others lumbering into in the terminal nearly two hours (!) after we arrived. They were upset and had no idea why it took so dang long to be allowed off. They had "red" independent disembarkation tags - same as us but with different "red" numbers. We were the second "red" group called, they were dead last.

 

Oddball methodology. Two hours sitting in the casino, fretting about making their flights.

[LHT28]

There is a flat taxi rate from port to airport of $25. You have to ask/insist otherwise the meter runs and runs.

 

We were on Riviera last week, got off quickly, claimed our bags and went to the taxi stand. No one was in line, we hopped in an awaiting cab, zipped off to the terminal.

 

However, we saw others lumbering into in the terminal nearly two hours (!) after we arrived. They were upset and had no idea why it took so dang long to be allowed off. They had "red" independent disembarkation tags - same as us but with different "red" numbers. We were the second "red" group called, they were dead last.

 

Oddball methodology. Two hours sitting in the casino, fretting about making their flights.

 

Never had to insist on the flat rate before but I guess it does happen

 

 

Maybe those waiting did not hear their tag colour called , sometimes it is so noisy in the waiting area you cannot hear anything

[RPen63]

Thanks, Lyn. This will make it much easier to plan.

 

We drove to Miami last January and parked at the port. It ended up working out but it almost wasn't to be. When we arrived at about noon, every lane in to the garage was blocked with pylons implying that he entrance was closed. I dropped my DW off at the terminal and then drove around to see if there was another entrance and found none. I saw an attendant in be of the booths so we drove up. She allowed me in to see if we could find a spot. After noticing whole sections blocked off and trolling a number of floors, I eventually found a spot. I then walked back down to the entrance and paid for the full ten days.

 

While waiting on our balcony for the sail away, I noticed a mass exodus from the garage. It was virtually empty when we sailed away. I could see my car and it looked lonely. It appears that the garage is full of office workers' cars during the day.

 

The departure was great. We lugged our bags across to the garage and loaded them directly in after I drove down to where my DW was waiting. It was a great way to avoid the confusion of disembarkation.

 

We lucked out finding a spot. If we had not, I understand that they have a remote lot and a shuttle. That would have been a pain!

[hrprof]

OK, now I'm really confused! Isn't parking at the port ($20/day) payable on leaving the garage on departure day with credit card?

[LHT28]

OK, now I'm really confused! Isn't parking at the port ($20/day) payable on leaving the garage on departure day with credit card?

According to the POM cruise parking you are correct ..they do take cash as well

http://cruisemiami.org/

[ORV]

Disagree, Dave - and hi, BTW!! - do you know what TIPS came from?? To Insure Prompt Service is what it means. (Old expression from the days of the Raj like POSH (Port Out, Starboard Home). So giving a TIPS in advance makes all the sense in the world. All this is, also, very useful when you play Trivia!!

 

If you look this up you'll find this is actually an urban myth/ old wives tale type of thing.

 

The word you would be looking for is "Ensure" which would change it to "Teps".

 

It sounds good though. Here's some interesting reading;

 

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp

[hrprof]

Hmmm. Thanks for the reference, but it does indicate an exception for garage J which is the O terminal. This would suggest that advance payment is required at that one location.

[LHT28]

Hmmm. Thanks for the reference, but it does indicate an exception for garage J which is the O terminal. This would suggest that advance payment is required at that one location.

AHHH I misread that

 

 

we usually park off-site

[rallydave]

Dave - I think after our TA cruise and highly successful partnership I am giving up Trivia! unless you and Paige are on board (which you won't be!!) why bother?

 

Back to tips/taxis etc. Makes a lot of sense to me to make it worth the porter's while to get one a taxi quickly. Could be done either way - as JimandStan suggest, $20 up front, or a promise of a nice tip followed by the $20 when one gets one's taxi.

 

I looked up our cruise's arrival in Miami and think we are the only ship in port that day. So maybe $10 will do??

 

Have a wonderful RTW cruise Dave!!

 

You are making us blush Gerry. We've got a long cruise ahead of us and sure we won't find better partners than you and Ken but we've got to try. May give up after a few days if we can't find brilliant partners like the two of you.

 

Don't know about you but, we're just itching to be heading for Ft. Lauderdale. Only 19 days until we leave but, who's counting. Most everything done except our cabin number. We booked over 13 months ago and our category of choice was Guarantee only so we sit and wait and wait and wait to see how far up we move. Seems they don't assign until about 10 days out so perhaps the day after Christmas. What a nice Boxing Day present that could be.

 

Hope you enjoy the Caribbean on Oceania and certainly hope our paths cross again on another wonderful cruise.

 

Best regards,

 

Dave & Paige

[Hambagahle]

well Dave - be sure and let us know where you end up! On a long cruise like that a nice suite is really great! I can see you both loungeing around the Owners Suite or something similar!! Have a great cruise and a good christmas and New Year before that.

Gerry