cruiseline air or not?

[mjnieme]

That is the question. I have been able to find fares for my flight cheaper then what the cruiseline can offer me. I am going to be flying into Miami in January. Just wondering what do most other people do. How do you handle getting from the plane to the port if you don't take the cruiseline transfers. First timer hear looking for some good advice.:confused:

[JGR01]

Miami is an easy transfer airport to ship.

 

The Cruise lines will sell you one-way transfer on the spot .. leave bags with them and board the bus. Charge will appear on your stateroom account.

 

There are Cabs.

 

There is also a company called Super Shuttle that uses shared vans to destinations. Much cheaper than a cab, the you may have to wait a little while for one to arrive (15-20 mins).

 

With can or other mode (non cruise) you will have to get your luggage from the vehicle to a porter .. and then tip the porter .. who will then get it loaded onto the ship. BOTH options (ship bus and dropoff yourself) are very safe.

 

Returning you can buy ship transfer also .. or cab it.

 

NOW the real issue I want to suggest is that you go a DAY EARLY! (or the night before if you cannot go the whole day) I have seen TOOOO many people frantic at 6am when the flight cancels and they will miss their cruise because of rerouting of flights. Go a day early (booking your own air and hotel) and then take the hotel shuttle to and from the airport (or from airport to hotel then cab hotel to ship).

 

The ONLY advantage of cruise booked air and transfers is they know how and when you are arriving.. and they will look for you. And you can call saying you are stranded. With your own air .. if you miss the ship, its YOUR problem not theirs!

 

That said I normally go the day before. OR know I have plenty of options for rerouting and still making the ship.

 

The other advantage of your own air (yes if it is cheaper great) is that you can get airmiles for the trip . . use your tier for upgrade-ability .. etc. Cruise air is any airline and the seats are not pre-assigned to YOUR liking (they are blocked but not assigned typically until close to flight time).

 

Check with the cruise line on the return flight.. what is thier earliest recommended departure time. MANY ship from MIA will recommend noon or later .. you don't need to be stressing on the return!

[TrqoisWtrs]

Agree with above -

 

Don't bother with the cruise line air. I've heard of too many tight connections and like you said, more expensive flights.

 

Fly in the day before and start the vacation early. January can have some nasty weather which = flight delays and you don't want to be stressed out about missing your cruise!

 

A lot of people do Priceline for a nice hotel. I have never used it and have managed to find pretty good rates on my own. A lot of hotels offer a cruise package, which will include a shuttle ride to the port, and most hotels depending on location, offer complimentary airport shuttles. We usually find a hotel with an airport shuttle, and then just pay for a cab to the port. Flat rate from near the airport to the port runs around $22 per cab.

 

Once we even came in the day before, then the next morning, used the airport shuttle to take us back to the airport and we hitched a ride on ship's transfer. You can just walk up and they charge the ride to your cabin. This was in Orlando though, where it was a bit cheaper to take the transfer than pay for a 45 minute cab ride.