Transportation Question...Miami Airport to Cruise

[CorrieC]

Hi Ya'll! I haven't posted in a long time, but I am thinking of doing another cruise this March over Spring Break with my two boys. The cruise will leave from Miami on Monday 3/16 at 4pm. The earliest we can possibly get in to the Miami airport is 2:36pm. Now assuming that we are not delayed and we actually get there at that time, is it possible to get down to the cruise ship terminal fast enough to get on the cruise in time? I know this is pushing it and it would be better to fly in the night before (3/15), but I have special airline tickets and 3/15 is a blackout date, so we can not fly on that day! The Carnival website says the latest you can arrive at the Miami airport to get their transfers is 2:30pm, so we are just 6 minutes over their cut-off....However I'm thinking it might be quicker (and cheaper since there are 3 of us) just to get a cab anyways. I've been to Miami and I know that the airport is not super far from the cruise terminal, and keep in mind too that this would be a Monday afternoon, so maybe not the busiest time for traffic...But what do you think??? Can we do this or am I crazy?

 

Thanks! :)

[CruiserBruce]

You will still need to claim baggage and get to the port. Sorry, but this is crazy, and no way I would do it.

 

If you are sticking with the plan, cab is the only effective way to get to the port. $24, fixed rate.

[CorrieC]

That is what I feared! The other option would be flying in on 3/14 since 3/15 is a blackout day. But then we have so much time to kill before the cruise...and that means paying for 2 nights at a hotel, meals in Miami, etc.

[taglovestocruise]

You also have to check in at least 60-90 minutes before departure time. Ship must submit passenger final manifest 1 hour before departure.. No way can you make it unless 4 pm is final boarding time and sail away is 5 PM..

[Dayenu]

Is there a possibility to fly in the day before the blackout date?

 

What if your flight is delayed? What if the luggage is late on the carousel? What if there is a long taxi line?

 

There is one thing I don't understand in the OP. The cruise leaves at 4 pm - this means, everybody must be on the ship by 3 pm (or earlier? at 2.30?) - so why the last transfer is picking up passengers arriving at 2.30? Something doesn't add up with the times posted.

[CorrieC]

Thanks guys. The Carnival website lists the departure time at 4pm, but in my experience, cruises usually depart around 5pm, so I'm guessing 4pm is the final check-in time. I got the 2:30pm time from the Carnival transfer page, that seems to be their cut-off time across the board for any cruise leaving out of Miami (again leading me to believe that these cruises are actually leaving at 5pm).

 

But you are right, this is really cutting it super close. If our flight was delayed or there was any problem at all, we would run the risk of missing the cruise altogether, which would be a huge bummer, needless to say.

 

The other option would have to be flying in 2 days ahead on 3/14, which probably makes sense, but then I have to figure out what to do with the kids during that time, and pay for a hotel, and possibly even a rental car if I wanted to take them anywhere...Or we could just sit in the hotel watching movies I guess, lol! Maybe that's not a bad option actually! ;)

Edited February 3, 2015 by CorrieC

[CruiserBruce]

Thanks guys. The Carnival website lists the departure time at 4pm, but in my experience, cruises usually depart around 5pm, so I'm guessing 4pm is the final check-in time. I got the 2:30pm time from the Carnival transfer page, that seems to be their cut-off time across the board for any cruise leaving out of Miami (again leading me to believe that these cruises are actually leaving at 5pm).

 

 

I can't speak for Carnival, but it has been my experience if they say departure is X, it is X, or as close as conditions allow. You are just adding another huge level of risk assuming something different from the info given.

[Abear2]

If you book a hotel in the downtown area, you and the kids will have plenty to do! You can walk everywhere! Plenty of shopping and eating around there too! :D

[Hlitner]

First, the wonderful US Government requires cruise lines to submit their final passenger manifest 60 minutes before departure. With a scheduled 4 pm departure that means everyone must be checked-in by 3pm (unless the cruise is delayed for some reason). You are flying into south Florida in March which does have a thunderstorm risk (which will delay lots of flights). So, lets assume your flight lands exactly on time. It normally can take at least 10 min until you can even get off a flight (unless you are in first class up front) and then you have to walk through MIA to get to the luggage area and outside. Depending on your gate this can be a 15 min walk, and that is assuming you have no checked luggage. This means even if you are on time, rush through the airport, have no checked luggage, you are not going to be outside in the taxi queue until nearly 3pm. You then have a 15-25 min ride to the port (depending on traffic) which means you cannot possibly be at the port before 3:15 and more likely it will be around 3:30. Under normal circumstances that means you will miss your cruise. Just the facts :).

 

Hank

[CorrieC]

You guys are right! That is cutting it way too close I agree. I am now looking into flights coming in on Sat 2/14. We will just rest on Sun 2/15, the day before the cruise. Yes, I've been to the downtown area and it's really nice although the hotels are a little bit pricey...I'm trying to do this vacation on a budget this time, which is why I'm using the special discounted airfare tickets....So the kids may have to settle for a hotel near the airport and just watch movies or something...It actually doesn't sound too bad, considering that I'm saving a huge amount on the airfare!

 

:)

[Dayenu]

The other option would have to be flying in 2 days ahead on 3/14, which probably makes sense, but then I have to figure out what to do with the kids during that time, and pay for a hotel, and possibly even a rental car if I wanted to take them anywhere...Or we could just sit in the hotel watching movies I guess, lol! Maybe that's not a bad option actually! ;)

 

Stay on Miami Beach (island), the beaches are sandy, March should be warm enough.