Flying into Florida

[reedprincess]

Thanks for the suggestions. As said, we plan to go directly from MIA to the hotel. Guess I wasn't clear enough about that. Rail and Uber are out. Not gonna happen. Our flight arrives just before 7pm so I expect it'll be close to 8pm before we will have our luggage and head to the hotel which I hope will be sufficiently past rush hour.

 

You were very clear, which is why I offered several various options, including a shuttle service, limo/car hire, etc... The rail is very easy, right from the AA terminal (upstairs, towards the rental car area, cost a few bucks, takes to Ft Lauderdale airport, skips all traffic of any kind, then a quick cab from FLL.). Just n option.

But, as I noted in first option, a shuttle service works well. Drawback, often shared shuttles so picking up other passengers, waiting for other stops at other hotels, etc c - hence private car. Taxi will add up fast due to traffic, and yes even at 8pm, there can be - and often is - traffic between the two. A towncar runs about $ 75-85 direct from MIA to hotels in Ft Lauderdale - we've done so numerous times. And very easy with meet and greet right at baggage claim...

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the suggestions. As said, we plan to go directly from MIA to the hotel. Guess I wasn't clear enough about that. Rail and Uber are out. Not gonna happen. Our flight arrives just before 7pm so I expect it'll be close to 8pm before we will have our luggage and head to the hotel which I hope will be sufficiently past rush hour.

 

 

Try these guys, they are great. Punctual and reasonable.

 

https://fortlauderdaletransfers.com/

[blbailey]

In your opinion are they better than using the taxi service?

[Colo Cruiser]

In your opinion are they better than using the taxi service?

 

 

Yes I would but if you want more piece of mind just take the cab. :)

[Pam in CA]

Try these guys, they are great. Punctual and reasonable.

 

 

 

https://fortlauderdaletransfers.com/

Thanks. Looks like they're pretty reasonable.

[Justprettynpink]

We used Uber for the first time last month for our cruise. I was nervous about using it.

 

It was great and cheap. Our drivers were friendly and the cars were very clean. The best feature I liked it that they used GPS to get to your destination. I have often felt cab drivers took the longest way.

 

There are many codes out there for a free ride if you want to try them.

 

uberjmrteacher is one of them.

[donaldsc]

Ok so I need everyone's opinion/advice, we are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale...what is the best airport to fly into. Miami or Fort Lauderdale? Are the transfers hard to find? When do they start leaving for the ship? We have already booked the transfers through Princess just curious if the people are easy to locate.

 

1. Unless Miami is really really really cheaper, fly into Ft. Lauderdale. We are doing sort of reverse. We are cruising out of Miami but the flight into Ft. Lauderdale is more than $100 cheaper per person and the limo to our motel in Miami is only about $50 total for the 2 of us so it was a no brainer. Also, I absolutely hate MIA.

 

2. Just my opinion but anyone who buys Princess transfers from Fort Lauderdale to the cruise terminal is a total sucker. The cab ride to the ship is really cheap and you do not have to wait around at the airport until they fill the bus. Cancel your transfers if you can.

 

There are some airports where cruise ship transfers make sense but very few of them.

 

DON

[LeeW]

Thank you so much for all of the information. We are flying from Denver and our flight gets in at 930. Will we be able to get a bus asap

 

Surprised you found a direct flight - last trip we had to fly into Miami to avoid changing planes. Your timing is pretty good since you should have your bags by 10. You might get lucky on a Princess transfer - the first buses should be dropping off around then and ready to load and go back to the ship. But also possible you will have to wait for more people to take the bus. A cab is much easier and cheaper. Checkin at the ship should start around 11, with boarding around noon.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Grego]

The best advise I can give you, especially this time of year, is to fly in to FLL the day before your embarkation and stay at either one of Princess' offerings for a hotel or book one close to the airport/port. This way you take the winter issues out of the equation, arrive in FL a day early to enjoy our weather and then you can get to the ship when you want without the rush or stress.

[capriccio]

The best advise I can give you, especially this time of year, is to fly in to FLL the day before your embarkation and stay at either one of Princess' offerings for a hotel or book one close to the airport/port.

 

Given that Princess hotel prices are per person not per room, you can usually do much better making your own hotel arrangements. If you need guidance on choosing a hotel, do some research on the Florida Departures Board (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495) or post a specific request on that Board for recommendations (citing your travel date(s), budget and requirements).

[RJB]

It will be cheaper and easier to either use a shuttle service, hire a private car (towncar or limo) or use Uber. A Cab can add up quickly if there's any traffic at all. Without traffic, about a 30-35 minute ride. You also have the option of the Tri-Rail, which from MIA to FLL (and points north), then a Cab from FLL to hotel.... Just look up Florida Tri-Rail... Very inexpensive option.

Tri-Rail is a train. Do you want to drag luggage on a train? Can't be very easy. Paying a lot for a cruise, don't be cheap in getting there.

[Pam in CA]

The best advise I can give you, especially this time of year, is to fly in to FLL the day before your embarkation and stay at either one of Princess' offerings for a hotel or book one close to the airport/port. This way you take the winter issues out of the equation, arrive in FL a day early to enjoy our weather and then you can get to the ship when you want without the rush or stress.

That works only if you can get a direct flight into FLL. Never book a Princess pre-cruise hotel or transfer if you are flying into FLL. I usually never use the word "never" but in this case, you are way overpaying and it's far cheaper and easier to book your own hotel and take a cab. Flying into MIA is a bit different.

[reedprincess]

Tri-Rail is a train. Do you want to drag luggage on a train? Can't be very easy. Paying a lot for a cruise, don't be cheap in getting there.

I'm well aware Tri-Rail is a train. It's not any harder "dragging" my luggage onto the train there than it it is "dragging" it through the airport and then the lines waiting for a taxi, or "dragging" it around trying to find the shuttle stop....It's not being "cheap", it's economical. You spend your $$$ as like, and we'll spend ours how we like. All the best..

Edited January 24, 2016 by reedprincess

[pablo222]

I'm well aware Tri-Rail is a train. It's not any harder "dragging" my luggage onto the train there than it it is "dragging" it through the airport and then the lines waiting for a taxi, or "dragging" it around trying to find the shuttle stop....It's not being "cheap", it's economical. You spend your $$$ as like, and we'll spend ours how we like. All the best..

 

The downside of tri-rail is that the FLL stop isn't at the airport

-- you have to take a shuttle bus.

 

For the past 2/3 years, you had to take a shuttle bus in Miami,

as well. But, they recently opened tri-rail to Miami airport

after re-building the station. I think this was only 2 years behind.

 

You can certainly save a ton-o-money taking tri-rail.

But, the weekend schedule is sparse, especially on Sunday.

And you have have to drag your own bags on and off, and

possibly on and off a shuttle bus as well.

 

Car service -- most expensive, most convenient.

Shared van -- less expensive, but may stop at other hotels, etc.

Princess shuttle -- in the middle

 

Rental car -- rent in miami, return in Ft. Lauderdale.

Good if longer than a few hours.

 

Tri-rail -- hardest, most inconvenient, but cheap.

[traveling psych nurse]

Thank you to everyone who posted here. We live in the Oklahoma and have been flying to Houston for our Caribbean cruises. We have one at the end of March. After that we are looking at Princess out of Florida. I jotted down suggestions for transfers and hotels. Very helpful.

Thank all of you.:):):)

[pablo222]

Thank you to everyone who posted here. We live in the Oklahoma and have been flying to Houston for our Caribbean cruises. We have one at the end of March. After that we are looking at Princess out of Florida. I jotted down suggestions for transfers and hotels. Very helpful.

Thank all of you.:):):)

 

For Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, you are much better off flying

to Ft. Lauderdale than Miami.

 

FLL to port 5 minutes.

MIA to port 30 minutes.

 

...with proportional costs.

[Pam in CA]

For Princess in Ft. Lauderdale, you are much better off flying

 

to Ft. Lauderdale than Miami.

 

 

 

FLL to port 5 minutes.

 

MIA to port 30 minutes.

Actually, no it isn't. There are no direct flights on AA between LAX and FLL and there's no way I want to change planes, adding hours to my travel time. Cheaper and easier to fly into MIA.

[Colo Cruiser]

Actually, no it isn't. There are no direct flights on AA between LAX and FLL and there's no way I want to change planes, adding hours to my travel time. Cheaper and easier to fly into MIA.

 

 

I agree. We go to Miami if necessary.

Really easy getting back and forth to Ft Lauderdale.

[Grimsby]

Ok so I need everyone's opinion/advice, we are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale...what is the best airport to fly into. Miami or Fort Lauderdale? Are the transfers hard to find? When do they start leaving for the ship? We have already booked the transfers through Princess just curious if the people are easy to locate.

 

Almost all of our 15 cruises have been out of Fort Lauderdale. Only once have we found a flight deal with a price so appealing that we flew into MIami, paid the $50.00 shuttle fee to Ft. Lauderdale, and still came out significant $$$ ahead. One other word of advice. If we're flying in the winter, (in our case from Buffalo N.Y.), we always fly in a day ahead of the cruise departure date and stay in a Ft. Lauderdale hotel, many of which will shuttle you to your ship.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Grimsby

[more cruises]

An issue for me is that the traffic between Miama and FLL scares the holy heck out of me. I would do anything to avoid that 45 mins of white knuckle stress. (Opening the tunnel into the port did help some)

 

Flying into and cruising out of FLL is always my first choice.

[Orlando Vic]

Actually, no it isn't. There are no direct flights on AA between LAX and FLL and there's no way I want to change planes, adding hours to my travel time. Cheaper and easier to fly into MIA.

 

Do you mean direct or non-stop? Direct means no change of planes, but possibly a stop. I assume you're talking about non-stops. All non-stops are direct, not all direct flights are non-stop.

 

There are non-stops between LAX & FLL, but not on AA. Jet Blue, Virgin America and Spirit all fly non-stop (and direct).

Edited February 1, 2016 by Orlando Vic

[cfdisk]

Do you mean direct or non-stop? Direct means no change of planes, but possibly a stop. I assume you're talking about non-stops. All non-stops are direct, not all direct flights are non-stop.

 

There are non-stops between LAX & FLL, but not on AA. Jet Blue, Virgin America and Spirit all fly non-stop (and direct).

 

 

Spirit is such a joke! I would rather fly into Mco, then have to fly on a budget carrier.

 

I did the uber ride once from MIA to FLL and it was only 33 bucks, not a bad deal.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[pablo222]

Actually, no it isn't. There are no direct flights on AA between LAX and FLL

 

So? The original poster that I was replying to is not in LA,

nor did they mention flying on AA.

 

I realize I should have added a caveat for the nit-pickers...

 

IF POSSIBLE AND ECONOMICAL, it is better to fly to Ft. Lauderdale

than Miami, because of the relative distances to the port.

Edited February 1, 2016 by pablo222

[cfdisk]

So? The original poster that I was replying to is not in LA,

nor did they mention flying on AA.

 

I realize I should have added a caveat for the nit-pickers...

 

IF POSSIBLE AND ECONOMICAL, it is better to fly to Ft. Lauderdale

than Miami, because of the relative distances to the port.

 

 

Amen, the possibilities are endless these days. :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[billyg3]

Spirit is such a joke! I would rather fly into Mco, then have to fly on a budget carrier.

 

I did the uber ride once from MIA to FLL and it was only 33 bucks, not a bad deal.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Agreed. I flew Spirit once because it was the only direct flight for me one morning. Never again. They charge extra fees for everything.