What to do with Luggage at port????

[Go Cards]

Hey guys, first time cruiser here. My cruise arrives at Port Everglades at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 19th. But my flight doesn't leave FL til 5:40 a.m. on the 20th. I'm sure I can kill a day in Ft. Lauderdale, but does anyone know whether the port or airport has a place I can store my luggage as to not take it to the beach, restaurant, and everywhere I go??

 

Cost??

 

Thanks,

 

JC

[Sheffie]

I don't think the airport will let you check it in that early, and since 9-11 there are no lockers at airports. Are you going to a hotel for the day, or renting a car? That is what I would do.

[TrustNoOneKMC]

First, if you are gonna get a hotel, many will let you "check" your luggage, even if it is too early for you to check in to your motel room. I have done this on a previous cruise, where I couldn't check in until noon for the room, but had them take my bags (which were in an employee-only room)While I went to breakfast and shopping for the day.

 

Airports are no longer allowed to have lockers? Is this throughout the entire airport? That seems strange. I think it would be worse not to have lockers, because then people would be more likely to leave luggage lying around, unattended - a big NO-NO! :eek:

 

Theoretically, if I had a long layover at an airport, and I had a somewhat large or heavy carry on, a jacket, and a small personal bag, I would like to be able to stash it in a locker while I went to the different shops. I would never leave baggage unattended, but I could foresee people leaving luggage to go into shops, if lockers were not available. This would be a much larger security risk, I think.

 

Or, is it that lockers are only available past security checkpoints. This would make a little more sense.

[Char]

Most airlines will let you check in 6 hours before your flight. You would have to keep your luggage with you until then.

 

There have been NO lockers allowed in any US airport since 9/11. None in some large airports since BEFORE 9/11. Too big a risk of someone leaving a bomb.

[Sheffie]

Airports are no longer allowed to have lockers? Is this throughout the entire airport? That seems strange. I think it would be worse not to have lockers, because then people would be more likely to leave luggage lying around, unattended - a big NO-NO! :eek:

 

Theoretically, if I had a long layover at an airport, and I had a somewhat large or heavy carry on, a jacket, and a small personal bag, I would like to be able to stash it in a locker while I went to the different shops. I would never leave baggage unattended, but I could foresee people leaving luggage to go into shops, if lockers were not available. This would be a much larger security risk, I think.

 

Or, is it that lockers are only available past security checkpoints. This would make a little more sense.

 

NO ONE can leave luggage sitting around ANYWHERE in an airport. If that were to happen, you better believe that there would be LOTS of people telling security about it. We are all pro-active when it comes to security at airports.

[cdncruzer]

We were unable to check in our luggage until 2 hrs before departure @ Ft Lauderdale airport. Others who were more resouceful were able to utulize the services of the hotel they had stayed @ pre-cruise. The other alternative is to book a post-cruise tour with the cruise line. We certainly wish we had.

 

We saw first hand what happens when you leave your luggage unattended. It was soon surrounded with police, police dogs and police tape and when its owner returned...much questioning!

[Texas_Diver]

You must be spending the night somewhere, right? If not, what are you going to do for all of those hours??

 

D.

[Go Cards]

Probably sitting with myself and my luggage in a bar on the beach drinking until about 3:00 a.m.............Looks like that's the alternative. We are college students and spent all our money on the cruise, no chance of reserving a room...too much $.

[crisp1]

Why don't you check out getting a hotel thru priceline. I'd check out sites like betterbidding.com or biddingfortravel. You might find a really good deal if you wait until the week before you go.

[zqvol]

Get a rental car. Two purposes, one luggage storage two transportation.

[crisp1]

Get a rental car. Two purposes, one luggage storage two transportation.

I believe that there is an age restriction for car rentals. 25 yrs?

[Cotton]

quote=TrustNoOneKMC

Airports are no longer allowed to have lockers? Is this throughout the entire airport? That seems strange.

 

 

-------------------

There are now no lockers available at airports, bus terminals, train stations, or cruise ship terminals. The terrorists put an end to that convenience.:mad:

 

It should make sense to you. Anybody could put a bomb into a locker at any of these places and simply walk away. Boom!

[greatam]

Probably sitting with myself and my luggage in a bar on the beach drinking until about 3:00 a.m.............Looks like that's the alternative. We are college students and spent all our money on the cruise, no chance of reserving a room...too much $.

 

Take some of the money you are planning on spending on BOOZE and get a cheapo hotel on priceline. OR book something like Motel6, DaysInn, etc. Surely you can scrape together $50.00 for a hotel and someplace to leave your luggage. At about $5.00 per drink on the cruise, you will just drink less.

 

If you spent all your money paying for the cruise, how are you going to pay for tips, drinks, shore excursions, etc? One less shore excursion, 10 less drinks and you have a hotel room for the day.

[Lsimon]

We rented a car. Car rental shuttle picked us up at pier and took us to local rental location. Cost about $30 or $40, we kept luggage in car and parked by beach, walked, shopped, ate & drank. Then turned in at airport. Worked out pretty good.

[westernmom]

lsimon,

 

Who did you rent your car from? I am thinking we will get a car in Miami for the day and was wondering who would pick us up at the pier and then us leave it at the airport.

 

Thanks!

[Lsimon]

We rented in Ft. lauderdale. At the time all the car rental agencies had shuttles to Port Everglades, I don't know if they still do or not since the airport rental car logistics have changed - but I believe at least some do.

 

I'm not sure about Miami, I'd look in the "Ports of call" boards here, under United States or under "cruise discussion topics" - "Hotels - Pre & Post-Cruise". If you search back there will postings about rental cars at Miami port. We got off much earlier than ever before, and sat outside calling places on our cell phone checking rates - not fun since we didn't even have the different companies rates. If I were you I'd call the major companies and check rates and ask if they pick up at the Miami pier.

[Pat & Jon]

Miami airport let us check our luggage way early cause we begged because

the cruise ship made us leave so early. We rented a car and went to South Beach and spent the day. Yeah, we could have taken the luggage with us in the rental, but we waited in the very long line at the airport first thing and didn't have to worry about the traffic or crowds later. It was a very relaxing day!!!:)

[Bonnie J.]

As soon as you get into port, call your airline and see if ther'e an earlier flight you can get. Once when we got to the airport to see about checking our bags were asked if we wanted the flight leaving in half an hour! We said YES. We arrived in Newark, NJ, in snowy February, in shorts - didn't have time to change til we got there! But we didn't have the long wiat!

You don't have to get off the ship the minute your color tag is called. Have a second or third cup of coffee. Then you find you luggage easier too!

[RevSmith]

Hotels will sometimes take your luggage for a small fee...especially if you stayed there on your way to the cruise.