Checking in luggage and then going shopping?

[trinitygirl]

Hi all, I have had a look and not been able to find an answer to this question so wondering if anyone here can help.  I am arriving at Port Everglades on the Sky Princess in November after a repositioning cruise (estimated arrival 6am) and then departing on the Celebrity Reflection at 3.30pm.  I am wondering if it is allowed to check in my bag at the Celebrity terminal, and then catch an uber to the 17th St shopping precinct to have brunch and do some shopping before returning to the Terminal to check in?  Here in Melbourne I know that if you were to check in your bags and then depart, no one would ever know because the luggage area is always very busy, but I am not sure if it will be the same in FLL. 

 

If it IS allowed, do you know when I could expect the luggage area to be open?  I am kind of planning to stay on board the Sky Princess and just read my book until they kick me off at 9am (?) and then catch a taxi to the new terminal (terminal 25? seems to be a long way from terminal 2!), but my documentation says that check in starts at 11am and I don't really know what that means:  is it like an airport where you can sit inside the terminal but just not go through security until check in starts, or will I have to sit on the pavement outside the building for a couple of hours?

 

any information would be gratefully received.

Emma

[upwarduk]

You choose your Check in time.

[hrhdhd]

You can probably drop luggage around 10-10:30.

[Jim_Iain]

It is totally possible as no one monitors you after you drop off you luggage.   The gating factor is they will not have baggage drop off and  porters available  until 10-10:30.   

 

Your time may be limited as you are required to check in 1 1/2 hour prior to ships departure time, unless otherwise listed.  

 

The 11:00 checkin time is your allocated slot (first slot) to checkin for your cruise but you can usually checkin at 10:30 (may not board until 11:00)  any time after that.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Not sure how they do it in Florida, but in Seattle each cruise line has it's own 'hard close' of the terminal door, which means that no one gets in after that time.  Even if you were checked-in, but out sightseeing or shopping, if you returned to the ship after the gangway was pulled, the ship (and the luggage you had dropped off) would sail without you.

 

During the 2021 shortened Alaska cruise season, we had a young family drop off their luggage and headed out into Seattle to sightsee.  They assumed incorrectly that if they were back before 4PM when the ship was scheduled to sail then they would be safe.  When they returned at about 3:30, the ship was still at the dock, but since the gangway had been pulled, the ship sailed without them, but with their luggage onboard.  (Another factor that would have prevented them from sailing was that their under 5 yr old child needed to be tested for Covid, and there would not have been enough time for the testing and time for the results to come back).  Very unfortunate.

[trinitygirl]

Ok, thanks so much for this information.  Much to think about.  It seems, from your comments, that I might be able to drop my luggage off at 10.30, then head to 17th St for a couple of hours, as long as I am back no later than 1.30pm (for our 3.30pm departure).  I can definitely make that work.  Someone said I can pick my own checkin time, so I would aim for a slot around 1-1.30pm.  
 

Given the fact that I will definitely have to wait at least an hour, I might just plan to walk between terminals 2 and 25.  It looks like a 40 minute walk and I would rather trundle along than wait outside the bag drop area for an hour or longer.

 

thanks everyone!

Edited February 14, 2023 by trinitygirl

[jbright]

If you want to maximize your time, there is a bounce luggage storage at 1300 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 (less than a mile from port). It opens at 7am and I think it's around $6 per bag. Bounce has a website you can find on google - they have locations all over.

[Jeremiah1212]

15 minutes ago, jbright said:

If you want to maximize your time, there is a bounce luggage storage at 1300 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 (less than a mile from port). It opens at 7am and I think it's around $6 per bag. Bounce has a website you can find on google - they have locations all over.

 

👍 This seems like it may be a better option. The port is not pedestrian friendly. I would be leery to drop luggage too early. With the time an Uber can take to arrive, traffic, etc. it seems like you have plenty of time to shop but the window closes in pretty quickly. Also, depending on what kind of shopping you want to do, you will not find anything very unique within the 17th street area. You may not be familiar with some of the stores but they are very basic places you can find in any strip mall in the US. Something else to consider. 

[miched]

I think you best bet is to walk to the other terminal.  Check in and then board the ship.   There is really nothing special about shopping in the area.   Don’t know what you are looking.   There are a few malls in the area if you google 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=ft+lauderdale+malls&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

 

We did a Celebrity to Princess cruise years ago.  We were kicked off the ship around 9:30.   Got our luggage and went thru the long customs line that is no longer because of the new policies.   We walked over to the Princess terminal that was next to it and they didn’t take our bags until around 10:30.  They have to clear out the previous passengers.  
 

Or if you really want to do the shopping do as suggested check it in at that site off port and then go to Sawgrass Mills 

 

https://www.simon.com/mall/sawgrass-mills/stores

here are some travel suggestions to get there from the cruise port

 

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Fort-Lauderdale-Cruise-Terminal/Sawgrass-Mills

 

There are post cruise shopping that takes you to the mall and then to the airport that you may want to consider if you have time at the end of your last cruise

 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅