Miami Port to Airport Transfers Not Reliable

[jeri.rigged.223]

Second year in a row that a couple of hundred people purchased NCLs airport transfer tickets to the Miami Airport. Second year in a row that we started disembarking the ship around 8 am and there were no buses. One came, loaded and then unloaded as it was for the artists (musicians) that were on the Blues Cruise. We did not get a bus until 11 am and many who bought transfers had to leave and hail a cab or Uber to make their flights. They left a couple hundred people standing at the port waiting for hours. One bus left and then returned FULL, not delivering the passengers, about 40 minutes later to pick up a woman in a wheelchair as it was the only bus at that point and it had a wheelchair lift.

 

NCL took no responsibility for the problem while we stood there in port and their subsidiary booking agent, Sixthman INITIALLY said there was nothing they could do in spite of NCL being their parent company

 

THIS SERVICE IS NOT RELIABLE.

T

[disneylover89]

Thank you for the heads up.  We usually take the cruise transfers from port to airport and will now make alternate plans, I have read about this problem more than once. 

[bluesea777]

We do not take any of the NCL transfers from/to airport anywhere. 
 

In Miami the taxis have fixed fare to airport from port so it makes more sense to use cabs if there are 2 or more people in the party. 

We do not do NCL air anywhere either as we prefer to fly into port city 2 or 3 days prior to cruise and book hotel somewhere and then take taxi from hotel to ship on cruise day. At our own (and quicker) pace!

 

I’ve usually found good air deals which didn’t even bust our budgets. 
 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

Worse things have happened to people who added an airport transfer to their cruise.....

 

 

...just sayin' 🤗

[shof515]

over the weekend they was a ultra music festival in Miami causing lots of road closures and lots of additional traffic 

[ColeThornton]

30 minutes ago, disneylover89 said:

Thank you for the heads up.  We usually take the cruise transfers from port to airport and will now make alternate plans, I have read about this problem more than once. 

 

 

Personally, I take the NCL transfers every time and have never had an issue over many sailings, neither have any of my friends who use the same service.  Just wanted to add a little perspective.

[disneylover89]

21 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

We do not take any of the NCL transfers from/to airport anywhere. 
 

In Miami the taxis have fixed fare to airport from port so it makes more sense to use cabs if there are 2 or more people in the party. 

We do not do NCL air anywhere either as we prefer to fly into port city 2 or 3 days prior to cruise and book hotel somewhere and then take taxi from hotel to ship on cruise day. At our own (and quicker) pace!

 

I’ve usually found good air deals which didn’t even bust our budgets. 
 

 

There is no longer a fixed fare from Port to Airport, I read they stopped this late last year

[BirdTravels]

24 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

In Miami the taxis have fixed fare to airport from port so it makes more sense to use cabs if there are 2 or more people in the party. 

Miami taxis stopped doing fixed rates making them much more expensive than Lyft / Uber (even with demand pricing). 
 

The last time we were in Miami, there were shuttle services hustling people in the taxi lines for rides to the airport. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by BirdTravels

[bluesea777]

21 minutes ago, disneylover89 said:

There is no longer a fixed fare from Port to Airport, I read they stopped this late last year

 

20 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Miami taxis stopped doing fixed rates making them much more expensive than Lyft / Uber (even with demand pricing). 
 

The last time we were in Miami, there were shuttle services hustling people in the taxi lines for rides to the airport. 

Thanks for letting me know! Sigh … groan 😩!

 

[screenname2004]

We took the NCL transfer from POM to MIA last Sunday (3/26) and the whole process from out of the terminal to the airport took over 1 and a half hours. Got in line after 10 am and arrived to the airport before noon. While we were in line, I checked Uber fare and it would have been about $46-$47 at that time of the day.

[barbatkins]

I took a cab last month and it was $48.00 plus tip

[cruiseny4life]

Not discounting your experience, but mine was different. On Saturday, 3/25, we had a transfer from Port of Miami to Fort Lauderdale. We noticed about ten buses identified for the Miami airport and five buses for FLL. Definitely an easy process for us. Signage/directions were great. 

[Tapi]

I started taking Uber to/from the port about 7 years ago. I haven’t booked cruise line transfers since. 
 

- cheap

- reliable

- ready to go

- no need to wait for anybody

[PATRLR]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:21 AM, jeri.rigged.223 said:

NCL took no responsibility for the problem while we stood there in port and their subsidiary booking agent, Sixthman INITIALLY said there was nothing they could do in spite of NCL being their parent company

I wonder how much of this problem is related to Sixthman.  Sounds like this was a Sixthman cruise?  Were these transfers booked through Sixthman?

I don't accept that NCL Cruise Lines has responsibility just because NCL Holdings own the subsidiary.  It's a subsidiary, just like NCL is - they are peers.

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by PATRLR

[jeri.rigged.223]

3 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

I wonder how much of this problem is related to Sixthman.  Sounds like this was a Sixthman cruise?  Were these transfers booked through Sixthman?

I don't accept that NCL Cruise Lines has responsibility just because NCL Holdings own the subsidiary.  It's a subsidiary, just like NCL is - they are peers.

 

Sixthman offers only drink packages, the don't offer the transfers.....but NCL DOES AND BOOKS THEM just like they do their excursions.  If they are going to get paid for the transfers that's a contractual obligation they are making.  Sixthman as the booking agent for the cruise AND A SUBSIDIARY company of NCL should be advocating on behalf of THEIR cruisers.  But neither want to do anything.

[Middleager]

We don't take cruiseline provided airport transfers.

 

We've taken uber/taxi, rented our own vehicles, or arranged own transfers. 

 

Cruiseline transfers are at higher price, usually needing to wait for big bus to fill up, and can be more waiting for drop-off at multiple terminals (e.g. LAX has 9 terminals).

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

I started taking Uber to/from the port about 7 years ago. I haven’t booked cruise line transfers since. 
 

- cheap

- reliable

- ready to go

- no need to wait for anybody

 

20 minutes ago, Middleager said:

We don't take cruiseline provided airport transfers.

 

We've taken uber/taxi, rented our own vehicles, or arranged own transfers. 

 

Cruiseline transfers are at higher price, usually needing to wait for big bus to fill up, and can be more waiting for drop-off at multiple terminals (e.g. LAX has 9 terminals).

Me too.  I used to be apprehensive about Uber/Lyft, so a few years ago I decided to use them just to see what they were like and "get over it."   I've used them almost exclusively since.  I've never had a bad experience.

[scar4711]

2 hours ago, jeri.rigged.223 said:

Sixthman offers only drink packages, the don't offer the transfers.....but NCL DOES AND BOOKS THEM just like they do their excursions.  If they are going to get paid for the transfers that's a contractual obligation they are making.  Sixthman as the booking agent for the cruise AND A SUBSIDIARY company of NCL should be advocating on behalf of THEIR cruisers.  But neither want to do anything.

 

umm.. they do. Sixthman actually trained a group at the NCL call center to assist in things that are unique to charter cruises.  However, transfers are booked directly with the cruise line, and not Sixthman... this has been the case forever.  You wouldn't call the Bon Voyage department to complain about a different issue.  Even on board, there are digital signs telling you who to contact for issues... anything Ship or NCL related needs to be addressed by NCL.

[jeri.rigged.223]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:56 AM, shof515 said:

over the weekend they was a ultra music festival in Miami causing lots of road closures and lots of additional traffic 

This was before the festival.  I know because they were just bringing in and setting up the stage, etc in front of the Bayfront Market area.  Had nothing to do with our transfers this year or last year.

 

[NCMtnBoys]

On 3/28/2023 at 11:01 AM, BirdTravels said:

The last time we were in Miami, there were shuttle services hustling people in the taxi lines for rides to the airport. 

Yes! We were on our way to a taxi line in Miami when a guy yelled across the street at us asking if we wanted a shuttle to the airport. I asked how much and he said $10pp; asked when it was leaving and he said in a few minutes. So we walked across the street, handed over our bags, boarded the shuttle and off we went. I'd do that again if I knew it would be that smooth every time.