Airport to port transfers -- has anyone overcome this annoying restriction?

[GerryL13]

My flight itinerary was arranged by Oceania with my input (and additional $$). I read that they do not charge an extra fee to schedule arrival within 3 days of embarkation, so I figured I would be eligible for an included transfer.

 

As experienced cruisers agree is wise, I am arriving in Miami the day before the start of the cruise. When I was planning my one-night hotel stay, I thought I might want to stay near the airport and take the hotel shuttle back to the airport the day of embarkation to catch the Oceania shuttle to the port. I called about how to arrange that. No can do. I was told they will only provide transportation to the port for people who are arriving on the day of embarkation. Huh? Seriously? How many people risk arriving at the departure city only on the day of embarkation? During hurricane season, no less?

 

Seems like a money-saving rule -- for them. Kind of petty. Often no one will be arriving at the airport the day of departure, so Oceania doesn't have to schedule any transport from the airport. Neat trick, eh?

 

Has anyone been able to do what I was trying to do: Meet the Oceania rep at the airport to get transportation to the port? Should I call again and see if someone else gives me a different answer?

 

Right now, I have booked a room in the Brickell area, but I can still cancel that reservation.

[ToxM]

I don’t know the answer to this, but I would imagine the logistics of meeting everyone arriving early at all different times, and different airports would not be cost effective - plus organising transportation and the logistics involved would also be prohibitive. 

 

 

[osandomir]

6 hours ago, GerryL13 said:

My flight itinerary was arranged by Oceania with my input (and additional $$). I read that they do not charge an extra fee to schedule arrival within 3 days of embarkation, so I figured I would be eligible for an included transfer.

 

As experienced cruisers agree is wise, I am arriving in Miami the day before the start of the cruise. When I was planning my one-night hotel stay, I thought I might want to stay near the airport and take the hotel shuttle back to the airport the day of embarkation to catch the Oceania shuttle to the port. I called about how to arrange that. No can do. I was told they will only provide transportation to the port for people who are arriving on the day of embarkation. Huh? Seriously? How many people risk arriving at the departure city only on the day of embarkation? During hurricane season, no less?

 

Seems like a money-saving rule -- for them. Kind of petty. Often no one will be arriving at the airport the day of departure, so Oceania doesn't have to schedule any transport from the airport. Neat trick, eh?

 

Has anyone been able to do what I was trying to do: Meet the Oceania rep at the airport to get transportation to the port? Should I call again and see if someone else gives me a different answer?

 

Right now, I have booked a room in the Brickell area, but I can still cancel that reservation.

If you want to stay in the hotel near Miami airport some of the hotels there provide free shuttle to the port.

[ShopperfiendTO]

You can be sure that there will always be some people who risk arriving at the departure only on the day of embarkation, even during hurricane season.  O will be scheduling airport shuttles for that day and there will be people on them.

[edgee]

In a location like Miami, I would not want to go anywhere near a cruise line shuttle. Especially an airport shuttle. Too easy to take a taxi at an insignificant cost compared to the convenience of not waiting for others to arrive and arriving at the port with a large group can slow down embarkation. 

[PhD-iva]

3 hours ago, edgee said:

In a location like Miami, I would not want to go anywhere near a cruise line shuttle. Especially an airport shuttle. Too easy to take a taxi at an insignificant cost compared to the convenience of not waiting for others to arrive and arriving at the port with a large group can slow down embarkation. 

Absolutely! Great advice!

[Nachosdelux]

Agree 100% with Edgee - the money you save ($30 or so) will not be worth the inconvenience, hassle, aggravation, and lost time.

 

Just take a hotel shuttle, taxi, or rideshare from your hotel to the port.

 

Trust me, you will be glad you did.

[LHT28]

6 hours ago, osandomir said:

If you want to stay in the hotel near Miami airport some of the hotels there provide free shuttle to the port.

for  a fee of course

[GerryL13]

6 hours ago, osandomir said:

If you want to stay in the hotel near Miami airport some of the hotels there provide free shuttle to the port.

I found plenty near the airport that had free shuttles to and from the airport but saw none that had FREE shuttles to the port. 

[mort&fran]

It varies by port and cruise line, I suppose.

 

I’m encountering the same for an O cruise we are taking next July. However, for a Viking river cruise a few years ago I successfully arranged for airport-to-ship transfer if we arrived at (Paris) airport at approximately the same time as the original flight Viking had arranged for us. We did, but we were not on the passenger list provided the airport rep so it took a while to get things resolved, which it ultimately was. (I no longer recall if Viking imposed a charge for this.)

[irisbax3]

14 hours ago, GerryL13 said:

My flight itinerary was arranged by Oceania with my input (and additional $$). I read that they do not charge an extra fee to schedule arrival within 3 days of embarkation, so I figured I would be eligible for an included transfer.

 

As experienced cruisers agree is wise, I am arriving in Miami the day before the start of the cruise. When I was planning my one-night hotel stay, I thought I might want to stay near the airport and take the hotel shuttle back to the airport the day of embarkation to catch the Oceania shuttle to the port. I called about how to arrange that. No can do. I was told they will only provide transportation to the port for people who are arriving on the day of embarkation. Huh? Seriously? How many people risk arriving at the departure city only on the day of embarkation? During hurricane season, no less?

 

Seems like a money-saving rule -- for them. Kind of petty. Often no one will be arriving at the airport the day of departure, so Oceania doesn't have to schedule any transport from the airport. Neat trick, eh?

 

Has anyone been able to do what I was trying to do: Meet the Oceania rep at the airport to get transportation to the port? Should I call again and see if someone else gives me a different answer?

 

Right now, I have booked a room in the Brickell area, but I can still cancel that reservation.

Thanks for this heads up, GerryL13. 

That's exactly what I was planning to do in Rome next June. I thought as long as you booked Oceania Air and got to the airport on embarkation day you could utilize Oceania's "free transfers". I guess I will have to rethink my plans.

[osandomir]

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

for  a fee of course

 

6 hours ago, GerryL13 said:

I found plenty near the airport that had free shuttles to and from the airport but saw none that had FREE shuttles to the port. 

Some mid range hotels, think Comfort Inn or similar, offered FREE shuttle to the port of Miami at least when we cruised last November. If you don’t want to stay in such accommodation, then the price for the Uber to the port isn’t that bad either. Not worth it to return to the airport with your luggage and chase O representative for a free shuttle in my opinion.

[WFHFLOYD]

Last time we cruised from Miami, we took the free shuttle to the Miami Airport Hilton (Blue Lagoon)  Despite some iffy reviews, we found it to be just fine, with a very nice pool overlooking a lake.  I can't remember the restaurant meal, but it wasn't awful or I would remember it.   In the morning we took an uber to the port, which was nominal cost (probably around $25?) and certainly worth it rather than schlepping everything back onto the hotel shuttle to the airport to the Oceania shuttle!  Why would we want to do that???   The uber picked us up on the circle in front of the hotel.  Easy peasy    Enjoy!

[Traveling Fools]

On 10/6/2023 at 1:18 AM, GerryL13 said:

Right now, I have booked a room in the Brickell area, but I can still cancel that reservation.

 

The Bricknell area is fairly close to the cruise terminals, isn't it?

[Mkdvmz]

Oceania is not an inexpensive cruise line. Just pay for convenient travel to the port

[PhD-iva]

33 minutes ago, Mkdvmz said:

Oceania is not an inexpensive cruise line. Just pay for convenient travel to the port

Agree! Airport transfers are generally very large coach buses, often filled w people who get off the bus before you. Then you’re at the end of a LOOONG line of (mostly elderly) pax who are ahead of you and moving slowly!
Zip ahead of the line by arranging your own transport. 
I’ll agree there are some ports (Civitavecchia comes to mind), where the airport or destination city is far from port. My advice still stands! YMMV

Edited October 8, 2023 by PhD-iva
Edit

[babysteps]

5 years ago there was a iirc Days Inn near MIA with both airport and cruiseport shuttles included. It was an old building with cramped rooms - think tired, not historic. It was certainly wallet-friendly but we wouldn't do it again

[SbbquilterUT]

Have seen the same rule with other cruise lines as well.  Brickell to the port is very close and the Uber quite reasonable, no way I would travel back out to the airport to get on a transfer bus.  Even the hotel port shuttle is not our choice (at a per person fee) when Uber on our schedule is less expensive.