Red-eye lands at 7am - Boarding at 1pm - What to do at the Maimi Airport?

[warrenidaho]

Our family of four are flying the red-eye (yuck! :( but the only flight that worked with the schedules) to Miami, arriving at 7am. The RCI documents say board starts at 2pm. We are planning on catching a taxi to the Port of Miami. Any suggestions on how we can kill 7 hours at the Miami airport? Are there any good resturants for breakfast? Any place we can camp out with our luggage and nap?

[goodml]

You definitely don't need to kill 7 hours. Get to the port between 11 and 11:30. Arriving at the pier at 11 we've been on board no later than 11:30 on every cruise except one and that one it was 12:15. Sorry, can't help with the airport itself.

[FPP777]

Sit back and watch the show.:D

[goodml]

Sit back and watch the show.:D

 

What's that supposed to mean? Is there something controversial about this topic?:rolleyes:

[cruisin4kicks]

Don't know how helpful this will be. This is more or less reinforcing what goodml mentioned a couple posts back.

 

We've gotten into MIA between 8:00 and 8:30am (not quite as early as 7:00am) a couple of times. We'd grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants, claimed our luggage, and then usually just sat and read or dozed or people watched until about 11:00am. We'd then grab a cab to the port (flat fee $24/$26?). It's about a 15 to 20 minute cab ride. We would usually be on the ship having lunch in the Windjammer before noon.

 

Tim

[amynkeith]

I second getting to the Port at around 11! That's what we plan to do! :D

 

I'd just grab some breakfast, then head to the Port. Have fun!

[megessey]

I'm not sure this will help but here is a map of Miami's terminals. Click on the food icons and each will bring up what's available at each Concourse. The only thing is, I'm not sure what time everything opens up.

 

http://www.miami-airport.com/html/restaurant_and_shops_maps.html

[pepsicruiser]

Take your time ..... freshen up in ladies/mens rooms.... get your luggage......find a nice place to sit and have breakfast.....then grab a cab and it should be 9:30 by then and go to the port. It may be mayhem with people getting off ship but find a place to sit down and relax. You'll be on about 11:30.

[SomeBeach]

Just keep in mind that you will not be able to go to your stateroom until 1 p.m. even if you board at 11ish, but you'll sure enjoy sitting on the ship vs sitting at the airport. :p

[CaesarsNcruisin4me]

Last month when our flight got screwed up due to weather we got redirected to Seattle with another airline and then waited around at the airport for the red eye. We landed in Miami at 7am. After we got our luggage we took a cab to the port and got there around 8am. At about 8:30am the porters agreed to take our luggage from us and suggested that we go to Bayside Marketplace for breakfast.

 

Since we had time we walked over the bridge to Bayside Marketplace (about a 10min walk max) and found a restaurant that had a buffet set up for breakfast for $10 a person. The stores all opened between 9 and 9:30am so we wandered around there for awhile and then grabbed a taxi back to the port (only $5 for the taxi) for 11am. We were sailing on the Freedom and able to board so we checked in and were up on the pool deck by 11:15am. The pool bar opened a short while later so I didn't have to wait long to enjoy my first drink!:D

 

Sandie

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

What's that supposed to mean? Is there something controversial about this topic?:rolleyes:

 

Hmm, not sure -- I took it more as a suggestion to people watch at the airport. :)

 

Warrenidaho, it's good to see a fellow Spud on the boards! :D

[SheilaSailAway]

Hey gang!

When we get somewhere early we either:

-get a room and sleep for a few hours

-get a good seat and "watch the show"

-find somewhere to ditch our luggage and go for a stroll/bite to eat

Whatever you decide, good luck to you and have a wonderful time!!

[rmcg1975]

Do you want o freshen up while you are waiting..maybe take a nap? La Quinta is a hotel that is attached to the airport..I wonder if they have "half day rates" for just such a thing.

[teajak]

Last month when our flight got screwed up due to weather we got redirected to Seattle with another airline and then waited around at the airport for the red eye. We landed in Miami at 7am. After we got our luggage we took a cab to the port and got there around 8am. At about 8:30am the porters agreed to take our luggage from us and suggested that we go to Bayside Marketplace for breakfast.

 

Since we had time we walked over the bridge to Bayside Marketplace (about a 10min walk max) and found a restaurant that had a buffet set up for breakfast for $10 a person. The stores all opened between 9 and 9:30am so we wandered around there for awhile and then grabbed a taxi back to the port (only $5 for the taxi) for 11am. We were sailing on the Freedom and able to board so we checked in and were up on the pool deck by 11:15am. The pool bar opened a short while later so I didn't have to wait long to enjoy my first drink!:D

 

Sandie

I second this suggestion. Bayside is a fun place with all sorts of shops,places to eat, places to sit and watch the water or the people. I may get flamed for this but the Miami airport is not a fun place, the area around it is known as dangerous, watch your purse baggage and kids if you have them. I would do as the above poster suggests, get your bags checked and walk or take another cab to Bayside.

[goodml]

Hmm' date=' not sure -- I took it more as a suggestion to people watch at the airport. :)

 

Warrenidaho, it's good to see a fellow Spud on the boards! :D

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OMG LMAO:D :D !! I'm so jaded from my years of watching people be sarcastic to others on these boards that I immediately assumed that's what was going on and it totally pushed my buttons. A thousand apologies to FPP - I get it. That was a real blonde moment on my part (I am blonde!) And the moral of the story - as I tell my teenagers almost daily - NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING:D. Sorry again FPP.

 

Fierysand, that's awesome information.

[BillOh]

We are planning on catching a taxi to the Port of Miami. Any suggestions on how we can kill 7 hours at the Miami airport? Are there any good resturants for breakfast? Any place we can camp out with our luggage and nap?

 

Since you have so much time, why pay the cab expense? Using the free transfter service will kill sometime and take the luggage off your hands.

[BillOh]

What's that supposed to mean? Is there something controversial about this topic?:rolleyes:

 

 

I took that to mean people watch. :cool:

[BillOh]

I second this suggestion.

 

 

Thanks to you both, this is good "Just in case info" There is always the chance of boarding being delayed.

[FPP777]

What's that supposed to mean? Is there something controversial about this topic?:rolleyes:

 

Have you ever been in MIA airport. That is what I am referring to. All the people. It is a show.

[FPP777]

OMG LMAO:D :D !! I'm so jaded from my years of watching people be sarcastic to others on these boards that I immediately assumed that's what was going on and it totally pushed my buttons. A thousand apologies to FPP - I get it. That was a real blonde moment on my part (I am blonde!) And the moral of the story - as I tell my teenagers almost daily - NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING:D. Sorry again FPP.

 

Fierysand, that's awesome information.

 

No worries.

[jjb415]

If you decide to have breakfast in the Miami Airport, the Cuban restaurant La Careta, a unique favorite of many locals has 2 outlets in the terminal. Although the airport locations are casual self-service style setups, the food is great and reasonably priced. You can easily occupy some time there camped out with your luggage until leaving for the Port of Miami.

[warrenidaho]

Thanks to everyone for all the responses! My husband doesn't sleep on planes, so he will be a walking zombie. I plan on planting him in a deck chair once we board!

 

BillO - what "free transfer service"?

 

BTW - I love to "watch the show". More entertaining tham most of the stuff on TV these days.

[Jerboy]

Transfers from MIA to the port aren't free unless you booked your air directly through RCI.. and even then they don't start bussing people (at least in my 2 experiences) until at least noon.

[DAMIFIKNOW]

If you spend more than 1 hour at the airport I quarentee when you leave you will able to speak spanish

[melsdt]

When I left out of Miami, the cruise doc's said, transfers beging at 10:30 am. We got there around 11:00 and were on 11:30 bus to port.