Has anybody done this post-cruise excursion?

[ispisthebst]

The Excursion is the art-deco tour with FLL airport transfer. Has anybody done this, What are the reviews of it, can you go off on your own and see south beach by yourself, where do they store your luggage while you are on the excursion and how much does it cost?

[rwombough]

yes - we have done the South Beach Deco tour - but had transfers to Miami airport - you can go off on your own - they tell you when and where to meet up with the bus (they store your luggage on the bus while you are touring) - it's a nice excursion if you've never been to South Beach.

when are you taking your cruise and what ship? We leave August 25th - on the Triumph.

[dst]

Yes I have done it, 2 years ago on my cruise and my mom and sister will be doing it on our next cruise. Its a great way to enjoy the day in Miami and almost at the same priceas a taxi. They will have you go out to a large Grey Hound bus and take you luggage. You then hop on the bus for a very nice informative ride. Then they let you off the bus for about an hour or so to have lunch. There are so many nice places to have lunch and a lot of them are partially outdoors.

 

When they drop you off at the airport you get your luggage then.

 

Worth every penny

[CruisinMenika]

I think all your questions have been answered. I just wanted to add that I would recommend the tour as well.

[chitown cruisers]

It could be a nice excursion....depends on when you go. Ours was horrible!!!

 

I'll try to make a long story short.....

 

....I booked it at sea at the pursers desk.......it was feb '06 and they were setting up the city for the worlds bigges yacht show.........EVERYTHING was booked, overcrowded and blocked off. The company had to bring in other rental busses.....they put us on a charter bus with broken air in 95 degrees Miami weather....they started the driving tour and then pulled over to talk about what we would normally get to see but couldn't because of the vendors having the streets blocked off. We sat for an hour on that bus......everyone was looking around to see if anyone passed out from dehydration/heat stroke....it was brutal....when they finaly drove to a point to let us off (for lunch) I called Carnival on my cell to start a complaint.

 

I was on some corner in Miami with the Charter company and Carnival arguing thru me and my cell phone.....what should be done and who was $$$ responsible. In the mean time I was on my wifes cell making other arrangements to get to the airport because I wasn't about to put my family back on the bus from hell!!

 

Carnival was quick to say that they weren't responsible and that they only offer recommendations for excursions (yet they billed my sign and sail)...the Charter said they couldn't be responsible for reimbursement because they didn't collect my money.

 

After MONTHS of phone calls and letters back and fourth, Carnival stepped up and credited my account and gave me $$ in OBC for each person in my family on a future cruise.

 

This was my/our first cruise and it was FANTASTIC except for the excursion. Once I recieved the credit.......we immediatly booked the Miracle for the wife and I and now booked two more. So because Carnival steped up I ddin't hold a grudge and they kept me as an addicted customer LOL

 

 

 

My advise....if you are going to do it, make sure nothing big is going on in the city.......I'm sure it could have been a nice tour....I'll never know!!!

[iteach]

We did the SoBe Art Deco Tour w/ transfer to MIA in June 07. The same tour transfers passengers to both MIA and FLL. The tour was interesting, but the tour bus was in need of some much-needed attention. Miami is obviously HOT, HOT, HOT in the summer, and the bus was also HOT, HOT, HOT. Several on our tour complained to the guide, and he said that the bus just cannot keep up with the heat in the summer months. He offered one passenger a paper towel to wipe away the sweat. I couldn't wait to exit the bus! Combine extremely hot and humid air with 40 hot and sticky passengers in a bus that hadn't been cleaned in quite some time and the result is not positive. For these reasons, I do not recommend this tour.

 

I wrote a letter to Carnival regarding our cruise. Out of all of the wonderful things I included in my letter, this was the only thing that I suggested they improve.

[firefly333]

Also, during "season" i.e. winter months when the snow birds are down there will be about 300% more traffic. I see this as good and bad. Bad because everything is jammed, good because I love South Beach when its hopping and there are tourist specials all over the place and you can feel the hum in the air. Same with the beach in Ft. Lauderdale in winter. Its so different during the summer.