Will we make our flight???

[2iowacruisers]

This will be our first time cruising out of Miami and were wondering if we will be okay on our outbound flight. I realize that the ship can be late which will cause problems and customs can delay things a bit. However, assuming the ship gets back on time and customs goes smoothly, will we be okay to make our 12:20 flight? Even if we don't do the self disembark? We aren't sure how long it takes to get to the airport from the terminal. Thank you in advance for your input!

[patseacruiser]

If you have any questions about making a time then you should do walk off disembarkation. However a flight after noon should give you no problem. The only problem I see is if there are a few ships in trying to get a cab at 10 could be a problem. I would do express walk off and not have to worry.

[Cuizer2]

I would expect a flight after noon, out of Miami, to be okay.

[eandj]

Easy to make. No worries.

[letsgocruz1]

We had an 11 am flight and did self-disembark from the Carnival Valor. We were at the airport three hours early! Of course this is no guarantee that you would have it so easy, but I would think making a 12:20 flight would not incur any problems. Have a great cruise!

[duckie22]

Kristi:

 

I noticed that you just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Valor. We are going on her in October. How did you like the Valor? Anything we should be aware of before we cruise?

 

Thanks - Linda

[bills blasters]

If you are worried about getting a taxi, I learned that if you have one of the porters take your bags at the port, that they will get you to the front of the taxi line.

You will have to tip them, but it is worth it to have them transport the bags to the taxi line.

[letsgocruz1]

Kristi:

 

I noticed that you just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Valor. We are going on her in October. How did you like the Valor? Anything we should be aware of before we cruise?

 

Thanks - Linda

 

Hi Linda,

 

We loved the Valor. The crew was wonderful, we had an absolute blast. It just had a great "vibe" about it. When are you going in Oct? We are going back on Oct 3...yes we liked it that much.

 

My only two suggestions (that I can think of for now, LOL) are to get to the port early...we were there before 11 am and there were already lines. Also, watch where your cabin is located. Make sure you are not over or under any areas that may be loud. We had 2 balcony cabins under the Lido Oriental station. I slept thru it all but my dh said there were loud noises all night long, like carts being pushed, vacuums, thumping, etc and he did not sleep well at all.

 

Oh...okay I thought of one more. If you have a balcony, I suggest getting one on the port side. The sail away has a much prettier view from that side, and it seemed like every stop we made, we were on the "wrong" side, as we were starboard. I know this can vary but others from different sailings have reported the same thing. My dh has decided he prefers inside cabins, and I do enjoy the savings, so I think the balcony cabin we have in Oct will probably be our last for awhile. :(

[duckie22]

Thanks for the info on the Valor. Would be good to hook up with you on the ship but we are not going until October 25.

 

Was the new boarding and exiting the ship processes in place when you went or have they been implemented since then? I am wondering if there are going to be problems with this - especially exiting the ship.

 

What about atking water and sodas on the ship? Did you do this? Have any trouble?

 

Thanks for the tip on the balcony cabins - our group almost always chooses port side rooms. A lessen we learned some time ago. FYI - I am totally with you and your dh - an inside room in always a savings and not bad at all.

 

Thanks again.

[letsgocruz1]

Thanks for the info on the Valor. Would be good to hook up with you on the ship but we are not going until October 25.

 

Was the new boarding and exiting the ship processes in place when you went or have they been implemented since then? I am wondering if there are going to be problems with this - especially exiting the ship.

 

What about atking water and sodas on the ship? Did you do this? Have any trouble?

 

Thanks for the tip on the balcony cabins - our group almost always chooses port side rooms. A lessen we learned some time ago. FYI - I am totally with you and your dh - an inside room in always a savings and not bad at all.

 

Thanks again.

 

Hi Linda, we carried on a case of water along with some sodas and it was not a problem at all. (The porter would not tag our water and take it with our luggage. He said we had to carry them on, so we did).

 

I am not sure about the new boarding processes? Are you talking about the new kiosks available for self check in? If so, those were not being used but the regular lines moved quickly. (of course next cruise I am FINALLY platinum so no worries about lines anymore :D) For disembarkation, we did self assist and they called a couple of decks at a time. We waited for our deck to be announced, made our way to the elevators and somehow got on one quickly (yay!) and then made our way thru customs, which moved VERY quickly. At Port Canaveral they check you in, scan our passports, etc but at Miami they just ushered us on thru. So it was a very quick and painless procedure.

 

Are you flying out of MIA? If so, I recommend checking luggage curbside and having them print your boarding passes. It is worth the few extra $$, as you will avoid a VERY long line inside. We learned that one from experience ;).

 

A tip for those who like inside rooms...there are some 4D's on the Upper deck, in the center. They are square shaped and feel sooo much bigger. We are going on the Dream next summer and taking the kids. The balconies are just way too expensive for us, so we booked two of these rooms. We got the connecting ones so we should feel like we have a lot more room. My dh was actually disappointed that I booked a balcony for this Oct Valor cruise. :confused: He says he sleeps so much better in the insides. My only gripe with them is that I want to sleep all day!!