Express Debarkation Port of Miami

I will arrive at Miami at 8h00 AM May 7 aboard the Splender. I have to be at the airport of Fort Lauderdale early. My flight is leaving at 11h25 AM. Should I buy the airport transfert from Carnvial or should I do a Self Assist Debark and take a taxi? Thank you! ...... It's the first time i am taking a early flight the same day of the end of the cruise (I will save money, but i will get more stress)

It took me an hour to get out of customs last time I was in Miami. You should call Carnival and see if you can get on there shuttle. You will be cutting it close to get on your flight that early

For a flight out off FLL at 11:25am, I would have a limo waiting, a cab will be too expensive, and the Carnival shuttle will not leave until full. Do self assist and you should make your flight. Good luck!

Call # 18 Kyle Bush he still may be in town. Seriously, have a private car service waiting at the pier. :)

My sister had an 11:45 flight out of FLL on our recent Breeze cruise. We also sailed out of and into Port of Miami. She just hopped in a cab and went to FLL (she had 2 others to share the the cost with). The previous poster is right about having to wait until the Carnival shuttle fills up....that can be time consuming.

We scheduled a shuttle to pick us up. We weren't in a hurry cause our flight was at 1PM out of MIA. So I scheduled the shuttle for 9:45. It was a little difficult to locate the shuttle driver. He was waiting in a different area and it took two calls to the dispatch office to finally get our driver over to where we were waiting. Perhaps clarify a meeting location when you book the shuttle.

Misty

Thank you! Any suggestion for a good private car/limo/shutlle?

There will be vans when you get off and will take you to fll or you can reserve a van with QLS or SAS and you should have no problem making your flight.

I have the same situation, a noon flight from FLL cruising from port of miami. I looked at the Taxi fare finer site and it says about $85.00 fare but the travel time says 30 minutes??? Everything I have read says the travel time is one hour????

I will arrive at Miami at 8h00 AM May 7 aboard the Splender. I have to be at the airport of Fort Lauderdale early. My flight is leaving at 11h25 AM. Should I buy the airport transfert from Carnvial or should I do a Self Assist Debark and take a taxi? Thank you! ...... It's the first time i am taking a early flight the same day of the end of the cruise (I will save money, but i will get more stress)

We always fly into/out of FLL for Miami cruises and we book flights departing for home (north of Boston) around 11:00 am.

We reserved SAS Shuttle (ridesas.com) every time. $15 pp. We used self-assist so we were off the ship quickly. The SAS driver called my cell phone soon after the ship docked after each cruise and met us outside the the port area. We always made it to FLL with time enough to be bored before we board our flight and never missed a flight.

I have the same situation, a noon flight from FLL cruising from port of miami. I looked at the Taxi fare finer site and it says about $85.00 fare but the travel time says 30 minutes??? Everything I have read says the travel time is one hour????

Even with traffic the ride from Port of Miami to FLL has never taken us more than 30 minutes.

You really don't need to rush...you'll likely be off the ship by 8:30am! However, a taxi from POM to FT. Laud is way to pricey, IMO... Check the prices for SAS transportation.

We've done exactly what you are asking numerous times. (11:25 flight out of FLL). I second the others that suggest SAS. Under no circumstances should you take the carnival transfer (bus). They'll keep you sitting on the bus waiting for it to fill up. SAS is faster and likely cheaper, better service than a taxi.

Thank you all for the information. I was looking at QLS for a shuttle and their website says "travel time: about one hour" that is where I got my one hour

travel time. I don't know why they say one hour if it is 1/2 hour. I have been on shuttles in the past that circle the port a couple of times because other people that have that shuttle time booked are late!!! I have used SAS before so I will look at using them again.

We always fly into/out of FLL for Miami cruises and we book flights departing for home (north of Boston) around 11:00 am.

 

We reserved SAS Shuttle (ridesas.com) every time. $15 pp. We used self-assist so we were off the ship quickly. The SAS driver called my cell phone soon after the ship docked after each cruise and met us outside the the port area. We always made it to FLL with time enough to be bored before we board our flight and never missed a flight.

This has been my previous experience with SAS as well. Therefore, we booked them again and an 11:35 flight. We've always done self assist and that's the absolute key. You need to make an effort to be one of the first few off the ship before the customs lines can get backed up!

I would post on the Florida Departures Board to get a recommendation on transportation.

Keith

We always fly into/out of FLL for Miami cruises and we book flights departing for home (north of Boston) around 11:00 am.

 

We reserved SAS Shuttle (ridesas.com) every time. $15 pp. We used self-assist so we were off the ship quickly. The SAS driver called my cell phone soon after the ship docked after each cruise and met us outside the the port area. We always made it to FLL with time enough to be bored before we board our flight and never missed a flight.

I have never done self-assist so I have a few more questions.

Where do you wait to get off the ship with self-assist?

What time do you go to this place to wait?

I know things can happen, what time do they usually call for self-assist to get off?

Do you eat at the buffet or do you do room service?

What time do I book the shuttle for (I have noon flight)?

I have never done self-assist so I have a few more questions.

 

Remember that you need to handle all your luggage yourselves. No crew members will be available.

 

Where do you wait to get off the ship with self-assist?

 

On some of our cruises Self-Assist was called by decks so we either waited in our cabin or on Lido then went to the Atrium to leave. On other cruises, we were told to go to a lounge because we're Platinum so we had priority debarkation.

 

What time do you go to this place to wait?

 

When announcements were made.

 

I know things can happen, what time do they usually call for self-assist to get off?

 

We've experienced it as early as 6:45. We usually waited until 8:30 or so to leave the ship, then go through customs.

 

Do you eat at the buffet or do you do room service?

 

We had breakfast in the main dining room. We left our luggage in the cabin and went to eat early, around 7:00. (Cabins had to be vacated by 8:30.) Service was always fast on debarkation morning.

 

What time do I book the shuttle for (I have noon flight)?

When we filled out the reservation form online we had to give our flight time. Every time the SAS driver called our cell soon after the ship docked. We were instructed to call back after we went through customs. He (never a woman) met us at the shuttle location. We left the port by 9:00 and arrived at FLL by 9:30'ish.

Again, even though we booked 11:00'ish flights many times, we've never missed one when sailing Miami and flying to/from FLL.

Have a great cruise.

Also a word of advice or fore warning; if you don't or cannot do self assist and have fttf or are platinum etc and get zone one for debarkation, it does not mean that you will sail off the ship with ease. There is no knowing how many will choose to do self assist. As per my recent experience off the Victory in Miami, zone one debarkation, I went down to the theater as per my instruction sheet to find it packed with folks waiting to do self assist. It turned out that at least 40pc of that ship's psgrs chose self assist, so it puts you at the end of a very long line down in the custom's hall. I have never seen such a messy, crowded debarkation anywere anytime. In fairness though there were plenty of customs staff and the port staff did a great job of getting people in right lines and the lines moved. This just my recent experience in Miami last month.

It was a 5 day cruise, so perhaps shorter cruises, more people do self assist, just trying to figure out why the difference from all other cruises I have taken which were 7 or 8 days.

I suggest if you can; do self assist, it is the only way you can get off fast IMO

If the customs lines are backed up, pay a porter to handle your luggage for you. They get to take you to an express line. I know you just did self assist, and so can handle your luggage yourself, but if you need to speed up your exit, try to flag down a porter to assist you.

Thank you! Any suggestion for a good private car/limo/shutlle?

Whenever we are in Miami we use Moveo.

Stargate fan and everyone else, thank you for the great information :D

Stargate fan and everyone else, thank you for the great information :D

You're very welcome. Believe it or not, after all the cruises we've taken we still learn things here on CC.

Off topic, where in RI are you? I grew up in Providence and went to URI. My husband grew up in North Smithfield. My m-i-l lives in Warwick now.

You're very welcome. Believe it or not, after all the cruises we've taken we still learn things here on CC.

 

Off topic, where in RI are you? I grew up in Providence and went to URI. My husband grew up in North Smithfield. My m-i-l lives in Warwick now.

Small world....we live in Cranston. I grew up in East Providence, my husband in Providence.

Small world....we live in Cranston. I grew up in East Providence, my husband in Providence.

And small state. ;)

I lived on the East Side of Providence, one street up from Blackstone Blvd and two streets down from Hope St. It was a great city to grow up in.

We're in NH now.

And small state. ;)

 

I lived on the East Side of Providence, one street up from Blackstone Blvd and two streets down from Hope St. It was a great city to grow up in.

We're in NH now.

It sure is small, sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing :rolleyes:....NH is beautiful, spent time skiing at Loon and a couple of summer trips to Weirs Beach....then got hooked on cruising :D