Capt_BJ

I can't remember a time when I saw more than 6 folks in the pool on VIKING average day ......

Last year we got in a cab and asked the driver to take us to an excellent yet reasonable Cuban restaurant that's a plan I have often recommended to Miami visitors. The best Cuban food is usually at mom and pop places and they are ALL OVER Miami <even downtown> Consider asking the front desk staff of the hotel if concerned a taxi might take you for a ride .... <where do THEY go to eat> This way works better if using Uber/Lyft vs taxi ....... that said does THIS look familiar: several locations around Miami and one just under 4 miles from Bayside in Little Havana. This was a popular place with Miami folks (vs tourists) when I lived in Miami . . . IOW here the locals eat ..... The fancier place down the street at the Little Hav' location is "Versallies .... the worlds most famous Cuban ...." ugh, food is better at La C" IMO and you don't pay for the hype!!!!

looks like T-1 meet 'em at Grills ....

a couple of nautical notes: 1- I use the term 'anchor' loosely as I've never seen a ship anchor in G'. They hook to fixed mooring buoys. 2- I've not seen more than 3 ships in G at any time - not that I've visited that often but I check routinely via tracking systems and am only aware of 3 moorings available. 3- the 3 moorings can actually be found via Google Earth (if you know what you are looking for) and all would keep a ship within 1 nautical mile of the tender piers. Here's a picture of the 3 'berths' occupied in 2018 taken from the 'observation point' noted here So clearly ships are no more than 1 nautical mile from the tender berth. 4- assuming a tender speed of 10 knots (1 nautical mile per hour) and a distance of 1 nautical mile ... travel time is? <sorry I was a ship navigator and later Captain> .... but this does NOT take into account delays waiting for the tender to fill and actually get underway .... only actual travel time ....

not a temporary dock but a floating one that gets pulled to the ship after it connects to some mooring buoys. This 'earth' shot shows it in the 'stowed' position. BTW the finger piers you see just below the folding one are where tenders come in .... iow you actually have a shorter walk when tendering! Here's a shot from our visit in '18. We were on VIKING OCEAN and tendered ... we were further out then the while hull seen here but I don't remember the tender ride being more than 10 minutes or so. I don't know how they decide who gets the walkway and who anchors. Our first visit it seemed the largest ship used the pier. We were on VIKING and anchored / tendered. Our visit this year on V SATURN 'we' had the pier and it actually slowed us down as SAT' expected to anchor but was given the pier and they had never done this b4 and were prepared to tender so had to regroup. There was one other ship there that day. 2023: Side note: there's been a lot of discussion about PRIMA and port changes because it appears they simply will not tender .....

WindJammer cruises were too .... until they sank a ship in a hurricane with loss of the crew (they had off loaded pass') .... but I mention this tongue in cheek ..... Clipper has a good reputation ... my days of climbing the rigging are in the past! Here I am at the 'truck' ..main mast EAGLE around '74 .... and while this 150 foot climb might be impressive I offer this ..... do you see EAGLE there .......

opinions/recommendations from another local ..... - OP is visiting from SWEDEN so I don't think buying a SUNPASS PRO is a good recommendation ... - Buying the transponder would be cheaper than paying the daily fee that rental car companies charge for use of their transponder. That depends on the rental company you choose .... better choices only charge a fee on days when the 'service' is used. Bad choices charge the fee for every day of the rental. This page gives data for major providers: https://www.sunpass.com/en/tolls/rentalVehicles.shtml - if driving Orlando to Ft L' the turnpike IS more direct versus going east to 95 .... altho crossing to 95 where they meet does reduce toll costs a couple of dollars. But that east leg to get to 95 does have tolls as well . . .Miles driven is not a big difference. As a local who's driven this route routinely for the past 45 years or so it is my opinion that the claims of better traffic on the turnpike are fantasy. They BOTH get a lil crazy once you get south of the 'join' at the Stuart area! Total miles is similar altho on the turnpike you FEEL like you are more direct. - Brightline is worth looking at but IMO they have a flawed business model as the train for a family of 4 is significantly more expensive then renting a car for a day and driving and does not save any time. There may be some special offers to get you from the train station to the port ('free UBER') but do note that's another step in the process. Folks from OP's side of the pond are more used to train travel however so it may float their boat.

i don't know anyplace in the greater Canaveral / Melbourne area that does a cold seafood tower ..... a google search for same "near me" only comes up with places in Orlando .... at Grills the closest you'll find is peel and eat shrimp one of the 'high end' eateries in the area that's not a chain (like say Chart House or BoneFish) is Fat Snook https://www.thefatsnook.com/ a casual seafood centric restaurant with a scratch kitchen and a Caribbean vibe. We love what we do and do what we love. Thoughtful food, wine and local beer.

airport to cruise terminal ~9 miles ... airport to downtown ~15 miles cruise terminal is primarily an industrial area ......

USCGC EAGLE .... it was called 'a summer cruise' 😎 but our WINDSTAR cruises gave some of the feeling

or maybe

I sent my renewal in last month .... routine/normal processing ... had new passport in hand in under 2 weeks. I'm in Florida ... sent to Texas facility. I used priority mail to send it in, and they used same to return (traceable).

QM2 was recently in FLAM ... saw it on the webcam .... I doubt they altered their dress code because they were in Norway ......

port Miami is smack downtown ..... low cost parking near the port is sort of a non-starter.

port has acknowledged parking issues and announced plans to build two new garages ... but both will be on the north side of the port .... none near T-1 there are several 'off site' lots withing a 10 minute drive from T-1 and with adv' ressie can be MUCH less expensive at the cost of a shuttle 'experience' ... I usually park off site . . . saving around 50% off port price . .

closed ... was supposed to reopen last spring following renovations (unusual as it is only 10 years old) but web site says closed with no opening date .... https://www.explorationtower.com/

outside dining at Grills .... the ship is at T-1 ..... right next door .... door to door under 200 yards

Not sure what you would do with your luggage but the Riverwalk is pleasant. The Aquarium will hold luggage. check out the details ... the aquarium is at one end of River Walk ..... if they will hold your bags, all of riverwalk is open to you <including Columbia Cafe at the Tampa Bay History Center ... > https://www.columbiarestaurant.com/columbia-cafe-at-the-tbhc not the full menu of Columbia but has all the good stuff!!!!

I did not say EVERYTHING was Haw' ... I said there was a 'VIBE' and perhaps you'd like to read the menu more carefully

I tried a new(er) place for lunch yesterday. Dolphins Waterfront Grill .... https://dolphinsgrill.com/ it is at 528 and SR-3 ... about 5 miles west of the port bit more of a Hawaii vibe with kalua pork, poki, loco moco in addition to burgers etc. I don't see anything fried beside french fries sides ... had a decent fish sandwich. Others in group had good looking burgers. Full bar (real glasses). Big open tiki style (no walls!!) Sat Sun evening some live local music . . . a lil awkward to get in to as you can only turn in from SOUTH BOUND SR3 .... if heading north you go over the canal, make a well marked u-turn (special signal) them come in from the north turning immediately b4 the ramp to west 528 . . .

I believe this is a wize choice but wanted to make the option clear as I know folk 'over there' are much more 'train friendly'

rated the most dangerous track per mile in the US ..... don't matter who's fault it is if the train kills someone operations are gonna be shut down for a while to clean up and investigate. I LIKE trains but I don't like companies that take shortcuts that endanger people 'high speed rail' has a legal definition and associated safety requirements .... google will get you answers/facts quickly ......

even if you don't want to do a day room at the airport Hyatt .... head up there ..... outside of the checkin desk is a very large lounge area with chairs and couches etc ..... is is reasonably quiet and WAY better than any gate waiting area and FREE ....

both are available but do note that this is a port in an area of small towns so lower numbers of both ...... especially when calling for an UBER/TAXI for your return from KSC you may want to allow extra time cuz the visitor center is kinda out in the boonies ..... but tween port and KSC, UBER/TAXI is your only option unless you find a low cost one day rental car <which was readily available pre-COVID> UBER/TAXI can pick you up at the terminal ..... all the terminals are in the UBER pick list (by number)

Miami operates a free trolley service that stops in the port. There are multiple lines and you can transfer from one to another ... all free. You can explore a BUNCH of Miami via the trolley .... downtown, little havana ...... https://www.miami.gov/Transportation-Roadways/Trolley-Information/Get-Trolley-Information-Schedules-and-Maps <this system does NOT go to Miami BEACH ... a different city> Bayside is walkable depending on your endurance ... you need to walk over the bridge connecting the port <Dodge Island> to the main land. In round numbers you are looking at a mile up and over on a narrow sidewalk on the bridge <my yellow line is approx 'ground level' entry points to the bridge>