Corby114

I remember relatives telling me that you get more when you spread honey than vinegar!

Definitely stop down there on the first day and speak with one of the supervisors. They will go out of there way to accommodate you if it’s possible. If they can help you most likely you will be seated at the same table and same time for the entire cruise. You will also have the same waiter and assistant waiters too.

Port Miami, Dodge Island should be all you need for an Uber to get you there. I don’t think you need the actual Terminal number in reference to pricing.

When you first board the vessel head down to the Main Dining Room. They usually post in the Daily Calendar when someone will be there. If there’s availability they will help to schedule an appropriate reservation time for your party.

If you have a 10:00AM check in try getting there at least thirty minutes earlier. Your group should be one of the first to board the ship, sometime after 11:30AM. On my Adventure Of The Seas June 9th sailing the ship left at 3:30PM. In most instances they want all passengers checked in and onboard the vessel ninety minutes before sail away. My families check in time was 11:30AM and with the long line that snaked outside of the terminal we didn’t board the ship until after 1:00PM.

This process is done at every embarkation port in the world. Longshoreman are union workers that have strict rules and regulations that they must follow. There salaries are very generous and they also have excellent benefits.

The longshoreman are the employees that handle luggage service at the terminal. They fill up the carts and then roll them over to the ship where machine operators place them on the ship. In most cases I give them a tip of two dollars per bag. Once the carts are on the ship, the luggage is separated by crew members and delivered to the proper cabins.

Try to arrive before 10:30AM when the larger crowds start showing up. Get in line and drop off your luggage with the porters. Then see if there allowing you to park your vehicle in the parking garage next to the terminal or do you have to park further away. On June 9th when I cruised on the Adventure Of The Seas the only vehicles allowed in the garage were handicapped passengers. We parked at one of the abandoned warehouse lots that is a short ten minute walk back to the terminal. After we arrived at the terminal we got on the long line. The entire process took approximately one hour from dropping off luggage to finishing the entire check in process. Having an earlier check in time didn’t make a difference and all passengers were on the same long line.

My family prefers Late Seating Dinner in the Main Dining Room. We sit at the same table during the cruise and get to know our waiter and assistant waiter. Regarding Anytime Seating we normally ask to be seated at the same table during the entire cruise.

There are no rental car offices directly at the Port Of Miami. If your renting from Avis they have a downtown Miami office that is very close to the Port.I would drop everyone off at the terminal and then return the vehicle at the downtown Miami office. I would check to see if they provide you with free shuttle service back to the Port. If they don’t you would need to use Uber, Lyft or a cab to get back to the Port Of Miami.

Are you aware that PBI to the Port Of Miami is approximately seventy miles. Uber or Lyft will be cheaper than a regular yellow cab. There are no companies that I am aware of that provides shuttle services. You could contact Larry’s Limos for a price quote. They are highly recommended by many Cruise Critic posters but in this scenario they most likely will be more expensive. The last suggestion requires renting a vehicle from PBI for the minimum twenty four hour period. There are no rental car facilities directly at the Port Of Miami so I would drop off family and luggage at the port and then return the rental vehicle. If you rent from Avis, Hertz or Budget the vehicle can be returned to there downtown Miami locations. If you rent from Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo, National or Enterprise you would have to drive back to the Miami International Airport Rental Car Center to return the vehicle. Free shuttle service was discontinued at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic so you would need Uber, Lyft or a cab to get back to the Port Of Miami.

Contact Larry’s Limos for excellent limousine service in the South Florida area. Larry’s Limos provides clean vehicles, knowledgeable drivers and reasonable rates. Recommended by many Cruise Critic posters.

Reservations to park at the Port Of Miami are not available or required. The parking garages are big and never full. If you arrive after 10:00AM most vehicles from the previous weeks sailings have all ready left. I normally drop off my family and luggage at the terminal first and then secure my vehicle at the parking garage. I then walk over to the terminal to meet up with my family and check in.

Country Inn and Suites in Cape Canaveral is a nice hotel just minutes away from Port Canaveral. Have stayed there a few times with my family before cruising on Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships. You can also leave your personal vehicle there while your on your cruise for a fee.

There are no parking reservations accepted at the Port Of Miami. The parking garages are big and there are plenty of spaces available. If you arrive after 10:00AM most of the vehicles from the previous sailings have all ready left. It is a short walk from the parking garages to the individual terminals.

I was just on the Adventure Of The Seas five day sailing to Bermuda on June 9th with my family. There wasn’t any need for any reservations to any of the shows. The only shortages I noticed was wine wine in most of the bars on the ship. For some reason there was also shortages of lemonade and orange juice during the trip. The bars had orange juice for mixers but there was no availability in the Windjammer unless you wanted to spend extra on fresh squeezed orange juice.

Ask friends, relatives and co workers for travel agent recommendations. I have done forty plus cruises since I got hooked in May 1983 after my first voyage. I have used travel agents, booked directly with various cruise lines and online cruise agencies. I have also booked voyages on my own. A first timer should use a travel agency that specializes in cruises. They normally can sweeten your deal with perks and in some instances onboard credit. They normally take the hassles away if there’s a problem with your booking. After the first cruise it gets so much easier. Cruises are wonderful and are my favorite form of vacation travel.

Contact Larry’s Limos for excellent shuttle service. They provide clean vehicles, knowledgeable drivers and reasonable rates. I have used them personally a few times and have always been satisfied with there service. Recommended by many Cruise Critic posters.

Cruises leaving from Port Everglades and the Port Of Miami are easily accessible from either Miami International Airport or Hollywood Fort Lauderdale International Airport. A cab from MIA to the Port Of Miami is approximately thirty dollars plus tip. A cab from FLL to Port Everglades us approximately fifteen dollars plus tip. It’s more expensive if you fly into FLL for a cruise out of Miami and the same if you fly into MIA for a cruise out of Port Everglades. I have done these scenarios numerous times and never had a transportation problem. If your cruising from Port Canaveral you have three options for flying. MCO to Port Canaveral is approximately a one hour trip. There are numerous shuttle services that charge per person.I normally rent a vehicle from MCO and stay overnight in the Cape Canaveral area. I drop off rental vehicle in Cape Canaveral on embarkation day and either shuttle or cab over to Port Canaveral. Some regional air carriers fly into Melbourne Florida which is south of Port Canaveral or Sanford Florida which is north of Orlando. I have never done that scenario personally and know that flights into those smaller airports are limited.

To save some money rent a vehicle for your seven day vacation separately while visiting the Orlando area. At the conclusion of the seven days return the rental vehicle to the same location. For the trip over to Port Canaveral rent the second vehicle for a minimum twenty four hour period. On embarkation day return the rental to the Cape Canaveral location and shuttle over to Port Canaveral.

If the ship docks at 6:00AM and you are carrying off your luggage 7:00AM should be fine. If you are picking up your luggage in the terminal I would add another thirty minutes to the process. The ride back to MCO is approximately one hour.

Country Inn and Suites is a nice hotel located ten minutes away from Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral. The have a package which includes a nights stay at the hotel and a reasonable rate to park your vehicle while your on your cruise vacation.

Intercontinental Hotel is a beautiful hotel less than five minutes away from the Port Of Miami. The hotel is located in downtown Miami. Very close to Bayside Marketplace, a touristy area with shops and restaurants. Close to the Brickell area that a lot of restaurants too. A nice area to keep you busy for two days. Another plus you can Uber, Lyft or cab over to South Beach in Miami Beach. Plenty of things to do there too!

If you have a problem regarding the flight on embarkation day you possibly will miss your cruise. I have read too many sad stories on Cruise Critic since I joined in March 2002 regarding this scenario. In this day and age, especially regarding flight cancellations and delays it would have been a better idea to fly in a day earlier, get a good nights sleep in a hotel in Cape Canaveral and wake up refreshed and ready to enjoy your cruise on embarkation day.

The only safe place to park for a Miami cruise is directly at the Port Of Miami. I have read too many sad posts regarding damaged vehicles, shoddy shuttle service and shady business practices since I became a member of Cruise Critic in March 2002. If you want to find your vehicle in the same condition you left it stick with parking at the Port Of Miami. Many long time Cruise Critic posters will agree with me on this topic.