Christmas Day in Miami

[DebJef]

We're booked on the back to back Epic cruise that gets in to Miami on Christmas Day, so we'll have had one week already, and then we stay on for a further week. Great, but I stupidly imagined we could go off shopping in Miami and only just realised as it'll be Christmas Day all the shops and malls will be shut. Any ideas what we might do for a few hours, and never having done a b2b cruise before, do we HAVE to get off? Typically, what's the weather like in Miami over Christmas?

[FLAHAM]

High temp in the low 70s. Movie theaters and a few restaurants will be open.

[erdoran]

Hey DebJef, we're on the Christmas Day cruise. Someone on another board mentioned a free shuttle to the Dolphin Mall, you might want to google to see what you can learn about it! Our flight gets in at 8:45 am that morning so we need to figure out somewhere to wait with our luggage, your ideas are welcome as well!

[time2cruise1]

Hey DebJef, we're on the Christmas Day cruise. Someone on another board mentioned a free shuttle to the Dolphin Mall, you might want to google to see what you can learn about it! Our flight gets in at 8:45 am that morning so we need to figure out somewhere to wait with our luggage, your ideas are welcome as well!

 

The best place for you to wait may be at the pier. That is what I would do. Think about it not much time to kill. By the time you get off the plane and claim your bags it is 9:30-45. Drag you bags out and grab a cab and you are at the pier say 10:15. Hand of the checked bags and clear security. Check in and it is 10:45. Boarding should start around noon. You should be in Taste enjoying lunch at 12:30

[erdoran]

The best place for you to wait may be at the pier. That is what I would do. Think about it not much time to kill. By the time you get off the plane and claim your bags it is 9:30-45. Drag you bags out and grab a cab and you are at the pier say 10:15. Hand of the checked bags and clear security. Check in and it is 10:45. Boarding should start around noon. You should be in Taste enjoying lunch at 12:30

time2cruise1, I've been asking about this on the general Norwegian board and those folks say I can't even get into the bldg or go thru security till at least 11 or so, and nowhere to wait other than outside, & nothing to do with my bags till then. Do you know otherwise? We're in a suite if that makes a difference!

[time2cruise1]

time2cruise1, I've been asking about this on the general Norwegian board and those folks say I can't even get into the bldg or go thru security till at least 11 or so, and nowhere to wait other than outside, & nothing to do with my bags till then. Do you know otherwise? We're in a suite if that makes a difference!

 

I think only once did we have wait for the doors to be opened. Keep in mind even if they are not you can check your bags curbside. Worst case you have to wait 20-30 minutes to go in thru security. Where else would you go for 30-45 minutes.

Never cruised in a suite from Miami but almost every other NCL home port. I do recall the one time I was waiting that some folks went to the front, showed their documents and were let in ahead of the the crowd. I assumed at the time they were penthouse passengers. Better to take advice from those that have more recently sailed from the Port of Miami.

[david_sobe]

I live in Miami

All malls and stores will be closed, even in busy south beach. I suggest a day at the beach and a good meal at a good beach restaurant. Christmas day is probably the only day of the year when everything is closed except corner stores and a few restaurants

[pokeypoke]

We're booked on the back to back Epic cruise that gets in to Miami on Christmas Day, so we'll have had one week already, and then we stay on for a further week. Great, but I stupidly imagined we could go off shopping in Miami and only just realised as it'll be Christmas Day all the shops and malls will be shut. Any ideas what we might do for a few hours, and never having done a b2b cruise before, do we HAVE to get off? Typically, what's the weather like in Miami over Christmas?

 

If you are booked in the same cabin for both legs of your trip and not much is going to be open Xmas day, why get off the ship? I have read several posts were people doing B2B's have stayed on the ship.

[DebJef]

Thanks everyone. So, if the weather is good, and we don't have to get off the ship, will we still be able to use the public areas, the pool etc?

[negc]

Thanks everyone. So, if the weather is good, and we don't have to get off the ship, will we still be able to use the public areas, the pool etc?

We did a back to back on Royal Caribbean last November and we merely had to get off the ship for a few minutes while they made sure that it was completely cleared before they let us back onboard (we had received our new seapass cards the night before). We were then free to use the pools and other public areas of the ship. Since we were in the same stateroom for both cruises we didn't even have to pack up anything and were able to access our staterooms as soon as we reboarded (around 10:15am). I imagine that your experience on NCL will be very similar.;)

[micheleg]

Ditto what David said. Nothing open on Christmas here in S. Florida except for the Movies, some restaurants, and the beaches. Not even worth the trouble trying to find something open. You'll have to debark for a little while while immigration clears the ship and then you'll be able to get back on. Go relax by the pool and enjoy the quiet until the masses hit the decks. Weather is typically beautiful at that time. It just fluctuates, but it won't be crazy hot like summer.

 

Hope all of the information we Miamians have provided has helped.

[DebJef]

Yes, thanks, all very useful. I'll just pray for good Christmas Day weather and enjoy an empty ship (unless there are many more b2b people with the same dates as us - I hope there will be some, or my daughter (age 15) will have to make friends all over again!)

[erdoran]

Debjef, I doubt the ship will be empty! We sailed last Christmas on Carnival and the ship was pretty full, so I'm sure your daughter will have lots of new friends! Lucky you doing a 14 day--it's killing DH to do a 7!

[GigCrusier]

Ditto what David said. Nothing open on Christmas here in S. Florida except for the Movies, some restaurants, and the beaches. Not even worth the trouble trying to find something open. You'll have to debark for a little while while immigration clears the ship and then you'll be able to get back on. Go relax by the pool and enjoy the quiet until the masses hit the decks. Weather is typically beautiful at that time. It just fluctuates, but it won't be crazy hot like summer.

 

Hope all of the information we Miamians have provided has helped.

Here is another Idea... We were in Hawaii this past Christmas on the Golden Princess. We rented a car for the day and enjoyed a nice drive.