Late flight out of Miami

[CruisinMermaid]

Need your opinion: Our flight home from Miami isn't until 4 pm. Rather than wait around the airport for five or six hours, would it be a good idea to rent a car at the airport and drive down to South Beach to check out the sights? Or maybe take a cab? Will be travelling with two young children (9 and 5).

 

Thank you for any advice :)

[JohninDC]

Most cruise lines now offer a "luggage express" type of service where they will transport your bags to the airport and check them in for you -- they also check you in for your flight and print your boarding passes, saving you valuable time and $ with the slow ship internet connections. ;) Carnival charges $20 per person for this. Best $20 I ever spent!:D

 

Without bags I would sleep in, enjoy breakfast and delay getting off the ship. After you finally clear customs and immigration about 9:00 AM take a cab to Miami Beach - wander around, people watch, shop, and enjoy lunch. A cab to MIA in the afternoon will take about 20-25 minutes and should cost $32+tip.

 

Good luck!:)

[RuthlessBunny]

I agree, do BAGS, or Luggage Express. Then, once off the ship, take a cab to South Beach and hang out.

 

Walk on Lincoln Rd or Collins. If you like, go to Epicure on South Beach and buy stuff for a picnic on the beach.

 

There's an express bus back to the airport for $2.35 per person:

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/airport_flyer_brochure.pdf

[CruisinMermaid]

I agree, do BAGS, or Luggage Express. Then, once off the ship, take a cab to South Beach and hang out.

 

Walk on Lincoln Rd or Collins. If you like, go to Epicure on South Beach and buy stuff for a picnic on the beach.

 

There's an express bus back to the airport for $2.35 per person:

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/airport_flyer_brochure.pdf

 

 

This is great advice! I especially like that there's an express bus. Thanks!

[Cuizer2]

Need your opinion: Our flight home from Miami isn't until 4 pm. Rather than wait around the airport for five or six hours, would it be a good idea to rent a car at the airport and drive down to South Beach to check out the sights? Or maybe take a cab? Will be travelling with two young children (9 and 5).

 

Thank you for any advice :)

 

Your cruise line might offer a shore excursion that ends at the airport. From Miami the shore excursions offered on debarkation day are air boat rides in the Everglades. It included an alligator show. I don't recall if it included lunch, but we did have lunch before the air boat ride. Then we were transported to the airport. Your kids might enjoy that.

[NancyJewel92]

Love the idea of "luggage express"! So far, we're thinking of taking one of the shore excursions offered by Costa. According to the info, they will have us to the airport by 2 pm. Our flight is around 5:30pm, so we'll have a bit more time at the airport than I'd like.

[CruisinMermaid]

Most cruise lines now offer a "luggage express" type of service where they will transport your bags to the airport and check them in for you -- they also check you in for your flight and print your boarding passes, saving you valuable time and $ with the slow ship internet connections. ;) Carnival charges $20 per person for this. Best $20 I ever spent!:D

 

 

 

Good luck!:)

 

With four of us at $20 each, plus the fee the airline charges to check each of your bags, it's starting to get a little steep. I'm wondering if it will be more cost effective to take a cab to the airport, check our bags ourselves, then go get a rental car for $40 to go explore South Beach. Does anyone know if the airlines will let you check your bags early at Miami Int'l? I remember last year at Ft. Lauderdale airport seeing so many people looking miserable sitting around the lobby and sidewalks because they were too early for checking in. Was wondering if Miami was the same way. And does anyone know how easy it is to park a car in the South Beach area?

[JohninDC]

You usually can't check bags more than 4 hours before your flight :( - each airline has their own policies so check with yours.

 

You could rent a car and put the bags into the trunk - both Hertz and Avis have downtown Miami locations close ($10-12 cab ride) to POM; or catch a shuttle to the MIA car rental center. Parking in Miami Beach can be expensive ($20-30).:eek:

 

Good luck!:)

[RuthlessBunny]

By the time you rent the car, park it, etc, you'll have used up that $80.

 

Seriously, for what you get for that $80, it's MORE than worth it. You do NOT want to be bothered with checking luggage at MIA. MIA is enough of a nightmare without having to deal with that.

 

Parking on South Beach is expensive and hard to come by. Also, driving up Ocean Drive is a slog, it's like cruising, only you're going about 1/2 mile an hour.

[CruisinMermaid]

By the time you rent the car, park it, etc, you'll have used up that $80.

 

Seriously, for what you get for that $80, it's MORE than worth it. You do NOT want to be bothered with checking luggage at MIA. MIA is enough of a nightmare without having to deal with that.

 

Parking on South Beach is expensive and hard to come by. Also, driving up Ocean Drive is a slog, it's like cruising, only you're going about 1/2 mile an hour.

 

I'm starting to realize that. We might just do luggage express and then take a cab to South Beach to avoid paying for parking.

[setsail]

http://www.miami-airport.com/baggage_storage.asp

[mnsawyer]

Do the luggage express...we had a late flight out of MIA and were unable to check our bags. The line for the storage at MIA was unbelievable. Think we waited at least 90 minutes. Save yourself a ton of hassle and not even having to go near the airport until later that day. I haven't used the new bus from SB to the Miami Airport but when we were on SB in April, it was running constantly. Many stops of SB as well. $2.35 is a great price compared to a cab of $30+

[CruisinMermaid]

I think we will do the luggage express, but I might have to check in one final piece of luggage when we finally arrive at the airport because we can't carry on liquids, right? That's always been my pet peeve because the cruiseship will collect your luggage the night before, but yet you still need your toiletries (toothpaste, hair spray, etc). I guess we'll be toting our toiletries around SB that afternoon until we get to the airport.

[RuthlessBunny]

You can take 1 1 Quart baggie full of trial size toiletries, per person. So actually, you just need one bag for your baggies and your PJ's. A bit tote should do it.

[pomgo]

You can take 1 1 Quart baggie full of trial size toiletries, per person. So actually, you just need one bag for your baggies and your PJ's. A bit tote should do it.

Ruthless Bunny HI you sound as if have lots of info so what do you think for us. We finish cruisng at Evergaldes and have aflight from Miami INT at 4pm Trying to sort out something other than sitting at Airport for hours. Know ship does excursions which include transport to Miami Airport but looking at doing something different.Any suggestion apprteciated.. Irene and Stan.

[RuthlessBunny]

Ruthless Bunny HI you sound as if have lots of info so what do you think for us. We finish cruisng at Evergaldes and have aflight from Miami INT at 4pm Trying to sort out something other than sitting at Airport for hours. Know ship does excursions which include transport to Miami Airport but looking at doing something different.Any suggestion apprteciated.. Irene and Stan.

 

Unfortunately, the BAGS/Luggage Express program isn't available to folks who are doing international flights. :(

 

A 4:00 PM at Miami isn't really a whole lot of hanging around time, to be honest.

 

Take a shuttle or cruise transfer to MIA. Check with your airline to see if they'll let you check your bags. If they will, you're golden! If not, see if you can tip the bellman at the Ritz-Carlton to park your luggage while you explore Lincoln Rd.

 

From MIA, take the Airport Flyer express bus to Miami Beach and get off at Lincoln Rd.

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/airport_flyer_brochure.pdf

 

It's only $2.35 per person, so it's a positive bargain.

 

Walk around Lincoln Rd. Great for people watching, shopping and dining. Lot's of outdoor cafes. I like Van Dyke Cafe, but you really can't go wrong no matter what you choose. If you walk between the Ritz-Carlton and the Decoplage Condos, you can see the beach!

 

At 1:22, catch the westbound Flyer back to MIA. This should give you plenty of time to clear security, etc.

[BlueHerons]

I think we will do the luggage express, but I might have to check in one final piece of luggage when we finally arrive at the airport because we can't carry on liquids, right? That's always been my pet peeve because the cruiseship will collect your luggage the night before, but yet you still need your toiletries (toothpaste, hair spray, etc). I guess we'll be toting our toiletries around SB that afternoon until we get to the airport.

 

Definitely do the luggage express, hop a cab to South Beach (under $20 from port) and take the bus home.

 

Your kids would love Lucky Strike Bowling (think outside the box), Van Dyke (people watching and shopping on Lincoln Road Mall) or News Cafe (ditto but on Ocean Drive).