Sawgrass Mills Excursion Questions

[sab01]

Hi, I am on the 28th November post thanksgiving cruise, and have noticed that they have a tour on the 5th dec to sawgrass mills then drop off at MIA airport at around 4pm, this is around $49..just wondering if anyone has done this tour and can i leave my suitcases on the bus??? thanks in advance :)

[WineDown17]

Cant believe they have an excursion there! It is a great mall!

 

Save some money for the trip!:D

[shamda]

I live right down the street from the mall and I cannot believe they actuallty charge people to take them there. I try and stay away from it as much as possible expecially around the holidays. They don't have malls where you come from? Take an excursion to the everglades, go on an airboat ride, go to the miami seaquarium or parrot jungle. Enjoy our beaches, go on a boat tour. There is so much to see here, why go to an overcrowded mall?

 

 

Hi, I am on the 28th November post thanksgiving cruise, and have noticed that they have a tour on the 5th dec to sawgrass mills then drop off at MIA airport at around 4pm, this is around $49..just wondering if anyone has done this tour and can i leave my suitcases on the bus??? thanks in advance :)

[CCMS14]

i love sawgrass but I have to agree about going too close to the holidays, it is like a zoo! especially if you aren't going with a specific reason...

[Minoushka]

PLAN ahead

Google a map of the place and govern your time accordingly. This place is HUMONGOUS so you need to know what and where you are going

Find the shops you want to visit, Figure out where they are from your drop off point .Bring the map with you Wear comfy shoes and head to where you want to go

There are a ZILLION stores and unless you plan you will exhaust yourself before you get there Try not to get distracted by other places on your way

Yes there are loads of people but pace yourself Make sure you get back on time to your bus

Have fun

 

Michele

[colocop004]

Hi, I am on the 28th November post thanksgiving cruise, and have noticed that they have a tour on the 5th dec to sawgrass mills then drop off at MIA airport at around 4pm, this is around $49..just wondering if anyone has done this tour and can i leave my suitcases on the bus??? thanks in advance :)

 

To answer your question, yes your luggage will be taken care of. Last time we did an excursion of this nature they checked our luggage all they way to the airline. I would bet the same is true for this one and is one of the reasons for the cost.

 

As far as the mall goes it is HUGE, try not to get lost! lol... I am assuming that you are on the Solstice, if so we are on the same cruise, hope to see you on board!

[Infi]

I live right down the street from the mall and I cannot believe they actuallty charge people to take them there. I try and stay away from it as much as possible expecially around the holidays. They don't have malls where you come from? Take an excursion to the everglades, go on an airboat ride, go to the miami seaquarium or parrot jungle. Enjoy our beaches, go on a boat tour. There is so much to see here, why go to an overcrowded mall?

 

I also live very close to Sawgrass Mills, and while I wouldn't attempt going there during the holidays (Black Friday comes to mind!), what's wrong with someone wanting to visit there? Plenty of buses full of tourists arrive there everyday. They certainly wouldn't be the only tourists in the mall! Yes, there are other worthwhile excursions and landmarks in our area, but if someone wants to visit the mall, why not? It's their choice. Besides, if X has an excursion for it, chances are there's a decent enough demand to warrant it.

[far horizon]

It's a great mall...lots of selection, lots of super bargains. LOTS of people.

 

The best advice is to print off a map, mark what you want to see, and take it with you.

 

I find that all the shops I want to see are pretty much located in one area (higher end designers, etc), so that's where I go. Try and see if the bus driver will drop you off in the area you want to go to, because it's MILES around the mall. Show him where you want to go on your map. If he see's that you've done some planning, he might be more accommodating. ;)

 

There is a shuttle that goes around the mall, but you can waste a lot of time waiting for it.

 

Plan for how you're going to get your extra purchases home.

 

Last year, a Mexican family of three sisters was on our Millennium cruise and told us that people charter planes from Mexico to shop at Sawgrass Mills. I believed them. They were taking the cruise out of Fort Lauderdale as a side trip to their Christmas shopping trip at Sawgrass Mills

[iancal]

It is not worth the trip. Like other outlet malls in America, eighty two percent of the product sold (according to the latest stats) is made specifically for the outlet store market and NOT for the regular retail stores. That is to say it is made to look similar, complete with artificial list prices marked down to outlet level pricing.

[sab01]

Thankyou for all your replies.....and in particular to the person who said why would i want to go to a mall....well, i quite happen to like shopping and in Australia we dont have outlet malls quite the size of sawgrass with the variety of stores...so thats what im going to do...

 

colocop004 - yes i am on the solstice and i cant wait..and hopefully ill see ya on board....i think its going to be a wild cruise!!!:):)

[MiamiSpartan]

I live right down the street from the mall and I cannot believe they actuallty charge people to take them there. I try and stay away from it as much as possible expecially around the holidays. They don't have malls where you come from? Take an excursion to the everglades, go on an airboat ride, go to the miami seaquarium or parrot jungle. Enjoy our beaches, go on a boat tour. There is so much to see here, why go to an overcrowded mall?

 

This.

Can't think of a worse place to go on an excursion...!!

:eek:

 

Just read your last post.....

I can understand why you might want to check it out.....

enjoy!!

[shamda]

Sorry, I meant no disrespect. If you love shopping so much then maybe you will enjoy sawgrass. It is not as much an outlet mall anymore. Prices are high in most stores and many other stores carry merchandise that doesnt sell elsewhere. We have much nicer malls in town if you like to shop. The Galleria is very nice as is Aventura and a few others. I just see Sawgrass as an eyesore. There is a great deal of crime there and although it is in my neighborhood I never feel safe there. I hope you have a good experience there and enjoy it. You will be fine as long as you stay in the mall and do not wander into the parking lots. Enjoy and wave as you drive by!

 

Thankyou for all your replies.....and in particular to the person who said why would i want to go to a mall....well, i quite happen to like shopping and in Australia we dont have outlet malls quite the size of sawgrass with the variety of stores...so thats what im going to do...

 

colocop004 - yes i am on the solstice and i cant wait..and hopefully ill see ya on board....i think its going to be a wild cruise!!!:):)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Thankyou for all your replies.....and in particular to the person who said why would i want to go to a mall....well, i quite happen to like shopping and in Australia we dont have outlet malls quite the size of sawgrass with the variety of stores...so thats what im going to do...

 

colocop004 - yes i am on the solstice and i cant wait..and hopefully ill see ya on board....i think its going to be a wild cruise!!!:):)

 

I hear you! :D We went to Sawgrass Mills in February.... ran out of time. We will be there again this Friday, can't wait! I wish they would build something like this in Australia - DFO is a joke!

[Lois R]

Hi, I am on the 28th November post thanksgiving cruise, and have noticed that they have a tour on the 5th dec to sawgrass mills then drop off at MIA airport at around 4pm, this is around $49..just wondering if anyone has done this tour and can i leave my suitcases on the bus??? thanks in advance :)

 

Hi:) this is just a little reminder for you. You mentioned being from

Australia and not having outlet malls....just to make you aware the

particular Friday you are going is the busiest shopping day of the

entire year here in the states. I am not judging your choice of doing

it but want you to know the amount of people is usually 10x the

amount of the normal crowds. Well, back in the day it was 10,

but now its probably about 5x....inflation and all that......

 

Have a great cruise:)

[hancock]

OP is not planning on shopping on Black Friday. She hopes to shop the following weekend. Being the Christmas shopping season, weekends will be very busy at the shopping malls.

[ellbon]

I feel it is worth the trip. plenty of great places to eat and not so great. one great one is rain forest cafe if still there. i can walk the whole mall. takes a while but doable. it is a zoo on a quiet day. . but since you are flying out i rather be in A/C as FL is way to hot right now.

 

i have been many many times there... family lives minutes away.

[smoosh21]

I live right down the street from the mall and I cannot believe they actuallty charge people to take them there. I try and stay away from it as much as possible expecially around the holidays. They don't have malls where you come from? Take an excursion to the everglades, go on an airboat ride, go to the miami seaquarium or parrot jungle. Enjoy our beaches, go on a boat tour. There is so much to see here, why go to an overcrowded mall?

 

I agree. There are Mills Malls all over the country. It seems odd to me that someone would take an excursion to a mall.

I would also recommend the Monkey Jungle, but it is a bit of a drive.

[far horizon]

I agree. There are Mills Malls all over the country. It seems odd to me that someone would take an excursion to a mall.

I would also recommend the Monkey Jungle, but it is a bit of a drive.

 

There's nothing odd about it at all.

 

The OP is from Australia. They have wild life there that makes anything Florida can offer pale in comparison. Not everyone wants to go on an airboat ride.

 

But the OP states that they don't have malls with the diversity of stores that they have at Sawgrass Mills, and she'd like to go shopping. Nothing strange in that.

 

As far as taking the excursion is concerned, the bus takes her directly from the ship, will keep her luggage safe while she is in the mall, then will drop her off at the airport. That seems like a convenient and economical way to get to Sawgrass Mills, then get to the airport, without worrying about what to do with her luggage. Shopping is also a fun thing to do in another country, three weeks before Christmas!

 

Think of it as a cultural excursion. Truly, what would be more representative of American culture that a mega-mall before Christmas?

 

Also contributes to the American economy. Nothing unwelcome about that! :p

[WineDown17]

I agree. There are Mills Malls all over the country. It seems odd to me that someone would take an excursion to a mall.

I would also recommend the Monkey Jungle, but it is a bit of a drive.

 

The op is from Australia folks...so as she states, she does not have these all over HER country...

 

And who are we to judge eachother? I mean really!:mad: if you done like the excusrion...dont go...but dont judge someone else..please!

 

Op..just last night i wore a gorgeous David Yurman piece as well as carried my favorite Kate Spade bag...both of which i purchased at Sawgrass at significant discounts on my last business trip down there....

 

Yes..alot of things are full price, but there should also be great holiday sales. enjoy!

[sab01]

Glad we have it all sorted now...I cant wait to contribute to the US economy!!! I know it will be a zoo, but how convienient to not have to worry about how to get to MIA after my cruise, not to have to worry about luggage... THanks to all who replied...

[ellbon]

Glad we have it all sorted now...I cant wait to contribute to the US economy!!! I know it will be a zoo, but how convienient to not have to worry about how to get to MIA after my cruise, not to have to worry about luggage... THanks to all who replied...

 

have fun for me and try a nice sit down palce.. wish you could bring me flowers from your gardens or a bottle of Grandfathers..

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

For us Australians, shopping in a place like Sawgrass Mills is amazing. We don't have anything like these malls. When we are used to paying $170 for a pair of Levi Jeans and you can buy them for $20 there like I did in Feb you tend to go on a shopping binge. With Christmas coming up and 5 children, 5 sons and daughters in law and 3 grandchildren the savings alone is astounding. As I said before we will be there this Friday so if you see some lost looking Aussies wandering around come up and say hello!!! :D

[catweazlecat]

Hi

 

every time we travel to Florida, we spare some extra time for shopping in Sawgrass or one of the Premium Outlets around Orlando.

Compared to Germany the prices are very low - especially for clothes :D

 

We do always shop a whole day in Sawgrass and even my lovely hubby is eager to get in and out the shops - he normally hates it at home :rolleyes:

 

I can really recommend going there but we would never take a tour but rent a car ourselfes and use a additional night on our trip to shop till we drop ....

 

Sawgrass is huge and not complete for us without a lovely dinner at the cheesecake factory and a yummie classic cheesecake with strawberries ;)

 

You should take into consideration that you "might shop lots of things" and therefore would need to pack or re-pack your suitcase anyway on your way back home or even buy an addional one - which we had to do many times before <sigh>.

 

Have a great day at the mall and try to avoid the weekend otherwise you will have big crowds waiting in line at the cashiers.

[We're The Groupnors]

Enjoy your day at the Mall! It is amazing. Being from Canada (where the few outlet malls we have are a joke), we love the variety and prices the US outlets have to offer. And I know what you mean about cost versus the US; even though our dollar is now effectively par with the US dollar we typically pay 1/3 to 1/2 more on many items, and a "sale" in Canada usually equates to a maximum of 15%, which is what we pay in tax! In the US a sale can be as much as 75% off. I especially love finding my size on the Ann Taylor clearance rack...still wearing my $9.88 silk embroidered skirt.

 

Shop, shop, shop!

[sab01]

Enjoy your day at the Mall! It is amazing. Being from Canada (where the few outlet malls we have are a joke)' date=' we love the variety and prices the US outlets have to offer. And I know what you mean about cost versus the US; even though our dollar is now effectively par with the US dollar we typically pay 1/3 to 1/2 more on many items, and a "sale" in Canada usually equates to a maximum of 15%, which is what we pay in tax! In the US a sale can be as much as 75% off. I especially love finding my size on the Ann Taylor clearance rack...still wearing my $9.88 silk embroidered skirt.

 

Shop, shop, shop![/quote']

....Im hearing ya....just love Ann Taylor..a brand we dont carry in Australia...i know exactly what shops im hitting ..., i only need 3-4hours max..i have been to this mall before so i know where im going....:):):):)