FLL Budget and cab pickup

[NoWhiners]

Sorry to ask yet another rental car question but it is a small one!!

 

We are renting from Budget at FLL, returning it there the morning of our cruise. We know they don't have a shuttle and will take a cab, but i am trying to limit how far we need to drag our stuff around. So, can hubby drop me off where the cabs pickup on his way to drop off the car. or, if he drops me off, will he have to circle the aipport to get back to Budget?

 

I am worried because there are 2 of us (healthy and strong!) but we will have 2 large suitcases, 2 boxes of wine and 2 carryons. I don't think we could drag all of this very far without an accident!

 

Or are there other options for getting us and our stuff across the street from Budget garage to cab stand?

 

Thanks for any help

ML

[steve20832]

Drive your rental car to the ship and drop off your heavy luggage that needs to be delivered to the room. Keep your purse, valuables and carry-ons that you want to hand carry to the room. Drop off the rental car at the car rental return then catch a taxi or whatever to the pier.

Make sure your cruise line allows carry-on wine as not all cruise lines allow this.

[NoWhiners]

Drive your rental car to the ship and drop off your heavy luggage that needs to be delivered to the room. Keep your purse, valuables and carry-ons that you want to hand carry to the room. Drop off the rental car at the car rental return then catch a taxi or whatever to the pier.

Make sure your cruise line allows carry-on wine as not all cruise lines allow this.

 

Steve

 

This is an excellent thought. We considered this but were discouraged by threads discussing all the traffic trying to get into the port the morning of the cruise. Car has to be back by noon, so i suspect we would have to drop bags off by 11 to make it?

 

do you have any experience with the difficulty of getting into the port and to our ship? We are on HAL, so can bring all the wine we want!!

 

Thanks for any advice

ML

[DanJ]

Many people drop off luggage first. There is no problem doing this. Drive in the Eller Dr security gate, which is at the end of I-595 by the airport and just stay on that road as it curves left. The ship will most likely be on the right hand side of the road around terminal 26 or 27, but there will be a sign just past security with the ship name, terminal, and an arrow pointing the way. Just stop at the luggage porter, toss them your luggage and luggage protection fee, and drive off. You'll go around the traffic circle at the end of the street (if you can't make a u-turn) and come back the way you came. Once outside the port again, just follow the signs to the airport, which I beleive is the 2nd right after security, and follow the ramp around to US1 south, then onto the airport ramp, and stay left to the car rental return. There will be a sign directing you to Budget's return area.

 

Ask somebody there about where to get the taxi's from, as I'm not sure which level you will be on for Budget. I know for Alamo, you go up one level to get the shuttle and there were taxi's out there. You can also enquire about returning the car to the Budget office on 17th St beside the Renaissance Hotel, but for the terminal you will be sailing from, I don't think either location is any closer than the other. If Budget is anything like Alamo at the airport, they will have the car checked in before you take your carryon bag out of the trunk, whereas I'm guessing a storefront location might not have as many staff on hand to do that as quickly. But something to think about.

 

Edited to add, I looked at your posts to see if I can determine the cruise you are on, and it looks like Westerdam, April 15, right? This is a Friday, so it will be a much quieter day at port than dealing with a weekend rush. Once calendar I saw showed only your ship there that day. We boarded a ship a bit bigger than yours in January, also being the only ship there, and traffic was practically non-existant.

[NoWhiners]

Many people drop off luggage first. There is no problem doing this. Drive in the Eller Dr security gate, which is at the end of I-595 by the airport and just stay on that road as it curves left. The ship will most likely be on the right hand side of the road around terminal 26 or 27, but there will be a sign just past security with the ship name, terminal, and an arrow pointing the way. Just stop at the luggage porter, toss them your luggage and luggage protection fee, and drive off. You'll go around the traffic circle at the end of the street (if you can't make a u-turn) and come back the way you came. Once outside the port again, just follow the signs to the airport, which I beleive is the 2nd right after security, and follow the ramp around to US1 south, then onto the airport ramp, and stay left to the car rental return. There will be a sign directing you to Budget's return area.

 

Ask somebody there about where to get the taxi's from, as I'm not sure which level you will be on for Budget. I know for Alamo, you go up one level to get the shuttle and there were taxi's out there. You can also enquire about returning the car to the Budget office on 17th St beside the Renaissance Hotel, but for the terminal you will be sailing from, I don't think either location is any closer than the other. If Budget is anything like Alamo at the airport, they will have the car checked in before you take your carryon bag out of the trunk, whereas I'm guessing a storefront location might not have as many staff on hand to do that as quickly. But something to think about.

 

Edited to add, I looked at your posts to see if I can determine the cruise you are on, and it looks like Westerdam, April 15, right? This is a Friday, so it will be a much quieter day at port than dealing with a weekend rush. Once calendar I saw showed only your ship there that day. We boarded a ship a bit bigger than yours in January, also being the only ship there, and traffic was practically non-existant.

 

Hi Dan

 

Thanks so much for this!! I nearly spit out my coffee when I read the highlighted part:D! LOL I was thinking $10--do you think that's enough to assure we'll see the wine again?:)

 

We are indeed on the Westerdam, leaving April 15--you are quite a good detective!! I was thinking a Friday boarding might be better, so thanks for confirming this as well. I think we will try this method--seems like the easiest and it will be a little bit of an adventure for us.

 

Have read many of your answers on these boards and appreciate the time and effort you put in helping all of us!

 

Thanks again

ML