Confused about transportation

[Lucerne123]

Hi,

 

My sister and I are going on our first cruise next week. She has never been to Miami so we are coming in early the day before and would like to spend the day/night in South Beach. We will be flying into Ft. Lauderdale and cruising on Celebrity out of Miami. We can rent a convertible at FLL airport and return in Miami the next day for $60 or we can rent a budget car for the entire time for $105. I just think it will cost too much to keep it parked while on our 4 night cruise. It just seems that shuttles/taxis will add up. We are on a budget and not sure what will be our best option for transportation before and after cruise. We did not know the ship offered transfers until reading here. I called Celebrity and they said it is too late to book a transfer. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[CruiserBruce]

Come over to the Florida Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

and do some reading. This topic is discussed every day.

[cb at sea]

Don't rent a car for the timespan of the cruise....no sense in paying for parking! Just rent it for the day, if you need it....depending on where you plan to go, a cab may be doable.

 

Take a cab back to the airport after the cruise....From Port of Miami to MIA it's $24 for the ride. Ship transfers are slower and more expensive.

[Algebralovr]

Rent when you get into fll and return in Miami. Then take your cruise and at the end, take a shuttle to FLL. Look elsewhere on these boards for shuttles from SAS or other companies to get back to FLL at the end. It isn't worth $20 per day to park a rental car. The cab from turning the car in in Miami will be more cost effective

[TrqoisWtrs]

I called Celebrity and they said it is too late to book a transfer

 

That stinks. On Carnival you can walk right out of baggage claim and hop on the transfer. Don't need a reservation.

 

Agree with renting the car for FLL to Miami and then grabbing a shuttle back to FLL. Fill out the reservation info at SAS. They are really quick in responding and its only $15 pp back to FLL. Enjoy your cruise. :)

[Lucerne123]

Thank you for all your help! I did not know about the other threads with transportation. Thank you for the link. Since I am new here I am still learning all this site has to offer.

 

We leave next Thursday! YEAH! :)

[calbert116]

What do you mean by Celebrity says it's too late to book a transfer? Transfer wht, where? I'm new to cruising.

[LarryL]

What do you mean by Celebrity says it's too late to book a transfer? Transfer wht, where? I'm new to cruising.

 

A transfer is pre-arranged transportation to and/or from the airport to the cruise terminal. These arrangements are made through the cruise line or your Travel Agent (TA) if you have one, usually at the time of booking. They can be convenient, especially for first time cruisers who are unfamiliar with the logistics of cruising. A cruise line rep meets you at the airport or cruise terminal and ushers you to the bus or shuttle. They see that your bags are taken care of as well.

[Littlebeachlover]

Also check with your rental car agency a lot of them offer free shuttles to the cruise ports and airports when you return the rental car.

[Cmdr Cody]

Don't rent a car for the timespan of the cruise....no sense in paying for parking! Just rent it for the day, if you need it....depending on where you plan to go, a cab may be doable.

 

Take a cab back to the airport after the cruise....From Port of Miami to MIA it's $24 for the ride. Ship transfers are slower and more expensive.

 

Definately do not rent a car while gone, the state of Florida will love you if you do. Rental cars in Fla have more in taxes and state fees than the price of the rental. A $20 a day rental for a week is close to $500 after taxes and fees.

[chiapetti]

On Carnival you can walk right out of baggage claim and hop on the transfer. Don't need a reservation.