Your favorite port for RCL to sail out of?

[maxxedout2]

Hi all,

 

Just curious what your favorite port is?

 

Hi.

 

We've only used Ft Lauderdale and Miami so far.

 

Prefer Port Everglades.

 

:cool:

[Clarea]

***1. Tampa - good for drivers, good for flyers - 2.5 hours for me

2. Port Canaveral - good for drivers, awful for flyers - 1.5 hours for me

3. Jacksonville - good for drivers and flyers - 1.5 hours for me

4. Ft. Lauderdale - good for drivers, awesome for flyers - 6.5 hours for me

 

Miami is dead last... awful for drivers, mediocre for flyers - 7.5 hours for me

 

Tampa is our favorite because it's just so easy, even though it's a little more road time for us.

 

I wish Jacksonville would get it together and get a REAL cruise port built, on the sea side of the bridge. It's still neat cool to sail under it, though - it's a tight fit.

 

Our favorite non-Florida has been Baltimore. Great city with lots of options.

 

Our most un-favorite is San Juan. Captive audience of cruisers and high prices. I would much rather do a long trip from Florida, and spend those two days on a ship, rather than in an airport and hotel.

 

Enjoy your trips, wherever they start!

 

Wendy

Disagree about Port Canaveral being awful for fliers. Galveston is much worse. Galveston has only one car rental agency on the island, and it's not open on Sunday. Nice hotels on the island are expensive, and many times require a 2 night stay on the weekend. Forget about staying on the island during spring break. Not a friendly port for the fly-in cruiser.

 

We always have to fly to the port, and I'll take Port Canaveral over any other, even Port Everglades. Yes, I know Port Everglades is very close to the airport, but I don't like standing in line for 45 minutes to get bags and pass through customs, like we did on Liberty last week.

[bigkauhuna]

Sydney, Australia.

[whiteway906]

San Juan, without a doubt. But I have to give a round of applause to Port Canaveral. It was a breeze sailing through PC on the Freedom. One of the better run emarbarkations.

 

We'll see how I do in Port Everglades shortly. ;)

[PCWalton1]

Venice, this is actually when we sailed back in :o. But the sail away was beautiful too. :)

 

[luvscruising2007]

Miami was the worst. We were probably waiting in line for a couple of hours. Baltimore and Bayonne are convenient because we can drive. Others have all been fine and quite efficient.

[Saysell64]

San Juan. The southern itinerary's are great! We also like spending a day or two in San Juan pre cruise and the night time sail away is really nice.

[Kartgv]

Sydney, without a doubt. Tied for 2nd, Vancouver and San Francisco, though RCI doesn't currently do SF as an embarkation point. Still looking forward to Venice.

[4bythebeach]

Gotta go with Port Canaveral. It is close to me, but it is also a less crowded area, more relaxed and kick back for a night prior to cruising. Or, you can do an Orlando night prior to cruise-if you enjoy all Orlando has to give, just 1 night will certainly make you wiped out to start your cruise!

Check in is a breeze compared to Miami! (just my experience!)

[pscruzinboyz]

Another West Coast Vote for San Pedro.....where else can you wave to the Convicts when sailing away on your vacation....OUCH!!

The other being San Diego......From the Dowtown skyline to the navel Base.....Just a beautiful departure port!!

Come back RCL!!! :)

 

Mike

[Riggy84]

I agree with Venice.

I've only been on 1 cruise so far but Venice was pretty special!

[Trainman-2]

Port Canaveral

 

Only a 90 minute drive from home!

[Esmerelda]

Fort Lauderdale! There's so many great hotels on the strip and great restaurants. We love that area.

 

It's only 20 hours from my house (for now);)

[harry0]

Favorite Royal-Seward

But If you include NYC-Royal sailed from Manhatten a while back-I would vote for that-the sailaway past the NYC skyline and Staue of Liberty is awesome!

 

I will be off to Sydney early next month!

[BillOh]

Hi all,

 

Just curious what your favorite port is?

 

 

Glad you asked. I'll look forward to reading people's thoughts. After my next cruise, my total will be

 

Miami - 4 cruises

Port Everglades - 3 cruises

Tampa - 1 cruise

 

My first 3 cruises were out of Miami and it was fun being around all those people cruising, but RC really has pulled out of there, but I do enjoy Miami. Once I learned not to use RC transfers at Miami, it was a good experience. Port Everglades does seem better suited most times and is an enjoyable experience.

 

My one trip out of Tampa was a great experience. If they were able to host a Voyager or Freedom class, I would sail more from there.

 

I hope to try Galveston and NO soon, but I think my next port to try will likely be Port Canaveral.

[BillOh]

Disagree about Port Canaveral being awful for fliers. Galveston is much worse. Galveston has only one car rental agency on the island, and it's not open on Sunday. Nice hotels on the island are expensive, and many times require a 2 night stay on the weekend. Forget about staying on the island during spring break. Not a friendly port for the fly-in cruiser.

 

We always have to fly to the port, and I'll take Port Canaveral over any other, even Port Everglades. Yes, I know Port Everglades is very close to the airport, but I don't like standing in line for 45 minutes to get bags and pass through customs, like we did on Liberty last week.

 

Good post that interests me as a fellow midwesterner. I've heard storied about Liberty, but yet they do such a good job with Allure/Oasis. I'm likely to finally give Port Canaveral a try just to go back on Freedom again.

[Clarea]

Good post that interests me as a fellow midwesterner. I've heard storied about Liberty, but yet they do such a good job with Allure/Oasis. I'm likely to finally give Port Canaveral a try just to go back on Freedom again.

Yes, I agree about Oasis/Allure. I have no reservations about terminal 18. It's almost as if you're at a different port than the terminal 24/25 side. Even without the wait for bags, the traffic to get to and from 24/25 is bad if there are other ships on that little peninsula.

 

Bob

[tahqa]

Good post that interests me as a fellow midwesterner. I've heard storied about Liberty, but yet they do such a good job with Allure/Oasis. I'm likely to finally give Port Canaveral a try just to go back on Freedom again.

 

It's not just Liberty. I've never had a great departure at FLL from a ship that was not Oasis/Allure. My mom has back problems and the customs fiasco getting off of Liberty last December had her in pain for days afterwards. For Liberty departure we had to exit the ship at deck 1 and then walk all the way down to the end of the pier to do customs in that terminal and from exiting the ship to clearing customs was a solid hour of standing in long lines.

[leaveitallbehind]

OK, I'll say it - any port where I am on a ship that's departing!

 

But to the question, I'll echo another post and say (in reverse order): 1) Port Everglades for its convenience to the airport and (I'll add) the efficiency overall with embarking / disembarking and variety of ships, and 2) Port Liberty for its proximity to us with an easy drive to the port.

 

In our experience we have sailed from Port Everglades, Miami, Port Liberty, and San Juan and IMO the least favorite in terms of efficiency and ease is Miami.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Baltimore!!! Easiest embarkation, parking right in front of the ship, luggage drop off from your car, port is a stone's throw off I-95. etc. Easiest ever!!

[kyriecat]

It's hard to pick.

 

Galveston is only about an hour from my house so for convenience, it wins hands-down. The itineraries, however, are BORING!!!

 

San Juan is great for Caribbean itineraries. However, I don't like the lines and long wait times for check-in. It gets hot and there isn't much shade. I'd rather sail from San Juan and be closer to the southern Caribbean islands than sail from Florida.

 

Venice and Vancouver are both amazing for scenic departures. Those are both ports that will start your cruise with a big WOW! The worst check-in process that I ever experienced, in terms of disorganization and general chaos, was in Vancouver with Radiance at Ballentyne Pier. We sailed in September on one of the last Alaska sailings for the year, but it was like no one (porters, security staff, check-in people) knew what to do. That is the only time that it has taken me over two hours to get onboard.

[struther1]

I like Fort Lauderdale the best so far but, am excited about trying New Orleans in a couple months.:)

[vlynn]

Baltimore!!! Easiest embarkation, parking right in front of the ship, luggage drop off from your car, port is a stone's throw off I-95. etc. Easiest ever!!

 

I totally agree with you; love BALTIMORE - super easy!! Cheap/secure parking! :D

[printingchick]

San Juan. It's WAY more interesting than Florida, without the fog delays of Galveston and close to so many different ports of call. I have sailed out of San Juan three times and STILL have not visited all the ports in the southern Caribbean!

 

I typically cruise during the winter, to escape the brutal New England winter. For that reason, the northeastern ports aren't a good option for me. Despite being convenient, cruises out of the northeast are typically high priced, which offsets most of the cost of flying to begin my cruise from some place WARM!

[mommabean]

San Diego. Great city, affordable, ships pull up to the balcony of the Holiday Inn, Airport close by, cheap flights from Florida, lots to do, nice place to walk or jog pre-cruise. Everything about it is easy and fun. You can just walk to the cruise port from many hotels. I could walk to the airport if I had to.

 

I went out of San Pedro once - a huge pain for non-residents. I'd never do it there again. The airport is too far away and nothing interested me about the area.

 

RCI should be doing Mexican Riviera cruises again from the new cruise port in San Diego.

 

Sydney is WAY to expensive to cruise from although we'll do it one more time and yes it's pretty and a fun city and a nice port.