Ft. Lauderdale disembark/flight question

[vamom2003]

Hello,

 

We have booked a Panama Canal trip on the Coral Princess leaving on 11/26 and returning on 12/7.

 

I am looking at air fare now, since it's Thanksgiving that week, I am not expecting to get a great deal but I have found one that has a good price tag!

 

Here is the catch... the only return flight on 12/7 is at 6:23pm. Our itinerary has us arriving at Ft. L at 7am.

 

This is our first cruise so all this is new to us and we are taking our two kids with us (10 and 7 yrs old).

 

My question is, how long will disembarking take for us since we are not pressed to get to the airport for a flight?? How long can we stay on the Coral before they kick us out?? and is there something we can do in Ft L. to kill some time before our flight??

 

Thanks!!

 

ps... We are planning on flying in to Ft. L. the day before embarking but really didn't see the need to also spend the night after disembarking..

[Liz54]

You will have to be off the ship by about 10 AM at the latest, but there are shore excursions you can take that pick you and yor luggage up at the port and drop you later in the day at the airport. I would not let a later flight stop me from booking!

[TLC535]

I would look @ one of the Princess excursions that will pick you (and luggage) up and deliver you to the airport later in the day after excursion...trying to do something on your own would be difficult with luggage. ;)

[Stevesan]

Your ship will have everyone off by 10AM, including you. There are disembarkation tours. The longest is 5 hours. Prices range from $39 to $79. I travel solo, so that's worked for me.

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.page?voyageCode=6338&itinCode=TRA111&tourCode=&trade=T&date=1113&noOfPax=2&resType=C&ship=CO&bID=PCDIR&meta=B&ppax=false&itinPort=&tourIds=&duration=&tourdur=&orderBy=&filterBy=&order=#exlistforvoyage.do?&ppax=false&noOfPax=2&meta=B

 

The least stressful option would be spending an exciting day at the airport. Or book a hotel and leave the next morning, assuming there's an earlier flight.

 

Good luck, and welcome to cruising.:)

[leavingocalaagain]

You can take a Princess end of day excursion as suggested by the previous poster. You could also rent a car for the day. You probably have time to drive over to Shark Valley in the Everglades National park and see the alligators:

 

http://*******/maps/hVEbS

 

You want to make sure you take the tram tour so check schedules. The website is: http://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/

 

You might want to look at the national park service information:

 

http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/svdirections.htm

 

You could also go to the beach around Fort Lauderdale.

[Potstech]

Took one of the end of cruise excursions last year after a Panama Canal trip. Went to the Everglades for a Air boat ride and then to the Flamingo Zoo. Had a great time. You take your luggage with you and they drop you off at the airport after the tour. We also had a late flight but it gave us something to do for the day. they have several you can choose form once you are embarked. Just go to the excursion desk and ask. Great add on to the cruise and solves that waiting at the airport problem especially with two children. Have a great cruise.

[DiamondDiva]

Just off the Coral this past Sunday. There were 8 ships in port, so MANY people to get off many ships-more than 15,000. Due to small numbers of Customs people at each terminal, some people have been experiencing long delays getting off the ship.

 

As several others have noted above, there are always good and interesting disembarkation day tours at FLL thru the cruise line. They are usually listed ahead of time on the Princess website with other tours for your itinerary under Ft Lauderdale. Your luggage stays with you under the bus and you are dropped at the airport in plenty of time for that flight you mentioned.

 

Because of the long delays possible in FLL, I would not recommend renting a car, as you might lose some time in the morning in line and not get to see what you planned or get a late start. The ship tours are sure to get you to the airport with few hassles.

[ORDMan]

if you're contemplating spending the day at the airport...

 

Keep in mind that FLL is an airport with several smaller terminals each with its own security checkpoint. This is in contrast to O'Hare, Houston, Atlanta, etc which have much larger terminals and / or are connected inside security by a train.

 

The result is that some FLL terminals are cramped and don't offer many passenger amenities. The American gates at Terminal 3 are particularly bad.

 

Have you considered renting a car and doing some sightseeing? That would be far cheaper that paying for excursions for the family, plus you can do things at your own pace. You have plenty of time.

[Pam in CA]

FLL is one of those airports that don't allow you to check in for your flight earlier than 2-3 hours before your flight. So, even if you go directly to the airport, there'll be no place to go.

 

A tour through Princess that ends at the airport is probably the best suggestion. You can probably go by taxi to a nearby hotel on the beach, drop your luggage with the Concierge, and enjoy lunch and perhaps some beach time before taking a taxi or shuttle to the airport. You'll still have an issue with your carry-on and valuables, though.

 

In October, our flight leaves mid-afternoon from MIA. We plan to take a Princess tour that will drop us off at the airport.

[candide333]

We had an unfortunate experience on our last disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale. Our flight was at 1:30 PM and I notified Princess of the time. However, there were 6 ships in port and there was a 1 hour delay getting off. We tried to leave earlier but were told we could not get off until our color was called. Once off, there were no cabs. The cabs would only let off passengers, not pick any up. After standing in the line to get a cab for over an hour, we finally decided to catch a shuttle service but missed our flight.

 

My complaint is with Princess who operates out of Fort Lauderdale all the time and should have given us an earlier time to get off the ship, knowing that there were so many ships in port.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just off the Emerald Sunday, disembarked at 9:00 am picked up bags in the terminal went through customs and boarded the Princess transfer in about 10 minutes.

(we were given tickets by someone who did not use them). We waited 45 minutes on the bus for it to fill :eek:.

(There were plenty of taxi's if we chose to take one.)

Once at the airport the bus dropped everyone off at one spot at terminal #1, the driver announced no more taking you too your airline of choice you have to walk. :( We checked in at 10:30 for our 1:30 flight. There were 10 people in the security line (yes 10!) we breezed through and headed to the gate. No problems.

[Mac Daddy]

vamom2003 - We had the same scenario a few years back, with kids roughly the same age. We had planned to take a post-cruise excursion through the cruise line (Everglades adventure) but it was cancelled due to the weather. We ended going to the airport, where we paid to have our bags watched (it was too soon to check-in), then we took a public bus from the airport to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science (http://www.mods.org). We learned about the museum and the bus schedule from the help desk at the airport. The museum is a really good little museum with many hand's on activities for the kids (and adults), plus there is an IMAX theater there. This unplanned excursion ended up being a really enjoyable and inexpensive way to kill some time, plus we got to see some of the city via the bus and walk from bus to the museum.

[vamom2003]

Thanks for all the quick replies and ideas!

 

I have booked our flights and will most likely book an excursion through Princess when that option is available..

[vamom2003]

vamom2003 - We had the same scenario a few years back, with kids roughly the same age. We had planned to take a post-cruise excursion through the cruise line (Everglades adventure) but it was cancelled due to the weather.

 

Oh gosh.. I forgot about the weather!

 

Thanks Mac Daddy, I will keep this as an option as well!

[capriccio]

When it gets closer to your cruise, you can check out the sun trolley web site and see if this new program that began this past December is still operational. It includes baggage storage, sun trolley rides, optional water taxi tickets, and admission to some Fort Lauderdale attractions.

 

Currently the program operates on Fridays thru Sundays and includes the trolley, bag storage at the airport, and admission to various Ft. Lauderdale attractions. For an extra $10 you can add on unlimited water taxi rides.

 

This is the description of that new program from the Fort Lauderdale city press release in January:

 

Fort Lauderdale partnership combines airport Sun Trolley service and baggage storage

 

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Fort Lauderdale visitors can make every minute count, thanks to a new airport transportation and baggage storage service that aims to provide convenient access to area attractions and businesses.

 

With the Fort Lauderdale Excursion, visitors who have a few extra hours to spare can securely store their baggage at the airport and enjoy hassle-free transportation on the Sun Trolley or Water Taxi to explore the City's best cultural attractions, sites, dining, shopping and entertainment.

 

The service is ideal for tourists and business travelers who have a few hours to spare before scheduled departures.

 

The Fort Lauderdale Excursion includes luggage storage at Bags To Go Enterprises, located at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Sun Trolley transportation between the airport and downtown, an all-day ticket for the Sun Trolley and/or Water Taxi, sightseeing opportunities and an array of special offers and discounts.

 

The excursion is available daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. The last departure from downtown is at 3:30 p.m. The downtown drop off and pick up point is located at the Fort Lauderdale History Center near area attractions and Las Olas Boulevard.

 

The price for the one day Sun Trolley excursion is $19.95 per person. A combo package that includes the Sun Trolley and Water Taxi is available for $29.95 per person.

 

The ticket price includes admission to several attractions, including the Historic Stranahan House, Fort Lauderdale History Center and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

 

For more information, visit www.suntrolley.com or call 954-761-3543.

[Pam in CA]

We had an unfortunate experience on our last disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale. Our flight was at 1:30 PM and I notified Princess of the time. However, there were 6 ships in port and there was a 1 hour delay getting off. We tried to leave earlier but were told we could not get off until our color was called. Once off, there were no cabs. The cabs would only let off passengers, not pick any up. After standing in the line to get a cab for over an hour, we finally decided to catch a shuttle service but missed our flight.

 

My complaint is with Princess who operates out of Fort Lauderdale all the time and should have given us an earlier time to get off the ship, knowing that there were so many ships in port.

Sandy, hey, neighbor! You're a stone's throw from me. :)

 

Anyway, there are times when using the Princess shuttle makes sense. People who say to never use the Princess transfer don't always know what they're talking about. As the saying goes, "Never say, 'Never.'" It's a good idea to check how many other ships will be in port that day before deciding whether to take the shuttle or a cab. I've done both and the time I used the shuttle, I looked back at the port where people were literally fighting over the few cabs and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

[vamom2003]

Thanks Capriccio! I will make a note of that..

 

Pam in CA: Just curious, where do you check how many other ships will be in port?

[pablo222]

J

(There were plenty of taxi's if we chose to take one.)

 

There was about a 1.5 hour wait for taxis. Pax from

Emerald and Celebrity (berths 21 & 23/24) were merged together

into one line, being managed by BSO. I saw them break up

one near fight.

 

Looked wildly unpleasant.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Go see some sites in FTL...

[dizlove]

Thanks Capriccio! I will make a note of that..

 

Pam in CA: Just curious, where do you check how many other ships will be in port?

try this:

https://pevweb01.broward.org/Public/PublicMovements.aspx

or this:

http://www.porteverglades.net/about-us/