Coast Guard Inspection Dec 2nd Miami

[journeyfan]

I quite agree! It does appear that making a 10:15 AM flight out of Miami is impossible. Sure wish, though, that we were disembarking in Fort Lauderdale. Never had any problem making it from pier to airport in that city and FLL also has many non-stop flights to our home airport.

[DOJO466]

I quite agree! It does appear that making a 10:15 AM flight out of Miami is impossible. Sure wish, though, that we were disembarking in Fort Lauderdale. Never had any problem making it from pier to airport in that city and FLL also has many non-stop flights to our home airport.

I never book Miami. I take O's air and book a non stop from NH (most times) or Bos to FLL. We get a shuttle for $15 each which has us at the Port in about 30-35 minutes, then they pick us up on disembarkation, we just give him a call when we have cleared everything and he is there within minutes. We take a 12:15 flight and get home at 3:30. Couldn't be easier for us.

[journeyfan]

Yes, and that's exactly what we'll do the next time, now that I've read about all the horrors of MIA. It wasn't until I had already made this mistake that I discovered how cheap a shuttle is between the 2 cities.

[YoHoHo]

I never book Miami. I take O's air and book a non stop from NH (most times) or Bos to FLL. We get a shuttle for $15 each which has us at the Port in about 30-35 minutes, then they pick us up on disembarkation, we just give him a call when we have cleared everything and he is there within minutes. We take a 12:15 flight and get home at 3:30. Couldn't be easier for us.

Wouldn't that, flying out of FLL vs MIA, involve the $300 deviation fee though ?

[DOJO466]

Wouldn't that, flying out of FLL vs MIA, involve the $300 deviation fee though ?

No, We take the "credit", in this case $300 pp. Air from Bos to FLL cost $626 for the two of us (it would have been $536 had I booked when I first saw it). No need for deviation as I have booked my own. We stay overnight at hotel in FLL and as mentioned above we take the $15pp transfer right to the door of the terminal. I wouldn't do it any other way. I hate MIA.

[DOJO466]

Wouldn't that, flying out of FLL vs MIA, involve the $300 deviation fee though ?

I just noticed you fly from Vancouver, but just for giggles, check out Jet Blue & Southwest to see what your next itinerary would cost as they both fly into FLL and it is such a nice airport. Also I forgot to mention that the hotel we stay at has a free shuttle to the hotel from airport and not only that shuttles you to area restaurants.

[rallydave]

I just noticed you fly from Vancouver, but just for giggles, check out Jet Blue & Southwest to see what your next itinerary would cost as they both fly into FLL and it is such a nice airport. Also I forgot to mention that the hotel we stay at has a free shuttle to the hotel from airport and not only that shuttles you to area restaurants.

 

That might work except neither airline flies into Vancouver.

[DOJO466]

That might work except neither airline flies into Vancouver.

You are right

However, United does and on the dates Journeyfan would be travelling it is under the amount O credits. To YoHoHo. check out Kayak or itasoftware.com. Just to see a what if scenario.

[rallydave]

You are right

However, United does and on the dates Journeyfan would be travelling it is under the amount O credits. To YoHoHo. check out Kayak or itasoftware.com. Just to see a what if scenario.

 

Agree and one has to be careful when checking fares on itasoftware as I know that Southwest does not appear there.

[journeyfan]

I also took the $600 credit, but after screwing up and booking a too-early return flight and having to re-book, I've now spent $631.40. Not bad, though, as at least we're flying non-stop whereas Oceania would have booked us on a connecting flight thru Chicago or NY or some other northern city and we try to avoid those airports in the winter.

[DOJO466]

Agree and one has to be careful when checking fares on itasoftware as I know that Southwest does not appear there.

 

Well aware of that, that why I gave that site.

[DOJO466]

I also took the $600 credit, but after screwing up and booking a too-early return flight and having to re-book, I've now spent $631.40. Not bad, though, as at least we're flying non-stop whereas Oceania would have booked us on a connecting flight thru Chicago or NY or some other northern city and we try to avoid those airports in the winter.

So all this chatter comes down to having to pay $31.40 more for your flight:rolleyes:. Oh well, you have learned a lesson, go FLL for ALL O cruises leaving and returning to POM. At least now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Have a wonderful cruise, we leave on Riviera in 2 weeks.

[journeyfan]

And I bet that hotel you use in FLL with the free transfers from airport and to restaurants is the same one we have used for our previous 5 Regent cruises that left from FLL.

[YoHoHo]

No, We take the "credit", in this case $300 pp. Air from Bos to FLL cost $626 for the two of us (it would have been $536 had I booked when I first saw it). No need for deviation as I have booked my own. We stay overnight at hotel in FLL and as mentioned above we take the $15pp transfer right to the door of the terminal. I wouldn't do it any other way. I hate MIA.

OK - now I understand. You had posted ' I take O's air and ...'. Taking the credit and not the flights so you can do as you please makes sense.

[YoHoHo]

I just noticed you fly from Vancouver, but just for giggles, check out Jet Blue & Southwest to see what your next itinerary would cost as they both fly into FLL and it is such a nice airport. Also I forgot to mention that the hotel we stay at has a free shuttle to the hotel from airport and not only that shuttles you to area restaurants.

I will look at FLL next time; I had not even considered that. Good suggestion. We have consistently had poor experiences at the Port of Miami though (both coming and going) that it just adds another check mark to spending our limited vacation time wisely.

 

It is a long flight(s) from here to there. Always uses up a day one way or another. Would be excellent to live on the east coast and be a few hours and no stops away. As it is, for just a few more hours, but still just 'wasting' that day on travel, plus get international flights vs. domestic (and the ensuing better treatment) we more often go to Europe - Asia is obviously much closer from here too.

 

We have started taking more land trips with Os increased pricing and air changes.

 

Tht said, with O's shrinking air credit they are getting to closer to their advertised 'free air' ;).

 

Now if they would include allow day before arrivals (as I think everyone here agrees is the sane way to plan a cruise ) and not make us go through a deviation to get it that would be GREAT and would make the purchase decision easy again.

 

We simply add $300 to the cost of an O cruise when considering our choices.

[YoHoHo]

You are right

However, United does and on the dates Journeyfan would be travelling it is under the amount O credits. To YoHoHo. check out Kayak or itasoftware.com. Just to see a what if scenario.

I do know them both for a loooong time. Big fan of kayak (personal consumer experience too of topic) and not happy with omnipresent google buying itasoftware

[DOJO466]

I will look at FLL next time; I had not even considered that. Good suggestion. We have consistently had poor experiences at the Port of Miami though (both coming and going) that it just adds another check mark to spending our limited vacation time wisely.

 

It is a long flight(s) from here to there. Always uses up a day one way or another. Would be excellent to live on the east coast and be a few hours and no stops away. As it is, for just a few more hours, but still just 'wasting' that day on travel, plus get international flights vs. domestic (and the ensuing better treatment) we more often go to Europe - Asia is obviously much closer from here too.

 

We have started taking more land trips with Os increased pricing and air changes.

 

Tht said, with O's shrinking air credit they are getting to closer to their advertised 'free air' ;).

 

Now if they would include allow day before arrivals (as I think everyone here agrees is the sane way to plan a cruise ) and not make us go through a deviation to get it that would be GREAT and would make the purchase decision easy again.

 

We simply add $300 to the cost of an O cruise when considering our choices.

 

I agree, we too are looking at more land trips. Pricing is getting too much for us. We have 3 cruises to do then it will be time for a re think on how we will spend our vacation dollars.