Which Airport, Miami or Ft Lauderdale?

[Johnno3c]

 

Hello

 

Just need some advice please.

 

Have booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas for March 2015, (long wait) and I need to start thinking about where to fly into from the UK. Ideally I would like to go Manchester to FLL but it looks like it is going to be Manchester-Heathrow-Miami.

 

Has any UK resident flown to FLL to pick up a cruise and can advise on airport/airline?

 

We will be staying in a hotel the night before we sail so any recommendations are also welcome.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[LA_CA_GAL]

 

Hello

 

Just need some advice please.

 

Have booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas for March 2015, (long wait) and I need to start thinking about where to fly into from the UK. Ideally I would like to go Manchester to FLL but it looks like it is going to be Manchester-Heathrow-Miami.

 

Has any UK resident flown to FLL to pick up a cruise and can advise on airport/airline?

 

We will be staying in a hotel the night before we sail so any recommendations are also welcome.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

FLL is where your cruise leaves.

 

However, years ago, we flew into Miami because of the cheaper fares, and with those savings we booked a stretch limo to get us to and from the port.

[negc]

 

Hello

 

Just need some advice please.

 

Have booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas for March 2015, (long wait) and I need to start thinking about where to fly into from the UK. Ideally I would like to go Manchester to FLL but it looks like it is going to be Manchester-Heathrow-Miami.

 

Has any UK resident flown to FLL to pick up a cruise and can advise on airport/airline?

 

We will be staying in a hotel the night before we sail so any recommendations are also welcome.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

I'd check to see if there are any regularly scheduled flights between Heathrow and Ft. Lauderdale. I somehow doubt there are many but Miami airport is only about 30 to 45 minutes away from FLL so having to fly into MIA and transfer to FLL should not be a significant problem. With more airlift between the UK and MIA, fares may also be lower than they would to FLL so the savings might wipe out any extra cost for the transfers,

[setsail]

http://webapps.broward.org/newsrelease/AdminDisplayMessages.aspx?intMessageId=4848

 

 

New runway opening in fall 14 , to accept many new international flights from Europe, Asia, etc.

Edited January 8, 2014 by setsail

[mjldvlks]

Not sure the FLL or MIA question is really different based on the point from which your trip begins, whether UK or wherever. We pick the airport based on the cost of the ticket. We have flown to MIA for cruises departing from Ft Lauderdale and to FLL for the Port of Miami. It is just a matter of cost for us.

 

Just remember to figure in the cost of the transfer when you are considering which is cheaper. If cost is no object, then FLL is clearly more convenient.

[Dan-P]

Not sure the FLL or MIA question is really different based on the point from which your trip begins, whether UK or wherever. We pick the airport based on the cost of the ticket. We have flown to MIA for cruises departing from Ft Lauderdale and to FLL for the Port of Miami. It is just a matter of cost for us.

 

Just remember to figure in the cost of the transfer when you are considering which is cheaper. If cost is no object, then FLL is clearly more convenient.

 

This was basically going to be my answer. The two airports/ports are close enough to each other, that I would fly into whichever airport fits your travel itinerary and budget the best. FLL is a smaller airport and argueably easier to navigate, but neither are "hard" airports to get around. Just remember to account for the shuttle/taxi/transfer between the cities if you fly into/out of the opposite of where you are cruising.

 

Dan.

[macruisefan]

If ALL other factors were the same, I would say FLL, simply because it's closer. However, this would be the LAST deciding factor on a trip of that length. Look at flight times, connections, prices. Whatever works best that ends at either airport is perfectly fine.

[Johnno3c]

Thanks for the replies so far, will look into suggestions.

 

Cheers

[dacruiser12]

You could also look @ West Palm Beach airport. A little farther out but the flight was $750 less than MIA or FLL.

[mo&fran]

FLL is not big enough to handle non stop flights from Europe ( nor is West Palm Beach).

I understand the new runway is being built to handle those flightss.

An option is to fly to a US hub , like Atlanta of Charlotte and connect to a domestic flight to FLL.

[DEEDIA]

John we are on the Oasis this year and will be flying back from Fort Lauderdale into Newark and onto Birmingham other option was Miami - Heathrow - Manchester longer flight time and later boarding times. also worked out cheaper

[jaydc2]

I am traveling into Miami because I have friends in my group who have never been there and want to see the drag show at The Palace ( they dance in the middle of Ocean Drive.)

 

Otherwise we would be flying directly into Ft. Lauderdale, I find it's much nicer there than in Miami.

 

The trip up from Miami is about 30-45 minutes depending on how you go.

[north29]

I would never fly into MIA unless absolutely necessary. Been there and done that.

[eldolko]

FLL is not big enough to handle non stop flights from Europe ( nor is West Palm Beach).

I understand the new runway is being built to handle those flightss.

An option is to fly to a US hub , like Atlanta of Charlotte and connect to a domestic flight to FLL.

 

I'm a lucky guy. Next week I'm flying in on a direct flight from Stockholm Sweden to FLL. Our Nordic carrier Norwegian has direct routes from Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen to both JFK and FLL.

 

I was about to book Lufthansa with a connection in Germany, but just then Norwegian announced their new long haul flights to USA.

 

I'm glad I don't have to experience MIA again. :)

[wrp96]

From the UK, to fly into FLL, you would have to connect somewhere in the US or Canada (unless you can get the above flight on Norwegian). To me that would be 100 times worse than flying from the UK directly into MIA and then just getting ground transportation up to Fort Lauderdale. In fact my last cruise from Port Everglades, it was several hundred dollars cheaper to fly in and out of MIA and the experience was fine.

 

Believe me, you really want to avoid the hassle of in the middle of your trip having to go through US immigration, collect your bags, go through customs, drop your bags off, and then go back through security. Yes, MIA immigration is no fun. But at least you will be a car ride away from your final destination, instead of having to catch another flight, wait for baggage, and then get in a car to your hotel.

 

Basically, unless you can connect to one of the Norwegian flights into FLL, just fly any of the options direct from the UK into MIA - avoid connecting in the US or Canada. If you are flying coach, the experience won't vary that much between your choices (I think BA, VS, AA, and maybe one or two others).

[NathUK]

FLL is not big enough to handle non stop flights from Europe ( nor is West Palm Beach).

I understand the new runway is being built to handle those flightss.

An option is to fly to a US hub , like Atlanta of Charlotte and connect to a domestic flight to FLL.

Not true. Noweigan fly direct from Gatwick London England to FLL.

[jo24]

Done this trip 3 times and hands down, on those occasions, it was cheaper for me to fly LHR to MIA and have the longer transfer. I looked at other options and connections to FLL but these were loooong total flights and more money.

 

If I also read your original post correctly, you mentioned your overnight stay. I have stayed once in Atlantic Spa & Resort but this is a little farther north and for 1 night, not worth it IMHO - gorgeous hotel though! The other 2 times I stayed at Hilton FL Marina. Lovely rooms, great service, reasonable rate and had rooms overlooking the port so when my jetlag was in full swing I was able to watch Allure sail in at circa 5am!

 

Other people highly recommend Embassy Suites but I haven't stayed here so can't help with that. There is a lot of hotel information usually on http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

Jo :)

[TravelerThom]

An article in yesterday's (7 Jan 2014) Miami Herald about Norwegian Airlines FLL service:

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/07/3857461/norwegian-airline-flying-full.html

 

Thom

[vondofife]

We live in Edinburgh and flew from Edinburgh to Newark then to Fort Lauderdale Airport with continental airlines. I think they are now called united airlines. We were sailing on Oasis. That was back in 2010. Two years later, we were sailing on Allure and wanted to book similar flights. This time they were really expensive. Instead, we booked Edinburgh to Gatwick then Gatwick to Miami with British Airways. We then booked a private transfer to take us from Miami Airport to Fort Lauderdale. The transfer took around 50 minutes. We flew the day before and stayed at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel. I can't remember the name of the transfer company that we used but it was a fixed rate and I would highly recommend them. I will try to find their name and get back to you. Also, after our cruise we hired a car and drove to Orlando and spend 5 nights there before flying home from Orlando to Edinburgh. The drive from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando took us 3 hours and was an easy drive up.

 

Hope this helps. Any questions, feel free to ask xx

[mo&fran]

Thanks guys. I was basically reporting what I had heard from other pilots about FLL, but you are saying that something else is going on now. I admit, I was on a Delta flight from Atlanta to FLL a couple of years ago on a 767 ETOPS airplane, that is one that is used for TA flights, and it had a full passenger load. So there is no reason the same plane could not be used for a flight from Europe, the only difference being that it would start out on that flight with a whole lot of more fuel than our flight. The only thing they need at the end of the flight is the FAA required reserve.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I think everyone is giving you good advice about FLL and MIA and just choosing which one is the cheapest, including transportation from MIA.

 

Have flown in and out of Manchester frequently - found it cheaper to fly to the US from there and then connect to a where we wanted to go through one of the airline's hub cities in the US. Any time we avoided London it usually was cheaper.

[Ms Jo UK]

We are flying Norweigan Air directly into FLL from Gatwick. I had wanted to fly into Miami as we cruise from there. The cost saving was £600 ($1050). I am aware that Norweigan is a low cost carrier eg no frills but it is flying the New Dreamliner so how bad can it be.

[Thoie]

If you don't mind changing airports, here's an idea you may not have considered.

 

Fly Manchester to Dublin. Fly Aer Lingus from Dublin to JFK, then Jet Blue from JFK to FLL.

 

The advantage is that you get to preclear US immigration and customs in Dublin airport. Queues are better (and, this may be my imagination, but the US immigration people are more pleasant). Your bags will be checked all the way through to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Aer Lingus fly into JFK Terminal 5, which is a domestic terminal that Jet Blue fly out of (the airlines are partners). You don't have to leave airside or go through any further checks in the US, and when you arrive in FLL it's also a domestic terminal, so there's no queuing there either.

[Johnno3c]

Thanks once again for all the useful suggestions. I will now go off and do my homework!!

[macruisefan]

If you don't mind changing airports, here's an idea you may not have considered.

 

Fly Manchester to Dublin. Fly Aer Lingus from Dublin to JFK, then Jet Blue from JFK to FLL.

 

The advantage is that you get to preclear US immigration and customs in Dublin airport. Queues are better (and, this may be my imagination, but the US immigration people are more pleasant). Your bags will be checked all the way through to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Aer Lingus fly into JFK Terminal 5, which is a domestic terminal that Jet Blue fly out of (the airlines are partners). You don't have to leave airside or go through any further checks in the US, and when you arrive in FLL it's also a domestic terminal, so there's no queuing there either.

 

Really? Take THREE flights to get there instead of one or two? I'm scratching my head trying to figure how that's going to be easier...