Would appreciate info about embarking from Port of Miami

[neverbeenhere]

Everyone who says taxi is correct. Ask for Dave, he is Raoul's cousin. The cruise is grrrreat.

[Seabourn Pearls]

The porters are the guys in the white helmets. Grab his attention. If your bags are tagged just hand them over with a $5 bill and be on your way. Then walk west with your carry-on towards the stern of the ship. Go through the 2nd to last door and you'll go through a preliminary screening. Then, up the escalator to the primary security screening.

 

The line for the primary security screening starts forming at around 10:30. Security screening starts processing passengers at about 11am. Then you line up again for your SeaPass card. After that, if you're early there will be another line and you'll have to wait for the moment when passengers are allowed on board.....usually about 11:30am.

 

Without any previous sailings or status I would recommend getting there at 10:50. You'll be one of the first 300 people on the ship. You'll be given a glass of champagne as you board and the tone will be set. Make your way to the stern and grab a seat on the rail at the Sunset Bar or outdoors at the Oceanfront Café and relax for a few hours before the muster drill at 3:30.

 

If you get there later at say, 1pm, you can expect long lines and 90 minutes to get on board. We heard a lot of grumbling from people who arrived in the noon-2pm slot about the inefficiency of the boarding process.

 

Bring a great attitude and you will have a great vacation. Enjoy it.

[miataman19]

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CRUSING!

Only one word of warning now````````:eek:

You do know that your vacation planning will be forever changed once you set foot on a cruise ship! Enjoy:D

Took my first cruise right out of College, 1977. Some friends talked me into it..:rolleyes:. Didn't want to go, but I did. 46 cruises later and going on #47 on Saturday. Yep...your in trouble...lol..:D

[Nebr.cruiser]

We're at the Courtyard Downtown - no mention of a free shuttle.

 

I've never found a free shuttle in Miami--there are some in Ft. Lauderdale though.

[Iamthesea]

Can anyone tell me if DISEMBARKATION, and going through customs, is any better (time wise) at POM than it is out of Port Everglades? That's the worse embarkation experience we have ever had! :rolleyes:

 

How much time should we expect to spend from the time we leave the ship (with luggage in hand) and get through customs in POM? I am trying to gage a pick-up time for our transportation.

[Seabourn Pearls]

30 minutes

[Iamthesea]

Thank you. I have been doing some research and see that it can be anywhere from 15m to 1.5 hours. :rolleyes: I am shooting for 1 hour and hope that's enough time. ;)

[chamima]

Can anyone tell me if DISEMBARKATION, and going through customs, is any better (time wise) at POM than it is out of Port Everglades? That's the worse embarkation experience we have ever had! :rolleyes:

 

How much time should we expect to spend from the time we leave the ship (with luggage in hand) and get through customs in POM? I am trying to gage a pick-up time for our transportation.

 

Our transportation (SAS) said to call when we get in line for customs.

And that had to be before 9:30.

If I remember correctly the line for customs in Port Everglades last year was the line directly from the ship and it was LONG but , as we were in the US, our cell phones worked the whole time.

Could you call your transportation from the line and let them know how long it is?

 

)Also, to anyone who has cruised both Princess and Celebrity - AND has a good memory - Princess has you pick up your luggage first and then go through customs but I could have sworn that from the Eclipse last year we went through customs first and THEN got our luggage.

Anyone know????

[Gordoncruickshank]

Our transportation (SAS) said to call when we get in line for customs.

And that had to be before 9:30.

If I remember correctly the line for customs in Port Everglades last year was the line directly from the ship and it was LONG but , as we were in the US, our cell phones worked the whole time.

Could you call your transportation from the line and let them know how long it is?

 

)Also, to anyone who has cruised both Princess and Celebrity - AND has a good memory - Princess has you pick up your luggage first and then go through customs but I could have sworn that from the Eclipse last year we went through customs first and THEN got our luggage.

Anyone know????

If it was the Eclipse from Port Everglades you get your luggage once you eventually reach the terminal in the hall with all the disembarkation numbers all round it then you struggle with the luggage in the much winding Customs Queue

[Nebr.cruiser]

Our transportation (SAS) said to call when we get in line for customs.

And that had to be before 9:30.

If I remember correctly the line for customs in Port Everglades last year was the line directly from the ship and it was LONG but , as we were in the US, our cell phones worked the whole time.

Could you call your transportation from the line and let them know how long it is?

 

)Also, to anyone who has cruised both Princess and Celebrity - AND has a good memory - Princess has you pick up your luggage first and then go through customs but I could have sworn that from the Eclipse last year we went through customs first and THEN got our luggage.

Anyone know????

 

We just cruised on the Eclipse in December. We did the latest possible disembarkation as we had a later flight. We picked up our luggage first, then went through customs. The lines weren't too bad at that time and it all went smoothly.

[wallie5446]

We just cruised on the Eclipse in December. We did the latest possible disembarkation as we had a later flight. We picked up our luggage first, then went through customs. The lines weren't too bad at that time and it all went smoothly.

 

This was the same for us leaving the Equinox last Nov. Then out the door and it was about 100 yards to the left to the cab line.

[Iamthesea]

Our transportation (SAS) said to call when we get in line for customs.

And that had to be before 9:30.

If I remember correctly the line for customs in Port Everglades last year was the line directly from the ship and it was LONG but , as we were in the US, our cell phones worked the whole time.

Could you call your transportation from the line and let them know how long it is?

 

Did your transportation company, SAS say that you had to call before 9:30? :confused:

 

We made our pick-up time for 11:00. Figuring the last call would be around 9:30-10:00 and it would take 45 min. to an hour to get through customs. That based on past experience in Port Everglades, not POM.

 

We are to call QLS one hour before our scheduled pick-up time and then again when we clear customs. We will call while leaving the ship. Calling them in the Customs hall at that 1 hour mark would be hard. Cell calls are not allowed in there. Last year, when I was waiting in Customs, I had my phone on silent. The transportation company called me and I didn't hear it. When I took my phone out to call them back, I got a reprimand from security. I'll have to have a text ready to go and sneak in a "send". :D

[Terpnut]

Also, to anyone who has cruised both Princess and Celebrity - AND has a good memory - Princess has you pick up your luggage first and then go through customs but I could have sworn that from the Eclipse last year we went through customs first and THEN got our luggage.

Anyone know????

Regardless of the cruise line (or airline or country), one always picks up their luggage first and then proceeds to customs. Remember that the entire point of any country's customs (i.e. border protection or control) is to check/verify that you and all the things you are bringing into that country are legitimate, so you must ALWAYS have all your things with you before clearing ANY country's customs.

[chamima]

Did your transportation company, SAS say that you had to call before 9:30? :confused:

 

We made our pick-up time for 11:00. Figuring the last call would be around 9:30-10:00 and it would take 45 min. to an hour to get through customs. That based on past experience in Port Everglades, not POM.

 

We are to call QLS one hour before our scheduled pick-up time and then again when we clear customs. We will call while leaving the ship. Calling them in the Customs hall at that 1 hour mark would be hard. Cell calls are not allowed in there. Last year, when I was waiting in Customs, I had my phone on silent. The transportation company called me and I didn't hear it. When I took my phone out to call them back, I got a reprimand from security. I'll have to have a text ready to go and sneak in a "send". :D

 

We are using QLS to get from our Equinox cruise to get to our hotel in Miami.

They are also picking us up at 11:00.

She'd also told me about calling in Customs and I told her that we aren't allowed cell phone use in there. I will call while we're in line to get in the hall and then again after we've cleared.

They must run into this all the time!

 

For SAS from the Miami port to FLL airport it said that if we called after 9:30 we might have up to an hour wait.

We will aim to get off the ship at around 9 and call after we're off.

SAS didn't say the last pickup was 9:30, just to be in line before then. I also figured it might take an hour start to finish.

[Iamthesea]

Just curious... From the Equinox, what time are you heading off the ship to get your 11:00 transportation? I am asking these questions for our Reflections cruise in POM. For the Equinox cruise, DH and I are taking a taxi from the ship directly to FLL. ;)

[chamima]

Just curious... From the Equinox, what time are you heading off the ship to get your 11:00 transportation? I am asking these questions for our Reflections cruise in POM. For the Equinox cruise, DH and I are taking a taxi from the ship directly to FLL. ;)

 

We're with another couple - I think we decided to meet around 9:30 to start the process.

We would rather we were ready early and waited for QLS than have them arrive when we weren't ready and leave (although I've already paid in advance so they BETTER NOT leave! (I only paid them because so many people on the Florida boards recommended them.)

[Iamthesea]

Same for us. Starting at 9:30 (unless we get kicked off earlier.) Planning on 1 hour for the process. In the past, I have found that QLS is early, so hoping that if we do get through earlier that they will be there. I don't mind waiting as long as they are there by when we requested. ;)