Flying into Ft Lauderdale for Miami cruise

[Hms1016]

Hi! New to the boards and have a lot of questions about an upcoming cruise. I have never sailed out of Miami before. I am flying into FLL the day before my cruise and need help.

 

1. Is flying into Ft Lauderdale a mistake?

2. Should I stay in Ft Lauderdale or Miami that night? If Ft Lauderdale where?

3. Regardless of where I stay, what is the best way to get from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Port?

 

A few facts. I will be traveling with my father who has mobility issues. I am limited on the number of nonstop fights, which is why I chose to fly into Ft Lauderdale because I could fly SW, therefore no additional luggage fees. Also the return flight is better for my schedule.

 

Thanks in advance!

[HS2BS]

We always fly into Fll and stay (Hyatt Place on 17!th Street) in Ft. Lauderdale. Easy to get a van type cab at the airport for a 10 minute ride. This particular hotel is super friendly and very close to Publix, total wine and numerous food venues. Arrange with one of the shuttles (Many mentioned on this board) to pick you up in the morning (about $ 15pp) for a ride directly to the cruise port. Quick, easy and no hassle!

 

Enjoy your cruise,

 

Hal

[PJStar]

I assume you are cruising out of Port of Miami? Per other posts its about a $85 cab ride from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Cruise Port. I just called Larry's Limo Service http://www.larryslimo.com/, and he said they charge $70 plus 20% gratuity. They come recommended from other posts here, so that is what we are going to use.

 

We are staying at the Hampton Inn in Ft. Lauderdale. - I have always been happy at them, free breakfast. The Miami hotels are a lot more expensive.

[98Charlie]

I personally prefer flying in to FLL for cruises out of POM. Stay on 17th and use SAS shuttle to the port the next morning.

 

However if I were in your position with a traveler with mobility issues I would still stay on 17th but consider the more expensive limo route for transportation.

 

Charlie

[BoBandy]

We are doing the same thing for our upcoming cruise. From our experience we found the hotels in Fort Lauderdale to be cheaper than Miami. You can check some of the shuttle services in the area to see which hotels they offer shared shuttle rides. We are at a hotel that doesn't offer this service and will be paying a bit more for our ride to the POM. On the way back we will be taking advantage of the shared service. We also found that a hotel close to the airport with free shuttle service is a great convenience.

Between these boards and online searches you can find a lot of info on transferring. A lot of people seem to go this route.

[JohninDC]

Hi! New to the boards and have a lot of questions about an upcoming cruise. I have never sailed out of Miami before. I am flying into FLL the day before my cruise and need help.

 

1. Is flying into Ft Lauderdale a mistake? Nope -- 1000's do it every week

2. Should I stay in Ft Lauderdale or Miami that night? If Ft Lauderdale where?budget? dates?

3. Regardless of where I stay, what is the best way to get from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Port?best is a private limo -- call Larry's Limos -- many choose shared shuttles for about $15 per person

 

A few facts. I will be traveling with my father who has mobility issues. I am limited on the number of nonstop fights, which is why I chose to fly into Ft Lauderdale because I could fly SW, therefore no additional luggage fees. Also the return flight is better for my schedule.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

http://www.sunny.org has lots of FLL area hotel info. Check with SAS, QLS, Go Airport and others for shuttle info. Good luck! :)

[Cruiser21]

What time do the shuttles start pickup at hotels in the morning? Thanks

[98Charlie]

What time do the shuttles start pickup at hotels in the morning? Thanks

Usually around 10 as I remember. But you will be given a window of time for the pick up since it is a shared service. They may have 2 or 3 other stops to fill before actually heading for POM.

 

Best to call the one(s) you are interested in and find out directly.

 

Charlie

[Rina155]

We are staying in FLL night before and using SAS transportation to POM. They are picking us up at 9:30 am.

[boop_57]

The last time we did this, we got a rental car. We picked it up at Fort Lauderdale Airport and dropped it at the Miami Airport. At the car rental drop off, there were free shuttles that went to the Port of Miami. The cost of the rental car for 1 day was actually less than paying for 2 people to shuttle or cab from the hotel to the port.

[Jeremiah1212]

Hi! New to the boards and have a lot of questions about an upcoming cruise. I have never sailed out of Miami before. I am flying into FLL the day before my cruise and need help.

 

1. Is flying into Ft Lauderdale a mistake?

2. Should I stay in Ft Lauderdale or Miami that night? If Ft Lauderdale where?

3. Regardless of where I stay, what is the best way to get from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Port?

 

A few facts. I will be traveling with my father who has mobility issues. I am limited on the number of nonstop fights, which is why I chose to fly into Ft Lauderdale because I could fly SW, therefore no additional luggage fees. Also the return flight is better for my schedule.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

You will be just fine flying into FLL. Many, many people do it especially with Southwest at FLL.

 

I must be in the minority but I do prefer a hotel closer to the cruise port. If there are no unexpected delays the trip from FLL to Miami should only take about 40 minutes. When you're taking a shared shuttle it can be a little hectic. Loading up the van like sardines then you'll may make multiple stops before you get to your hotel. Getting that part out of the way the day before and then having a very short ride to port on departure morning is a much smoother experience.

 

You can take a shared shuttle but that sounds like it won't fit your needs very well. A Town Car type vehicle will cost you about $100 each way, UberX will be around $35 each way, or a standard taxi would be roughly $80 each way. You can always look into a one-way rental car as some people do, but I think that's more hassle than it's worth for such a short trip.

[waterbugohio]

The last time we did this, we got a rental car. We picked it up at Fort Lauderdale Airport and dropped it at the Miami Airport. At the car rental drop off, there were free shuttles that went to the Port of Miami. The cost of the rental car for 1 day was actually less than paying for 2 people to shuttle or cab from the hotel to the port.

 

We are doing cruise out of MIami and flying into FLL also. Thinking of also renting a car. Can someone tell me if the above way is the best??? Or is there a closer return place near the port of Miami??

 

 

Also, what does anyone do after the cruise???? Thinking about a rental on that end also?S Where is the best/closest place to rent near the port of Miami??

Don't think we want to do the shuttle for the return to FLL. We are 4 women traveling together, but we will all be flying home at different times. Not sure how to do this unless we rent.

 

Suggestions please???

[Oldgoat61]

We have used SAS many times, and continue to do so. Google their web site, and make sure to find out if the hotel you use is on their pick-up list if you decide on them! ;)

[waterbugohio]

We have used SAS many times, and continue to do so. Google their web site, and make sure to find out if the hotel you use is on their pick-up list if you decide on them! ;)

 

Have you used them post cruise?? How does the return work?? Especially if you dont have a flight home till 5PM

[Tinkerbell]

We always fly into FLL and take either SAS or I think we used a shuttle company called QLS one time. We stay at Comfort Suites on Stirling Rd. and they have a airport shuttle to the hotel. You are close to restaurants and shopping within walking distance. They have a great breakfast in the morning also.

[98Charlie]

Have you used them post cruise?? How does the return work?? Especially if you dont have a flight home till 5PM

The shuttles start pickups from the cruise port whenever the ship starts discharging passengers. I don't know of a cutoff time but by noon for sure.

 

They return to FLL and the hotels. To the best of my knowledge they do not make any other stops and should be done by 1PM if not earlier.

 

Your options would be to wait at the airport or see if you can get a day room at one of the hotels.

 

Charlie

[Lois R]

We always fly into Fll and stay (Hyatt Place on 17!th Street) in Ft. Lauderdale. Easy to get a van type cab at the airport for a 10 minute ride. This particular hotel is super friendly and very close to Publix, total wine and numerous food venues. Arrange with one of the shuttles (Many mentioned on this board) to pick you up in the morning (about $ 15pp) for a ride directly to the cruise port. Quick, easy and no hassle!

 

Enjoy your cruise,

 

Hal

 

Just reading this thread from the beginning of 2016.....it looks like the

original poster said they were sailing out of Miami....so it is not a 10

minute ride from 17th Street in Ft. Lauderdale.....more like 45 minutes.:eek:

[bebe08]

We also fly into FLL for cruises out of Miami. We can get direct flights to FLL but not Miami, and FLL flights are cheaper. Last time we took a shuttle from FLL to our hotel in Miami. Next time we will Uber. Shuttle was a milk run and too much waiting for other passengers. For us it comes down to what flights work best...so far FLL has always won.

[Lido_Deck]

DOH! I hate when you people dredge up year old threads and suck me in!

Hi! New to the boards and have a lot of questions about an upcoming cruise. I have never sailed out of Miami before. I am flying into FLL the day before my cruise and need help.

 

1. Is flying into Ft Lauderdale a mistake?

2. Should I stay in Ft Lauderdale or Miami that night? If Ft Lauderdale where?

3. Regardless of where I stay, what is the best way to get from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Port?

 

A few facts. I will be traveling with my father who has mobility issues. I am limited on the number of nonstop fights, which is why I chose to fly into Ft Lauderdale because I could fly SW, therefore no additional luggage fees. Also the return flight is better for my schedule.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Welcome to the Board!

 

This question is asked several times a week so if you start scanning down the board and on every page you will get plenty of information.

 

If flying into FLL is less expensive, do it. Then spend the night in Ft Lauderdale and shuttle to the POM for your cruise. You'll have a lot more hotels to choose from at a better price in Ft Lauderdale and the cost of shuttling to POM is insignificant.

 

Your options for transportation are shared shuttle at $15 pp, rental car (drop at MIA and take free shuttle to POM), taxi or private car ($75-$95) or Uber.

 

Hotel will depend on your budget, what time your flight arrives and whether you want a property close to the beach.

.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Lido_Deck

[griffy116]

We just returned from a cruise out of Miami and we flew into FLL because the flight was so much cheaper. We used SAS shuttle for $13-14 (can't remember which) each. They were waiting at the cruise port when we returned and took us to the FLL airport (after also stopping to pick up a couple of Disney cruisers) on the way. They were fast and efficient. We had rented a car in FLL when we arrived and returned it in Miami. We just found the rental car to be a waste. We found a couple of restaurants within walking distance that were open (even on Christmas Day) and the roads in Miami were crazy...PLUS, we rented from Hertz and finding the right location to return the car was insane. It isn't where it's supposed to be on google (we tried finding it the night before). When we supposedly "arrived" we were at a roped off construction site. It's extremely difficult to find. When we called the office, the guy said to just google the CVS because that's easier to locate...NOT KIDDING. That being said, had he not mentioned the CVS, we would NEVER have found the place. We're going out of Miami again in June and we will use SAS...no rental car.

[JohninDC]

Thanks for the feedback! :)

[marcyjane]

Can someone tell me if there are a line of taxi/vans at the Miami port to take you to Fort Lauderdale airport upon returned from your cruise. Thank you

[loanshark]

Can someone tell me if there are a line of taxi/vans at the Miami port to take you to Fort Lauderdale airport upon returned from your cruise. Thank you

 

Yes. prices to FLL run around $85. Depending on how many are in your group, you might find Uber or Lyft to be cheaper.

[marcyjane]

Yes. prices to FLL run around $85. Depending on how many are in your group, you might find Uber or Lyft to be cheaper.

 

 

Thanks so much!

[HappyValley3]

If you don't mind sharing, what hotel did you stay at the night before that was close to restaurants. Thanks.

 

 

We just returned from a cruise out of Miami and we flew into FLL because the flight was so much cheaper. We used SAS shuttle for $13-14 (can't remember which) each. They were waiting at the cruise port when we returned and took us to the FLL airport (after also stopping to pick up a couple of Disney cruisers) on the way. They were fast and efficient. We had rented a car in FLL when we arrived and returned it in Miami. We just found the rental car to be a waste. We found a couple of restaurants within walking distance that were open (even on Christmas Day) and the roads in Miami were crazy...PLUS, we rented from Hertz and finding the right location to return the car was insane. It isn't where it's supposed to be on google (we tried finding it the night before). When we supposedly "arrived" we were at a roped off construction site. It's extremely difficult to find. When we called the office, the guy said to just google the CVS because that's easier to locate...NOT KIDDING. That being said, had he not mentioned the CVS, we would NEVER have found the place. We're going out of Miami again in June and we will use SAS...no rental car.