Disembark and return to FLL, best options?

[jabrown40]

So, with the cruise just a week away, I decided I'd better find out about getting back to the airport after our cruise. (Don't want to even think about the end of the trip, but alas, it's necessary) On NCL, we did the self disembark, but not sure how Celebrity did this. We will have one very large suitcase and the usual carryon size. I've heard about the luggage valet, but sounds kind of pricey for one piece of luggage. Also, should I consider the Celebrity shuttle back to the airport, or a taxi? Uber? I hate to even think about going back home!

[Essiesmom]

Assuming you are flying out of FLL and not MIA, take a taxi. Quick drive.

 

[FTLcruisers]

sounds like you can easily self-disembark if you want and have an early flight. And, yes, a taxi is the way to go

 

Marianne

[az_tchr]

Luggage valet not only checks your bags thru to your destination, but hands you your boarding passes. Only issue is cannot do it with early flights out and not until on board. At $20 is a steal.

Self disembark is about the same on all lines - you carry your stuff off and go through customs and immigration.

[jabrown40]

How soon can you get your boarding pass? We are flying Southwest, so we usually do check in 24 hours before to get into that A level. My husband has to have an aisle seat, due to claustrophobia. We always pay for early bird check in.

[az_tchr]

You would physically get your boarding pass the night before. Obviously have no idea when they would check you in as am positive the time would vary. The boarding pass is sort of the icing as simply having my bags arrive at my home airport and not lugging them anywhere is worth $20!

[Lsimon]

So, with the cruise just a week away, I decided I'd better find out about getting back to the airport after our cruise...

 

What time is your flight? If it's 11:30 or later then just do a normal disembarkation and catch a taxi. If the taxi line is really long then there may be shuttle companies taking walk up guests right in the center of things. Look for where they are filling the shuttles and ask. FLL is so close that for 2, a taxi is probably cheaper.

[jabrown40]

I think we leave around 12:30 FLL time. Taxi sounds like the way to go, thanks everyone!

[Lsimon]

I think we leave around 12:30 FLL time. Taxi sounds like the way to go, thanks everyone!

 

With a 12:30 departure time there is no reason to get off the ship early or do self disembarkation. I will caution that you might run into long check in and security lines at the airport, depending on what day you are disembarking. But the alternative is to rush off early and end up sitting for few hours in a crowded terminal.

[in2up2]

Just came home today from a Celebrity cruise out of FLL with an 11:50 flight. Customs line got pretty bad around 9-9:30 but even with a luggage screw up by my MIL, where she had no 70 departure tags, she was at the airport by 10:15. I would do regular departure and grab a taxi. They are plentiful at Port Everglades and organized by the sherif's office, so kept moving.

 

 

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[jmdlv1]

Luggage valet not only checks your bags thru to your destination, but hands you your boarding passes. Only issue is cannot do it with early flights out and not until on board. At $20 is a steal.

Self disembark is about the same on all lines - you carry your stuff off and go through customs and immigration.

 

Last year on the Reflction I was planning to use luggage valet.

The concierge in Michaels Club talked us out of it.

 

She indicated there had been significant problems with luggage not getting to.

It's ultimate destination!

Wonder how many people have used it with success..

Flying AA afternoon flight back

[alcpa1]

jabrown40,

You can check in for your flight with your computer internet package or internet cafe.

Just fill out the disembarkation form and exit the ship when notified. There is no need to use self disembarkation. Then grab a cab.

It is far more comfortable to remain on the ship than try to find seating at FLL.

Enjoy your cruise.

FYI if you have Global Entry there is a designated line both at the pier and airport.

[ClaudiaB]

If you do decide to self-disembark, get down to the meeting spot about 45 minutes earlier than told. Your luggage will hold your place in line.

You will have time to grab a muffin or something - we usually just get something at the airport and hang around there till our flight. Often we've booked 10:10 flights out of FLL and been at the airport by 8 a.m. But we're among the first handful to leave the ship.

[Maligator]

How soon can you get your boarding pass? We are flying Southwest, so we usually do check in 24 hours before to get into that A level. My husband has to have an aisle seat, due to claustrophobia. We always pay for early bird check in.

 

Check in online while you're still at sea and print in the iLounge.

[crazycatlady82]

Check in online while you're still at sea and print in the iLounge.

 

 

Ive never flown southwest before, but will in about 10 days...I plan to check in while we are docked in key west via phone-but can I go back and print the boarding passes later on the ship?

[Banjo]

Ive never flown southwest before, but will in about 10 days...I plan to check in while we are docked in key west via phone-but can I go back and print the boarding passes later on the ship?

 

I don't see why not. I printed boarding passes before on Celebrity ships with no problems.

 

When I returned from a Silhouette cruise last December I was planning just grabbing a cab. The line was pretty long but I saw this little booth for rides back to the airport on a shuttle van. I think it was either $10 or $12 each. I said to the wife, that looks good so we took that. He left soon as the van was filled, took about 2 minutes and got us to the airport which was about a 15 minute drive.

[DWhit]

I just got back from a cruise. We were on Southwest with Early Bird check in and a 12:30ish departure time.

 

We used luggage valet. We got our information the afternoon before departure day. Our bags ended up exactly where they were supposed to end up, at our final destination. Our SWA boarding passes had us around A30ish in the line, so there were plenty of aisle seats.

 

By using the luggage valet, we avoided a long line to check bags at the airport. We received the "TSA Pre" boarding passes, (which we sometimes get and sometimes don't), allowing us to cruise through the security line. Also with the new luggage valet, you do not have to worry if any bags are over 50 lbs, as that is covered.

 

I will definitely always use this feature in the future, if our departure plans meet the requirements. It makes for a much more pleasant departure.

[Maligator]

Ive never flown southwest before, but will in about 10 days...I plan to check in while we are docked in key west via phone-but can I go back and print the boarding passes later on the ship?

Yes. They have printers available in the iLounge. You might also consider putting the Southwest app on your phone, which allows you to check in without going to the iLounge and can serve as your boarding pass.

 

Sent via my Samsung Note 4 while I should probably be doing something productive

[waterbug123]

Check in online while you're still at sea and print in the iLounge.

 

Or just check in and use a mobile boarding pass, no need to print, although you can always do so at an airport kiosk later.

[just_cruising_along]

Taxi's are plentiful and cheap. We took the cruise ship shuttle to the airport because we had never been there before.

It took along time to load the bus -- lots of luggage from everyone getting on the bus -- and a long time to unload. A 10 minute taxi ride ended up being around 60 minutes via the shuttle because of a lot of downtime. The shuttle from the ship was 3X more expensive then the cab as well. So believe the folks here who say take a taxi.

[cruise kitty]

We used Uber to get from FLL to our hotel, & then from our hotel to the port the next day... planned on using Uber to the airport, but there were small shuttle buses lined up to take people to the Airport, with no lines... lines for cabs were literally hundreds of people. Very easy, & no preplanning needed, & no wait, cost was about $12 per person, if I recall correctly. Yes, an Uber would nave been cheaper, but it was nice not waiting.

 

We flew Virgin American, but had priority check in/security, & I honestly didn't look too closely at the regular lines, but they looked pretty darn long to me, so if you're flying economy, I'd plan to get there 2 hours ahead.

[Big Beer Gut]

Security lines at FLL can be very long, with the lines at Southwest being the worst of any airport I've ever seen. I would still get off early and get to the airport. After the cruise, it really doesn't matter to me where I sit and I'd rather be through security. Taxis are the easiest way to get to the airport.

[Algebralovr]

Just off Silhouette. Luggage Valet was not available for Southwest customers. It was a bummer, since we had planned on using them.

 

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[pamkev]

Just off Silhouette. Luggage Valet was not available for Southwest customers. It was a bummer, since we had planned on using them.

 

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I will be bummed to if we can't use them on our Oct cruise.

 

Pam