Cruise day rush hour strategy?

[stickyshocker]

In your case, just call a cab.

 

 

 

i'll try but i would be needing 2 cabs, luggages would be 4 full + 1 auxilliary(for the water and soda im gonna smuggle onboard[emoji16]).

[Big_G]

What i really mean is, how does departure from a pre cruise hotel at FL look like from 9:30-12noon?Are taxi's and Uber readily available? Are people jockeying for position to board a shuttle? I'm asking this for my sis in law and friends who are staying at a hotel in 17th st., while me and the fam are staying at Las Olas, I'm setup w/ mine, but they still can't decide whether to rent a car, book private,taxi/Uber(if they're easy to catch)or hotel shuttle(as long as its organized and civil).

 

excess:

Coral Princess,Carnival Conquest and Oasis have embarkations that day.

Thanks in advance in behalf of Christina and friends[emoji846]

 

Our last stay on 17th Street was at Embassy Suites. When we arrived the day before, the madness of waiting for shuttles was in full effect. Later on we happened by the concierge and asked him what was the best way to get port. His reply was while the shuttle was a nice amenity, a taxi allowed us to get to port at OUR convenience. After witnessing shuttle madness, we took the taxi. That was before we started using Uber.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Big_G

[stickyshocker]

Check out the Florida Departures board for shuttle names if the Marriott won't tell you the name. I will look through our paperwork from that cruise to see if I wrote anything down, I don't think I did though.:(

 

 

 

We were farther out too on Seabreeze, taxis took us via Las Olas. Our fare from the airport was higher than everything I had read before but that was because most were quoting area around 17th.

 

 

 

Appreciate it, eventually i'll find that unicorn, i used to have a limo booked but it's $70 so i dropped it. We're booked at Riverside btw, my estimate on taxi from airport and to is around $20 per cab( i need 2) and the price i would be paying for hotel shuttle to PE is $25 minimum 3 people, then additional $8 pp.

[Ocean Dancer]

Appreciate it, eventually i'll find that unicorn, i used to have a limo booked but it's $70 so i dropped it. We're booked at Riverside btw, my estimate on taxi from airport and to is around $20 per cab( i need 2) and the price i would be paying for hotel shuttle to PE is $25 minimum 3 people, then additional $8 pp.

 

Ok, now I'm confused. Are you saying you need 2 taxis from the airport to your hotels, and 2 taxis the next day to take you from your hotels to the cruise port? $80 total?

 

Just do it that way!:)

[stickyshocker]

Ok, now I'm confused. Are you saying you need 2 taxis from the airport to your hotels, and 2 taxis the next day to take you from your hotels to the cruise port? $80 total?

 

Just do it that way!:)

 

 

 

Update: 2 friends bolted out of Embassy and booked at Hyatt Place,SIL and others stayed at the E, I got Riverside, i might have to organize a hotel crawl[emoji3]

 

anyways going back, i haven't ruled out the cabs to the port, i'll find out when i get there, i went to the Florida Departures and saw someone reply to a post where she got a private van for $20..This is definitely a game changer for me.

 

..Thanks Ocean Dancer[emoji846]

[Ocean Dancer]

Update: 2 friends bolted out of Embassy and booked at Hyatt Place,SIL and others stayed at the E, I got Riverside, i might have to organize a hotel crawl[emoji3]

 

anyways going back, i haven't ruled out the cabs to the port, i'll find out when i get there, i went to the Florida Departures and saw someone reply to a post where she got a private van for $20..This is definitely a game changer for me.

 

..Thanks Ocean Dancer[emoji846]

 

You're welcome, but I didn't do a whole lot. Maybe the one's who bailed should find there own way.............what ever happens, have a great cruise!

[stickyshocker]

Not sure what you mean by being further from the cruise staging area? Do you mean farther from port? Is the shuttle you booked thru the hotel or a private shuttle? If it's private or you have an assigned departure time you should be fine...the times I used a shuttle it was a hotel shuttle & you signed up the night before...but boarding was 1st come 1st served...there was no assigned shuttle time...

 

do you have any private shuttle to recommend by any chance? Thanks kc320

 

You're welcome, but I didn't do a whole lot. Maybe the one's who bailed should find there own way.............what ever happens, have a great cruise!

 

 

They should be okay, they are all taking the cabs/ Uber and for once it didn't take much effort for me to convince them( it took me years even to get them cruising)... and yeah, they're excited about CATS[emoji16]

[kc320]

do you have any private shuttle to recommend by any chance? Thanks kc320]

 

Sorry I don't...have never used a private shuttle...but if you ask on the Florida departures board someone there may know of one...

[nbsjcruiser]

You can certainly take a hotel shuttle if one is available but for me, the shuttle arrives too late. Typically they won't get you there until sometime after 11 or later. We like to arrive at the pier around 10AM so that we can be among the first to board. So for us, if we don't have a car - most of the time we do - then we take a cab.

[readytolose]

We stayed at Embassey suites for our last cruise. The morning of embarkation we walked down through the mob of people and luggage waiting to board the shuttle and out the front door. Walked over to the taxi stand and asked for a taxi. There were 2 other people ahead of us. We waited about 5 minutes and were in a taxi and on the way to the port. It was less than a 10 minute ride and we didn't have to stop at any other ships but our own. Cost was $12 + tip if I recall correctly. We will never do the shuttle again. The taxi was so much easier and more relaxing.

 

 

And as far as the 12-3 check in time. That is just a suggestion. Get to the port between 10-10:30 and if the ship is cleared on time you will be onboard between 11-11:30. You paid for that first day so get there early and enjoy it!

[stickyshocker]

We stayed at Embassey suites for our last cruise. The morning of embarkation we walked down through the mob of people and luggage waiting to board the shuttle and out the front door. Walked over to the taxi stand and asked for a taxi. There were 2 other people ahead of us. We waited about 5 minutes and were in a taxi and on the way to the port. It was less than a 10 minute ride and we didn't have to stop at any other ships but our own. Cost was $12 + tip if I recall correctly. We will never do the shuttle again. The taxi was so much easier and more relaxing.

 

 

 

 

 

And as far as the 12-3 check in time. That is just a suggestion. Get to the port between 10-10:30 and if the ship is cleared on time you will be onboard between 11-11:30. You paid for that first day so get there early and enjoy it!

 

 

 

looks like every hotel is like this on embarkation day then., private shuttle/van is the way to go for me, because i wanna try to keep the fam together as possible, and it will be high on my list tomorrow.

[Teeara]

looks like every hotel is like this on embarkation day then., private shuttle/van is the way to go for me, because i wanna try to keep the fam together as possible, and it will be high on my list tomorrow.

 

I certainly hope your family is as "on the clock" as you are. You may find yourself steaming if someone is dragging their feet and isn't ready to depart when you are. ESPECIALLY if you aren't all staying at the same place. It would freaking drive me insane if I had to wait for my entire family to be ready at the same time. My brother is always late and I'm always early. I don't vacation with him for that very reason.

 

As others have pointed out, just because the cruiseline says to be there between 12-3 doesn't mean you can't get there earlier. I try to get there by 9:30, am near the head of the line and am usually among the first to board the ship. Sometimes they open the ship at 11-11:30. More time onboard. Yay!

 

Generally, the earlier I board the earlier I get my luggage onboard the ship, too. I usually get it before the cabins are opened or as the cabins are being opened for us (usually at 1 p.m.). I have time to explore the ship, take lots of pix with no people in them and then get back to the cabin and unpack before we have the muster drill and sailaway. Makes for a lot less stress at and after dinner knowing I'm not going to be up late unpacking since I have already done it. Perk!

 

Whatever you decide, don't let yourself get too stressed out. Enjoy yourself and have a great cruise. Good luck!

[stickyshocker]

I certainly hope your family is as "on the clock" as you are. You may find yourself steaming if someone is dragging their feet and isn't ready to depart when you are. ESPECIALLY if you aren't all staying at the same place. It would freaking drive me insane if I had to wait for my entire family to be ready at the same time. My brother is always late and I'm always early. I don't vacation with him for that very reason.

 

 

 

As others have pointed out, just because the cruiseline says to be there between 12-3 doesn't mean you can't get there earlier. I try to get there by 9:30, am near the head of the line and am usually among the first to board the ship. Sometimes they open the ship at 11-11:30. More time onboard. Yay!

 

 

 

Generally, the earlier I board the earlier I get my luggage onboard the ship, too. I usually get it before the cabins are opened or as the cabins are being opened for us (usually at 1 p.m.). I have time to explore the ship, take lots of pix with no people in them and then get back to the cabin and unpack before we have the muster drill and sailaway. Makes for a lot less stress at and after dinner knowing I'm not going to be up late unpacking since I have already done it. Perk!

 

 

 

Whatever you decide, don't let yourself get too stressed out. Enjoy yourself and have a great cruise. Good luck!

 

 

 

thanks for the input:).. might be worth to mention that, me and dw are supposedly the only veterans on this group and the last time we sailed was 12 yrs ago[emoji16] and oh boy the rude awakening we had on embarkation day... Now i'm backed by all the data i've collected here in cruise critic, so i'm ready(sort of)[emoji3]

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

I'm so confused. Lol. If this were me, I would just meet everyone on the ship. Or if your that concerned with getting there together. All of you should meet at one hotel via cabs and then when you're all together, order three cabs. Las Olas and 17th street are really close and should be an inexpensive fare. I'd wouldn't even bother w cabs, uber is the way to travel in Lauderdale.

 

 

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[stickyshocker]

I'm so confused. Lol. If this were me, I would just meet everyone on the ship. Or if your that concerned with getting there together. All of you should meet at one hotel via cabs and then when you're all together, order three cabs. Las Olas and 17th street are really close and should be an inexpensive fare. I'd wouldn't even bother w cabs, uber is the way to travel in Lauderdale.

 

 

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lol.. ok recap, 3 groups:

 

1. My family - 6 peeps(w/c i intend to keep together, Shuttle) Riverside Hotel

2. SIL and BFF - 2 (cabs/uber)

Embassy Suites

3. Extended BFF - 2(cabs/uber)

Hyatt Place 17th

 

I'm the only adult male and the de facto tour guide of the group( AKA babysitter). The only thing i wanted on the ship, is dinner together every night and night stroll after, but i know that's not gonna happen[emoji16]

[Lido_Deck]

What i really mean is, how does departure from a pre cruise hotel at FL look like from 9:30-12noon?Are taxi's and Uber readily available? Are people jockeying for position to board a shuttle? I'm asking this for my sis in law and friends who are staying at a hotel in 17th st., while me and the fam are staying at Las Olas, I'm setup w/ mine, but they still can't decide whether to rent a car, book private,taxi/Uber(if they're easy to catch)or hotel shuttle(as long as its organized and civil).

 

excess:

Coral Princess,Carnival Conquest and Oasis have embarkations that day.

Thanks in advance in behalf of Christina and friends[emoji846]

 

What's the big hurry? Why don't you sleep-in, have a nice breakfast and enjoy the day in Ft Lauderdale?

 

Do you like standing in lines? I usually show up about 90 minutes before departure and breeze through security and check-in.

[stickyshocker]

What's the big hurry? Why don't you sleep-in, have a nice breakfast and enjoy the day in Ft Lauderdale?

 

Do you like standing in lines? I usually show up about 90 minutes before departure and breeze through security and check-in.

 

 

 

We're there 2 days before the cruise, dedicated just for Ft Lauderdale. 10-10:30 am shouldn't be that bad no?

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

We're there 2 days before the cruise, dedicated just for Ft Lauderdale. 10-10:30 am shouldn't be that bad no?

 

 

That's prime time. The cruise terminal is jam packed. They don't start boarding until 11 or 11:30. We go at 1p and basically walk right on. I hate sitting/standing in that damn terminal

 

 

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[stickyshocker]

That's prime time. The cruise terminal is jam packed. They don't start boarding until 11 or 11:30. We go at 1p and basically walk right on. I hate sitting/standing in that damn terminal

 

 

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Now i'm confused..lol, members usually suggest 10-10:30 am to beat the crowds..

[Lido_Deck]

We're there 2 days before the cruise, dedicated just for Ft Lauderdale. 10-10:30 am shouldn't be that bad no?

 

Considering they don't clear the ship of the passenger from previous cruise until about 10:30-11:00 AM...

 

Would you rather be casually strolling Las Olas Blvd or standing in line after line for two hours at the port?

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

Now i'm confused..lol, members usually suggest 10-10:30 am to beat the crowds..

 

 

The ship isn't even cleared by that time.

Edit because I realized that you're sailing out of Lauderdale and not POM

 

 

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Edited October 4, 2016 by Cruiser Who Knows Nothing

[stickyshocker]

The ship isn't even cleared by then. Some get there at that time to get a low boarding number for Vibe, but at 10-10:30 everyone is in the terminal.

 

 

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What's Vibe???

[Lido_Deck]

Now i'm confused..lol, members usually suggest 10-10:30 am to beat the crowds..

 

Those people are "Line Lemmings" who will stand in line for two hours because they think they will get an extra meal by getting to the port before the cruise lines suggest. They don't. I get the same meal, just a couple hours later and I don't have to stand in line after line like a newbie.

 

.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Lido_Deck

[stickyshocker]

Considering they don't clear the ship of the passenger from previous cruise until about 10:30-11:00 AM...

 

Would you rather be casually strolling Las Olas Blvd or standing in line after line for two hours at the port?

 

 

 

two hours???.. I could probably i adjust my timing since im at Las Olas already, but my ladies on 17th street will not be too happy..

[Lido_Deck]

two hours???.. I could probably i adjust my timing since im at Las Olas already, but my ladies on 17th street will not be too happy..

 

Then let them be Line Lemming Ladies of 17th Street...

 

Meanwhile, you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, relax by the pool, stroll Las Olas or maybe, if you're really motivated, get a late check-out and go to the beach for a couple hours, then return to the hotel for a quick shower, grab your bags and be off to the port.