Flights and baggage storage

[MrsRoper]

Hoping some seasoned folks can help me!

 

Panama Cruise booked from FLL in October and my return flight to Canada is at 11am - ship gets in at 7am.  They recommend 5 hours but this only gives us 4 hours.... I know airport is very close.  Will this be enough time to grab a cab from the ship following disembarkation?

 

Also... my son has a hockey tournament ahead of the cruise and I don’t want to bring his stinky cumbersome equipment with us.  Is there a place to store his bag for the 10 day cruise right at the Princess terminal?  Or is there a place on the ship so it doesn’t take up space in our room?

 

Thanks for the help!!!  

[Thrak]

It's a very short ride to the airport in FLL. I don't see any problem unless the ship is majorly delayed for some reason or disembarkation is delayed massively.

[fishywood]

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp

Storing on the ship is out as you likely would never get it onboard. From the Prohibited Items list in the FAQs (bullet point no. 32):

 

• Baseball bats, hockey sticks, cricket bats, lacrosse sticks, pool cues, ski poles, and skateboards.

You'll probably not want to go to this expense but I think the best thing to do is ship his hockey equipment home before you board. Even if you find someplace ashore to store it time will be tight to retrieve it and check it (following your airlines' oversize baggage procedures) in time for an 11 AM flight which is otherwise not a problem catching from FLL.

[MrsRoper]

Right... forgot about the hockey sticks!  Grrr.... is there a place to store at Port Everglades?  We are staying close by the night before but as you said, I don’t want to push my timing luck having to go back to the hotel and get it and then to the airport....

 

for a 7am arrival, what is the earliest time of disembarkation we can get?

[skynight]

No storage at the terminal.

No special storage on the ship. Can't bring the hockey stick on board. The skates may also be an issue with their sharp blades. You can bring the pads and other equipment which you will have to store in your closet. It's a pretty large closet. If you are fortunate the cabin steward may be able to store the equipment bag in their work room. But, don't be surprised if you receive a negative answer.

Can one of the team mates bring the stick & skates home with them?

If you take early walk off, carry/wheel all your own equipment, you should be at FLL by 8am in time for an 11am flight. 

[beg3yrs]

Hmm.. maybe this is an All Star team and he doesn't have any friends on the team who live close to you but if not, could one of his team mates hold the equipment until  you get back?

[fishin' musician]

Where is the tournament?  A FedEx or UPS place that will pack and ship may be a reasonable solution.

[Steelers36]

Chances are with cross border courier costs, might as well buy new stuff.  So, this is a hockey tournament in Florida?  Anyway, I think the best idea is have a teammate take the stuff home and pay them for the extra checked bag charge.  Otherwise, you could phone your hotel and see if they will keep it for the length of cruise in their luggage storage room. 

 

As for the flight, I never understood why Princess bumped up their previous "safe" window from 4 hours to 5 hours.  Even that was generous.  It would have to be some perfect storm of awfulness to miss an 11:00am flight - and if such a combination of awfulness occurred, you would probably miss a noon flight as well.  Just let them know you have an 11:00am flight and ask for early disembark.  There are early disembark times even if you are not walking off with all bags in tow (the early walk-off).  The ship will be at the dock well before 7:00am. 

 

If you have Nexus/Global Entry, you will save time at the pier and at the airport.  This qualifies you tor TSA Pre which you will likely get on your boarding pass.

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by steelers36

[fishin' musician]

12 hours ago, steelers36 said:

Chances are with cross border courier costs, might as well buy new stuff.  

 

Replacing hockey gear could easily hit $2k.

[MrsRoper]

Thanks for all the replies!  Yes - replacing would indeed be very expensive!  I am going to try and get a team mate to take home with them and pay the baggage fee and a bit more as a thanks... but we don’t know anyone yet (new team starting in Sept) so will need a back up plan!  As an FYI Air Canada Cargo ships lots of stuff and it looks like it will run about $50 if the website is right!  Totally doable and way less than I thought.  And another option is UPS and that looks like about $100 if it takes the “slow boat” which is fine because it will have more than 10 days to get there while we are on the Ship.... so I think all will be well!

 

now for more reassurances that we will make our 11am flight to Canada?  Does anyone know the earliest debarkation without causing a stink?  And what do I put in the Cruise Personalizer?  It won’t accept my flight time.  Can I leave it blank or should I call and give them the info in advance?  Thanks seasoned cruisers!  Appreciated it!!

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, MrsRoper said:

.......................

 

now for more reassurances that we will make our 11am flight to Canada?  Does anyone know the earliest debarkation without causing a stink?  And what do I put in the Cruise Personalizer?  It won’t accept my flight time.  Can I leave it blank or should I call and give them the info in advance?  Thanks seasoned cruisers!  Appreciated it!!

I have always been able to enter our flights (and I don't think we have ever conformed to the Princess standard in FLL).  Yes, it gives a warning, but you can load them.  If something has changed, then I wouldn't worry about it.  It only really matters if you are using Princess Transfers.  On board, you will get a disembarkation package in the cabin and you fill out the form.  On there you can indicate your flight times and desired type of disembark.  I have kept a couple of disembark sheets from past cruises and they begin just a few minutes after the official dock time.  On some cruises they may begin even sooner if ready to go. 

 

There are tons of taxis outside terminal ready to whisk you to the terminal.  Don't sweat it.  If you leave too early, you will be twiddling thumbs at the gate.  ;-)

 

PS - I just did a test in Cruise Personalizer and I can add an "illegal" flight.  It just gives a warning message about the timing.

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by steelers36

[Thrak]

If Godzilla decides to go on a rampage in Fort Lauderdale you may not be able to make an 11:00 flight. Otherwise I can't see how you could fail to make the flight without trying pretty hard to miss it on purpose.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, fishin' musician said:

Replacing hockey gear could easily hit $2k.

It was a joke.  Cross border shipping can be dear compared to domestic.  I think the idea to pay for excess baggage is best bet.

[skynight]

2 hours ago, MrsRoper said:

 

 

now for more reassurances that we will make our 11am flight to Canada?  Does anyone know the earliest debarkation without causing a stink?  And what do I put in the Cruise Personalizer?  It won’t accept my flight time.  Can I leave it blank or should I call and give them the info in advance?  Thanks seasoned cruisers!  Appreciated it!!

If you have independent flight arrangements you do not have to enter anything in the cruise personlizer. Once on board you will receive a disembarkation request form. Request the independent arrangements early walk off option where you wheel off all your own luggage. You do not place the luggage outside the cabin evening before. Take a taxi, about $20/cab, and you should be at the airport by 8am. Do not take a Princess transfer. If your T.A. has added a Princess transfer to your booking, call them and have it removed.

[MrsRoper]

Wow!  You guys are awesome!  Thanks so much..... I am definitely feeling better about all of it and a) will not tell Princess my flight plan and b) do a “walk off” and grab a cab and c) hope there are no bizarre medical issues or, indeed, Godzilla, that hinder the Ship from arriving on time.  

 

You’ve all saved me hundreds in flight change fees which will go toward shipping the hockey bag with change to spare!

 

Look out.... more questions coming soon!  Lol!

 

Thanks again!

[fishywood]

8 minutes ago, MrsRoper said:

Wow!  You guys are awesome!  Thanks so much..... I am definitely feeling better about all of it and a) will not tell Princess my flight plan and b) do a “walk off” and grab a cab and c) hope there are no bizarre medical issues or, indeed, Godzilla, that hinder the Ship from arriving on time.  

For an 11 AM flight you can certainly choose to be in the first "claim your bags" group and still make the flight. And there is no reason to conceal from Princess your flight arrangements;  having tacitly given them advance notice that you need to be off the ship in one of the first groups can only work in your favor should you need to switch disembarkation time.

[polmcs]

18 hours ago, steelers36 said:

Chances are with cross border courier costs, might as well buy new stuff.  So, this is a hockey tournament in Florida?  Anyway, I think the best idea is have a teammate take the stuff home and pay them for the extra checked bag charge.  Otherwise, you could phone your hotel and see if they will keep it for the length of cruise in their luggage storage room. 

 

As for the flight, I never understood why Princess bumped up their previous "safe" window from 4 hours to 5 hours.  Even that was generous.  It would have to be some perfect storm of awfulness to miss an 11:00am flight - and if such a combination of awfulness occurred, you would probably miss a noon flight as well.  Just let them know you have an 11:00am flight and ask for early disembark.  There are early disembark times even if you are not walking off with all bags in tow (the early walk-off).  The ship will be at the dock well before 7:00am. 

 

If you have Nexus/Global Entry, you will save time at the pier and at the airport.  This qualifies you tor TSA Pre which you will likely get on your boarding pass.

 

 

As an FYI to those with Nexus/Global Entry, to use the GE/Nexus line at the port in Fort Lauderdale, you need to present the physical card to the CBP officer, which is unlike at the airport where your boarding pass, passport, or green card is sufficient.