TRANSFER AT PORT OF MIAMI FROM ONE RCL SHIP TO ANOTHER

[Justmekaren918]

I am somewhat disabled & going solo. I'm seriously thinking of ambitious side by side B-day cruise of Allure to Indy in Sept. 24 in Miami & I'm going GS or above & 💎! Are the ships close or different terminal? How did you all handle all of your bags (3) & walker? Did you keep the bags & RCL help you get bags down & to a porter to a transfer service or cab? You sent them down & had to find them? You did latest self off? 
TIA

[greeneng]

We went S2S from the Oasis to the Explorer on April 23 of 2023.  I scheduled the transfer with the concierge, no charge, and was told to follow the signs.

My wife is very mobility limited.  She had a mobility scooter on the Oasis, so it was all on me.  And I was not up to handling all our luggage by myself so we put it out the night before.  When I picked it up in the terminal I immediately got a porter who put it all on his cart and off we went.  When we got outside he had absolutely no clue where to go, and there were no signs, and no one I asked could tell us where to go to get the S2S shuttle.  So we crossed the streets to where the busses where and he went one way and I went the other.  God bless this porter, he spent over an hour with us as we both hunted for the right place.  Believe me, I did reward him.  Finally I spotted a lady with a clip board who had a clue and pointed to a place to wait.  So, I went back the other way, found our porter and we all went to the spot clip board lady had pointed to.  Then, he was gone.  But, there was no place my wife could sit so we moved to where there was a guard rail, close by.  After too long I found clip board lady again who told me the bus had been delayed by traffic and pointed to where it should park.  So we waited, but you can believe I never left her out of my sight again.  Eventually a new van arrived but not the spot she had indicated previously.  Good for her, she found us and got us on board, and I made sure the luggage went into the trailer.  So, off we went.  But, this story does not end here.

When we got to the pier for the Explorer, I got our luggage from the trailer of the van.  It had Explorer luggage tags.  I gave it to the port based luggage handler, tipped him appropriately, and we went to check in.

Hours later we were in the cabin wondering where our luggage was and I got a cell phone call from a Limo driver on the pier asking if our luggage was going on the Explorer of coming off from it.  Yes, the Miami based porter had taken my tip and just left it there.  The limo driver who found it took and checked it in for us.  I had the cell number she had used and did call back to thank her again and ask if I could provide a reward, which she declined.  The luggage did show up later.  The Explorer was starting a trans-atlantic to Civitavecchia, and we were staying in Europe for a couple of weeks after that.  Suffice to say it was very good to have the clothes.

There have been other horror stories about the Miami long-shore men who handle the luggage there, and their demands for outrageous tips to make sure the luggage gets where it should be.  I did not get that demand but it still went nowhere.  My advice is to keep it with you until you are sure it is going where it needs to be, to the check-in right at the terminal and not out in the lot.

To JustmeKaren: I suggest getting a porter in the luggage claim and then taking a cab.  Have the luggage already tagged and insist the cab driver take you right to the luggage check in at the terminal.  Bon Voyage!

 

Edited March 12 by greeneng
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