marieps Posted December 18, 2020 #1 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Greetings. We are driving to off site parking at PEV for a short cruise, then on disembarkation heading to POM for a second cruise. How would you handle the parking logistics? I read here that POM parking is super $$$, but the only secure option. Should I leave the car in FLL and shuttle port to port? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 18, 2020 #2 Share Posted December 18, 2020 33 minutes ago, marieps said: Greetings. We are driving to off site parking at PEV for a short cruise, then on disembarkation heading to POM for a second cruise. How would you handle the parking logistics? I read here that POM parking is super $$$, but the only secure option. Should I leave the car in FLL and shuttle port to port? Your cruise plans are exactly what mine were in January, 2020. Disembarked the Volendam in Port Everglades and embarked MSC Meraviglia the same day at the Port of Miami. I chose to drive to Miami and use the Port's parking garages. Yes, it was not inexpensive--the exact cost I don't recall--but was a bit more $ than what I paid to park at Port Everglades's Mid-Port Garage. I researched taxi rates to/from the Port of Miami and determined that it was too expensive to do that. Plus, after having the car sitting for 2+ weeks, I wanted to get it out on the road and do some driving before letting sit for a longer time. I don't Uber/Lyft, so that was not a consideration for me. I unaware of any scheduled shuttle service between the two ports. On a Sunday morning, I found the drive between the Ports on US 1 to be easy with light to moderate traffic. Signage directing traffic to the Port of Miami was good. Within the Port, signage to specific Terminals was not good. Traffic into the Port at around 11:00 A. M. was heavy and I found it quite difficult to get to the MSC Terminal, but other drivers (including taxi drivers) were courteous and allowed me to merge--lane by lane--until I was able to get to where I needed to go. Then, I had to "inch by inch" lane by lane from where I dropped off the luggage to get to the proper lane to get to the garage designated for my ship. It all worked. Stressful? Yes! I will never drive into the Port of Miami again. If there is a next time, I will hire a taxi or a car service. Returning to Port Everglades, the taxi will take you directly to your car in the Port's garage. They have 15 minutes of "free time" for such a service where the taxi driver is not charged by the Port. I am sure others will have other experiences and recommendations. Any questions? I'd be pleased to try to answer based on my experiences parking at both Ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marieps Posted December 19, 2020 Author #3 Share Posted December 19, 2020 3 hours ago, rkacruiser said: Your cruise plans are exactly what mine were in January, 2020. Disembarked the Volendam in Port Everglades and embarked MSC Meraviglia the same day at the Port of Miami. I chose to drive to Miami and use the Port's parking garages. Yes, it was not inexpensive--the exact cost I don't recall--but was a bit more $ than what I paid to park at Port Everglades's Mid-Port Garage. I researched taxi rates to/from the Port of Miami and determined that it was too expensive to do that. Plus, after having the car sitting for 2+ weeks, I wanted to get it out on the road and do some driving before letting sit for a longer time. I don't Uber/Lyft, so that was not a consideration for me. I unaware of any scheduled shuttle service between the two ports. On a Sunday morning, I found the drive between the Ports on US 1 to be easy with light to moderate traffic. Signage directing traffic to the Port of Miami was good. Within the Port, signage to specific Terminals was not good. Traffic into the Port at around 11:00 A. M. was heavy and I found it quite difficult to get to the MSC Terminal, but other drivers (including taxi drivers) were courteous and allowed me to merge--lane by lane--until I was able to get to where I needed to go. Then, I had to "inch by inch" lane by lane from where I dropped off the luggage to get to the proper lane to get to the garage designated for my ship. It all worked. Stressful? Yes! I will never drive into the Port of Miami again. If there is a next time, I will hire a taxi or a car service. Returning to Port Everglades, the taxi will take you directly to your car in the Port's garage. They have 15 minutes of "free time" for such a service where the taxi driver is not charged by the Port. I am sure others will have other experiences and recommendations. Any questions? I'd be pleased to try to answer based on my experiences parking at both Ports. Thank you for your kind reply. I'm glad you got your vacations in before the virus shut you down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohninDC Posted December 19, 2020 #4 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Parking at POM is convenient, covered and secure, but costs $22/day. 🤪 UberX or standard Lyft should cost about $35+ each way if you leave your car parked near FLL/PE. I would park at POM, even if the total cost is more, for the convenience of getting on the road, but it is your call. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 20, 2020 #5 Share Posted December 20, 2020 11 hours ago, JohninDC said: if the total cost is more, for the convenience of getting on the road, It is the convenience of having one's car where it is quickly accessible without having to depend on waiting for a shuttle, a taxi, or whatever to get to the car that is what I appreciate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marieps Posted December 20, 2020 Author #6 Share Posted December 20, 2020 Thanks to all posters. My POM cruise is 12 days, so I'll certainly have to debate convenience vs. cost. As long as I'm cruising by Feb 22...all is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueHerons Posted December 20, 2020 #7 Share Posted December 20, 2020 I hope that is February 2022. I would leave my car at Port Everglades, uber to Brightline, and take Brightline to the Port Miami. When you get back from your cruise, do it all in reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 20, 2020 #8 Share Posted December 20, 2020 7 minutes ago, BlueHerons said: I would leave my car at Port Everglades, uber to Brightline, and take Brightline to the Port Miami. A suggestion that I had not thought of. But, one would still need to get into the Port from the Brightline station. (I don't know its location in relation to the Port's entrance.) Dealing with luggage--with wheels as well as a carry-on--I am thinking this could be rather challenging to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueHerons Posted December 20, 2020 #9 Share Posted December 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said: A suggestion that I had not thought of. But, one would still need to get into the Port from the Brightline station. (I don't know its location in relation to the Port's entrance.) Dealing with luggage--with wheels as well as a carry-on--I am thinking this could be rather challenging to do. Brightline has a shuttle direct to POM. Currently they aren't running but should be shortly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 20, 2020 #10 Share Posted December 20, 2020 Just now, BlueHerons said: Brightline has a shuttle direct to POM. Currently they aren't running but should be shortly. Thanks! I continue to learn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohninDC Posted December 21, 2020 #11 Share Posted December 21, 2020 14 hours ago, BlueHerons said: Brightline has a shuttle direct to POM. Currently they aren't running but should be shortly. Hmmm? 🤔 A shuttle or Uber to Brightline, a train ride, and then another shuttle to POM - that means you are loading/unloading your bags 3 times compared to an Uber/Lyft to POM (door to door service) for likely less $$ and waiting. Of course with new, post-virus boarding procedures maybe you don't want to hurry to POM only to face a LONG delay in boarding there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueHerons Posted December 22, 2020 #12 Share Posted December 22, 2020 On 12/21/2020 at 7:05 AM, JohninDC said: Hmmm? 🤔 A shuttle or Uber to Brightline, a train ride, and then another shuttle to POM - that means you are loading/unloading your bags 3 times compared to an Uber/Lyft to POM (door to door service) for likely less $$ and waiting. Of course with new, post-virus boarding procedures maybe you don't want to hurry to POM only to face a LONG delay in boarding there. John, ask any South Floridian and we'll do just about anything to avoid that drive on I95. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 23, 2020 #13 Share Posted December 23, 2020 My experience driving on I-95 South of Savannah, Georgia (or North from South Florida), to the Fort Lauderdale area has not been stressful. Patience is required at times when accidents and heavy traffic creates less than one's desired speed to be able to be maintained in the areas of West Palm Beach as well as the northern suburbs of Fort Lauderdale. From Fort Lauderdale to MIami, just my opinion as a non-resident of the area, I prefer U.S. 1 rather than I-95. Those who never took a driver's education class seem to practice their lack of skills/knowledge on that stretch of interstate highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueHerons Posted January 18, 2021 #14 Share Posted January 18, 2021 On 12/22/2020 at 7:36 PM, rkacruiser said: My experience driving on I-95 South of Savannah, Georgia (or North from South Florida), to the Fort Lauderdale area has not been stressful. Patience is required at times when accidents and heavy traffic creates less than one's desired speed to be able to be maintained in the areas of West Palm Beach as well as the northern suburbs of Fort Lauderdale. From Fort Lauderdale to MIami, just my opinion as a non-resident of the area, I prefer U.S. 1 rather than I-95. Those who never took a driver's education class seem to practice their lack of skills/knowledge on that stretch of interstate highway. rk, it isn't bad at all up until you hit about West Palm Beach. Once south of that, it's hell. Our car insurance is so high because one out of ten cars isn't insured, the speed limits posted on I-95 not only are not enforced but police aren't allowed to pull anyone over because of the narrow shoulders, you have people driving that have never driven in the US before, many have no drivers license, road ragers will actually pull out guns and shoot at you and I could go on for hours. If you are on a motorcycle, it isn't if you get in an accident but when. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted January 18, 2021 #15 Share Posted January 18, 2021 1 hour ago, BlueHerons said: it isn't bad at all up until you hit about West Palm Beach. Once south of that, it's hell Like driving in hell has been my experience on I-95 in Miami; won't do that again. U. S. 1 is slower, but much easier on the nerves. When there was construction on I-95 in West Palm Beach, that was my most difficult driving experience in that city. But, I practiced the same skills that I have learned driving here in congested areas: have patience, stay in one lane, slow down, keep enough distance between my car and the car ahead--and hope the driver behind me does the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueHerons Posted January 18, 2021 #16 Share Posted January 18, 2021 2 hours ago, rkacruiser said: Like driving in hell has been my experience on I-95 in Miami; won't do that again. U. S. 1 is slower, but much easier on the nerves. When there was construction on I-95 in West Palm Beach, that was my most difficult driving experience in that city. But, I practiced the same skills that I have learned driving here in congested areas: have patience, stay in one lane, slow down, keep enough distance between my car and the car ahead--and hope the driver behind me does the same! No they don't! Someone driving 95 miles an hour in a Maserati will cut between you and the car in front of you or mami will cut you off in her 1995 four door tiny mobile and slam on her breaks. There is no common sense driving down here! Save yourself and your family LOL! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohninDC Posted January 19, 2021 #17 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Driving the DC beltway during rush hour, even on a get away Friday in a snowstorm, is easy compared to the craziness they call traffic in Miami. 😲 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capriccio Posted January 19, 2021 #18 Share Posted January 19, 2021 And if it is raining the traffic is worse and the number of accidents is off the charts! I once checked the drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport to Palm Beach Airport to give someone considering flying out of PBI after disembarkation a drive time estimate. It happened to be a rainy morning (but not Florida downpours where you can't even see the car in front of you). Twenty-six accidents (total for both directions) were reported at that point in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capriccio Posted January 19, 2021 #19 Share Posted January 19, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, BlueHerons said: rk, it isn't bad at all up until you hit about West Palm Beach. Once south of that, it's hell. Our car insurance is so high because one out of ten cars isn't insured, the speed limits posted on I-95 not only are not enforced but police aren't allowed to pull anyone over because of the narrow shoulders, you have people driving that have never driven in the US before, many have no drivers license, road ragers will actually pull out guns and shoot at you and I could go on for hours. If you are on a motorcycle, it isn't if you get in an accident but when. The local Sun-Sentinel newspaper recently published an article entitled Danger Road: Politicians leave Florida’s busiest highway unprotected. Everyone is on 95. Except the police. (https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-ne-state-neglects-i95-safety-20201007-gdycjt6mnbanxjzj6wuboo3svu-htmlstory.html). Highlights from a very long, well researched article are: It’s the deadliest highway in the state, a lawless ribbon of asphalt that police have largely ignored, according to an investigation by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Dangerous and drunken drivers can speed or tailgate for miles without ever encountering a state trooper. The busiest segment of I-95 slices through Broward County, between Davie and Sunrise boulevards, the Sun Sentinel found. Some 312,000 cars a day whiz through that area, traffic records show — 89,300 more cars than it was designed for, according to state transportation data. Where are the most dangerous spots on I-95? The Sun Sentinel analyzed crash data to identify the most perilous interchanges on the highway. Not surprisingly, the top 10 were all in the densely populated counties of South Florida. Each spot had 500 or more wrecks from 2014 through 2018. Edited January 19, 2021 by capriccio 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted January 19, 2021 #20 Share Posted January 19, 2021 8 hours ago, capriccio said: The local Sun-Sentinel newspaper recently published an article entitled Danger Road: Politicians leave Florida’s busiest highway unprotected. Everyone is on 95. Except the police. (https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-ne-state-neglects-i95-safety-20201007-gdycjt6mnbanxjzj6wuboo3svu-htmlstory.html). Highlights from a very long, well researched article are: It’s the deadliest highway in the state, a lawless ribbon of asphalt that police have largely ignored, according to an investigation by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Dangerous and drunken drivers can speed or tailgate for miles without ever encountering a state trooper. The busiest segment of I-95 slices through Broward County, between Davie and Sunrise boulevards, the Sun Sentinel found. Some 312,000 cars a day whiz through that area, traffic records show — 89,300 more cars than it was designed for, according to state transportation data. Where are the most dangerous spots on I-95? The Sun Sentinel analyzed crash data to identify the most perilous interchanges on the highway. Not surprisingly, the top 10 were all in the densely populated counties of South Florida. Each spot had 500 or more wrecks from 2014 through 2018. WOW!!! I read the full Sun-Sentinel article and viewed the video. In the video, the individual who said "If you have survived I-95, you are a Floridian". Given the number of times that I have driven that stretch of the road and have survived, that's me! The data is shocking to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted January 19, 2021 #21 Share Posted January 19, 2021 22 hours ago, BlueHerons said: Someone driving 95 miles an hour in a Maserati will cut between you and the car in front of you I was not driving at such a speed, but I did have that experience in Miami en route to the exit I was going to take to Coral Gables. There couldn't have been more than inches between my front end and his rear end. Needless to say, I slammed on my brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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