Pushback from sailing from Miami?

[jakeil7]

15 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I think you and I have similar cruising styles, only out of PC and don't really care too much where it goes.  The bigger the ship the better.  That said who knows how much walking with your luggage these Brightline trips are going to entail but I imagine it's going to be quite a bit

Out of curiosity @John&LaLa how much do you typically pack for a cruise?  Carry on + 1 checked?  +2 checked?  Whatever you can get into the trunk? 😜

[molly361]

51 minutes ago, orville99 said:

True, but occasionally they sneak in a gem or two - like our 10 night Panama Canal cruise on Serenade in February. Once the trains start running from OIA to FLL and Miami, PC will see a lot more of our backs and a lot less of our $$.

Do you think it's going to be easy to navigate the trains, train stations and such with a week or more's luggage?

[rolloman]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

It may have been at one time, but gravity has brought a once Iconic brand to ground. While we still enjoy sailing Princess on occasion, it is nowhere near the quality experience that it used to be. And the fact that it sails all over the world is moot, since it will be doing exactly none of those itineraries out of PC, and every major cruise line sails all over the world. You just can't get there from PC.

Gravity? No, if anything the degradation you may have felt would be due to Princess becoming Carnivalized. Just curious are you a board member or similar with Carnival Corp? If not, your definitive statement Princess will never sail future non-Caribbean itineraries out of PC is unfounded, unsubstantiated and therefore simply nothing more than speculation on your part. 

[coaster]

Constellation also gets you to Panama, Costa Rica and Columbia which are ports that are not so common. I just cancelled my 12 night Serenade repo from Tampa to Boston this September to go on Constellation again as vacation time is too limited to go on both. 

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Do you think it's going to be easy to navigate the trains, train stations and such with a week or more's luggage?

At both ends of the trip, the train pulls into a platform where the train floor is at platform height, so you roll the luggage on/off quite easily. Around the stations should also be fairly easy (elevators, etc). The trip from the station to the ship, might be a bit more involved. We should get feedback soon after the line is operational though folks have been using it from Palm Beach or FLL to Miami for a while and it seems to work OK.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Biker19

[coaster]

11 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Do you think it's going to be easy to navigate the trains, train stations and such with a week or more's luggage?

Brightline needs to add a cruise option where transfers for people and their luggage is included. 

[John&LaLa]

14 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

Out of curiosity @John&LaLa how much do you typically pack for a cruise?  Carry on + 1 checked?  +2 checked?  Whatever you can get into the trunk? 😜

 

For 7 day trip, one check bag and one carry-on per person. Carry-on only for short cruise. 

 

We get 6 bags per cabin for world cruise

Brightline would be great for that if I could figure out luggage allowance

[firefly333]

15 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

Out of curiosity @John&LaLa how much do you typically pack for a cruise?  Carry on + 1 checked?  +2 checked?  Whatever you can get into the trunk? 😜

Lol I think the question is how much does Laura pack. She sure dresses up though so does john. I remember they flew to europe and they luggage didnt arrive and they didnt board. Beautiful jewelry and name dresses galore looked like to me. I dont think they are light packers.

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, coaster said:

Brightline needs to add a cruise option where transfers for people and their luggage is included. 

 

I seem to recall there is a shuttle included during the kick off. Don't recall details.

[molly361]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

At both ends of the trip, the train pulls into a platform where the train floor is at platform height, so you roll the luggage on/off quite easily. Around the stations should also be fairly easy (elevators, etc). The trip from the station to the ship, might be a bit more involved. We should get feedback soon after the line is operational though folks have been using it from Palm Beach or FLL to Miami for a while and it seems to work OK.

Does or is the train going to have stops at all the terminals in Miami or FLL?  If not how do you get from the station to the ship?  Have not followed it much.  

[OCSC Mike]

25 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I think you and I have similar cruising styles, only out of PC and don't really care too much where it goes.  The bigger the ship the better.

 

I think you're right. We enjoyed our time on Indy in July and October and I'm still OK with anything Voyager class and above but even on Freedom class I did miss some Oasis class features. My appreciation of and preference for only driving an hour to PC isn't going anywhere though.

[Biker19]

Just now, molly361 said:

If not how do you get from the station to the ship?  Have not followed it much.  

Shuttle from the station to the ship - the station is in downtown Miami.

[John&LaLa]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Shuttle from the station to the ship - the station is in downtown Miami.

 

Fairly close to Intercontinental which is HQ for World Cruise. 

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by John&LaLa

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Fairly close to Intercontinental which is HQ for World Cruise. 

I stayed there for a ncl cruise. I wasnt overly impressed with what wasnt included. Sbux in the lobby extra. Lucky we got a thermos of free coffee set out. 

[coaster]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Fairly close to Intercontinental which is HQ for World Cruise. 

Has Royal confirmed that washing machines are being added to Serenade prior to the World Cruise? Met someone on Grandeur in November who is going and she mentioned talk of it.

[John&LaLa]

9 minutes ago, coaster said:

Has Royal confirmed that washing machines are being added to Serenade prior to the World Cruise? Met someone on Grandeur in November who is going and she mentioned talk of it.

 

Last I heard was 3 cabins were being converted. Inside, I would guess. Not sure of the decks. I'd guess spread out. Maybe 4, 7, and 9

[barbeyg]

23 hours ago, superduper123 said:

Now I feel like I should take a cruise from Miami, just to see this. 😃  I have always enjoyed sail away from Tampa.

My favorite sail-away is Miami. Even though Terminal A can have a ridiculous backup for those being dropped off there, my hope is that the ship is facing Miami so we have to go into the basin to tuen around.  Our first sailing back after Covid was on Oasis, and we were eating dinner in CK, it was nightfall (December), and there was some kind of event including fireworks downtown. We sat there, enchanted by the city lights and fireworks as the ship spun around. Will never forget that sail away.  🙂

Edited May 22, 2023 by barbeyg

[John&LaLa]

28 minutes ago, barbeyg said:

My favorite sail-away is Miami. Even though Terminal A can have a ridiculous backup for those being dropped off there, my hope is that the ship is facing Miami so we have to go into the basin to tuen around.  Our first sailing back after Covid was on Oasis, and we were eating dinner in CK, it was nightfall (December), and there was some kind of event including fireworks downtown. We sat there, enchanted by the city lights and fireworks as the ship spun around. Will never forget that sail away.  🙂

 

I remember that, it was spectacular 

[jakeil7]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We get 6 bags per cabin for world cruise

I am sitting here with some serious jealousy now 😜

[PWP-001]

I was just looking at this over the weekend:  Brightline Orlando service is now on sale, with the first trains scheduled for September 1st in both directions.

 

With respect to luggage:

 

Can I check baggage?

Yes, we’re happy to help with baggage. Checked bags can be added to your SMART or PREMIUM fare for a fee of $10 per item. If you're traveling with multiple items, please add bags to your reservation in advance. When booking your reservation online or in our app, you’ll have the option to do so.

 

Baggage Requirements:

• Maximum Weight: 50 lbs. (22 kg)
• Maximum Dimensions:  33" x 22" x 15

In-station and onboard attendants will be available to assist in getting your baggage on and off the train and to your destination. Baggage can be checked in at the Guest Services desk. Please plan to arrive early to allow extra time to check baggage prior to departure.

 

There's also a ticket add-on referred to as Brightline+ than includes fixed shuttle service or an Uber ride to/from the train station.  PREMIUM guests get a complimentary ride each way of up to 5 miles.  And both Port of Miami and Port Everglades are within that radius of a station.

 

Currently one way fares are $79 for SMART and $149 for PREMIUM 

[molly361]

Although Brightline's stations in Miami and Fort Lauderdale are not within walking distance to each city's cruise port, they are reasonably close. In Miami, the Brightline station is roughly 1.5 miles away from PortMiami's terminals, or about 10 minutes by car. In Fort Lauderdale, the distance is about 3.5 miles to Port Everglades -- an easy and inexpensive trip in an Uber or taxi.

And, thanks to a partnership with Uber, passengers have the option of purchasing tickets not just to the Brightline station in the destination city, but from the first to the last mile of their trip. A traveler can, for instance, book a fare from Orlando International Airport to Port Miami or Port Everglades, switching to an Uber ride from Brightline's Miami or Fort Lauderdale's stations, respectively, all without having to book their Uber ride separately.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Do you think it's going to be easy to navigate the trains, train stations and such with a week or more's luggage?

Have done that more times than I can count during my professional career traveling between cities in Europe. Not a big deal for us. Besides, Brightline has shuttle service from their Miami station to the port.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Last I heard was 3 cabins were being converted. Inside, I would guess. Not sure of the decks. I'd guess spread out. Maybe 4, 7, and 9

We will be on Serenade for the four weeks prior to the WC, and plan on tracking those down.

[orville99]

2 hours ago, rolloman said:

Gravity? No, if anything the degradation you may have felt would be due to Princess becoming Carnivalized. Just curious are you a board member or similar with Carnival Corp? If not, your definitive statement Princess will never sail future non-Caribbean itineraries out of PC is unfounded, unsubstantiated and therefore simply nothing more than speculation on your part. 

Have stated on several occasions the the acquisition of Princess by Carnival was the beginning of the decline in its brand equity. As for where its PC based ship will sail, the itineraries have been published - alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises. Could it sail somewhere else eventually - sure, after all, it does float.

 

Sold my carnival stock at ~$80/ a share long ago - wouldn’t touch it now with a 10 foot pole.

 

Presuming any of us will even be here tomorrow to see the dawn is speculation, so you are probably right on that point.

[orville99]

3 hours ago, coaster said:

Constellation also gets you to Panama, Costa Rica and Columbia which are ports that are not so common. I just cancelled my 12 night Serenade repo from Tampa to Boston this September to go on Constellation again as vacation time is too limited to go on both. 

We did that same itinerary on Serenade in February. Marvelous cruise.