Embarking / Disembarking strategy when arriving and departing a day prior to and after cruise / Fort Lauderdale

[coolbluegreenseas]

15 minutes ago, Infi said:

 

IME, people tend to show up at Port Everglades very early. On my last few cruises, I have arrived at 10:30/11am, only to be greeted by a chock-full regular lounge and a full priority lounge at Terminal 26. I think if you arrive after noon, crowds will be significantly less. Just be attentive to HAL's all aboard time, as they keep moving those up earlier and earlier these days. 

Thank you for the insight. Staying at the hotel for a workout, breakfast, coffee and a view of the ocean seems like a better beginning opposed to sitting in plastic lounge chairs waiting for our turn to board. With that being said, I’ll remain cognizant of the all aboard time and make sure we are there with time to spare.

[Dutchman48]

On 7/4/2024 at 11:21 AM, bbodb1 said:

Good day all.  We will be taking our second cruise in November on HAL after our first cruise last year on Carnival.  We chose Carnival for price and proximity to our home as driving to Galveston was doable for us and while we mostly enjoyed the Carnival experience, we want to experience other cruise lines to compare the on board experience to see if there is a better fit for our tastes and preferences.  

 

One lesson learned from the Carnival experience was how bad the disembarking experience can be.  We self carried our luggage mainly to allow for a quicker disembarkation but the Carnival disembarkation process (along with the layout and path passengers had to travel) created far too many choke points with NO Carnival personnel present to help direct passengers off the boat in a timely manner.  We actually tried leaving our room a few minutes prior to the time for those carrying their own luggage to depart only to discover the madness.  I do want to pause here to acknowledge this was our first cruise and I can imagine disembarkation is always going to be chaotic but we are trying to plan for a better experience with our upcoming cruise on HAL (Nieuw Amersterdam) in November.  

 

Since we will be flying to Fort Lauderdale, our plan is to arrive a day prior to the cruise departure, stay overnight in a hotel close to the cruise port, take the cruise, disembark and again stay overnight in a hotel close to the cruise port, then fly home early the next day.  This brings me to the question(s) I have:

 

• Assuming no air travel issue on the arrival side (meaning we arrive in Fort Lauderdale the day before the cruise), when would be the best time to arrive at Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)?  Our check out time at the hotel is 11:00 a.m. so we are not forced to depart the hotel all that early on the morning of the cruise departure due to check out time restrictions.  Obviously, the cruise is the reason to be here but having no prior experience with Port Everglades, we want to choose the embarkation time slot most likely to result in the least amount of waiting in line without having to rush about. 
• It should be noted we will be using public transportation to commute from the hotel to the cruise port, but we have very little previous experience with taxis, Uber, Lyft, etc.  The hotel offers a paid shuttle option to Port Everglades for $13 per person but I have read more than a few horror stories about the unpredictable nature of hotel shuttles to the cruise port.  A current price check on Uber looks to be in the $10-$13 range as well and taxis about $20 so it would appear a taxi, Uber or Lyft would be a more cost conscious option but I am hoping some folks with experience in this area will offer their thoughts on the best mode of public transportation to/from the cruise port.    
• This is the highest priority concern we have - how can we create the best (smoothest) disembarkation experience?  Since we are NOT in a hurry to get off the boat (recall we have a local hotel for the night with a flight departure the next morning), I was thinking about waiting in our room until (very close to) the latest possible time to disembark.  However, I understand the crew will be deeply involved in clean up and prep for the next cruise so I am wondering (approximately) what time would be best to disembark to avoid the lines and crowds associated with disembarkation?  Again, we will carry our own luggage.  Also, the ship is scheduled to arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 7:00 a.m..  How long will HA allow us to remain in our room on disembarkation day?  

 

Thanks in advance for any ideas and suggestions.  

We have found most hotels that have airport shuttles will also have shuttles to cruise terminal, so that should eliminate public transit.

 

[coolbluegreenseas]

21 hours ago, Dutchman48 said:

We have found most hotels that have airport shuttles will also have shuttles to cruise terminal, so that should eliminate public transit.

 

Definitely worth checking out. If it is not on the website, give the hotel a call. 

[topspot]

We live in FL and are never in a hurry to leave the ship.  One thing we do is try to get a luggage tag with an earlier time, Say 8:00.  We put our luggage out the night before, then we head down to breakfast in the dining room around 8:00.  By the time we've finished breakfast and go to claim our luggage, it is one of the last in the group to be claimed, making it very quick and easy to find.

[CNSJ]

On 7/4/2024 at 8:56 PM, bbodb1 said:

I can clearly see the advantages of letting the ship's baggage handlers deal with our large bags while we could enjoy a last breakfast aboard ship that last morning and not have to carry much more than a backpack with us.  

 

Relax!

 

We have never lost a bag with HAL in over 15 cruises, many to/from Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale).  Just keep medications and valuables with you.

 

You have made very wise decisions by arriving a day before cruise and remaining a day after the cruise.  From time to time ships arrive late due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances such as medical evals, mechanical issues, port security issues, or pilot availability.  Less stress = better cruise. 

 

Enjoy your cruise.  If the hotel shuttle bothers you, just order an Uber.  We often order Uber Black as the Big SUVs (normally a Tahoe/Escalade size) fits all our bags and the drivers are better.  They are often quicker to get to you as the demand level is different. Uber cost is minimal as the distances (even from beach hotels) is minimal.  

 

 

[CNSJ]

On 7/4/2024 at 7:14 PM, Haljo1935 said:

Luggage Direct is a great service

Having an air tag or two in your luggage helps you know where they are as they move about. 

[mark46]

SOME THOUGHTS
1) HAL has a service where they deliver your luggage to your airline (no charge).  I don't know whether Southwest is covered, This helps us a lot, but is not relevant if you are going to stay an additional day.  We add days before and have HAL deliver us to the airport after.  BTW, an excursion is very inexpensive since they credit the cost of the shuttle.

 

2) The only issue with hotel shuttles is that you should book them immediately upon checking in.  They can fill up.  Otherwise, we have always found them reliable. However, Uber or a taxi works fine and are more convenient.

 

3) We have never had any problems with security at the cruise-port.  Of course, any true valuables should be on your carry-on, not your suitcase.

 

4) Disembarking can be hectic.  If you don't have an early flight, then wait as late as possible.  

 

5) yes to air tags.

 

[Petronillus]

On 7/5/2024 at 4:14 PM, coolbluegreenseas said:

I love it when other people ask the questions that have been floating in my head.

😊

I couldn't agree more. CC truly is a great site.

[love4trvl]

We sailed out of FLL in February, arriving two days early. I would recommend staying near the beach and enjoying your pre day there. There are a lot of restaurants, shops and the beautiful beach!!  We asked the bellman the night before to get a cab for us the next morning and gave him a time. The driver was waiting there for us, and the people were all over the lobby waiting to board the shuttle.When we got to the port at 11:30 we walked right on. When we departed on the last day we walked off with our luggage and had no issue getting a taxi.