Side by Side Cruise - How do you get from one ship to the other?

[Dall]

We are doing our first side by side cruise, starting off with the Eclipse 1/2-11, and then jumping onto the Apex 1/11-18. Will Celebrity transfer us from one ship to another? The Celebrity rep I talked to said just let guest services know when you board and they’ll take care of it.  I just want to make sure this info is correct.

[cruisestitch]

28 minutes ago, Dall said:

We are doing our first side by side cruise, starting off with the Eclipse 1/2-11, and then jumping onto the Apex 1/11-18. Will Celebrity transfer us from one ship to another? The Celebrity rep I talked to said just let guest services know when you board and they’ll take care of it.  I just want to make sure this info is correct.

What port?

[Nado44]

59 minutes ago, Dall said:

We are doing our first side by side cruise, starting off with the Eclipse 1/2-11, and then jumping onto the Apex 1/11-18. Will Celebrity transfer us from one ship to another? The Celebrity rep I talked to said just let guest services know when you board and they’ll take care of it.  I just want to make sure this info is correct.

 

I am assuming you're discussing Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. If so, Celebrity will have you board what's called the crew shuttle. It's a bus that transports crew and sometimes passengers and supplies from ship to ship. Sometimes it's a shuttle that goes from ship -> FLL airport -> Port Everglades and the various ships in port. No cost.

 

We did this once. Took about 1.5 hours to get from ship to ship (with a stop at FLL). In hindsight, we wished we walked. Or even took a taxi/Uber.

Edited August 3 by Nado44

[phoenix_dream]

Just now, Nado44 said:

 

I am assuming you're discussing Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. If so, Celebrity will have you board what's called the crew shuttle. It's a bus that transports crew and sometimes passengers and supplies from ship to ship. Sometimes it's a shuttle that goes from ship -> FLL airport -> Port Everglades and the various ships in port.

 

We did this once. Took about 1.5 hours to get from ship to ship (with a stop at FLL). In hindsight, we wished we walked. Or even took a taxi/Uber.

Not claiming this didn't happen to you, but that is definitely not the normal process.  They do provide a bus for travel between Celebrity and Royal ships. Passengers only, no crew and no diversion to the airport. We've done it a few times. The only issue we had was if not in a suite we had to wait outside the building until boarding started around 11. If in a suite we could go in and wait in the Retreat Lounge. It was arranged by the Retreat Concierge or Guest Relations depending what type of cabin

[D. B.]

24 minutes ago, Nado44 said:

 

I am assuming you're discussing Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. If so, Celebrity will have you board what's called the crew shuttle. It's a bus that transports crew and sometimes passengers and supplies from ship to ship. Sometimes it's a shuttle that goes from ship -> FLL airport -> Port Everglades and the various ships in port. No cost.

 

We did this once. Took about 1.5 hours to get from ship to ship (with a stop at FLL). In hindsight, we wished we walked. Or even took a taxi/Uber.

The problem with walking from ship to ship in the Ft. Lauderdale port is that because of security it is not a straight line from ship to ship.

 We have done it twice and X arranged it and it was a short ride.

 Probably an UBER would be faster.

[Dall]

Oops yes, Ft Lauderdale.  Probably a silly question, but we take our luggage with us-it’s not taken to the next ship automatically?

[Stem to Stern]

In Miami, walking was not an option for us.

So we just hailed a cab.

Needless to say when we told the driver where we were going, he was less than impressed.  
Apparently the cabs have to cue up in the port.  We looked after him extra generously, but back to the end of the cue he went presumably.  

In hindsight I think we will look into the shuttle bus mentioned above or another option.

[hegal]

23 minutes ago, D. B. said:

The problem with walking from ship to ship in the Ft. Lauderdale port is that because of security it is not a straight line from ship to ship.

I walked once. The problem was there was a lot of truck traffic. 

[hegal]

25 minutes ago, Dall said:

Oops yes, Ft Lauderdale.  Probably a silly question, but we take our luggage with us-it’s not taken to the next ship automatically?

You will have to take your luggage through customs. 

[DaKahuna]

25 minutes ago, Dall said:

Oops yes, Ft Lauderdale.  Probably a silly question, but we take our luggage with us-it’s not taken to the next ship automatically?

 

No, your luggage is not transported for you.  Unfortunately, changing ships is not like changing airplanes where they take care of that for you. 

 

 

[Nado44]

37 minutes ago, D. B. said:

The problem with walking from ship to ship in the Ft. Lauderdale port is that because of security it is not a straight line from ship to ship.

Walking between Terminals 19/25 is easy. Crew members do it all the time.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've never done it but I've seen signs at the taxi stands in Port Everglades about the cost, maybe $8,to go from pier to pier. You would have to take your luggage with you.

 

[didicruiser]

I did this twice the past year and a half.

-once onto a bus with others and brought to the other terminal

-another time I had to go to the airport and then dropped off at the other port terminal

[Dall]

39 minutes ago, didicruiser said:

I did this twice the past year and a half.

-once onto a bus with others and brought to the other terminal

-another time I had to go to the airport and then dropped off at the other port terminal

Thank you!  

[Dall]

Thanks everyone!

[harrywpb]

We did this last year and it was not as easy as it seemed before the cruise. First of all,Celebrity does not offer any type of transfer between ships.   We decided to wait until the last minute to leave the Apex at terminal 25 since we were embarking on the Reflection at 19.  BIG MISTAKE waiting so long.  The Police and Sheriffs deputies do not allow anyone to walk to terminal 19 as there are no sidewalks.    It really is very dangerous.  We also thought that we would get a taxi to just take us between the terminals.  Once outside there was a Princess ship disembarking at the same time and they let everyone off the ship at the same time.  The line for the taxi was 20-30 people deep.  By that time (about 9:30-10:00) you encounter people disembarking and also people showing up to embark.  If we had to do it all over we would walk off first thing, have a waiting taxi take us to the next terminal and just wait it out.  We eventually flagged down a driver of a shuttle to an off site parking garage, offered him a generous tip and he took us.  Good luck.  

[Dall]

1 hour ago, harrywpb said:

We did this last year and it was not as easy as it seemed before the cruise. First of all,Celebrity does not offer any type of transfer between ships.   We decided to wait until the last minute to leave the Apex at terminal 25 since we were embarking on the Reflection at 19.  BIG MISTAKE waiting so long.  The Police and Sheriffs deputies do not allow anyone to walk to terminal 19 as there are no sidewalks.    It really is very dangerous.  We also thought that we would get a taxi to just take us between the terminals.  Once outside there was a Princess ship disembarking at the same time and they let everyone off the ship at the same time.  The line for the taxi was 20-30 people deep.  By that time (about 9:30-10:00) you encounter people disembarking and also people showing up to embark.  If we had to do it all over we would walk off first thing, have a waiting taxi take us to the next terminal and just wait it out.  We eventually flagged down a driver of a shuttle to an off site parking garage, offered him a generous tip and he took us.  Good luck.  

Oh my! Thanks for that input. Did you inquire at guest services about transferring?

[Orator]

Did this 3 times. One time X provided transportation since many were booked for both cruises. Once I walked to the 2nd ship and once I took a taxi.

[hcat]

17 hours ago, hegal said:

I walked once. The problem was there was a lot of truck traffic. 

Too dangerous to walk..no real walkways . Grab a cab with  carry ons.. and your luggage ( guarantees it will get there)

[hegal]

41 minutes ago, hcat said:

Too dangerous to walk..no real walkways . Grab a cab with  carry ons.. and your luggage ( guarantees it will get there)

I think it is too dangerous too and certainly would not do it again. Lesson learned the hard way. On a map it did not look bad. I also did not have Cruise Critic then to ask if it was advisable. I agree a taxi is the best idea.The original poster seems to wish Celebrity to do the transfer. Never heard of them doing it but they can at ask guest services. They have plenty of time when they get off to get over there so they should not stress. I got to other ship around 10 and had to wait a long time probably an hour and a half to board. I don’t think they started boarding until 11:30. 

[harrywpb]

3 hours ago, Dall said:

Oh my! Thanks for that input. Did you inquire at guest services about transferring?

We had asked at Guest Relations and they were not providing it.  Seems that they had stopped offering that but you might want to check when you get on board.  And despite what others may have said about walking, we went between 19 and 25 and  it is not allowed and very dangerous.  

[phoenix_dream]

7 hours ago, harrywpb said:

We did this last year and it was not as easy as it seemed before the cruise. First of all,Celebrity does not offer any type of transfer between ships.   We decided to wait until the last minute to leave the Apex at terminal 25 since we were embarking on the Reflection at 19.  BIG MISTAKE waiting so long.  The Police and Sheriffs deputies do not allow anyone to walk to terminal 19 as there are no sidewalks.    It really is very dangerous.  We also thought that we would get a taxi to just take us between the terminals.  Once outside there was a Princess ship disembarking at the same time and they let everyone off the ship at the same time.  The line for the taxi was 20-30 people deep.  By that time (about 9:30-10:00) you encounter people disembarking and also people showing up to embark.  If we had to do it all over we would walk off first thing, have a waiting taxi take us to the next terminal and just wait it out.  We eventually flagged down a driver of a shuttle to an off site parking garage, offered him a generous tip and he took us.  Good luck.  

Celebrity absolutely offers a bus to the other piers for their ships or Royal.  We've done it several times.

[NCTribeFan]

I'm doing a side-to-side in November.  Reflection first, then Beyond.  I'd already read here that a shuttle was provided, which surprised me.

 

When I sailed Summit, I waited as long as I could to disembark, then dragged my bags "next door" to board MSC Seashore.  There was a sidewalk between those two terminals (don't remember which ones).  Yes, I had to dodge the mobs out there waiting for taxis/Uber/pickups and then had to stand outside MSC's terminal.  That was just the beginning of their very disorganized boarding process.

 

I understand that Reflection and Beyond don't dock next to each other, but I'll drag my bags if there's a sidewalk.  If not, I'll again wait until the last minute to disembark and get an Uber/Lyft.  No priority boarding for me so no need to get to Beyond's terminal early.  Just get me on the ship in time for lunch, please!