December 23 a Busy Day at Port Everglades

[jhannah]

If you're sailing into or out of Fort Lauderdale on December 23rd, be prepared to rub elbows with over 46-thousand of your closest friends! Broward County is expecting to break the previous record of 44,108 passengers, set in December 2003, by embarking and disembarking 46,666 cruise ship passengers on 12/23.

 

So if you're on the Volendam or Zuiderdam that day, plan some extra time getting into and out of port.

[Odd Ball]

Wow. I am glad I won't be in Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 23. The airport should be a real zoo.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can remember when we got back into Ft Lauderdale in March 2005 -- there were so many ships in port that the Volendam docked at a freight dock halfway down to Miami and we all had to be bused back up to the garages and regular bus terminal and taxi area.

[Sueseb]

We'll be on the Volendam docking on the 23rd. Not looking forward to it but being picked up by a son who lives in FLL so we have no time element. Just go with the flow.

[Djptcp]

DH and I will be disembarking the Zuiderdam that day -- wow, thanks for the heads up. Sounds like it will be slow going getting to our car to get out of the Port.

 

The worse port stop we ever had was Cozumel 3 years ago on Christmas -- there were about 10 ships in port that day and you couldn't move downtown. We had an excursion to go to one of the beach clubs and it was murder trying to find empty lounge chairs. Been to Cozmuel many times and usually love it, but this was just way too crowded for us. We don't like to cruise during the holidays anymore because there are just way too many kids. We are trying the week before Xmas this year on the Zuiderdam -- cheap price for balcony cabin so we thought we'd give it a try.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Holland America - 2004, 2006

Carnival - 1995, 1998, 2006, 2006

NCL 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003

Royal Caribbean - 2002

[elmorejj]

I remember FLL airport once when there were 10 ships in port! Lines outside and halfway back to the port!! Thank goodness at that time HAL had a separate place for its pax to check in........jean:cool:

[peaches from georgia]

We came in on 12/21 one year on the Oosterdam and ended up disembarking at Pier 2, a Princess dock. It was a mess.

[wrp96]

Hope nobody booked an early flight that day.

[ekerr19]

I can remember when we got back into Ft Lauderdale in March 2005 -- there were so many ships in port that the Volendam docked at a freight dock halfway down to Miami and we all had to be bused back up to the garages and regular bus terminal and taxi area.

 

Yes, we were on the cruise that departed from that pier - I had the pics taken from our balcony of all the long lines, poor folks out in the hot sun waiting to board the ship.

 

It was difficult to get a cab to the regular pier to begin with - then imagine our surprise when we pulled up and there was no Volendam! It took 20 minutes just to figure out where she was berthed and then we were told we had to wait for buses, no cabs were allowed. Luckily, we were on the third or fourth bus to the commercial pier - the people waiting the longest seemed to be those flying in that morning... my understanding was that the Volendam was one of the smaller ships and one of the last in, so she got relegated to the only space left - the commercial pier. There was also something in the news about the Port Authority overbooking berth space, if I recall.

 

KK - I think you were on the voyage before us and disembarked at the commercial pier if I recall...

 

Anyway, it wasn't the best embarkation. I can't imagine what December 23rd will be like... :eek:

[bruce-r]

Thanks for the heads up. We'll be sure to allow a bit of extra time to get to the airport and checked in.

[Vic The Parrot]

Yikes!

 

 

I'll be arriving on the 23rd from my QM2 trip. :eek:

 

Thanks for letting us know. Good thing my flight home doesn't leave til 3pm.

So I'll really 'chill' during my final moments on board, and take my time. No sense rushing, and stressing out.

 

 

Thanks Jim .... have a great Thanksgiving!

 

 

:)