Whats in the FLL airport??

[PVDCruiser]

The entire airport terminal is no bigger than just the Jet Blue terminal at JFK. It was one of the smallest airports I've ever been in, but great because everything is close - no 10 minute runs to catch a plane.

 

I had my laptop with me and was so thankful I did.....

 

I guess you've never flown out of Islip. :p

[FlyingPhotog]

Go up, get a porter from your airline...

 

You won't find a porter working for an airline - they're "Skycaps." :D

[Suzanne74]

You won't find a porter working for an airline - they're "Skycaps." :D

 

ROTFL!! Hey, it was late last night when I posted - give me a break. :D

[Suzanne74]

This is great IF you are there within the time you can check it 3 hrs. before flight.

 

You are correct. We did get there 3hrs and 10min early and did have to stand on the curb for those 10 minutes before the SKYCAP could process us. Since we have never ever been that early to an airport before, that was new to us. It is nice to let people know that AND there is nothing to do there as well. :D

[willysgrandma]

I guess you've never flown out of Islip. :p

 

Actually, I have - and it is a much better experience than FLL.

[PVDCruiser]

Actually, I have - and it is a much better experience than FLL.

 

Never mind then. I was just surprised when you said that FLL's terminal is tiny. FLL is huge compared to ISP.

[billsgal]

Take a tour or rent a car....do anything except get to FLL before you can check in. We arrived too early for check in and had to sit on the floor with our luggage, no TV's (only in baggage claim area, go figure), no restaurant or bars (they are all thru the security gates and you can't get thru until you've checked in for your flight), one little take out sandwich place which charges exorbitant prices. Once you get thru security there is a Chili's restaurant and bar, but there is usually a line to get in and they ask you to only stay for 30 minutes so they can accomodate the crowd. There was also an Italian eatery, which had pasta, salads and sandwiches, but that was crowded, too. Our day was complicated by late flights due to weather, but I will NEVER again get to FLL before we can check in. It was the pits, IMHO.

[GRACE53]

FLL is the WORST airport I have ever traveled through!! We departed from terminal 3 for Toronto last weekend after a cruise. We arrived around 10:30 A.M. for a 2:40 flight thinking we would check in, get some lunch and read until our flight was called. As others have said, we were not allowed to check in until other flights had left. There was nowhere to sit, so we just stood with our luggage like hundreds of others for about an hour and a half. Then, we had to stand in a line that extended out to the curb while agents impatiently shouted out which lines people should be in. Once we got to the ticket counter, we checked in, had our luggage tagged and then were told to stand in another line that also extended out the to the curb to check our bags in! After about another hour and a half of chaos (crying children, frustrated parents, impatient agents, etc.) we finally went through security. Security, itself, was another story! By this time, we were pretty hungry. We managed to get some snacks at the news stand (which, by the way, was also lined up!). Beside that, the only other place at the gates for food was the vending machines.

FLL? Never again!!

[negc]

I have flown out of many airports but have never had such a negative experience as the one I had flying home from FLL. I went out of my way to snag a customer satisfaction card and fill it out and mail it back to the airport authority, detailing the reasons for my dissatisfaction. Of course I never heard back from them, but I imagine negative reports are so common for them that they couldn't afford to try to get back to everyone.:rolleyes:

As someone else suggested, when you get off the ship take a tour and plan to arrive no earlier than three hours prior to your flight time. We flew Jet Blue and had the same experiences that everyone else has noted, so it has to be the entire airport and not just a particular terminal or concourse that is the problem.

[FlyingPhotog]

Maybe now people will re-think the idea of booking flights so late in the day. We were off the Navigator and at FLL by 9:00am for a 10:30 flight.

[Sue L]

I guess you've never flown out of Islip. :p

 

 

My favorite airport, 7 minutes from my house and great fares.

[RoofingPrincess]

I was stuck in FLL for hours waiting to come home as well - I had a 6 pm flight! Despite taking the Everglades excursion (not worth it IMHO) I still got there WAY too early to be allowed to check in. There were hordes of people - an airline employee said it's always like that on the days cruise ships get back - standing in line all over the place. There was a Chili's Too and another small place or two available on our side of the security checkpoint, but the lines were horrendous - and who wants to wrestle ALL their luggage into the restaurant?? Almost no seating... I ended up sitting on the floor reading and knitting for a few hours until I was finally within the 4 hour window for checking my bags in.

Will not willingly go through that again!!

[critterchick]

We used the luggage valet service in December and it was well worth the price (I recall it beign $15pp, but maybe it was only $10)! At the American terminal (I don't know if it's the whole airport), you couldn't check your bags until 2 hours prior to your flight, so there were people trying to find a place to wait for hours with mounds of luggage.

 

I might even do a shore excursion that ends at the airport. I can't remember how late your flight has to be, though. 2:00 may be too early.

[Suzanne74]

Maybe now people will re-think the idea of booking flights so late in the day. We were off the Navigator and at FLL by 9:00am for a 10:30 flight.

 

But, you HAVE to get off early and pray there isn't a huge line when you are getting off, pray that customs goes quick, pray there is no traffic or construction and then pray that this horrible airport gets you checked in, thru security and to your terminal in time. I am not willing to take a gamble on that and also don't want to get up 5am to be off the ship so early. I hate rushing the last day of my vacation. I have seen too many people miss flights before 11am. You can stay on the ship as late as 10:30 and we found it very relaxing.

 

Next time I will do a noon departure or a late departure with a day pass at a hotel.

[abusabus]

We were on the JOS last month, used the luggage valet service (you will get a sheet on it a couple of days into the cruise - RCCL) as our UA flight did not leave until 430pm. It was great, and well worth it, because we ended up taking a cab to just "hang out" in Ft. Lauderdale for the day WITHOUT the hassle of bags. It was well worth the $10 pp.

[negc]

I was stuck in FLL for hours waiting to come home as well - I had a 6 pm flight! Despite taking the Everglades excursion (not worth it IMHO) I still got there WAY too early to be allowed to check in. There were hordes of people - an airline employee said it's always like that on the days cruise ships get back - standing in line all over the place. There was a Chili's Too and another small place or two available on our side of the security checkpoint, but the lines were horrendous - and who wants to wrestle ALL their luggage into the restaurant?? Almost no seating... I ended up sitting on the floor reading and knitting for a few hours until I was finally within the 4 hour window for checking my bags in.

Will not willingly go through that again!!

 

You were lucky to find a Chili's that wasn't beyond security. In the terminal that Jet Blue uses, there was only a small food kiosk in the baggage area that offered a limited menu of sandwiches and snacks, and that area was the only one where there were TV terminals which broadcast CNN airport programming.

I do have to disagree with you on the Everglades excursion, which we found interesting and fun and my only regret was that it didn't last longer so we could have spent less time at Fort Lauderdale Airport.:D

[Javadelcamp]

About four years ago, a group of us sat on the floor for five hours waiting for our flight. Too early, couldn't go to the gate. I think people get so hungry they will pay anything to get a burger or something. Airports gouge the public so bad.

 

Oh, bluefin, so true! I remember our last time at FLL (have another one coming up in a few weeks and will be prepared!)--nowhere to sit (not a single deck chair! how rude!), terrible food that we had to PAY for (I believe that it was about $10 for 2 cold hotdogs and one drink! no Portofino's, no Windjammer, no Jade, no Cafe Promenade!), no entertainment (not even the RCCL singers!), no one posing for pictures with us (where are the pirates, for God's sake?), and not a Bolero's mojito in sight! It is a hard landing after a wonderful cruise! :D

[ndlamrow]

We flew American out of FLL to LAX. There were two couples -- so we found a bar at the airport, ordered major bloody mary's and played cards(Euchre in case anyone wants to challenge) at the table for about two hours. It was fun, we were blitzed by the time we got on the plane had a lovely nap on the 5 hour flight home, and were sober and ready to drive to the house once we got out of LAX.

 

A wonderful way to end a wonderful vacation.

 

Nancy

[willysgrandma]

Never mind then. I was just surprised when you said that FLL's terminal is tiny. FLL is huge compared to ISP.

 

 

You are right - I totally forgot about Islip, cause I am 15 minutes away from JFK. Islip is a wonderful airport to fly from and I'd use it more but many of their flights require connections, which I just dont like to do.

[ms-getaway]

:( not looking forward to this. I am desperatly trying to get in touch with bags to go at FLL. To get some information and pre arrange to have our bags checked at the port when we return from the cruise. the web site said it has to be pre-arranged at FLL and it is 20pp. worth the 40$ to me . If I have to wait, I'd rather wait without bags to lug around.

 

Cards and a few drinks sound just fine to me. I will try to be one of the last off the ship. Perhaps this will cut down the miserable wait at FLL.

 

Thanks everyone who responded

[critterchick]

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/pressCenter/pressReleases/info.do;jsessionid=0000eNNN2cT2wu-GqgJYpZh9kKC:10ktmevl6?prDate=04-05-2007&prCode=A

 

This describes the RCI luggage valet program - I think you should do that - just remember to watch for it on the ship as you have to sign up for it a couple of days before the end of your cruise. You will get not only your airline luggage tags but also your boarding passes, another big waiting in line saver. You put your bags out in the hall at night with the airline tags on them and collect them after you disembark, just as if you were going to take them to the airport yourself. You then carry them through customs & then find the luggage valet sign out in front of the terminal. You hand your bags to the representative and the next time you have to deal with them will be at your final destination. I would put TSA-approved locks on them - somebody posted a few weeks ago that he had stuff stolen out of his bags. Our bags were opened & re-locked, nothing missing from them.

[lindakirk]

We are on the EOS returning to FLL on Thursday, May 3. We're flying Spirit Air back to New York. We weren't sure that we would make the 11:30 flight so we booked the next one -- it's at 4pm.

 

Any recommenations for what to do in the interim? We have seen the Everglades and don't think the cruise tour is worth the money. Can we leave our bags in lockers at the pier or the airport? Anywhere we should go for a few hours?

 

If we could find comfortable chairs at the airport, I'd be okay with sitting and reading and relaxing. Is this possible?

 

Any ideas would be very welcome,

 

Linda

[Gamecock Jeff]

We are on the EOS returning to FLL on Thursday, May 3. We're flying Spirit Air back to New York. We weren't sure that we would make the 11:30 flight so we booked the next one -- it's at 4pm.

 

Any recommenations for what to do in the interim? We have seen the Everglades and don't think the cruise tour is worth the money. Can we leave our bags in lockers at the pier or the airport? Anywhere we should go for a few hours?

 

If we could find comfortable chairs at the airport, I'd be okay with sitting and reading and relaxing. Is this possible?

 

Any ideas would be very welcome,

 

Linda

 

 

We too are flying Spirit Airlines (back to Myrtle Beach) from FLL, but our flight does not leave until 8pm!!

 

I think we are going to do the Everglades tour and get dropped off at FLL, but it sounds like we are still going be getting there too early.

[alphakitty]

It is a nightmare at FLL if you have a late flight and get there early. No place to wait, nothing to eat, etc. I tried renting a car, but there were none available without a reservation. We ended up paying $5.00 per bag for public storage and taking the city bus for $1.00 to Adventura Mall. Now that was an experience! and not one I'd be anxious to do over. LOL

 

MY advice, if you have a lot of time to kill, is to make a rental reservation for a car. A compact may go for $30.00 for the day and you can get out of the airport and enjoy the day in Fort Lauderdale. Better yet, do a one way rental from the cruise port and save the cost of transportation too. :)

[PVDCruiser]

We are on the EOS returning to FLL on Thursday, May 3. We're flying Spirit Air back to New York. We weren't sure that we would make the 11:30 flight so we booked the next one -- it's at 4pm.

 

Any recommenations for what to do in the interim? We have seen the Everglades and don't think the cruise tour is worth the money. Can we leave our bags in lockers at the pier or the airport? Anywhere we should go for a few hours?

 

If we could find comfortable chairs at the airport, I'd be okay with sitting and reading and relaxing. Is this possible?

 

Any ideas would be very welcome,

 

Linda

 

Ugh..."that" airline.

 

Sorry, they just screwed over PVD. :D