Docking At Fort Lauderdale

[Joecors]

Hi there

Would appreciate some advice please. We're on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale over the Xmas period which docks on 30th December and have to get flight to JFK to link up with a flight out to the U.K. on the same evening.

Quesions are

1. How long does it take to go from the cruise terminal to Fort Lauderdale Airport?

2. How easy is it to get a cab from the cruise terminal and is it possible to book one in advance?

3. Does it take long for the luggage to be unloaded from the ship and does Celebrity give any priory to people with early flights?

4. We're travelling back to JFK by Jetblue. Does anyone have any idea how early you have to check in?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Lsimon]

The airport is very close - only a couple miles - so the trip is probably around 15 minuites or less.

 

Ease in getting a cab depends a lot on the time of year, and how many ships there are disembarking. Most of the time it has not been an issue and taken only a few minuites. But there have been time when it has taken a while (maybe 20 minuites) and once, after a New Year's Holiday Cruise, when getting a cab was nearly impossible, and after about an hour we started asking private vans coming in to drop off guests if they would take us to the airport - and even then it took us a while to find one. With so many people waiting the cab line was unorganized and an ugly scene. This is not the usual case, but it happened once.

 

I beleive you can arrainge a limo service in advance, but probably not a standard taxi cab. But it couldn't hurt to call a cab company to explain your situation and ask. The one time we had a limo (we were headed to a Miami hotel) the porter who carried our bags out gave us incorrect information as to where the limo would pick us up, which caused a lot of confusion and added about a 1/2 hour delay before we met up with the limo.

 

The question isn't how long it takes for luggage to be unloaded, it is how long it takes for the ship to clear immigration/customs so it can begin letting passengers off. This usually happens by 8AM or so at FLL (maybe earlier) but it might take longer. Yes the ship does give preference to those leaving for early flights and they also allow those carrying their own luggage off to leave as soon as the ship is cleared - but you have to be able to carry everything and we usually have too much to do that (4 cases plus carry-on).