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Flying in The Day Of Cruise 09-23-2019


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Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

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Allow yourself plenty of time at DTW to make sure you make your flight.  Monday mornings may have a lot more business travel traffic.

I would also only take carry-ons and make sure they go in the overhead bins as to avoid waiting for baggage or any mishaps if you get rerouted or switch planes and your luggage doesn't go with you.

Timewise, though, there shouldn't be much of an issue at all getting from FLL to Port of Miami with ground transportation.  I've left my FLL hotel later than that for POM and even getting stuck in traffic made it in plenty of time.

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7 minutes ago, Cruise Newbie said:

Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

I recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance.  We have used Allianz as well as Royal.  The point is that if your trip is delayed, or if baggage is delayed, you'll want coverage.  Royal doesn't have very good medical coverage, but they are great on baggage.

We have flown internationally twice on the day of departure (arriving day of departure) with no problems in Europe despite hiccups in the US.  So it can be done.  Veteran travelers just throw in a day or two "just in case", as we have all had a problem at some point in our life.

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We did this exact same thing for out first cruise in '09. (Same ship, Same flight path DTW/FLL direct) and thankfully had no hiccups.

As long as you don't have any fight departure issues, you shouldn't have any problems.

Just make sure you have all your documentation in order, really. (passports, set sail pass, luggage tags.) Speaking of luggage tags, I would recommend getting the easily attachable luggage tag sleeves for Royal Caribbean luggage tags from amazon. It sounds like a simple thing, but, it makes preparing and attaching them after the flight (either at baggage claim or the port) much simpler than trying to tape/staple paper to your handles. Plus they are more secure and make on ship luggage delays less likely.

And BTW, WELCOME TO THE RCBLOG BOARDS!!!

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11 minutes ago, Cruise Newbie said:

Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

Sometimes you just cant help it and have to fly day of.  If possible to not check bags that can help, but not sure how practical that is if like me you need shoes for every day and outfit ? 

You should have plenty of time to get to the port in time since you are arriving early morning.  Another option might would be a private car service so they are waiting for you already.  Then you dont have to wait for someone to pick you up.

Pray for good weather and no traffic jams  - haha

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Buy travel insurance and be careful which company you go with.

 

Since you know the risks and accept that you might miss the cruise, FLL is approximately 50 minutes by Uber to the Port of Miami but traffic can be a pain in South Florida.  IF everything is on time and no weather or mechanical delays you should have ample time.

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22 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

I recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance.  We have used Allianz as well as Royal.  The point is that if your trip is delayed, or if baggage is delayed, you'll want coverage.  Royal doesn't have very good medical coverage, but they are great on baggage.

We have flown internationally twice on the day of departure (arriving day of departure) with no problems in Europe despite hiccups in the US.  So it can be done.  Veteran travelers just throw in a day or two "just in case", as we have all had a problem at some point in our life.

Thanks! We have Trip insurance on the flight and cruise. Better safe than sorry.

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23 minutes ago, SPS said:

We did this exact same thing for out first cruise in '09. (Same ship, Same flight path DTW/FLL direct) and thankfully had no hiccups.

As long as you don't have any fight departure issues, you shouldn't have any problems.

Just make sure you have all your documentation in order, really. (passports, set sail pass, luggage tags.) Speaking of luggage tags, I would recommend getting the easily attachable luggage tag sleeves for Royal Caribbean luggage tags from amazon. It sounds like a simple thing, but, it makes preparing and attaching them after the flight (either at baggage claim or the port) much simpler than trying to tape/staple paper to your handles. Plus they are more secure and make on ship luggage delays less likely.

And BTW, WELCOME TO THE RCBLOG BOARDS!!!

Thanks for the welcome and tips. Me and the wife plan on Cruising a lot so I'll be on here bugging yall. lol.

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33 minutes ago, Cruise Newbie said:

Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

Welcome to the boards! I’ll be on the same cruise with my family. I would agree with other suggestions, travel insurance, make sure your documents are ready etc. assuming no travel hiccups you should have enough time.

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26 minutes ago, AnnetteJackson said:

You should have plenty of time to get to the port in time since you are arriving early morning.  Another option might would be a private car service so they are waiting for you already.  Then you dont have to wait for someone to pick you up.

Pray for good weather and no traffic jams  - haha

 

23 minutes ago, twangster said:

Since you know the risks and accept that you might miss the cruise, FLL is approximately 50 minutes by Uber to the Port of Miami but traffic can be a pain in South Florida.  IF everything is on time and no weather or mechanical delays you should have ample time.

I've flown into FLL for a Miami cruise (great price SWF to FLL) but it was the day before. We took a cab which at the time cost about 80 dollars (give or take, it's been many years). I'd like to echo the private car suggestion by @AnnetteJackson pointing out the distance by @twangster. It might be fine at FLL, but, Uber (and probably Lyft) will not know your final destination, just get a warning "over 45 minutes" so who knows how eager a driver will be to accept. Again, FLL they will probably do it, but thought I'd point that out. (That would be a reason I'd get a car service, just to not have to deal with the hassle of an unwilling Uber/Lyft driver.)

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Welcome to cruising and to the forum! Usually I would say that flying in the day of departure is a bad idea, but this is obviously an exception. Considering the distance, it is probably a direct flight? Lots of good ideas here. The carryon only idea is really good, if you pack right. Also, have all your documentation. Someone mentioned a private car. That would be more expensive, but might be worth it for you.

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1 hour ago, Cruise Newbie said:

Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

Hey there...Welcome to the message boards.  Many here have already brought up really good points.  

We fly out of DTW for all our vacations.  The last few months, it has been quite busy there.  We always fly out of McNamara Terminal with Delta and baggage check and security lines have been quite long.  I would advise you to get there with plenty of time to spare.  It took us about 45 min to get our bags checked and go through security two weeks ago.   

Also, where are you coming from to DTW?  There is a some construction this summer on I-94 near the airport and that is also causing some congestion.  I am not sure if that will be over by September.  Once you get to FLL, getting Uber of Lyft should not be problem at all.  And @tonyfsu21 can tell you what traffic might be like at the time of the day.  I imagine that around 10am it should be pretty smooth because most of the morning rush should be clear by then.

Last but not least, are you going to DTW from Canada.  Cause that is always our situation.  We also leave lots of time to cross the border because on our very first cruise, when we were newbies, we flew in the day of the cruise on a 7am flight out of DTW.  We left the house at 3 am thinking we had plenty of time.  Well, traffic jam on the Ambassador bridge cause us to barely get onto our plane on time.  Always plan for the unexpected.  Especially when flying in the day of.

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24 minutes ago, sk8erguy1978 said:

... but, Uber (and probably Lyft) will not know your final destination, just get a warning "over 45 minutes" so who knows how eager a driver will be to accept. Again, FLL they will probably do it, but thought I'd point that out. (That would be a reason I'd get a car service, just to not have to deal with the hassle of an unwilling Uber/Lyft driver.)

On Sunday I took Lyft from Port of Miami to FLL.  I also took it from FLL to my hotel in Miami at 3am two weeks before.  Doing it again this Friday.

No problem finding drivers.

It does help to be specific in Lyft or Uber.  Don't just say "Port of Miami" but specify "Terminal A Port of Miami".  A lot of ride share drivers in South Florida don't speak English.  Having the exact destination in the app saves a frustrating conversation unless you speak Spanish well.

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2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Hey there...Welcome to the message boards.  Many here have already brought up really good points.  

We fly out of DTW for all our vacations.  The last few months, it has been quite busy there.  We always fly out of McNamara Terminal with Delta and baggage check and security lines have been quite long.  I would advise you to get there with plenty of time to spare.  It took us about 45 min to get our bags checked and go through security two weeks ago.   

Also, where are you coming from to DTW?  There is a some construction this summer on I-94 near the airport and that is also causing some congestion.  I am not sure if that will be over by September.  Once you get to FLL, getting Uber of Lyft should not be problem at all.  And @tonyfsu21 can tell you what traffic might be like at the time of the day.  I imagine that around 10am it should be pretty smooth because most of the morning rush should be clear by then.

Last but not least, are you going to DTW from Canada.  Cause that is always our situation.  We also leave lots of time to cross the border because on our very first cruise, when we were newbies, we flew in the day of the cruise on a 7am flight out of DTW.  We left the house at 3 am thinking we had plenty of time.  Well, traffic jam on the Ambassador bridge cause us to barely get onto our plane on time.  Always plan for the unexpected.  Especially when flying in the day of.

Hi @Lovetocruise2002 I stay 7 minutes from the airport. We plan to arrive at DTW 2 hours early. If no delays we should be walking out of FLL around 10:30am to call an uber or lyft.

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4 minutes ago, twangster said:

On Sunday I took Lyft from Port of Miami to FLL.  I also took it from FLL to my hotel in Miami at 3am two weeks before.  Doing it again this Friday.

No problem finding drivers.

It does help to be specific in Lyft or Uber.  Don't just say "Port of Miami" but specify "Terminal A Port of Miami".  A lot of ride share drivers in South Florida don't speak English.  Having the exact destination in the app saves a frustrating conversation unless you speak Spanish well.

In the past year, we have taken Lyft out of FLL many times and have had no issues getting a driver.  Longest wait was about 9 minutes.

However, our last Lyft driver who took us to Terminal A, I had specified "Terminal A Port of Miami" when I requested a Lyft and even then it was quite the challenge to explain to him where we needed to go.  Like @twangster said, English was a challenge so there was a lot of pointing lol.

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2 minutes ago, twangster said:

On Sunday I took Lyft from Port of Miami to FLL.  I also took it from FLL to my hotel in Miami at 3am two weeks before.  Doing it again this Friday.

No problem finding drivers.

It does help to be specific in Lyft or Uber.  Don't just say "Port of Miami" but specify "Terminal A Port of Miami".  A lot of ride share drivers in South Florida don't speak English.  Having the exact destination in the app saves a frustrating conversation unless you speak Spanish well.

Good Tip! Because I would of definitely just put the POM as my destination. I have the RCL app so ill enter the Terminal A address that is listed in the app.

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19 minutes ago, twangster said:

On Sunday I took Lyft from Port of Miami to FLL.  I also took it from FLL to my hotel in Miami at 3am two weeks before.  Doing it again this Friday.

No problem finding drivers.

It does help to be specific in Lyft or Uber.  Don't just say "Port of Miami" but specify "Terminal A Port of Miami".  A lot of ride share drivers in South Florida don't speak English.  Having the exact destination in the app saves a frustrating conversation unless you speak Spanish well.

 

14 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

In the past year, we have taken Lyft out of FLL many times and have had no issues getting a driver.  Longest wait was about 9 minutes.

However, our last Lyft driver who took us to Terminal A, I had specified "Terminal A Port of Miami" when I requested a Lyft and even then it was quite the challenge to explain to him where we needed to go.  Like @twangster said, English was a challenge so there was a lot of pointing lol.

Glad to hear no issues, didn't think there would be, just know if a ride is over 45 minutes, they don't know the destination until after accepting it (at least that's my understanding, please correct me Uber/Lyft drivers if I am wrong). 

I've ended up quite far from my destination while not being careful after a night out of drinking ... LOL! So, great tip, know your Terminal A's ? !

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48 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

There is a some construction this summer on I-94 near the airport and that is also causing some congestion.

Yes, let me emphasize this.  I commute to Detroit from DC and I can attest that I-94 was shut down entirely between downtown Detroit and the airport this week when I arrived.  It was a complete PITA and took about 3 times as long to get through as it usually does.  If you’re coming in from the west you shouldn’t have a problem. But if you’re coming in from the east on 94, find an alternative route.

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2 hours ago, Cruise Newbie said:

Hello - 

Ship: Navigator of the Seas 

Me and my wife is going on our first cruise together for her birthday. Due to scheduling restrictions from our jobs and the babysitter's schedule we have no choice but to fly in on the day of Departure.

We are flying direct from DTW (6:40am) into FLL (9:40am)  and taking ground Transportation (Uber or Lyft) to the Miami port Terminal A.

Any tips on making the travel as smooth as possible? I know we are taking a risk but we want to make sure we are prepared as much as possible.

 

Thanks in Advance.

Anytime you are headed into or out of Miami there is a risk of major traffic congestion. With that being said, at that time in the late am on a Monday you shouldn’t have any major issues via I-95 from FLL to the Port of Miami. If you are in an Uber or Lyft by 11am you should be drinking your first cocktail by the pool at 12:30ish. Enjoy.

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20 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

In the past year, we have taken Lyft out of FLL many times and have had no issues getting a driver.  Longest wait was about 9 minutes.

However, our last Lyft driver who took us to Terminal A, I had specified "Terminal A Port of Miami" when I requested a Lyft and even then it was quite the challenge to explain to him where we needed to go.  Like @twangster said, English was a challenge so there was a lot of pointing lol.

Hmm hadn't thought of that.  We're flying into FLL for Oasis in December.  was planning on staying in Ft Lauderdale and taking the Uber in the morning to Miami.  I may ask JosePena to write the instructions down in Spanish for me ahead of time...just in case.  LOL! 

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6 minutes ago, KathyC said:

Hmm hadn't thought of that.  We're flying into FLL for Oasis in December.  was planning on staying in Ft Lauderdale and taking the Uber in the morning to Miami.  I may ask JosePena to write the instructions down in Spanish for me ahead of time...just in case.  LOL! 

Just learn how to say "keep going" in Spanish..Terminal A is the last one ALLLL the way at the end of Port of Miami! 

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