Fly/Stay in FLL or MIA?

[Lovetocruise2002]

For our upcoming Mariner cruise in August, the ship leaves on a Monday out of Miami and comes back on a Friday.  Planning to fly out the day before on Sunday.  Here's what I am trying to decide between...

When I factor in the cost of air fare, hotel stay, transportation between airport/hotel/port it is roughly $100 more to fly to FLL and stay there. 

Why would I want to pay $100 more to go out of the way if the ship leaves from MIA anyway?  Here are the factors:

FLL is familiar to us, our favourite restaurant is in FLL, and FLL seems easier to walk around to eat without a car with two kids in tow.

I have heard not so great things about Miami airport and the craziness that is there.  I have not been to MIA since 2003 so that was a while ago.  I don't even remember it.  Carnival cruise.  Enough said.

Last but not least, the flight from DTW to FLL has in flight entertainment, the flight to MIA does not.  Who might care?  We don't when it's just hubby and I, but tweens without wi-fi and entertainment for 3 hours, that is almost the end of the world for them.

So here is what might deter me from flying to FLL: 

Is the traffic going to be really congested on the Monday morning when we have to head to Miami from FLL?  Will the traffic again be congested when we have to head back to FLL from MIA on the Friday morning?

Does it just makes more sense overall to fly and stay in MIA?  Or is it worth $100 more to go to FLL for a more pleasant and familiar experience?  I need the expert Miami and Fort Lauderdale people to provide some insight here..please and thanks in advance!

[rjac]

38 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

but tweens without wi-fi and entertainment for 3 hours, that is almost the end of the world for them.

Uhhh, can't they read a book? You do have bookstores and libraries in your neck of the woods don't you?

[Dawn T.]

Hi @Lovetocruise2002!  First, I like your new "title".    We live in Central Florida.  We have cruised out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale multiple times. Traffic on I-95 between FLL and Miami on both Monday morning and Friday morning, during rush hour, will no doubt be nightmarish.  I-95 can become a parking lot at any given time.  It sounds like you really want to stay in FLL, but maybe fly into MIA and stay in South Beach instead.  South Beach is a beautiful area, plenty of restaurants, and very close to port.  I can't recommend a hotel because we've never stayed there.   I can recommend Joe's Stone Crab. https://www.joesstonecrab.com/.  They don't take reservations.  Go when they open.  It was awesome.  Have a wonderful cruise! I can't wait to read your blog on it.  I have Mariner booked out of Port Canaveral for a B2B in January 2020.  

[L454S]

Fly in the day of the cruise and save some money. It's what we always do. Fly into either airport, whichever one has the best flights for the times you want and has the best price. 

It will cost more for transfer to MIA if you fly into FLL.

[Lovetocruise2002]

2 hours ago, rjac said:

Uhhh, can't they read a book? You do have bookstores and libraries in your neck of the woods don't you?

Lol...they can...but 3 hours might be pushing it a bit for them.

2 hours ago, Dawn T. said:

Hi @Lovetocruise2002!  First, I like your new "title".    We live in Central Florida.  We have cruised out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale multiple times. Traffic on I-95 between FLL and Miami on both Monday morning and Friday morning, during rush hour, will no doubt be nightmarish.  I-95 can become a parking lot at any given time.  It sounds like you really want to stay in FLL, but maybe fly into MIA and stay in South Beach instead.  South Beach is a beautiful area, plenty of restaurants, and very close to port.  I can't recommend a hotel because we've never stayed there.   I can recommend Joe's Stone Crab. https://www.joesstonecrab.com/.  They don't take reservations.  Go when they open.  It was awesome.  Have a wonderful cruise! I can't wait to read your blog on it.  I have Mariner booked out of Port Canaveral for a B2B in January 2020.  

Thanks @Dawn T.!  Great tips here.  It's the morning weekday traffic that worries me.  I have read, and maybe you can confirm, that it is bad going south in the mornings, and bad going north in the evenings.  If that's the case then it might just be bad on the Monday, but not the Friday?  Or is it just bad traffic all around?

[mom2mybugs]

3 hours ago, L454S said:

Fly in the day of the cruise and save some money. It's what we always do. Fly into either airport, whichever one has the best flights for the times you want and has the best price. 

It will cost more for transfer to MIA if you fly into FLL.

Never in a lifetime will I fly in the day of a cruise...not with the stress... but you could fly out the same day.... then you only have the one side commute to FLL.  That doesn't help though if you fly into FLL though! 

I have only gotten into FLL but I would say go where you want.   The traffic back is irrelevant if you fly late enough and just factor it in on the way in.  I personally would tell my teens to deal if all other factors were the same (it wouldn't be a deal breaker)  but if the other factors toward fll, then hey, tell them you made that the first factor and win mom of the year points lol! Jane

[tonyfsu21]

If you leave Fort Lauderdale around 9:30-10:00am you will be good to go on I-95 Southbound. No big deal. You will be at the cruise port roughly 35-45 min later.

[Guest toodle68]

I don’t find flying out the morning of the cruise to be an issue if you are catching the first early flight and it’s direct  

I would not drive down to Miami Monday morning. I have seen that whole area gridlocked for hours. 

Sorry, but if your teens can’t go 3 hours without WiFi then I would purposely pick that flight.

[tonyfsu21]

Also, for what it’s worth I’ve lived in Fort Lauderdale for 41 years and I avoid Miami Dade county like the plague. I find it to be dirty, congested and full of reckless drivers. My advise (although bias) would be to spend the extra money and fly into FLL and enjoy your favorite restaurant and then wake up and take a leisurely drive to the port of Miami via I-95 or US-1 (if you have more time and want to avoid 95).

[tonyfsu21]

Just now, toodle68 said:

I don’t find flying out the morning of the cruise to be an issue if you are catching the first early flight and it’s direct  

I would not drive down to Miami Monday morning. I have seen that whole area gridlocked for hours. 

Sorry, but if your teens can’t go 3 hours without WiFi then I would purposely pick that flight.

Highly unlikely @ 9:30am on any weekday.

[Dawn T.]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Thanks @Dawn T.!  Great tips here.  It's the morning weekday traffic that worries me.  I have read, and maybe you can confirm, that it is bad going south in the mornings, and bad going north in the evenings.  If that's the case then it might just be bad on the Monday, but not the Friday?  Or is it just bad traffic all around?

I would say bad traffic all around, but I also agree with @tonyfsu21.  If you leave a little later that Monday, you might miss some of the congestion and rush hour.  My husband also suggested US-1 as an alternate, a more scenic route, that would take a little longer.  The problem is really the unpredictability of traffic in general.  You just never know what you will get.  

[Lovetocruise2002]

49 minutes ago, toodle68 said:

Sorry, but if your teens can’t go 3 hours without WiFi then I would purposely pick that flight.

but then the joke is on me as I have to sit with them!

 

51 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Also, for what it’s worth I’ve lived in Fort Lauderdale for 41 years and I avoid Miami Dade county like the plague. I find it to be dirty, congested and full of reckless drivers. 

Thank you Tony. That is pretty much what I have read from doing my research this weekend.

51 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Highly unlikely @ 9:30am on any weekday.

So what you are saying is just don't leave FLL earlier than that correct? If that is the option we decide on. What about coming back to FLL from MIA on the Friday? Traffic ok going northbound on a Friday morning?

Thanks all for the input so far. This is great food for thought. @JLMoran, I'm going to test the 60 day flight plan

 

[tonyfsu21]

10 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

but then the joke is on me as I have to sit with them!

 

Thank you Tony. That is pretty much what I have read from doing my research this weekend.

So what you are saying is just don't leave FLL earlier than that correct? If that is the option we decide on. What about coming back to FLL from MIA on the Friday? Traffic ok going northbound on a Friday morning?

Thanks all for the input so far. This is great food for thought. @JLMoran, I'm going to test the 60 day flight plan

 

Correct. If anything go as late as possible. I think you will still make good time if you leave around 10:15-10:30am. Again, it’s all personal preference as we always like to get to the port right around 11:00am and that seems to work for our family of 4. If you take I-95 use the tunnel option to get to the Port. 

As for coming back, if you are like us and always the first people off the ship then you will hit some traffic after 7:30am and before 10:00am. It’s not NYC or DC kind of crazy traffic as it still flows well heading North to FLL. I wouldn’t sweat it at all. If your the type that stays onboard as long as possible on debark day then your golden. You could always take US1 from Miami to FLL as an option as well which avoids the highway and has less traffic but is slower due to stop lights. 

[tonyfsu21]

16 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

For our upcoming Mariner cruise in August, the ship leaves on a Monday out of Miami and comes back on a Friday.  Planning to fly out the day before on Sunday.  Here's what I am trying to decide between...

When I factor in the cost of air fare, hotel stay, transportation between airport/hotel/port it is roughly $100 more to fly to FLL and stay there. 

Why would I want to pay $100 more to go out of the way if the ship leaves from MIA anyway?  Here are the factors:

FLL is familiar to us, our favourite restaurant is in FLL, and FLL seems easier to walk around to eat without a car with two kids in tow.

I have heard not so great things about Miami airport and the craziness that is there.  I have not been to MIA since 2003 so that was a while ago.  I don't even remember it.  Carnival cruise.  Enough said.

Last but not least, the flight from DTW to FLL has in flight entertainment, the flight to MIA does not.  Who might care?  We don't when it's just hubby and I, but tweens without wi-fi and entertainment for 3 hours, that is almost the end of the world for them.

So here is what might deter me from flying to FLL: 

Is the traffic going to be really congested on the Monday morning when we have to head to Miami from FLL?  Will the traffic again be congested when we have to head back to FLL from MIA on the Friday morning?

Does it just makes more sense overall to fly and stay in MIA?  Or is it worth $100 more to go to FLL for a more pleasant and familiar experience?  I need the expert Miami and Fort Lauderdale people to provide some insight here..please and thanks in advance!

What’s your favorite restaurant? 

[Sweety]

I booked my return flight from Baltimore less than 45 days. I was able to book the same price as the first day SWA announce the schedule. So @Lovetocruise2002 go ahead and book your flight.

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Correct. If anything go as late as possible. I think you will still make good time if you leave around 10:15-10:30am. Again, it’s all personal preference as we always like to get to the port right around 11:00am and that seems to work for our family of 4. If you take I-95 use the tunnel option to get to the Port. 

As for coming back, if you are like us and always the first people off the ship then you will hit some traffic after 7:30am and before 10:00am. It’s not NYC or DC kind of crazy traffic as it still flows well heading North to FLL. I wouldn’t sweat it at all. If your the type that stays onboard as long as possible on debark day then your golden. You could always take US1 from Miami to FLL as an option as well which avoids the highway and has less traffic but is slower due to stop lights. 

Thank you for all the info Tony!  We get off as late as possible lol.

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

What’s your favorite restaurant? 

Don't laugh...it's La Bamba on Cordova Rd.

[tonyfsu21]

1 minute ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Thank you for all the info Tony!  We get off as late as possible lol.

Don't laugh...it's La Bamba on Cordova Rd.

Love la bamba. We are in there for take out all the time!

[Lovetocruise2002]

Just now, tonyfsu21 said:

Love la bamba. We are in there for take out all the time!

I can hear the Fried Ice Cream and margaritas calling right now! lol

[WAAAYTOOO]

For different reasons (having to do with AA itins) we almost always fly into MIA even if we are sailing out of FLL.  We did a Christmas + NY cruise on NAV out of MIA in Dec. 16 and when I looked back at my old paperwork, we flew in on cruise day which is something we rarely do.  So, it's been years since I've stayed in a hotel in MIA and I have no recommendations.

I tend to agree with Tony and others.  Stay in FLL and just drive over on boarding day but remember...it can be pricey and with 4 of you plus the chance of hitting traffic delays, it's not going to be cheap to get from FLL to MIA.  We always take taxis (not part of the Uber/Lyft crowd) and it's generally close to $100 with tip, etc by the time we get there.

[klc317]

We can get much cheaper flights to FLL than MIA from here, have Allegiant and Frontier airlines which are generally much more affordable than Delta or United.  We usually use a third party transportation company (SAS if I remember correctly) and have never had a problem getting to port of miami flying in the morning of the cruise.  The transportation company driver uses the express lane on I-95 and we usually breeze right on by even if there is some heavier traffic.  Seems like it usually takes about 35-45 minutes.

Its funny how you can look up in the sky at FLL and see planes on their approach to MIA and think that yea, for that extra 5-10 minutes of flight time we saved over $100 a person!

[Matt]

21 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Or is it worth $100 more to go to FLL for a more pleasant and familiar experience? 

In my opinion, at a certain point in your life spending $100 for comfort is sooo worth it.  I say go with your heart and book the slightly more expensive option in Fort Lauderdale. Your sanity and anxiety level are worth at least a hundred bucks.

[Lovetocruise2002]

Just now, Matt said:

In my opinion, at a certain point in your life spending $100 for comfort is sooo worth it.  I say go with your heart and book the slightly more expensive option in Fort Lauderdale. Your sanity and anxiety level are worth at least a hundred bucks.

Cause you know what's it's like to be stuck between bickering kids for 3 hours!! lol

Thanks Matt!

[Rose City Cruiser]

I am in MIA right now. Rented a car. The traffic is equivalent to driving near Pacific Mall area in GTA. I will update later on the drive to the Port of Miami. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

27 minutes ago, jurrjurr said:

I am in MIA right now. Rented a car. The traffic is equivalent to driving near Pacific Mall area in GTA. I will update later on the drive to the Port of Miami. 

Did you fly into FLL or MIA?

And we hate Pacific Mall lol!

[Rose City Cruiser]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Did you fly into FLL or MIA?

And we hate Pacific Mall lol!

We flew into MIA with Delta. 

This is also our first time sailing out of Miami since 2012 on Carnival Glory. We flew into FLL that time and drove to Miami.

 

[monctonguy]

I have done multiple cruises out of Miami and usually fly into Mia.....but FLL has cheaper flights often so now with Uber it works out to be about the same cost. And usually FLL hotels are cheaper than staying in MIA.

 

Last time  we flew into FLL and took an uber to MIA....it was easy and cost about $45(i could be off by a few bucks there). Our next cruise is out of MIA and we will be looking at flying into FLL and staying overnight in FLL and taking an Uber to the port and back.

 

With Uber it gives a lot more options as a taxi used to make it not even an option due to cost and shared shuttles I do not enjoy at all so.

 

If you prefer FLL then I would do it..but I am surprised its going to end up costing $100 more.....for me its always been a cheaper option when I looked at it!

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

If you prefer FLL then I would do it..but I am surprised its going to end up costing $100 more.....for me its always been a cheaper option when I looked at it!

Flights are almost identical (at least 2 days ago they were).  The $100 difference actually comes from hotel and Lyft cost.  Unfortunately, I don't think 4 of us will get able to fit in a regular Lyft (even with less luggage since it's a 4 day cruise) so we will have to get a Lyft Plus which will be about $72 each way.

[mbk999]

We did this same thing last April, flew into FLL on Sunday, rented a car, drove to MIA on Monday AM, took the Rental shuttle to the port (and repeated the process on Friday)   I think we left Lauderdale at 0915-0930 and were on-board the ship a little after 1100.  Traffic was heavy and backed up in spots but it wasn't an hour long parking lot.  Granted it was Easter Monday so I'm sure it was a little lighter.    

If I did it again?  I'd probably drive down to Miami and stay by one of the MIA hotels just to be closer to the port morning of.   We chose FLL as there are more flight options for us and I hate MIA, though I've heard it's improved as of late.  

 

[Rose City Cruiser]

The drive from our hotel in MIA to the Budget rental car location was not too bad. Used Waze app that took us away from traffic as much as possible.  We have a huge family cruise out of Miami April 2019. Will most likely flying and staying in FLL. We prefer the hotels and selection of restaurants in FLL. 

 

Some great news. Instead of a full sea day tomorrow, Empress is arriving into Havana, Cuba at 6PM and staying overnight!  

[Lovetocruise2002]

8 minutes ago, jurrjurr said:

The drive from our hotel in MIA to the Budget rental car location was not too bad. Used Waze app that took us away from traffic as much as possible.  We have a huge family cruise out of Miami April 2019. Will most likely flying and staying in FLL. We prefer the hotels and selection of restaurants in FLL. 

 

Some great news. Instead of a full sea day tomorrow, Empress is arriving into Havana, Cuba at 6PM and staying overnight!  

At 9:30am this morning, I did a quick traffic scan too from FLL to Port of Miami...it was estimated to be 43min. Thanks for the update! Enjoy your cruise!