TheaFromCDA Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Hello Everyone, Been a while since I posted last but I did an impulse booking on Symphony of the Seas within the 90 day period. Sadly its the sailing after the RCBlog group cruise . For some reason, flights coming into Miami are anywhere from 100-200 more per person compared to FLL (one way). Although it's tempting to fly same day vs day before, I am going to heed Matt's (And many of y'all's ) advice about going in at least the day before. I could have sworn Matt did a podcast about travelling to one of the ports...though I think it may have been to FLL vs Miami. I saw that there is now that Rail Line that can take you from FLL to Miami (with a transfer or two), ride share and possibly car rentals? Since we are coming in the day before, and probably will only be getting in at night, what's the best way to get to Miami? There are only 2 of us so luggage shouldn't be too bad. Does anyone have any experience doing a one way car rental from FLL to a Miami location? Any particular recommended (preferably affordable) hotels in Miami as well? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 I would Uber/Lyft it. We just did that in August. Flew to FLL to sail Mariner out of MIA. We paid about $75 each way but was for an XL for 4 of us. For just two, a regular Uber/Lyft would probably be about half the price. Check rideguru for an estimate. And I completely love Intercontinental Miami. There's also Holiday Inn right across from Bayside Marketplace (minutes from POM). Hotels in Brickell are also quite popular. Hampton Inn and Suites in Brickell is fairly new and has good reviews. Cez, TheaFromCDA and Orange Crush 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheaFromCDA Posted September 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 9 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: I would Uber/Lyft it. We just did that in August. Flew to FLL to sail Mariner out of MIA. We paid about $75 each way but was for an XL for 4 of us. For just two, a regular Uber/Lyft would probably be about half the price. Check rideguru for an estimate. And I completely love Intercontinental Miami. There's also Holiday Inn right across from Bayside Marketplace (minutes from POM). Hotels in Brickell are also quite popular. Hampton Inn and Suites in Brickell is fairly new and has good reviews. awesome thanks! I rarely use ride sharing so I will definitely check out ride guru... are there any hotels within walking distance to the Port of Miami or its like Port Everglades where its fairly remote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 10 minutes ago, TheaFromCDA said: awesome thanks! I rarely use ride sharing so I will definitely check out ride guru... are there any hotels within walking distance to the Port of Miami or its like Port Everglades where its fairly remote? You have to cross a bridge to get to the port so not really walkable. And even after you cross the bridge, there's is still some driving to get to the terminal. The holiday inn across from bayside marketplace is about 5min from the port. Intercontinental is less than 10. Both are super convenient locations. We just started using ride sharing services recently after a few bad experiences with taxi drivers in Florida. When we travel, I just add a travel plan to my phone so I can have data to do ride share. I find it is worth it for the lower rates and better experience. Skid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 1 hour ago, TheaFromCDA said: Hello Everyone, Been a while since I posted last but I did an impulse booking on Symphony of the Seas within the 90 day period. Sadly its the sailing after the RCBlog group cruise . For some reason, flights coming into Miami are anywhere from 100-200 more per person compared to FLL (one way). Although it's tempting to fly same day vs day before, I am going to heed Matt's (And many of y'all's ) advice about going in at least the day before. I could have sworn Matt did a podcast about travelling to one of the ports...though I think it may have been to FLL vs Miami. I saw that there is now that Rail Line that can take you from FLL to Miami (with a transfer or two), ride share and possibly car rentals? Since we are coming in the day before, and probably will only be getting in at night, what's the best way to get to Miami? There are only 2 of us so luggage shouldn't be too bad. Does anyone have any experience doing a one way car rental from FLL to a Miami location? Any particular recommended (preferably affordable) hotels in Miami as well? Thanks in advance Your wasting your time and money renting a car one way for that short of a drive. Just call an Uber or Lift it’s a 1/2 hr ride and no hassle. PS: I would hardly consider Port Everglades remote as there are no less then 50 hotels within a 1/2 mile of the cruise ships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheaFromCDA Posted September 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said: You have to cross a bridge to get to the port so not really walkable. And even after you cross the bridge, there's is still some driving to get to the terminal. The holiday inn across from bayside marketplace is about 5min from the port. Intercontinental is less than 10. Both are super convenient locations. We just started using ride sharing services recently after a few bad experiences with taxi drivers in Florida. When we travel, I just add a travel plan to my phone so I can have data to do ride share. I find it is worth it for the lower rates and better experience. Im Canadian like you so I'm hoping the roam like home will make itself worth it. Last year I tried to cost-save by calling Lyft at FLL while connected to wifi and it was spotty at best (since I was outside the building). I saw that you can rent for 55-60 bucks FLL to MIA, but I guess that would be worth it more for people who would have the time to try to drive around the area. I will check out Intercontinental and Holiday Inn though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Just now, TheaFromCDA said: Im Canadian like you so I'm hoping the roam like home will make itself worth it. Last year I tried to cost-save by calling Lyft at FLL while connected to wifi and it was spotty at best (since I was outside the building). I saw that you can rent for 55-60 bucks FLL to MIA, but I guess that would be worth it more for people who would have the time to try to drive around the area. I will check out Intercontinental and Holiday Inn though! The ride share waiting area at FLL is in between terminal buildings. The wifi won't hold. I would not rely on wifi for that. If the driver tries to contact you at any point, you will miss it because of where you wait. IMO, Data is a must when doing ride share at FLL. Orange Crush and Baked Alaska 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheaFromCDA Posted September 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 6 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said: Your wasting your time and money renting a car one way for that short of a drive. Just call an Uber or Lift it’s a 1/2 hr ride and no hassle. PS: I would hardly consider Port Everglades remote as there are no less then 50 hotels within a 1/2 mile of the cruise ships. Yeah I’ve never been in the Miami area and I also probably used a poor term to describe Everglades lol. the only benefit to the car is you have late night food cravings but I guess there’s uber for that too? Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said: The ride share waiting area at FLL is in between terminal buildings. The wifi won't hold. I would not rely on wifi for that. If the driver tries to contact you at any point, you will miss it because of where you wait. IMO, Data is a must when doing ride share at FLL. Yeah I found that out the hard way last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Go with what @tonyfsu21 is saying...he's a local. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to that area. He has yet to steer me wrong. It's an adventure when we venture out of our igloos from Canada Skid and tonyfsu21 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Lyft is about $45......no brainer..and yes, the wifi is not good in the concrete jungle where you wait for shared rides in FLL... Orange Crush 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 I'd definitely do Lyft or Uber. There's also RedCoach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneyMan702 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 We ran into the same issue you did. Flights into both PBI and FLL were going to cost us half of what it would to fly into Miami. I originally looked at taking the Tri Rail from FLL to MIA and using Uber or Lyft from there, but this only netted us about a $10 savings each way for 3 people. Ultimately, using Uber or Lyft from FLL to our hotel, the Marriot - Biscayne Bay, cost about $35-40. If I was going to fly into PBI and cruise from either Port Everglades or Miami, I'd probably look at using the Tri Rail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheaFromCDA Posted September 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 5 hours ago, MoneyMan702 said: We ran into the same issue you did. Flights into both PBI and FLL were going to cost us half of what it would to fly into Miami. I originally looked at taking the Tri Rail from FLL to MIA and using Uber or Lyft from there, but this only netted us about a $10 savings each way for 3 people. Ultimately, using Uber or Lyft from FLL to our hotel, the Marriot - Biscayne Bay, cost about $35-40. If I was going to fly into PBI and cruise from either Port Everglades or Miami, I'd probably look at using the Tri Rail. In all likelihood we would probably Rideshare Lyft or Uber as people have advised. I followed @love to cruise‘s advice and checked rideguru. Says from FLL to the Intercontinental area, it’s about 30-35 USD, then 10-15 USD from the hotel to the Cruise Terminal. Car rental is about 55 so toss up on cost if there’s a rental that offers free shuttle to the Cruise port ( ie keep the car overnight, drop rental off, take shuttle... if a free one existed) Are there any hotels that have a free shuttle to the cruise port by any chance? The rail looks tempting cuz (1) I do like trains a la Sheldon Cooper (2) it’s cheap. @tonyfsu21 how difficult or a pain in the butt is it to try the Tri Rail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneyMan702 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 15 minutes ago, TheaFromCDA said: The rail looks tempting cuz (1) I do like trains a la Sheldon Cooper (2) it’s cheap. It is cheap, but I would definitely do some more research in using a combination of Tri Rail and the other municipal rail systems via transfer to save some cash. I have never used Tri Rail or any other rail option in the area, so I'm not ultra familiar with the feasibility of this. I also know that some people aren't too keen on traveling via trains like this with luggage, which could be cumbersome. For the sake of simplicity, Lyft and Uber really do shine to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 1 hour ago, TheaFromCDA said: In all likelihood we would probably Rideshare Lyft or Uber as people have advised. I followed @love to cruise‘s advice and checked rideguru. Says from FLL to the Intercontinental area, it’s about 30-35 USD, then 10-15 USD from the hotel to the Cruise Terminal. Car rental is about 55 so toss up on cost if there’s a rental that offers free shuttle to the Cruise port ( ie keep the car overnight, drop rental off, take shuttle... if a free one existed) Are there any hotels that have a free shuttle to the cruise port by any chance? The rail looks tempting cuz (1) I do like trains a la Sheldon Cooper (2) it’s cheap. @tonyfsu21 how difficult or a pain in the butt is it to try the Tri Rail? You would be best taking the new Brightline train direct from downtown Fort Lauderdale to Miami. The Miami station is very close to the Port. TheaFromCDA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 https://gobrightline.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheaFromCDA Posted September 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 9 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said: You would be best taking the new Brightline train direct from downtown Fort Lauderdale to Miami. The Miami station is very close to the Port. 8 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said: https://gobrightline.com/ Thanks @tonyfsu21, didn't realize there was a different train option...given at the price point Brightline is at, it ends up being more MoneyMan702 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 13 hours ago, TheaFromCDA said: Thanks @tonyfsu21, didn't realize there was a different train option...given at the price point Brightline is at, it ends up being more Perhaps but consider convenience and location and it might not end up being more. The Tri Rail station is located near the airport so there will be a cost associated with getting from the airport station to the port. The Brightline station is steps away from Bayfront which is adjacent to the Port of Miami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 Not that I would ever consider a train (especially with my kids) but is the Brightline a lot cheaper than Uber/Lyft? Just curious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 33 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Not that I would ever consider a train (especially with my kids) but it the Brightline a lot cheaper than Uber/Lyft? Just curious... I have 2 young kids as well and would most likely avoid trains, however, we have plenty of friends w/ kids that take the Brightline to Miami or West Palm for lunch on the weekends and they say the train is very clean and safe. Also- there’s WiFi on board if the kids want to use their iPads exc. I may give it a try one weekend and I will report back. Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbk999 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 On 9/10/2018 at 8:55 PM, TheaFromCDA said: Does anyone have any experience doing a one way car rental from FLL to a Miami location? Any particular recommended (preferably affordable) hotels in Miami as well? I know others are saying Uber/Lyft and that might very well be the way to go but we did the fly into FLL and sail out of Miami the last time. We rented from Enterprise (about $65) and stayed at one of the FLL area hotels. If I did it again with a rental, I'd stay at one of the MIA area hotels that way you'd be close to the rental car drop off, which had a free shuttle to the port. whitsmom and TheaFromCDA 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 I just booked "Goairportshuttle.com" for a trip from FLL airport to the Marriott at Biscayne Bay January 2019, the Executive shuttle for 2 people with 2 bags and it was $89.00, there were other less expensive alternatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted September 12, 2018 Report Share Posted September 12, 2018 I don't know what happened to the Miami flight pricing, my Miami cruise is January 13 2019, flying in on the 12th, 2 weeks ago I had seen what I though was a good price, I got busy with family stuff and didn't get it booked, went back last weekend and the best pricing I could find had gone up 22%, my original flight times I had picked had gone up nearly 40%, that was arriving MIA and leaving MIA. Like everyone above has said, the best pricing I could get around the original price was flying in to FLL and leaving out of MIA. I tried to look around to see if some big band or football game was being played but couldn't find anything, who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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