Finding a Taxi

[Tuko]

Does anyone know if it' difficult to find a taxi back to the airport at the end of the cruise? I heard that depending on the Pier you dock at, it can take a while, any info?

[peaches from georgia]

Our experience in FLL is that they are waiting right outside the baggage pick-up area, standing outside their cabs and approaching all the pax. No trouble at all. They don't want to be hard to find- this is their livelihood!

[doone]

There are plenty of taxi's, you shouldn't have a problem. At least I haven't had a problem so far.

[Esme]

Last cruise we got a taxi right away. He drove like a bat out of H***, so that he could get back to the pier to pick up more paxs. You won't have any trouble.

[marco]

You dind't say which port. IN NYC, it sometimes takes a while because they must line up single file only, and by the time they put the luggage and people in and pull away, with the line of folks waiting for a cab, it can take a half hour-ish to actually be in one and on the road. FLL, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to be in one and on your way.

[werewolf]

TAxis depend a lot on the pier as we found out this last cruise. the problem seemed to be that the other ship accross from us is where the taxi's needed to enter and all the pax over there were grabbing them up before they made it around to pick our ships passengers up. We had to go accross the street and wave one down at at that we shared someone else's. Last year we had no problem getting one. Maybe luck of the draw.

[bepsf]

Tip a luggage porter, stand back and watch him commandeer a cab for you. You won't stand in line waiting for a cab long...

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am assuming that you are talking about Ft Lauderdale.

Pier 29 - problems - freight dock - few taxis go there.

Pier 21 - nightmare - The Westerdam docked there on Jan 23. Jewel of the Seas was at 24 and Silver Whisper was at 22. The way that end of the pier is designed the taxis first enter the area by pier 24 so all the passengers from the Jewel of the Seas grabbed the taxis before any of them could make the loop to pier 22 and pier 21. Taxi after taxi passed by the Westerdam already filled. The police were of little help(they stood by and told the taxis to speed up the loading) and there was no dispatcher in sight to "ration" the available taxis. DH had to cross over to the pier 24 area and bribed the taxi driver - all they wanted to do was to run to the airport. He told the driver that he would double the fare to take us to the Embassy Suites. We got a cab. The fare was $7 and he gave the driver $15. At the Embassy Suites, we talked to passengers who waited over two hours to get a taxi.

Depending on how many ships are in Ft Lauderdale depends on where you will be docked.

MOST of the time HAL docks at pier 26.

Because there are so many passengers getting off the ship, we have never seen a taxi driver standing outside their cab waiting for passengers - and we have been taking many cruises out of Ft Lauderdale for years. Not even in the slow months when there were only a couple of ships there were there any taxi drivers standing outside their cabs waiting for fares. The only drivers we ever saw standing around were limo drivers.

[lipoppop]

Lots of taxis in Tampa

[mikefang]

If you are using Norfolk they have one taxi line controlled by one gentleman who directs lined up people to cabs. In November we were in the line, which was a little slow but working, when one couple bypassed the line and started to take the first cab in line. After a short and loud discussion the 'cab controller' summoned the nearby police officer directing traffic who 'suggested' the couple go to the end of the line. They wisely complied and the line continued to move and most cabs were going to the airport. I understand the proposed cruise terminal will be more amenable to cab service.
Mike

[minner80]

Can anyone reccommend a good limo company to use in FLL. Thanks!

[Tuko]

We are docking in Ft. Lauderdale. Thanks for the info, everyone!:)

[Whiskeyman]

We're using the following in a few weeks..Miami to FLL 6 passanger stretch 114 bucks. http://www.a1worldwidelimo.com.
We've used them before in Las Vegas and they are great.