5+ hours of spare time

[dizkid]

Our flight back does not leave until 5pm. What can we do to help fill the hours before we have to check in? What can we do with our luggage until we do check in?

tks,
Paul

[Krazy Kruizers]

Are you leaving out of Ft Lauderdale?

If so, sign up for one of the ship's tour - like the airboat ride through the Everglades. We did it several years ago and enjoyed it.

This way your luggage goes right with you on the bus.

[CaptData]

Tehy usually offer some excursions that end up at the airport. They keep your luggage on the bus and you enjoy one last tour in Flordia. There are usually 3-4 to chose from. As above the airboat ride down to the alligators is fun and educational.

They will get you to the airport in time for your flight. Be prepared to be amounst the first off.

[scopewest]

I'm also hanging around Ft. Lauderdale for our flight. Are these excursions offered on HAL's shore excursion page or is this something you book while on the ship?

[Ziggy7]

I'm also hanging around Ft. Lauderdale for our flight. Are these excursions offered on HAL's shore excursion page or is this something you book while on the ship?
Now or on the ship :)

[Ellya]

Another thing people do is to rent a hotel room for the day, stash their luggage there and enjoy the beach or facilities. If you rent a car, you can put your luggage in the trunk and drive to local destinations as well. We recently did the Everglade tour and found it to be unsatisfactory. The tour was overpriced, the tourguides begged shamelessly for tips at every turn, and we only saw the eyeballs of one lone alligator. The Native American village is basically a gift stand and a video, and the small zoo is just sad. I would spend my money some other way.

[BJane]

On one of our trips we rented a car for half a day after we left the ship. Then we went on the airboat ride on our own. We got there before any of the tour buses so we missed the crowds. Also it was much cheaper for the the car and the admission than it would have been for the ship's tour. Warning - I believe that car rental rates have gone way up since we did that a few years ago.

[divinggirl]

OK well the one thing I can tell you NOT to do is, if you sit at the airport and wait, like we did, check your luggage 4 hours early. We waited until almost everyone was off the ship in FLL and got to the airport around 11. Our flight wasn't until 6:30, so I went to see about renting a car. They wanted $75 base rate (for ~5 hrs!), and that was the cheapest. First lesson, book a car before you go, if you want one. So we bought books and waited it out. Checked our bags with Air Tran at 2:30, long story short my mom had a bunch of stuff stolen out of her bag. I know I know, it can happen anywhere, blah blah blah ( I add this for all those who insist on blindly defending airport workers--I know they're not ALL bad), but we had a bad apple, whether from Air Tran or FLL or TSA, that went thru our bags. Not sure if this would have happened if we'd have checked them later, but my thought is those bags sitting there for all that time was too much for the thief to resist...

So, moral of the story is, if you wait, don't check your bags until the recommended 2 hrs or so before takeoff, so your bag is not a prime "target"

Just my two cents...

Nikki

[bepsf]

If you wanna just relax and unwind after your cruise, you could taxi to a large busy hotel that you enjoy and without getting a room check bags at the bell desk (tip the bellmen), have lunch at the restaurant and lounge by the pool w/ a cool drink for the afternoon. Then when you're ready, collect luggage and have the doorman send for a taxi (tip him too) and off to the airport!
;)

If you act like a paying guest and tip generously, you'll never be bothered or asked to leave - as they'll assume that you're just another early arrival waiting for your room to be made ready for check-in.
:D

[cactuslady]

That's not a bad idea. The Ft. Lauderdale airport can get extremely crowded with cruisers waiting for their afternoon flights. Having to sit on the floor in an airport for several hours is no fun.

[marybeach]

I have already rented a car and have the confirmation for when we return on 12/6. For a compact model (4 door) it was under $25 with a AAA discount. I tried a couple of the rental car sites, then let my fingers do the walking through the yellow pages, and called direct. The car company will pick us up at the port ($3.95 extra) and take us to the airport, we will have the car til we come back about 2 hours before the flight at 6 pm. Now, we won't have to worry about the luggage, a taxi, etc. I also e-mailed the CoC in FLL and they sent me back the following link:

http://www.sunny.org/gettingaround/index.cfm?action=3hourtour

I have friends sailing on Princess in a couple of weeks, with other family members, and they have rented a van which was more expensive, but they need space for the luggage for 4-6 people. We're looking forward to 6 or so hours to explore the area. I saw on the news the other night there is an exhibit of Princess Diana's wedding dress, a collection of her gowns and tiaras, and other items somewhere in FLL. I'm going to call to check that out, too, unless somebody on here can give me the answer. It is a display at some museum starting in October, but I don't know how long it will last. It could be something else to see that won't be there later.

[dizkid]

Marybeach: would you mind sending me the name of the car agency you used? Thanks

dizkid
(Paul)

[viennacruiser]

We did the car rental thing 3 years ago...worked out great, but we took the cruise transportation to the airport, checked our luggage at the curb, rented the car and drove to the beach for a few hours, dropped off the car and caught our flight..this of course was before 9/11 so dropping the luggage early was not a problem....
Nancy

[marybeach]

Marybeach: would you mind sending me the name of the car agency you used? Thanks

dizkid
(Paul)Let me know your e-mail address. Also, check the Orbitz, Travelocity, or Priceline sites and get an idea of what the cheapest are for the size car you need. Then call direct. I found that using the agency and travel websites didn't let me do same day pickup and return easily. They gave me a better price at the agency 800 number....cuts out the middleman.

[CaptData]

Usually just on the ship but this may change. Call the cruise line and enquire then.

[pennstategal]

From sunnybrits.com

The items will be on display until Dec 31, 2004 at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. Warning, tickets are $19.50 per adult! The hours are 11am - 7pm reduced hours and closings during holidays.


Regarding using a local hotel for lunch/drinks/pool, yes, do it!! I have seen this done, no one will ask you a question! You do not really need to rent a room. Most larger hotels have a shower by the pool/in the gym area to take a shower and change clothes before your flight home.

Pennstategal

[marybeach]

Thanks for the Diana info. $20 is steep to gawk for an hour or so. SO this morning gave the usual male sigh to the idea. Of course, I didn't mind going to the Daytona Speedway with him last year! I guess it depends on what all we find to do for the day. I did see some of the things when I was in London several years ago, so I'm not distressed.