what time should I arrive at FLL pier for cruise this Sat?

I agree that the rental car makes sense and the difference in cost is negligible. Even a couple hours of errands and sightseeing is worthwhile, especially so with the convenience of your Hertz Gold.

Also, you got the right idea of arriving after the embarkation rush (and this is hard to do if kicked out of the hotel before noon without a rental car). It is so nice to arrive at the terminal around 2pm to find that all the lines are very short and still plenty of time to board the ship. We have done this several times, including at our home port in San Diego.

igraf

Gas will be <$5 - probably only 1, maybe 2 gallons. So total $36 vs $35 + at least $7 in tips for cab. So the cost is within a few dollars for each option.

 

We also will go out to bkfast on our way to hotel (store luggage in car). So for bkfast, Total Wine and supermarket.drug store trips (to pick up some liquid items that we can't fit in our 3oz TSA bags), it's a lot easier for us to have the rental. Plus not have to wait for cabs or deal w/ luggage while we are shopping/bkfast.

 

But thanks for the advice on the arrival time. What is the latest embarkation time?

Ok, so if I ditch the rental car, how do you propose I run the errands? We can easily take a cab from airport to Hyatt Regency and from Hyatt to pier. I'd rather not make another double-cab trip to/from hotel to Total Wine/Publix if possible. Nor do I want to walk.

To speed up the shopping trip, I will see if DH can pre-order the wine. I know he likes to shop in the store instead of on-line and peruse all the shelves. I'll need to go into the Publix to purchase a few items too. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.

Could we ask the cabbie to stop at the Harbor Shops on the way to the pier? Would it be advisable or safe to have the cabbie wait for us w/ all the luggage in the trunk?

The concierge at the Hyatt Pier 66 arranged a driver for us. Our driver was arranged prior to our arrival, he picked us up at the airport and the next day took us to the cruise terminal, with a stop for wine and necessities. It is not a problem for them and so much easier. To me, even if it is $20-$30 more it is worth not having to worry about a rental car pick up and return. I cherish every second of vacation and would rather spend a relaxing Saturday before reporting for the cruise at 2:00. If there is a Total Wine near you, possibly your husband can choose the wines ahead of time and preorder your selection there if not online. Have a great cruise, Cherie

p.s. It seems like traffic into and out of the port can get congested so if you do not have to contend with this because of a rental car return it would make life a lot easier. JMO

Hi Copper 10!!!

Take his advise as well as mine!!! Dump the rental car more trouble than it is worth!

Same thing here Husband is Hertz Gold but a pain in the you know what for return!

Take it easy! 1-2 arriving is perfect to get on board.

Denise:)

Completely agree with Copper & the others who advise you to ditch the car.. There are so many one way streets in Ft. Lauderdale..Last time we rented a car my Friend & I did what you plan to do.. We dropped our Husbands at the port with all the luggage & then took the car back to the airport..We got lost & it took over an hour for us to get to the car rental office & then we had to wait for the shuttle which took another hour.. Our poor Husbands waited for us the whole time were worried..

If your hotel is so close to the pier why not grab a cab & not go through the hassle of the car..The car rental company might even have an Agent in the Hotel lobby who would take the return..

sandiego1 - I forgot to mention that the driver that we arranged through the Hyatt Pier 66 also picked us up after the cruise to take us to the airport for our flight home. It was so nice to have the same person for all of our transportation. Cherie