How early is TOO early at POM?

We are arriving by "red-eye" at 5:30 am into MIA and sail from POM that day. Since we realize we will be killing a few hours (tired and cranky) somewhere in Miami, we are hoping to get feedback on the ideal time to arrive for check in at POM. We sailed from there once, in 2012, and experienced a chaotic teeming mass of humanity all crowded together, still schlepping our luggage with no certainty that we were even in the correct crowd. I am hoping this was unique, but I know a lot of you sail from POM so I would appreciate some input.

The day we sail there will be 6 ships in port so I do expect a certain amount of craziness, but would love to take advantage of our several hours of flexibility to either beat the rush or somehow miss the worst time to arrive bearing in mind that we will be killing time until we go to the port. We will be fine once inside the check in area, due to our status with our carrier, but hope to avoid the horror (yes, I know, memory is a questionable thing) of that first Miami cruise before we even got into the building.

Thanks all for any suggestions.

Jennifer

What do you plan on doing for the minimum of 5 hours before heading to the port? :eek:

Get a hotel room for the night before, arranging in advance your late arrival at about 6:00 AM with the hotel.

Arrive, check-in, have breakfast at the hotel then go take a nap in the room or by the pool.

Get a late checkout so you can lounge around the hotel until 2 hours before departure time, then go to the port.

You'll arrive at the port refreshed, breeze through security, check-in and be able to go straight to your cabin. As a result, you'll be rested up to enjoy a good evening on the ship.

Most airport hotels have day room rates for those arriving from a red eye flight.

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Get a hotel room for the night before, arranging in advance your late arrival at about 6:00 AM with the hotel.

 

 

 

Arrive, check-in, have breakfast at the hotel then go take a nap in the room or by the pool.

 

 

 

Get a late checkout so you can lounge around the hotel until 2 hours before departure time, then go to the port.

 

 

 

You'll arrive at the port refreshed, breeze through security, check-in and be able to go straight to your cabin. As a result, you'll be rested up to enjoy a good evening on the ship.

May want to leave a bit earlier then that.

You must check in 90 minutes prior to departure and be on board 60 minutes prior.

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Most airport hotels have day room rates for those arriving from a red eye flight.

 

 

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No, that's not true. A "day room" is simply a room you don't spend the night in.

May want to leave a bit earlier then that.

 

You must check in 90 minutes prior to departure and be on board 60 minutes prior.

 

 

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That's plenty of time. The cruise lines just tell you one hour when it's actually a half hour. I done over 50 cruises and I rarely show up at the port more than an hour out.

Sorry I was unclear. We chose the red-eye to avoid the hassle of a hotel (don't slam me, I know I'll regret it) so we are happy (willing) to kill some time in a Miami hotel restaurant having breakfast, etc...... until it seems timely to move on to the port. That is why I asked the question that I meant to ask: If we arrive at POM at 9am are we more or less likely to be standing on the road waiting to check our bags before we can enter the terminal and checkin?

I know that lots of unforseen circumstances can effect the boarding time but I'd really like to know from those of you who sail from POM regularly is whether you have found a pattern regarding boarding. We will be on NCL Jewell on January 20, 2017 if this is information that is useful.

Jennifer

That's plenty of time. The cruise lines just tell you one hour when it's actually a half hour. I done over 50 cruises and I rarely show up at the port more than an hour out.

Ah, not exactly. Most cruise lines start their lifeboat drill 45-60 minutes prior to sailing, and they are required to do it before sailing.

Ah, not exactly. Most cruise lines start their lifeboat drill 45-60 minutes prior to sailing, and they are required to do it before sailing.

I know. That's another reason I arrive last minute. They always do it without me.

If we arrive at POM at 9am are we more or less likely to be standing on the road waiting to check our bags before we can enter the terminal and checkin?

 

I know that lots of unforseen circumstances can effect the boarding time but I'd really like to know from those of you who sail from POM regularly is whether you have found a pattern regarding boarding. We will be on NCL Jewell on January 20' date=' 2017 if this is information that is useful. Jennifer[/quote']

 

We've only cruised out of Miami 3 times so not experts. Last time, April 2015, we did arrive around 9:30. Our luggage was taken immediately. We were able to enter security (NCL-one of Epic's 2 terminals ) but could not proceed through until at least 10:30. The room was rather small with seating for 20-not more than 30, for sure, and entry was blocked once full.

 

 

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Sorry I was unclear. We chose the red-eye to avoid the hassle of a hotel (don't slam me, I know I'll regret it) so we are happy (willing) to kill some time in a Miami hotel restaurant having breakfast, etc...... until it seems timely to move on to the port. That is why I asked the question that I meant to ask: If we arrive at POM at 9am are we more or less likely to be standing on the road waiting to check our bags before we can enter the terminal and checkin?

 

I know that lots of unforseen circumstances can effect the boarding time but I'd really like to know from those of you who sail from POM regularly is whether you have found a pattern regarding boarding. We will be on NCL Jewell on January 20, 2017 if this is information that is useful.

 

Jennifer

Jennifer, I would plan to arrive around 9:30 AM and you can check your bags in then. Then you can wait inside the terminal until you are allowed to board.

There are many area hotels where you can go for breakfast. One to consider is the Intercontinental Hotel. They have a nice restaurant for breakfast and also a nice lobby to wait in afterwards.

Keith

Jennifer, I would plan to arrive around 9:30 AM and you can check your bags in then. Then you can wait inside the terminal until you are allowed to board.

 

This is no longer possible at POM with the introduction of the Staggered Check In. If you show up before your registered time slot, you will not be allowed to even enter the building.

Result - hours and hours in line outside in the sun.

This is no longer possible at POM with the introduction of the Staggered Check In. If you show up before your registered time slot, you will not be allowed to even enter the building.

Result - hours and hours in line outside in the sun.

Well, in that case...They could rent a car which would give them storage for their luggage, then breakfast and perhaps the beach. In the afternoon drop the luggage off at the port, return the car to MIA and ride the shuttle back to the port.

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Well, in that case...They could rent a car which would give them storage for their luggage, then breakfast and perhaps the beach. In the afternoon drop the luggage off at the port, return the car to MIA and ride the shuttle back to the port.

 

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This is exactly what I would do.

This is exactly what I would do.

Not many options here. If they don't want to deal with a hotel, then the rental car is the only one that makes any sense.

I'd cab to a hotel. Tip to have the bell boys hold your bags while you have breakfast. Then find a quiet corner or lounge at the pool and relax or nap. Or take a stroll. Don't show up at the port before 10.

OR just wait until 12:30 and avoid the early chaos. We usually wait till then. We find the lines shorter and the whole atmosphere more relaxed.

Get a hotel room for the night before, arranging in advance your late arrival at about 6:00 AM with the hotel.

 

Arrive, check-in, have breakfast at the hotel then go take a nap in the room or by the pool.

 

Get a late checkout so you can lounge around the hotel until 2 hours before departure time, then go to the port.

 

You'll arrive at the port refreshed, breeze through security, check-in and be able to go straight to your cabin. As a result, you'll be rested up to enjoy a good evening on the ship.

This.

I know you said you wanted to avoid the hassle of a hotel (what hassle?) but the above could save you from a miserable start.

Your jet lag will be pretty bad and trying to stay awake after a red-eye is hell.

May want to leave a bit earlier then that.

 

You must check in 90 minutes prior to departure and be on board 60 minutes prior.

 

 

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Lido said two hours. That is within 90 minutes.

Sorry I was unclear. We chose the red-eye to avoid the hassle of a hotel (don't slam me, I know I'll regret it) so we are happy (willing) to kill some time in a Miami hotel restaurant having breakfast, etc...... until it seems timely to move on to the port. That is why I asked the question that I meant to ask: If we arrive at POM at 9am are we more or less likely to be standing on the road waiting to check our bags before we can enter the terminal and checkin?

 

I know that lots of unforseen circumstances can effect the boarding time but I'd really like to know from those of you who sail from POM regularly is whether you have found a pattern regarding boarding. We will be on NCL Jewell on January 20, 2017 if this is information that is useful.

 

Jennifer

We went to the port at 8:30 a.m. .

Waiting area/room doors opened at 9:00 a.m.

Security opened at 9:30 a.m. With checkin immediately after that.

Sat in waiting room for embarkation for about 1 1/2 hrs.

I would just head over to the port and go from there. We arrived once for a private sailing and after driving through the night we arrived at something like 4.30 am and the actual port wasn't open so we just parked up opposite Bayshore and waited, it opened about an hour after that, so you would be OK time wise on that front.

I would just head over to the port and go from there. We arrived once for a private sailing and after driving through the night we arrived at something like 4.30 am and the actual port wasn't open so we just parked up opposite Bayshore and waited, it opened about an hour after that, so you would be OK time wise on that front.

Bad idea. With staggered boarding they would not be allowed in the building until their boarding time.

I would just head over to the port and go from there. We arrived once for a private sailing and after driving through the night we arrived at something like 4.30 am and the actual port wasn't open so we just parked up opposite Bayshore and waited, it opened about an hour after that, so you would be OK time wise on that front.

Where you able to unload your luggage with porters at 5:30 am? I would have thought that porters are busy helping disembarking passengers until 9:30 or so.

Where you able to unload your luggage with porters at 5:30 am? I would have thought that porters are busy helping disembarking passengers until 9:30 or so.

By the time we got into the actual port and parked up etc it was a bit later than that probably 6.30 am or even a bit later but we were able to get rid of our bags and just had to hang around a bit until they got organized and ready for us. Then obviously we had to wait til boarding opened but we were one of the first on.

It is not what I would do every time it was just an actual experience of what happened when we turned up earlier than we had planned rather than what people may or may not do who have never been in that position or dismiss it as a "Bad idea".;)

By the time we got into the actual port and parked up etc it was a bit later than that probably 6.30 am or even a bit later but we were able to get rid of our bags and just had to hang around a bit until they got organized and ready for us. Then obviously we had to wait til boarding opened but we were one of the first on.

 

It is not what I would do every time it was just an actual experience of what happened when we turned up earlier than we had planned rather than what people may or may not do who have never been in that position or dismiss it as a "Bad idea".;)

Thanks for the explanation. I asked because I have read that they (maybe it varies by port) don't take luggage until they've finished disembarking passengers. Glad it worked out for you!

Thanks, all, for your responses! When we get our embarkation time, I'll be better armed to make a final plan.

Happy cruisin' to all.

Jennifer