thinfool

From Port Everglades, our experience was that boarding times were a joke. Like we all learned from Jack Sparrow, the pirate's code or boarding time, is more like a suggestion than a hard and fast rule or law.

Like you, this may offend your sensitivities, please forgive or overlook any candor expressed. Your words belie little research into locations for which you indicate a preference. Vanuatu and Tonga are both featured on several sailings out of Australia. I cannot vouch for their suitability. Your disdain for children, while a personal matter, also contains comments that are not consistent with the cruise you have booked. Any trip of more than about 7 days will have fewer children for the simple fact that families are not able to find time or money to enjoy more. Our 14 day, full transit, Panama Canal trip had fewer than 5 childrent onboard (Island Princess). Hardly a game changer. Our South America trip (14 day) had even fewer (HAL Zaandam). I am not a die hard cruiser.but I do believe in being informed, and correctly so. If you want something I consider truly different you might look into a cruise...which is really a sailing, on a freighter. Usually less that 10 passengers, good food, no or little TV, no other entertainment, several days in port while the ship loads/unloads for the next leg of the journey.

A Westin hotel that has no hotel-airport shuttle (free). Seems fishy.

Kids love trains. (Go for it)

Totally agree....once those 4 kids get wind of the fact that there is a huge Ron Jon surf shop in Cocoa...you may never see them again. Best to slip an Airtag in their pocket so you can find them at sailing time.

Not uncommon as others have reported the same....solution seems to be resubmittal. There is no such requirement on the CCL shareholder page.

A Westin hotel has no shuttle service for their guests???

Not sure why you think you cannot sit near others in your party in the MDR. You are paying your TA for his/her service and that definitely falls within his/her service. We routinely travel with groups as large as 40...always dine together...that is, in the same dining area. MDR tables are often available for 10 persons, 8 persons, etc, etc. Your TA is doubtless familiar with all of this. It is an easy few clicks on his computer booking site.

An updated book is important....Alaska was moved some years ago so that you could see Russia.

PBI is great, we use it all the time. Running water, flush toilets, uber/lyft....all the comforts of the much larger airports. Just allow time when you return from your cruise to get back to the correct airport.

The port will likely take the choice away from you....they seem to decide which lots will be open and available.

Most other lines are $22. day... but, happy days, RCCL is $25/day. Dunno why.

I have not seen this mentioned on CC yet....it seems that NCL has re-instituted outdoor, in-person muster drills, complete with standing around in the heat or cold for no apparent reason. Important? I have no idea, never been on NCL.

I dunno about price, but the train, either Brightline or TriRail, has little problem with a schedule. From experience I can tell you that watching bumper to bumper rush hour traffic on I-95 go by while the train moves right along, is a real nice feeling. Edit to add that TriRail goes directly to MIA....has senior rates, low fares for all on the weekend. It is also much older than Brightline, TriRail is used by a lot of students and commuters and at times presents a challenge to the crews that have the task of keeping the cars in presentable condition.

You can book on the day the ship sails, tho I would not want to try it without my trusty TA. But this begs the question...Price? Dont expect a fabulous price. If you happen to get one, hooray, but the cruise lines give preferencial pricing to special people...that means that employees, relatives of employees, Travel Agents, etc, are going to get those super duper prices we have all heard about but can never seem to find.

Should work, however, be aware that there is LOT of highway construction underway. Take note of signage, know what hiway number you will need. Best access to POM is thru the (fairly) new tunnel from I-395.

It's difficult to know where you are departing from. I will comment that, if you are departing from South Florida, like Port Everglades, do not waste your time trying to determine a time to arrive for embarkation. It does not exist, regardless of what they say. It is a jungle of passengers more or less in line, waiting their turn to check in. Having your medallion will help a lot...you order that online when you enter your personal data on your account on Princess.com. Further, if you have a carload of folks with differing boarding times how will a cruise line cope with that? They seem to think that folks with a single boarding time only ride to the port with other folks of the same time. Totally bogus! So when you explain that at the port, they just usher everyone into the building to join the mass of humanity that will eventually find their way onboard.

I would normally make a comment on your feelings about this, but having been at Park n Go recently I would just say that their business is booming. Lot is packed, which is why they need keys to move vehicles around. So if you decide to park elsewhere, nothing is lost for them.

I'll add my voice to using Park n Go. Easy, shuttle included both ways, secure site. We only use PnG when sailing out of PE. https://www.bookparkngo.com/ftlauderdale.php

No offense, but doing a status match between CCL lines would result in a huge rebellion. Example: think laundry....on the typical Princess sailing there are several hundred Elite (this is under the current system) who receive free laundry benefits. They already must send in their laundry about 72 hours before they want it back. If you had status match and the number of elite rose to 1000 or more, you would have to send your laundry in when you boarded the ship. Even then it would be dodgy getting things back before your sailing ended. For those touting the MSC status match, I am pretty sure it only lasts 3 months...then you must resubmit. And, having just finished my first sailing on their new Seascape, know that it was my first and last. Over 5000 people do not find their way around quickly, the buffet system is crowded, the elevators are not friendly to North American passengers, the beds are hard, the staff is friendly and competent. Movies in room are $10. each, whereas we were used to free, on demand choices. They have several rough edges that need smoothing off.

No, however we parked at Miami port. Had we not had a recent covid experience we would have: Parked at Brightline in West Palm Beach for $5/day. Then taken the train to Miami then the free Brightline shuttle to the Port of Miami. Reverse course when we return. Because we have had no further covid problems, we will likely do this next time. No..wait...I have vowed/determined to never again sail from Miami. Please edit the above to reflect Port Everglades rather than Miami.

Note: remember to take your personal ID with you when you return your rental. That way, if anything goes sideways, you will be able to check in and join your fellow travelers onboard. If you leave your ID with your wife and she decides to board....practice waving to the ship!

Having read positive news reports about the value of Airtags, my dear wife made me put one in my backpack and one in my suitcase...sure enough...could not find my suitcase when we returned to Miami (what a zoo)....she had me whip out my iphone, open the app...and within a few minutes the bag was in hand. She's my right arm. LOL She gave me a wallet with the tag too, still trying to figure out if it is to avoid losing the wallet or keeping track of me on the ship. <vbg>

You might consider leaving the family at the port while you go turn the car in...then take the shuttle to rejoin them. They can check in and be halfway thru lunch when you join them on the Lido. (just remember to take your ID with you so that you can checkin when you return.)

The port has a huge parking lot and a fairly new building that houses CBP. The Valets will take your car to keep the parking organized within the spaces on the lot. I am not sure about any other fees...but it has to be about the shortest walk to the ship of any port in South Florida. Out of curiosity, why so adamant about valet parking? Disclaimer: we were only there to do our interview with CBP for our Global Entry cards, and were allowed to park without the valet. Likely because we were 'short term' parkers.