How to kill time in Fort lauderdale post cruise

Hi all

We are planning to get off the Regal as late as possible next January as our flight back to Toronto is not until 3pm - I think - need to check :) anyway its between 2-3pm. Now we all know Fort Lauderdale airport is not the most pleasant place to spend time in so with that in mind I thought I would consult you good folks as to what we could do to pass a few hours before we check in. My worry is I don't really want to be dragging suitcases around, so do we go to the airport checkin and rid our selves of luggage then head out again or do you folks know of a better alternative.

All suggestions appreciated.

How much time do you figure you have to kill?

If your flight is at 2, you'll need to be at the airport around 12.

If you get off the ship around 9, you've only three hours to kill.

If you look on the Florida Departures board, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

you will see many discussions about options. (The Mods might move this there, as it has nothing to do with Princess.) Sawgrass Mills, for example.

Princess will likely offer a few shore excursions, based upon flight times.

Thanks for your quick reply. Not very familiar with these boards normally just look at princess. I will do some looking around at the link you posted - thanks.

How much time do you figure you have to kill?

If your flight is at 2, you'll need to be at the airport around 12.

If you get off the ship around 9, you've only three hours to kill.

Good job I checked, the flight is at 3.55pm.

Good job I checked, the flight is at 3.55pm.

You might want to consider leaving the ship as early as possible which would give you more time and more options.

Last year we did the Princess excursion that featured an air-boat ride in the Everglades and a tour of Flamingo Gardens. It was kitschy but fun. They take your luggage in the beginning and store it under the bus. It was a nice way to ease back into reality.

After our last cruise, we also had a few hours to kill, so we booked a ship excursion to the Everglades. It was a perfect solution...we had a great time, they stowed our bags in the bus, rode the airboat, saw some gators, and then were dropped off at the airport in time to check in and catch our flight...I'd do that again anytime!

A ship's excursion is definitely the easiest to do but that still will probably get you to the airport 3 or more hours before your flight.

Since you are flying into Toronto I don't think you can use EZ-Check unfortunately (that would have taken care of your luggage) so in order not to be burdened with luggage take a cab to the airport and store your luggage at Bags to Go located in each terminal (http://www.bagstogo.net) and then take a cab/Uber or the Sun Trolley Airport Link (http://www.suntrolley.com) to downtown Fort Lauderdale.

• There is lots to do on Las Olas Blvd (http://www.lasolasboulevard.com) and plenty of restaurants. Have a nice lunch and people watch. See the Florida Departures Board for restaurant recommendations.
  
  • If you want to see Fort Lauderdale by water (the best way) there are two options from downtown Fort Lauderdale:
    
    • the Carrie B (http://www.carriebcruises.com) has an 11 am to 12:30 tour on the New River and the Intracoastal
      
    • the Water Taxi has a stop 1 1/2 blocks off Las Olas (http://www.watertaxi.com) - that is a hop on/hop off boat with tourist narration provided by the captain
      

  [*]Alternatively you could take a taxi/Uber from the airport to the Hilton Marina and catch the water taxi at that stop.

Check out http://www.sunny.org for more info on Fort Lauderdale tourism.

Just a few ideas

(A)Look at the Princess disembarkation excursions. Your luggage will be stored on the bus.

(B) If your airline has EZ Check use that service. Then you no longer have your checked baggage to wheel around. You can disembark the ship and take a taxi to the downtown beach area, have lunch, walk around by the beach, then in the early afternoon take a taxi to the airport.

I agree with the options of an excursion post cruise or doing EZ check and then taking the water taxi around town. I have done both for later flights. The water taxi is great because it is more than a transportation means, it is a nice relaxing tour/cruise around the area. You can literally just sit and relax and check out the sites. A great way to wind down a cruise in my opinion. We just did that a couple months ago, along with EZ check. We got off at the stop for the hilton marina, grabbed a cab and were in the airport with enough, but not too much, time to spare.

Hi cibaygirls. Hope all is well with you and your family these days.

OP when you get on board go to the excursion desk and ask for information on FLL excursions. We have done them before and they are nice a d time consuming. Usually get you to the airport by one o'clock. Or to rhe Miami airport by a certain time. All explained in the brochure.

You can take a Princess tour that ends at the airport. Definitely do EZ Check. Very well worth it.

Another suggestion is to call a hotel on the beach that offers shuttles from the port to the hotel and from the hotel to the airport. Relax at the hotel, on the beach or whatever, have a relaxing lunch and head to the airport at about 2pm.

 

(B) If your airline has EZ Check use that service.

I agree with the options of an excursion post cruise or doing EZ check and then taking the water taxi around town.

Definitely do EZ Check. Very well worth it.

OP is flying to Toronto and I thought I had read that EZ Check is only available on domestic flights. Anybody know for sure? I tried to find it on the Princess website and had no luck.

A couple of years ago we took a Princess post cruise excursion that included a boat trip through the canals by the many ritzy homes with huge yachts parked out front. A bus then took us and our luggage to the airport.

A couple of years ago we took a Princess post cruise excursion that included a boat trip through the canals by the many ritzy homes with huge yachts parked out front. A bus then took us and our luggage to the airport.

That was probably the jungle queen (http://www.junglequeen.com). It leaves from the intracoastal right across from the beach.

We've done cruiseline excursion on Carrie B. Fun way to spend time before our flight home. Very convenient baggage handling between ship and airport.

A ship's excursion is definitely the easiest to do but that still will probably get you to the airport 3 or more hours before your flight.

 

Since you are flying into Toronto I don't think you can use EZ-Check unfortunately (that would have taken care of your luggage) so in order not to be burdened with luggage take a cab to the airport and store your luggage at Bags to Go located in each terminal (http://www.bagstogo.net) and then take a cab/Uber or the Sun Trolley Airport Link (http://www.suntrolley.com) to downtown Fort Lauderdale.

 

• There is lots to do on Las Olas Blvd (http://www.lasolasboulevard.com) and plenty of restaurants. Have a nice lunch and people watch. See the Florida Departures Board for restaurant recommendations.
  
  • If you want to see Fort Lauderdale by water (the best way) there are two options from downtown Fort Lauderdale:
    
    • the Carrie B (http://www.carriebcruises.com) has an 11 am to 12:30 tour on the New River and the Intracoastal
      
    • the Water Taxi has a stop 1 1/2 blocks off Las Olas (http://www.watertaxi.com) - that is a hop on/hop off boat with tourist narration provided by the captain
      

  [*]Alternatively you could take a taxi/Uber from the airport to the Hilton Marina and catch the water taxi at that stop.

Check out http://www.sunny.org for more info on Fort Lauderdale tourism.

Thanks so much for your reply lots of very useful information and links.