Eclipse Disembarkation- What was your recent experience at Ft Lauderdale?

We will be sailing on the Eclipse February 22, 2014 and would appreciate hearing about your experience with disembarkation at Port Everglades during the last few months.

Our disembarkation in March 2013 involved long lines, delays getting through customs and long waits for cabs. Most of the delays seemed to be due to the poor configuration of the terminal which has not changed. We hope the situation has improved in 2014.

Thank you,

Gianna

We disembarked from the Summit on Dec. 19 and had no trouble at all. We just took our own stuff and walked right off. It could not have been simpler.

We will be on the Connie and have always done self-carry luggage and get off early. We've never had any problems at any port......BUT

This coming cruise....Our flight is out of FLL, so it is only a 15 minute drive away. Our flight is at noon. If we disembark at 7 like we normally do, we'll spend 4+ hours in the airport. So, we're considering staying aboard until about 9, then leaving....hoping that most people would have left already and the customs lines won't be so busy. The Connie holds ~2000 passengers.

What would YOU do????

We will be on the Connie and have always done self-carry luggage and get off early. We've never had any problems at any port......BUT

 

This coming cruise....Our flight is out of FLL, so it is only a 15 minute drive away. Our flight is at noon. If we disembark at 7 like we normally do, we'll spend 4+ hours in the airport. So, we're considering staying aboard until about 9, then leaving....hoping that most people would have left already and the customs lines won't be so busy. The Connie holds ~2000 passengers.

 

What would YOU do????

In a recent post, ～Cruisenut～ added this scan from his current cruise on the Eclipse showing estimated departure times up to 9:45. I don't know how similar the timing will be on the Connie.

Even a late departure time should give you plenty of time. An alternative would be to keep with your usual early departure and taxi to a nice restaurant for a leisurely breakfast before heading out to the airport.

My husband and I disembarked Equinox on Monday, January 20th, 2014. There were a total of four ships in port. For the first time, we did self-carry luggage. We went to the appointed location on the ship 15 mins before we were told (deck 5 forward). The line stretched from the forward doors all the way back to Cafe Al Bacio. When we got to the end of that line, we were told the line at deck 5 midship was much shorter, go join it. We waited in line for about 20 minute - during which people kept trying to cut into the line. Ship staff did a pretty good job of telling people to go to the end of the line.

Then the line started moving, quickly. There were several people who did NOT belong in self-carry as they were physically impaired. I actually felt sorry for these folks as this was not the time or place where you would want to be slowing down the crowd.

Upon walking into the terminal you must have 1 hand free to use the down escalator, otherwise you must wait for the elevator. We were able to use the escalator and were directed to a very short line at customs. At 7:35 am we were in a cab driving away from the port.

Have no idea what the lines were like after this time, but doing self-carry was quick and easy because our luggage was easy for us to manage.

We will be on the Connie and have always done self-carry luggage and get off early. We've never had any problems at any port......BUT

 

This coming cruise....Our flight is out of FLL, so it is only a 15 minute drive away. Our flight is at noon. If we disembark at 7 like we normally do, we'll spend 4+ hours in the airport. So, we're considering staying aboard until about 9, then leaving....hoping that most people would have left already and the customs lines won't be so busy. The Connie holds ~2000 passengers.

 

What would YOU do????

I would get off early, before the lines at customs start. Walk off early, walk basically right to taxi's. Wait until last off and wait in long lines.

Basically you will be sitting somewhere for 4 hours, I would rather miss the potential for long lines.

We were on the Eclipse until January 11th AND there were a lot of ships in port that Saturday, a lot.. Our debarkation was organized but took a long time. We were in suite and could have left the ship at anytime but we chose to remain aboard until 10:00 or so.

We used the luggage valet service and that worked like a champ. Our four large suitcases appeared on the baggage carousel on schedule when we reached home. We each had one small piece of carry off luggage but nothing we needed to retrieve never the less we had to go through the same serpentine as those who had to retrieve luggage before going through customs. Stupid and useless wait.

For those retrieving luggage the wait to get a porter was around ten minutes or so. There were lengthy lines to clear customs but the that delay was relatively short, no more than 15 minutes. The line to get a cab though was something else. That line was very, very long but orderly and well managed. It took 25-30 minutes to get to the head of the line and into a cab.

All totaled it was one of the best organized debarkation days we've seen. Most of the delays were due to factors beyond Celebrity's control. The only senseless part was making everyone go through the serpentine line whether one had luggage to retrieve or not. We can't say enough good things about luggage valet. That made the trip home a lot less painful than in years gone bye. We had four large, hard sided spinner suitcases which never had to touch after we put them in the corridor the night before.

Here is something to consider as well. Once we got to FLL the line to go security took 55 MINUTES!!!! Luckily we had enough spare time before our flight that we weren't panicking. Many others weren't so fortunate.

Hope this info is helpful. Now go enjoy that next cruise.

;):);)

We are sailing on Eclipse next month. I love luggage valet but am worried that if our flight is cancelled ( as so many to Boston have been this winter), that we won't be able to get our luggage back. Anyone know what happens?

We are sailing on Eclipse next month. I love luggage valet but am worried that if our flight is cancelled ( as so many to Boston have been this winter), that we won't be able to get our luggage back. Anyone know what happens?

We are sailing on the Eclipse this March and I'm interested in posibily using luggage valet. Any information you have would be helpful.

Thanks,

Nancy

We will be sailing on the Eclipse February 22, 2014 and would appreciate hearing about your experience with disembarkation at Port Everglades during the last few months.

 

Our disembarkation in March 2013 involved long lines, delays getting through customs and long waits for cabs. Most of the delays seemed to be due to the poor configuration of the terminal which has not changed. We hope the situation has improved in 2014.

 

Thank you,

 

Gianna

It all depends on how many custom agents are working.

We were on the Eclipse until January 11th AND there were a lot of ships in port that Saturday, a lot.. Our debarkation was organized but took a long time. We were in suite and could have left the ship at anytime but we chose to remain aboard until 10:00 or so.

 

We used the luggage valet service and that worked like a champ. Our four large suitcases appeared on the baggage carousel on schedule when we reached home. We each had one small piece of carry off luggage but nothing we needed to retrieve never the less we had to go through the same serpentine as those who had to retrieve luggage before going through customs. Stupid and useless wait.

 

For those retrieving luggage the wait to get a porter was around ten minutes or so. There were lengthy lines to clear customs but the that delay was relatively short, no more than 15 minutes. The line to get a cab though was something else. That line was very, very long but orderly and well managed. It took 25-30 minutes to get to the head of the line and into a cab.

 

All totaled it was one of the best organized debarkation days we've seen. Most of the delays were due to factors beyond Celebrity's control. The only senseless part was making everyone go through the serpentine line whether one had luggage to retrieve or not. We can't say enough good things about luggage valet. That made the trip home a lot less painful than in years gone bye. We had four large, hard sided spinner suitcases which never had to touch after we put them in the corridor the night before.

 

Here is something to consider as well. Once we got to FLL the line to go security took 55 MINUTES!!!! Luckily we had enough spare time before our flight that we weren't panicking. Many others weren't so fortunate.

 

Hope this info is helpful. Now go enjoy that next cruise.

;):);)

 

 

We know self debarkation is the fastest way off the ship but we are not able to manage our luggage on our own. We hope to use the luggage valet and need to know if it is available for Southwest flights at 11:40 out of FLL. Thanks for your information. It looks like the lines are still long to get through the terminal and then wait for a cab. We really hope to use the luggage valet even if it doesn't speed up the lines. I think the key is for us to try to be in an early debarkation group.

We know self debarkation is the fastest way off the ship but we are not able to manage our luggage on our own. We hope to use the luggage valet and need to know if it is available for Southwest flights at 11:40 out of FLL. Thanks for your information. It looks like the lines are still long to get through the terminal and then wait for a cab. We really hope to use the luggage valet even if it doesn't speed up the lines. I think the key is for us to try to be in an early debarkation group.

From the January 26 disembarkation:

"If you are departing from Fort Lauderdale airport your flight must be between 11:30 am and 11:59 pm. The only applicable airlines are: American Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, Delta Airlines, Air Tran, US Airways, United Airlines, Continental and Southwest.'

We did not self disembark, had luggage, and our group was called at 8:40. We were at the airport, checking in at 9:35 am. No running, no rush.

Eclipse and Connie use different terminals. It makes a world of difference. And Summit is sailing out of Puerto Rico, now , isn't it? The big disembarkation snafus are specific to the terminal Eclipse is using this season (and may be part of the reason she will sail out of Miami next season).

I had posted this information on another thread last month detailing our Eclipse disembarkation experience on Jan 11. This is the same disembarkation that Pilot70D (whom we had the pleasure of meeting several times aboard Eclipse):

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe because I had a whole year to get worked up about this after reading the many bad reports, our experience with getting off Eclipse today at Port Everglades actually went very well.

In preparation for this problem, I booked a 3PM flight out of FLL today (we are now at the airport). I was also planning on using Luggage Valet to avoid having to wait for our luggage. Unfortunately Luggage Valet was not available for Southwest Airline passengers--at least for this sailing.

We were assigned Group 20 luggage tags which were given to us on the evening the ship left St. Thomas (Jan 8). The paperwork we were given said that the estimated departure time for each of the luggage numbers were:

#01-08: 8am-8:15am

#10-19: 8:20am-9:00am

#20-29:9:10am-9:50am

#30-34:9:50am-10:00am

So here was the actual time line for us:

8:36am: Luggage Group #16 was told thru the PA system to begin disembarking

8:46am: Luggage Group #18 was told to begin disembarking

9:08am: we (#20) began lining up to go to Deck 2 to disembark

9:10am: we step off Celebrity Eclipse.

9:15am: our line moves into the baggage claim area. We find our 6 bags pretty quickly and then line up to go thru customs/immigration. There are 5 desks that are open. There appeared to be enough baggage porters available for anybody that wanted one.

9:44am: we are officially in the USA (1st time in 2014!) and now line up for a taxi. Our line is not very long but the line also merges with people from another line looking for a taxi (they are from another terminal). When we reached the front of the line, we told the taxi dispatcher there that we needed a minivan/SUV for the 4 of us and all our luggage. She asks us to stand to the side where there were some other groups waiting for a large taxi.

9:53am: we are directed to a SUV taxi to take us to FLL.

10:02am: we arrive in our taxi to the Southwest terminal at FLL. The taxis fare is $19.70.

We got to the airport too early to check our bags--we had to wait until noon--3 hrs before our flight was scheduled to leave. After we checked our bags, we found the line to the security checkpoint to Terminal 1 (Southwest Airlines) to be incredibly long. With all the cruise ships in town (4 including gigantic Oasis of the Seas), it was crowded. The line backed up all the way across the skywalk over the street and we found the end of the line where the car rental desks were. Fortunately the line moved very quickly, so it looked worse than it turned out to be. Also there were TSA agents managing the line to help people find the end of the line and they were on the lookout for passengers in the long line whose flight was leaving within 30 minutes.

Waiting for our taxi at FLL:

I had posted this information on another thread last month detailing our Eclipse disembarkation experience on Jan 11. This is the same disembarkation that Pilot70D (whom we had the pleasure of meeting several times aboard Eclipse):

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Maybe because I had a whole year to get worked up about this after reading the many bad reports, our experience with getting off Eclipse today at Port Everglades actually went very well.

 

In preparation for this problem, I booked a 3PM flight out of FLL today (we are now at the airport). I was also planning on using Luggage Valet to avoid having to wait for our luggage. Unfortunately Luggage Valet was not available for Southwest Airline passengers--at least for this sailing.

 

We were assigned Group 20 luggage tags which were given to us on the evening the ship left St. Thomas (Jan 8). The paperwork we were given said that the estimated departure time for each of the luggage numbers were:

 

#01-08: 8am-8:15am

#10-19: 8:20am-9:00am

#20-29:9:10am-9:50am

#30-34:9:50am-10:00am

 

So here was the actual time line for us:

 

8:36am: Luggage Group #16 was told thru the PA system to begin disembarking

8:46am: Luggage Group #18 was told to begin disembarking

9:08am: we (#20) began lining up to go to Deck 2 to disembark

9:10am: we step off Celebrity Eclipse.

9:15am: our line moves into the baggage claim area. We find our 6 bags pretty quickly and then line up to go thru customs/immigration. There are 5 desks that are open. There appeared to be enough baggage porters available for anybody that wanted one.

9:44am: we are officially in the USA (1st time in 2014!) and now line up for a taxi. Our line is not very long but the line also merges with people from another line looking for a taxi (they are from another terminal). When we reached the front of the line, we told the taxi dispatcher there that we needed a minivan/SUV for the 4 of us and all our luggage. She asks us to stand to the side where there were some other groups waiting for a large taxi.

9:53am: we are directed to a SUV taxi to take us to FLL.

10:02am: we arrive in our taxi to the Southwest terminal at FLL. The taxis fare is $19.70.

 

We got to the airport too early to check our bags--we had to wait until noon--3 hrs before our flight was scheduled to leave. After we checked our bags, we found the line to the security checkpoint to Terminal 1 (Southwest Airlines) to be incredibly long. With all the cruise ships in town (4 including gigantic Oasis of the Seas), it was crowded. The line backed up all the way across the skywalk over the street and we found the end of the line where the car rental desks were. Fortunately the line moved very quickly, so it looked worse than it turned out to be. Also there were TSA agents managing the line to help people find the end of the line and they were on the lookout for passengers in the long line whose flight was leaving within 30 minutes.

 

Waiting for our taxi at FLL:

Thank you for your detailed post. It lets me know that we need to be in an early disembarkation group to make an 11:40 flight. The later groups seem to have the most delays and longest lines.

The problems are specific to the terminal used by Eclipse and seem to be the reason that Eclipse will sail out of Miami in 2015.

Thank you for your detailed post. It lets me know that we need to be in an early disembarkation group to make an 11:40 flight. The later groups seem to have the most delays and longest lines.

Your welcome. Host Andy made the same observation about getting a lower number when he disembarked Eclipse on Nov 30.

Does anyone recall the cost for using the luggage valet? We will have 3 spinner bags (Two 29" and One 25") and will be flying Jet Blue which does not charge for the first bag. TIA.

Luggage Valet was $20 per person. You would still have to pay the bag fees that Jet Blue would charge.

Luggage Valet was $20 per person. You would still have to pay the bag fees that Jet Blue would charge.

Thanks. That helps with the disembarkation strategy. Our flight doesn't depart FLL until 12:40, but the having our luggage taken care of is rather appealing. As one of the other posters noted, it would be nice if those without luggage didn't have to go through the long custom lines. No biggie. Ready to set sail.

We were on Eclipse last February and disembarkation was fine. We had an 11:25 flight and were called out of the theater around 8:30-8:45. In the cruise terminal we shared a porter with another family. The customs line was typical. We walked out and right up to a cab. We were at the airport (FLL) by about 10 to 10:15. Funny though how I always start with a 11:30 or later fight but Delta always moves it to just before 11:30 meaning we cannot use luggage vallet. I would strongly advise anyone who can to use luggage valet. I loved not having to look for bags and drag them around. Well worth the fee.

The only problem we had with disembarkation is the people who should be waiting INSIDE the theater refuse to and stand outside the doors, on the stairs and make the elevator area very congested. Even those who do technically stand inside the theater, do just that and apparently are afraid to sit down in a seat so people can get up and down the stairs.

Good luck :)

We debarked from the eclipse on January 25 and we're unable to use luggage valet as we had an 11:22 flight. We had #3 luggage tags and were called around 7:45 (earlier than listed) we were in the airport terminal by 8:20. The bags were easy to find, custom lines were short, and cabs were available, but this was probably because lines had not yet backed up. It was a lot easier than the same time last year.