Your thoughts!!! Arrive POM @ 8:00 a.m. or Noon

[QTPieRye]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

[Captain Carnival]

imo: 0800

[Georgiagolfer]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

 

Sailed from Miami several times, and do not remember anywhere to get breakfast at the Port. Of course, I wasn't looking for a place either.

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

I think you will be sitting on the sidewalk for 2 hours if you arrive at 8am..

[QTPieRye]

Sailed from Miami several times, and do not remember anywhere to get breakfast at the Port. Of course, I wasn't looking for a place either.

 

Not necessarily a restaurant, but a place to sit and have some coffee or toast and watch the hussle and bussle while we wait :)

[skipnpeanut]

I dont recall seeing any place to get coffee and toast. You probably wont be able to get on ship till 11:00-12:00.

[ready2cruzagain]

Seems like a pretty long wait. I can't even think of anywhere to get toast and coffee at the terminal. Pretty much nothing around. I am not even sure about entering the terminal since so early or even if the porters would take the luggage yet since the terminal is full of luggage from people disembarking. I would personally be afraid it might get lost.

 

As one poster stated...you might be outside waiting. At least it is covered if that happens.

[patz]

You can take a short cab ride to Bayside market/mall. There are lots of restaurants. Last January on our b2b, passengers were embarking at 11:15 am.

[golfadj]

Not necessarily a restaurant, but a place to sit and have some coffee or toast and watch the hussle and bussle while we wait :)

 

Better plan on bringing your breakfast or taking a cab to get it.

[Tapi]

No place near the port to even grab coffee. It's going to be a looooong morning.

[JerseyshoreBruce]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

 

Yes thats a bit early.......10am at the earliest......they will have you right on with FTTF

[soccersharon]

Not sure it's worth getting there that early, especially given you have purchased FTTF. I would go with 10:00 am. On our last Liberty cruise, we purchased FTTF. We arrived around 11:15 am, and we were on the ship by 11:45! Didn't even have time to sit down and wait. Was it worth it - yes!

 

Out of curiosity, how much of a discount is the transport company offering you?

[deborahjo]

We are doing the same thing. We are getting to the Port at around 8:15 am. Sorry but I love getting to the port early. It is a day of my cruise after all.

[SMSACE6]

Even with fttf, I would still rather go at noon. You get to sleep longer and enjoy breakfast at your hotel.

 

But if you decide to go for the early arrival at pom, then take along some breakfast muffins or such. Im not sure they even let inside the check in building that early. Once you are at the port, and inside the building, I have not ever seen a place for coffee or food.

[crusinpsychRN]

Do you know if you will be allowed to drop luggage at 8am at port? If you can, do so then have the shuttle take you back to the market area. That or a cab both ways. But that seems to eat up whatever you save...so, noon. Enjoy breakfast, relax and don't stress over not being among first on the ship.

[stargate fan]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

 

We sailed out of POM this past April. We arrived at the port at 8:30. The porters took our luggage right away. The port building wasn't open for passengers yet, so we just stood outside and waited ever so patently. We were allowed in by 10:00. But since it was the start of our vacation, it was worth getting there early. In fact, we'll be doing it again next month for our Breeze cruise.

 

There is nowhere to eat right at the port. But a quick taxi ride away is the Bayside Marketplace. There you'll find all kinds of eating venues.

 

[cruisinfanatic]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

8 is way too early. There is no food at the port. How many of you are there?

[bitemyfly]

If getting there at 8. Beside bring your coffee I have a couple bottles of cold water for ea person

 

2 hr wait

[okgirl]

I think you will be sitting on the sidewalk for 2 hours if you arrive at 8am..

 

That's exactly right and I'm not sure if there is a restroom unlocked that you can get to that early. They definately won't let you in the terminal building if you need to go.

 

Not necessarily a restaurant, but a place to sit and have some coffee or toast and watch the hussle and bussle while we wait :)

 

Nothing, no vending machines or anything.

 

I would probably see if he would drop you at Bayside Market for breakfast over there and then grab a cab to the pier. Or just take water and a box of poptarts.

 

Have you checked the prices for SAS? Last time I took them it was $14 per person, and you can schedule a more decent pickup time.

[soccersharon]

That's exactly right and I'm not sure if there is a restroom unlocked that you can get to that early. They definately won't let you in the terminal building if you need to go.

 

 

 

Nothing, no vending machines or anything.

 

I would probably see if he would drop you at Bayside Market for breakfast over there and then grab a cab to the pier. Or just take water and a box of poptarts.

 

Have you checked the prices for SAS? Last time I took them it was $14 per person, and you can schedule a more decent pickup time.

 

 

SAS charges $15 per person - 4 pax or fewer, and $13 per person, 5 pax and over. Great service! Use them all the time!

[Jimmy Geegitz]

For our upcoming cruise, I've found a transportation company that will cut us a deal on our fare from Fort Lauderdale beach to POM if we go early a.m., arriving the POM around 8 a.m. (so they can pick up the disembarking passengers).

 

It seems like every shuttle service I've found in Fort Laud area departs for POM around 10, and I've read reports that they often make stops on the way. Thus, sometimes you don't arrive to the POM until 11 am to Noon.

 

Since we purchased FTTF, my first thought was we could arrive at the POM at 8 a.m. and check in our luggage and then have breakfast until FTTF gets called. Just curious what my CC'ers would do?!?!

 

Even with FTTF you will be sitting around for 2-3 hours.

[wrigley80]

We cruise out of the Port of Miami in December and we will drop off our rental car early and then head on over to the port early....gotta love that Platinum Priority Embarkation

[Mr305]

To leave Fort Lauderdale and get to POM at 8am, that means you'll be leaving your hotel around 6:45am or 7am, especially if it's a weekday due to traffic. There are no restaurants at the port as others have stated and there might not be many restaurants open at Bayside that early in the morning. Most of them are chain restaurants that open for lunch and dinner. On my last cruise, I got to the port at 10:30am and was on the ship by 11am without FTTF. Have you checked the price of a taxi? Not sure how large your group is. Another option is Super Shuttle, yes, they do drive around to pick up others. However, if you have a large group and can fill the van, it's a straight drive to the port. Sitting outside a building for 2 hours on a humid Miami morning is not fun.

[Eliot Ness]

If you get there that early and pax are already departing it will be pretty hectic. At that hour they're all geared to getting people and luggage out, not in. I dropped our luggage off at Port Canaveral last year about 9 and I was like a salmon trying to swim upstream ;). They finally called over a supervisor who knew what to do.

 

With that being said I guess I'd rather sit there and wait for a couple of hours people watching than get there at noon. I'd just bring some water and munchies, find a place off to the side to sit, and wait until they'll let you in the doors.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

John

[QTPieRye]

Thanks for your opinions everyone! We've contacted both SAS and QLS, and both pick up at FLL airport around 10:00 and have advised that we would not arrive at the port until around 11:30 - 12:00, depending on the number of stops.

They cannot promise getting there before Noon. Otherwise, we would probably opt to do that; however, since we have FTTF I thought it might be better to do this. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm :D