Cab vs. Carnival Shuttle

[ts2wart]

What is your preference? I am a solo traveller so my thought is that it might be cheaper for me to use the Carnival Shuttle....it runs $40 for round trip. Whereas a taxi runs $30-$40 each way. Any thoughts? Thx!:)

[originalgeek]

My first preference would be Uber or Lyft.

 

If for some reason they are outrageously more expensive than the shuttle I would look into alternate shuttle services - but I would want to know how long I had to wait for either shuttle to fill up or if they'd take me right away.

 

IF CC shuttle is 10 bucks cheaper but I have to wait 2 hours while they get enough people to run and the other shuttle will take me right now, I'm spending the extra ten. If it's an extra 40 I might just look for a comfy bench and read. Spend 20 on beers and be ahead 20 bucks.

[Micahs Grandad]

Should be able to share cab on way back to airport

[sid_9169]

Yes, when you debark there will be a line for taxis, just ask aloud if anyone wants to split a cab... Most people in the taxi line are going to the same place...

Should be able to share cab on way back to airport

[TORQ]

[quote name=originalgeek

 

If for some reason they are outrageously more expensive than the shuttle I would look into alternate shuttle services - but I would want to know how long I had to wait for either shuttle to fill up or if they'd take me right away.

 

IF CC shuttle is 10 bucks cheaper but I have to wait 2 hours while they get enough people to run and the other shuttle will take me right now' date=' I'm spending the extra ten. If it's an extra 40 I might just look for a comfy bench and read. Spend 20 on beers and be ahead 20 bucks.[/quote]

 

Honestly don't think, I could have said it better.

[coevan]

Uber or Lyft are much cheaper than taxis

[riclop]

What is your preference? I am a solo traveller so my thought is that it might be cheaper for me to use the Carnival Shuttle....it runs $40 for round trip. Whereas a taxi runs $30-$40 each way. Any thoughts? Thx!:)

 

From where?????

[hayfieldfarm]

If you fly into Miami, take the shuttle and check in at the baggage claim area.

[Elaine5715]

My first preference would be Uber or Lyft.

 

If for some reason they are outrageously more expensive than the shuttle I would look into alternate shuttle services - but I would want to know how long I had to wait for either shuttle to fill up or if they'd take me right away.

 

IF CC shuttle is 10 bucks cheaper but I have to wait 2 hours while they get enough people to run and the other shuttle will take me right now, I'm spending the extra ten. If it's an extra 40 I might just look for a comfy bench and read. Spend 20 on beers and be ahead 20 bucks.

 

Why would you be waiting two hours? I have never waited on the bus more than the time it took to load gathered passengers and their luggage in 20 cruises on Carnival shuttles. Bonus using Carnival transfers is you can enter the terminal if you don't have an early enter time or priority status.

[originalgeek]

I see people here complaining all the time the Carnival shuttles will wait to fill up. That's why I'd want to know how long they'd take. If they don't wait long then everything is fine.

 

sent from my galaxy tab a

[Markmom18]

Hi,

My Mom didn't ask me before she booked our Carnival Shuttle , going to the Jacksonville Airport after the ship gets into Port.

As it is she has a pick ip time between 11:00am - 5:00pm. She flies at 12:15pm... I don't believe she thought this through or else looked at the details.

Can she cancel this Shuttle via Carnival Website??? I agree to just grab a taxi or Shuttle at the Terminal. My husband and I used the Free Shuttle that was part of a package deal in Mexico. Geebuzz.....had to wait to fill the Shuttle ....then we are the next to the last stop. We arrived at our hotel hours after landing. Never ever again have we taken the "Free" Shuttle.

Plus, My Mom needs to be at the airport way before 11:00am...not just getting onboard a Shuttle.

Sorry for the length, yeah bottom line can we cancel and get a reimbursement? Our Cruise is this Saturday.

Thanks,

Bobbi

[easyboy]

What is your preference? I am a solo traveller so my thought is that it might be cheaper for me to use the Carnival Shuttle....it runs $40 for round trip. Whereas a taxi runs $30-$40 each way. Any thoughts? Thx!:)

I prefer the taxi or Uber. Gives me flexibility to get moving.

[cplcincyeastside]

If you check in at the airport then you will not have to mess with all of that at the terminal.

When you get off the bus they unload all the bags all you have to do is take them a few feet to the carnival

baggage folks. then enter and wait to be called to board the ship.

[dmdiver]

We used the Carnival shuttle once in Miami - never again. It was a nice large bus. However, we waited outside in the summer heat in line with lots of other cruisers. I'm pretty sure the total wait/transport time was 2 hours. Fortunately, only 45 minutes of that was in the sun. We usually split a taxi with another couple.

 

In Ft. Lauderdale, we used Uber. Best experience ever. Nice drivers, clean cars & the price was roughly half of what a taxi would have charged us.

[Micahs Grandad]

I see people here complaining all the time the Carnival shuttles will wait to fill up. That's why I'd want to know how long they'd take. If they don't wait long then everything is fine.

 

sent from my galaxy tab a

 

Depends upon how long it takes to fill them. Sometimes few minutes sometimes an hour. I do not have the patience to wait so never again for me.

[ts2wart]

Thanks everybody, that is good advice and suggestions. After thinking about it, I don't want to wait on a shuttle to fill up so will check into Uber from airport to port and then possibly share a cab on return trip.

[originalgeek]

Thanks everybody, that is good advice and suggestions. After thinking about it, I don't want to wait on a shuttle to fill up so will check into Uber from airport to port and then possibly share a cab on return trip.

 

the nice thing is you can put in the addresses and get a good idea of pricing for the uber ride. Of course, there may be surge pricing in effect at the time you actually go but it will give you a pretty decent point of reference to make your decision on..

[Elaine5715]

I see people here complaining all the time the Carnival shuttles will wait to fill up. That's why I'd want to know how long they'd take. If they don't wait long then everything is fine.

 

sent from my galaxy tab a

 

What you see are from people who "heard" that. There may be a wait for the bus to pull up once they start running in the morning. But once the bus pulls up curbside, those folks and their luggage is loaded , the bus leaves to go to the next terminal or to the port. In almost 20 transfers, I have NEVER sat in an idling bus waiting for more guests to wander up.

 

Are other methods faster, sure. If you get to the shuttle spot right after the bus has left, you will wait for the next bus to arrive. Can any other method get you into the terminal if your check in window hasn't opened? In case of a breakdown or massive traffic jam, will any other method guarantee your arrival?

[originalgeek]

What you see are from people who "heard" that. There may be a wait for the bus to pull up once they start running in the morning. But once the bus pulls up curbside, those folks and their luggage is loaded , the bus leaves to go to the next terminal or to the port. In almost 20 transfers, I have NEVER sat in an idling bus waiting for more guests to wander up.

 

Are other methods faster, sure. If you get to the shuttle spot right after the bus has left, you will wait for the next bus to arrive. Can any other method get you into the terminal if your check in window hasn't opened? In case of a breakdown or massive traffic jam, will any other method guarantee your arrival?

 

There are examples in this thread of people waiting an hour and more. Your 20 transfers are not a representative sample size of all cruise ports or cruisers. Awesome you didn't have to wait but others have. There are faster and cheaper ways to get from an airport to a cruise port.

[Elaine5715]

There are examples in this thread of people waiting an hour and more. Your 20 transfers are not a representative sample size of all cruise ports or cruisers. Awesome you didn't have to wait but others have. There are faster and cheaper ways to get from an airport to a cruise port.

 

I see two examples one of where one "thinks" they waited 45 minutes going to the port and one when they are worried about waiting after the cruise. Two different scenarios. After the cruise, of course, they wait for the buses to fill. There is a stream of people coming immediately from the same ship. I have been on buses leaving the cruise both full and half empty, depending on where they are told to go.

 

It isn't cheaper for a solo.

 

I also have read threads where people are freaking out when MIami streets were closed due to a marathon and people were delayed getting to port. Not a problem on the shuttle.

[originalgeek]

I see two examples one of where one "thinks" they waited 45 minutes going to the port and one when they are worried about waiting after the cruise. Two different scenarios. After the cruise, of course, they wait for the buses to fill. There is a stream of people coming immediately from the same ship. I have been on buses leaving the cruise both full and half empty, depending on where they are told to go.

 

It isn't cheaper for a solo.

 

I also have read threads where people are freaking out when MIami streets were closed due to a marathon and people were delayed getting to port. Not a problem on the shuttle.

That's just in this thread. I've seen plenty of other posts from people who had to wait. I'm not willing to wait if I don't have to but I'm also not willing to spend a lot more not to wait.

Also, op never said where they were cruising from. Just because you haven't had to wait doesn't mean nobody has.

I'm sorry if you think I'm impugning the good name of your beloved shuttle service but I'm not. I don't even blame the shuttle for filling up first. They gotta run how they feel is best for them. if that also works for you then great! Hop on that shuttle.

But if I have to wait and I can find an alternative to the shuttle that fits my time and money requirements, I'm taking it.

 

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[Elaine5715]

That's just in this thread. I've seen plenty of other posts from people who had to wait. I'm not willing to wait if I don't have to but I'm also not willing to spend a lot more not to wait.

Also, op never said where they were cruising from. Just because you haven't had to wait doesn't mean nobody has.

I'm sorry if you think I'm impugning the good name of your beloved shuttle service but I'm not. I don't even blame the shuttle for filling up first. They gotta run how they feel is best for them. if that also works for you then great! Hop on that shuttle.

But if I have to wait and I can find an alternative to the shuttle that fits my time and money requirements, I'm taking it.

 

Sent from my SM-N920T using Forums mobile app

 

Just make your choice on facts and your experience, not what someone who has "heard" posts. Many of these folks are not solos so there is rarely any savings for us. Solos can also get squeezed out when the transfer company has sent a shared van and a large group has added people. While they will send another vehicle, the large group gets priority.

[jdemps]

My first preference would be Uber or Lyft.

 

If for some reason they are outrageously more expensive than the shuttle I would look into alternate shuttle services - but I would want to know how long I had to wait for either shuttle to fill up or if they'd take me right away.

 

IF CC shuttle is 10 bucks cheaper but I have to wait 2 hours while they get enough people to run and the other shuttle will take me right now, I'm spending the extra ten. If it's an extra 40 I might just look for a comfy bench and read. Spend 20 on beers and be ahead 20 bucks.

 

This is 100% us! We have zero patience for waiting on the herds to fill up shuttles and then some of them even go other places besides the pier. ugh. The most we've paid for uber was $63 for 4 from orange county airport to long beach pier and that was for the nicer uber XL to guarantee luggage room for 4. If you keep it to one suitcase per person, a regular uber would be just fine and probably 2/3 the price! lesson learned.

[originalgeek]

Just make your choice on facts and your experience, not what someone who has "heard" posts. Many of these folks are not solos so there is rarely any savings for us. Solos can also get squeezed out when the transfer company has sent a shared van and a large group has added people. While they will send another vehicle, the large group gets priority.

 

If Micah'sGranDad says he waited an hour I believe him. That's a fact to me. (Sorry to bring you in to this MGD lol. I think yours was one of the ones who had to wait and said "never again"). I can't even count how many "never again!" posts I've seen regarding Carnival transfers/shuttles.

 

That is plenty enough fact for me to do exactly what I said in my original reply - Solo cruiser asked for our opinions and I said my first preference would be Uber or Lyft. I've had experience with them. They are cheap and reliable.

 

I've never used a carnival shuttle but I have read first-hand experiences here from people who have and they won't use them again. And even then, I still said in my reply that would like to see what the wait times and prices were before making a decision. That's me using facts that I would gather at the time of shuttling to make my decision.

 

So there was no need at all for your snarky "WHY WOULD YOU WAIT 2 HOURS?!?!?!" reply to my preferences. I clearly said I would like to find out the facts and based on past experiences of people here I have an idea that not every transfer is lickety-split.

 

Congrats on never having to wait. I'm sure all the people hanging out at the airport waiting on their shuttle thinking "never again!" will take comfort knowing Elaine got to zip right over to the port. But then again, I've only "read" that you never have to wait. I learned from some lady at Cruise Critic that I shouldn't just rely on what I read here. So you'll just have to forgive me if I don't take your word for it and chuckle a bit as I Uber past the waiting shuttle on my way to vacation.

Edited February 10, 2017 by originalgeek

[Elaine5715]

If Micah'sGranDad says he waited an hour I believe him. That's a fact to me. (Sorry to bring you in to this MGD lol. I think yours was one of the ones who had to wait and said "never again"). I can't even count how many "never again!" posts I've seen regarding Carnival transfers/shuttles.

 

That is plenty enough fact for me to do exactly what I said in my original reply - Solo cruiser asked for our opinions and I said my first preference would be Uber or Lyft. I've had experience with them. They are cheap and reliable.

 

I've never used a carnival shuttle but I have read first-hand experiences here from people who have and they won't use them again. And even then, I still said in my reply that would like to see what the wait times and prices were before making a decision. That's me using facts that I would gather at the time of shuttling to make my decision.

 

So there was no need at all for your snarky "WHY WOULD YOU WAIT 2 HOURS?!?!?!" reply to my preferences. I clearly said I would like to find out the facts and based on past experiences of people here I have an idea that not every transfer is lickety-split.

 

Congrats on never having to wait. I'm sure all the people hanging out at the airport waiting on their shuttle thinking "never again!" will take comfort knowing Elaine got to zip right over to the port. But then again, I've only "read" that you never have to wait. I learned from some lady at Cruise Critic that I shouldn't just rely on what I read here. So you'll just have to forgive me if I don't take your word for it and chuckle a bit as I Uber past the waiting shuttle on my way to vacation.

 

No one has been shot, raped or robbed on a Carnival shuttle. Can't say that about Uber or Lyft. So, you will forgive me if I don't jump in the back seat of some stranger whose insurance isn't going to cover me if they broadside a bus or whose qualification is a cell phone app. You also keep harping on cheap but there is little savings for a solo traveler. Could also be more expensive should surge price hits.