Rootie8715 Posted April 1, 2017 #1 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I am traveling a red eye with three generations and fear the rep won't be there and we will be milling around three hours waiting for other passengers to arrive. We booked the Pretrip package with Princess and will have one full day in Ft. Lauderdale before boarding our cruise the following day. I don't want to be exhausted and waste a day hanging out at the airport. We leave next Wednesday night. Any advice is appreciated. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted April 1, 2017 #2 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I am traveling a red eye with three generations and fear the rep won't be there and we will be milling around three hours waiting for other passengers to arrive. We booked the Pretrip package with Princess and will have one full day in Ft. Lauderdale before boarding our cruise the following day. I don't want to be exhausted and waste a day hanging out at the airport. We leave next Wednesday night. Any advice is appreciated. Around 10:00am or later. They are still disembarking passengers until 9:30 or so. They don't want create crowding issues before the ship is cleared for the next cruise. You would be better to take Uber or a taxi. It's a very short distance away. You can actually see the ship from the airport. Taxi around $15 Uber around $10-$12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1025cruise Posted April 1, 2017 #3 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I would doubt that a rep will be there that early. In this case, I would call and ask. Also see if they will let you check in to the hotel early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triple7tahoe Posted April 1, 2017 #4 Share Posted April 1, 2017 When I was doing a similar job in SFO for the company that Princess hires on the West Coast, our reps started arriving at the airport at 0700- Certainly does not assure the same thing for FLL:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skynight Posted April 1, 2017 #5 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I am traveling a red eye with three generations and fear the rep won't be there and we will be milling around three hours waiting for other passengers to arrive.We booked the Pretrip package with Princess and will have one full day in Ft. Lauderdale before boarding our cruise the following day. I don't want to be exhausted and waste a day hanging out at the airport. We leave next Wednesday night. Any advice is appreciated. Sent from my iPad using Forums You are arriving 6am day 1, spending the day in Ft. Lauderdale, staying overnight at a Princess booked hotel, and then boarding the next day? If this is correct contact Princess to see if someone will be at the airport when your flight arrives to transfer you to the hotel. Also, determine if you can check into the hotel early in the morning, this may be possible. In any case the hotel will almost certainly store your luggage until check in. If you have to take a taxi to the hotel the cost will not be very high. Normal Princess bus transfers between the airport and the pier don't start until later in the morning. I don't think you will be on one of those. One time a few years ago when we booked a Princess hotel package a private cab driver/greeter met us at the airport and transferred us to the hotel. We were the only ones arriving. You will have to ask Princess how their hotel package transfers work. Just for information the transfer from the hotel to the pier will be right around 1pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennypuccinelli Posted April 1, 2017 #6 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Not sure if transportation is different at MIA but we are doing a red eye on the 16th and Princess said our transfer to the ship wouldn't be there until noon. We've since made other plans. Definitely don't want to be at the airport for 6 hours! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted April 1, 2017 #7 Share Posted April 1, 2017 The reps may be there early however the coaches won't leave until at least 10 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILShipmates Posted April 1, 2017 #8 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Not sure if transportation is different at MIA but we are doing a red eye on the 16th and Princess said our transfer to the ship wouldn't be there until noon. We've since made other plans. Definitely don't want to be at the airport for 6 hours! Sent from my iPhone using Forums There seems to be a little confusion here. Some people are talking about arriving early the morning of the cruise while the question was bout arriving early the day before the cruise. From my experience, if arriving the day of the cruise, there will be a rep there around 8 or so, but the buses will not start till 9:30 -10 after dropping the pax from the ship off. If arriving the day before, it will depend on how many people they have coming in for the pre-cruise package and when they arrive. We came in at an odd time as we were picked up by a limo service. Is that the usual????? But there should be someone there you can take to as long as Princess knows your flight info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishywood Posted April 1, 2017 #9 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Several of the above replies has missed the fact that the OP is headed for the Princess hotel, not the port. The transfer is included in the pre-cruise hotel cost so suggesting they just take a taxi is a no go. Because there are a very small number of passengers headed to the hotel the day before the cruise vs. the transfer from airport to port the morning of the cruise, Princess uses individual van or car transfers rather than a coach. So the OP will not have to wait for the transfer to fill up, and they should expect to be promptly greeted--I have seen a gaggle of Princess reps in the baggage claim at FLL at 7 AM the times I have happened to be picking someone up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF-1 Posted April 1, 2017 #10 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Contact your travel or your cruise agent. They should have an idea; seems they will have a limo meet you and transport to your hotel. How many are in your group; it could be a shuttle van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted April 1, 2017 #11 Share Posted April 1, 2017 The one time we did the precruise package there were about 20 people on the bus and dropped off at three hotels. Ours was the Holiday Inn North. Worked ok, but very expensive. You also SHOULD be greeted in the baggage area whenever you are arriving and they might use a smaller vehicle to take you to the hotel if they don't have more flights coming in within an hour or so. With this package they should let you check in early (given that you are paying rack rate per person instead of current rates at the hotel). Transfer to the ship the next day may not leave until noon, but you can leave your luggage with the agent at the hotel and get a cab earlier. Not sure how many people in your party, but for five or six it would probably be much cheaper and more convenient to rent a van and get your own hotel reservations. Even with $20 parking fee at the hotel you still would come out ahead. For example the Embassy Suites lets you check in early for around $20 and many hotels will do it for free if rooms are open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootie8715 Posted April 1, 2017 Author #12 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Hindsight is 2020. We haven't cruised out of our non home port since 2006. Before Uber...I truly wasn't thinking and of course should have just booked it myself. No biggie...just don't want to be at the airport for hours with weary travelers. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted April 1, 2017 #13 Share Posted April 1, 2017 I was in the same boat as you in FLL. Had 3 generations, including elderly grandmas. Our boarding time wasn't until 2:30pm and our arrival was 5am. Princess told us the desk wouldn't be running until 8, so we made alternative arrangements. We found the least expensive, most basic motel that wasn't a complete crime scene (I *think* it may have been the Motel 6 Dania Beach) nd booked it for the night before so we were guaranteed a room when we arrived in the wee hours of the morning. Please note that at any hotel that there is usually a release time, maybe 4AM, where even if you have a guaranteed, pre-paid room, if you haven't shown up, they can release it. So in my case, I made the reservation. Called the hotel reservation number, had them add it that I was an early morning arrival. Then I called the hotel front desk just before we got the plane and confirmed with them. Then as soon as we got off the plane in FLL, I called the hotel front desk again and confirmed. No problems. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclop Posted April 2, 2017 #14 Share Posted April 2, 2017 I am traveling a red eye with three generations and fear the rep won't be there and we will be milling around three hours waiting for other passengers to arrive. We booked the Pretrip package with Princess and will have one full day in Ft. Lauderdale before boarding our cruise the following day. I don't want to be exhausted and waste a day hanging out at the airport. We leave next Wednesday night. Any advice is appreciated. Sent from my iPad using Forums The rep will not be there that early, the bus won't pick you up till 1100 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky TGO Posted April 2, 2017 #15 Share Posted April 2, 2017 If you are arriving one day before your cruise and staying at a hotel. Just call the hotel and ask them. I always arrive early and one day before the cruise. I call the hotel after I claim my luggage and they send the hotel van to pick us up right away (15 mins). Good luck, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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