How early can I show up to the port?

[Kevin]

My family and I are doing a side by side out of Ft Lauderdale in June.  First on the Disney Magic and then on the Celebrity Beyond. 
 

I don’t imagine we will be allowed to remain on the Disney ship long and will probably be off around 9am. 
 

It does not look like it is walkable from Disney to Celebrity so some time will be taken by getting an Uber or two to get the four of us and our stuff. 
 

Realistically we might be at the Celebrity terminal at 9:30-10:00am. 
 

If it matters we are sailing in a sky suite and all have Retreat access. 
 

Will they be ready to let us in the terminal that early?  I know they will be disembarking their own ship full of people. 

[tfred]

Sky suite can board at 11. There is a lounge that is available to wait. Certainly opens at 10, maybe as early as 930 ?  Go to the ship as the wait wouldn’t be long. 

[cruisestitch]

They probably will not be ready to let you into the terminal that early, but there are benches outside so you should be able to wait comfortably.   When they open the doors, you will be admitted to the suite lounge to wait there.

[keesar]

2 hours ago, Kevin said:

My family and I are doing a side by side out of Ft Lauderdale in June.  First on the Disney Magic and then on the Celebrity Beyond. 
 

I don’t imagine we will be allowed to remain on the Disney ship long and will probably be off around 9am. 
 

It does not look like it is walkable from Disney to Celebrity so some time will be taken by getting an Uber or two to get the four of us and our stuff. 
 

Realistically we might be at the Celebrity terminal at 9:30-10:00am. 
 

If it matters we are sailing in a sky suite and all have Retreat access. 
 

Will they be ready to let us in the terminal that early?  I know they will be disembarking their own ship full of people. 

You should consider the weather.  If it is raining before they open the doors, you will be miserable.  We were not able to get in to the Terminal until 11 am.  

[Kevin]

Do you think this is something the Retreat team could answer with authority or something too far removed from the corporate office for the answer to be reliable?

[jelayne]

4 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Do you think this is something the Retreat team could answer with authority or something too far removed from the corporate office for the answer to be reliable?

The port determines when to open the terminal.  Our experience in Fort Lauderdale is that the terminal doors are opened around 11. 
 

I asked the Retreat team about the time we could enter the terminal in Sydney.  They were emphatic that noon was the earliest.  In reality bag drop off was available at 9:30 and the terminal opened before 11. 

[BettyCruiser]

They usually start boarding the ship about 11, so for sure you can get into the Retreat lounge before then. I’m sure others with recent experience will chime in. My advice would be to be the last to leave the first ship and then make your way to Beyond and I’m sure you can get into the terminal. 

[keesar]

1 hour ago, Kevin said:

Do you think this is something the Retreat team could answer with authority or something too far removed from the corporate office for the answer to be reliable?

There are many factors involved.  Sometimes, boarding can be delayed due to inspections, missing passengers, etc.  I personally would not arrive before 11 am.

[cruisestitch]

The problem is that you may not have much choice. They will kick you off your first ship probably by about 9:30.  Then you will be ready whenever they let you into the next ship’s terminal but you won’t have any control over what time that might be

[Kevin]

I guess I might be safest to just hang out at the Disney terminal and not call an Uber until I think Celebrity will allow me to enter the terminal. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We sailed from t25 in August.  Told the Shoreside Concierge that we would be at the terminal at 10:30 and it was no problem we got right in and waited on the lounge to board.

There were people there before us.

Edited April 21 by CHEZMARYLOU

[1025cruise]

Just take a taxi, don't Uber. You won't get a driver that will drive you between terminals. Promise the taxi driver a very good tip.

[cruisestitch]

3 hours ago, Kevin said:

I guess I might be safest to just hang out at the Disney terminal and not call an Uber until I think Celebrity will allow me to enter the terminal. 

Every terminal is different, of course but I doubt if there’s anywhere you can “hang out” at inside the Disney terminal. They generally shoo you out of the terminal buildings as quickly as possible with a “move along please”.  There are no facilities or waiting areas for departing passengers indoors.

[Bosjoe]

22 hours ago, Kevin said:

My family and I are doing a side by side out of Ft Lauderdale in June.  First on the Disney Magic and then on the Celebrity Beyond. 
 

I don’t imagine we will be allowed to remain on the Disney ship long and will probably be off around 9am. 
 

It does not look like it is walkable from Disney to Celebrity so some time will be taken by getting an Uber or two to get the four of us and our stuff. 
 

Realistically we might be at the Celebrity terminal at 9:30-10:00am. 
 

If it matters we are sailing in a sky suite and all have Retreat access. 
 

Will they be ready to let us in the terminal that early?  I know they will be disembarking their own ship full of people. 

Terminal doors to let people come in started around 10am, as you are in a suite they will bring you to a different room. They started letting us on just about 11am.  this was 2 weeks ago on Ascent. 

[Kevin]

5 minutes ago, Bosjoe said:

Terminal doors to let people come in started around 10am, as you are in a suite they will bring you to a different room. They started letting us on just about 11am.  this was 2 weeks ago on Ascent. 

Thanks for the recent report.

 

We will try our best to hang out on Disney as long as possible to time our arrival for 10am.

[Straughn]

My experiences at Port Everglades have been that the terminal has been open at 10 AM and I was able to get into The Retreat Lounge with no issues.  Be sure to have your Express Pass handy to show the shoreside personnel who will direct you to suite checkin.

[PelicanLvr]

Let the disembarkation staff on cruise #1 know your changing ships and ask for the latest disembark time.  Take your time getting off and getting out to the curb.

 

Suggest you know or find out what an airport fare is and tell the cab driver(s) up front that you will pay that fare.  They certainly don't want to wait in the taxi line for an intra port fare.

 

By the time you arrive for cruise #2 the terminal should be open.

 

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I noticed a sign at the taxi stand at Port Everglades about inter terminal transfers. I think it had a cost posted, not that the taxi drivers follow the rules.

[dabear]

There also are shuttles inside Port Everglades that I recall go to parking lots & possibly other terminals. In fact if your X cruise is at terminal 25 there is a parking lot directly across the street. There is a map of the port online so that you could find out the parking lot number to get the shuttle & then walk across the street.