plans for 6 hrs prior to plane

[msweezie99]

Hi, I am still trying to book airfare for our cruise in February. I found a cheaper flight out of Fort Lauderdale, at 5:45 PM. I've never cruised before, but heard we should be getting off the Enchantment by 10- 11 AM?.? What can a family of four with all our luggage do? Is there a car rental place nearby? Would it be worth it for the day until 5ish??? Since I would be saving $160 by taking the later flight? How much would a cab (big cab to hold our luggage) cost to take us somewhere for a few hours? But what would we do with our luggage for the time being???? My dilemma is that if I were to just catch an earlier plane out of Fort Lauderdale at 1 PM, it would cost my family $160 more, I figured I could just as well spend that money enjoying the day in Fort Lauderdale and catch the cheaper flight at 5:45, but I guess my main problem is lugging luggage around? Any ideas or suggestions?

 

Thanks, Lisa

[serene56]

I would spend the 160 to fly home at 1pm. Time is worth money also figure in what its gonna cost you to do something afterwards-plus renting a car etc etc. 160 for a 1pm flight is well worth it.

[packed&ready!]

I agree with Serene56, I hate to hang out at airports. But if you want to stay, don't sweat it. Take a van or regular cab from ship to airport, only about 5- 10 minutes away There are large lockers at FLL. There is a visitors booth at FLL that will tell you what bus to take into Ft.Lauderdale , go eat lunch and look around. I don't see the need to rent car. Just fooling with the computer- like lockers will eat your time. Thank goodness there is a 3pm flight for us out of FLL. It used to be only at 6pm. I think the bus ride was about 25 minutes each way. They will give you pamphlets about Ft. Lauderdale and bus schedules. Bon Voyage!

[Nitemare]

You can rent a car for under $40, easy. All the Rental companies have shuttles that will pick you up at the port.

[Jen_G]

Check on RCCL website to see if they have an excursion to the everglades. They will take you and your luggage to the everglades, then drop you at the airport afterwards. Or rent a car and do it on your own. That's what we plan to do when we get off our cruise in January. Our flight leaves at 8pm but we decided to spend the day in Florida. We got prices of around $45 total for the day to rent an suv. That should fit our luggage and our kids.

[trish1c]

Is it $160 total or per person? If it's per person I'd think about the later flight. Otherwise, spend the money & go home at 1 -- the aggrevation isn't worth it.

 

First, if you disembark at 10 am you'll hang around to get your luggage, clear customs etc. Then outside you go to catch a cab or shuttle to the AP to pick up your rental car. there are no rentals at the pier in Miami. That's a 20 minute ride to the AP. Another 1/2 hour or so to rent the car, find it & pack your stuff. It's probably close to noon by the time you get out of the AP. Although, it could be less we had our car & were on our way by 10 am. So maybe . . .

 

Now you have this car but you also have a 100+ mile drive ahead. Figure, $40 for the rental & probably $20 for gas. For a 5:45 flight I'd want to be at the AP by 4-4:30; remember you still have to drop off the car, pay, get to the terminal & check in. That means you are leaving Miami around 2 pm. Realitically you are looking at maybe 4 hours in Miami. Is it still worth it to you?

[dkjretired]

Another suggestion is to get a day room at some local hotel and just lounge around the pool. I appreciate your dilemma and I will tell you from experience that usually that day off of the ship is very tiring and you may just want to get to the plane to get home.

 

Don

[msweezie99]

Thanks for the input, I am thinking the 1 PM flight might just work. It would be alot of aggravation for a few more hours of enjoyment, and we are staying in fort Lauderdale for two nites prior to the cruise, anyhow. It was

$160 for the whole family, that we would save, and I just figured I'd rather spend it on an afternoon of enjoyment in Fort Lauderdale for my family, instead of on the cost of an airplane.

 

Thanks for all the advice!!

[Margie1983us]

We had the same problem with our flight out. We decided to take the later flight (there are 6 of us) and we are saving nearly $600. We rented a van in Miami and we will use it for the day and then return it at the Ft Lauderdale airport for $38. We can spend the day checking out Miami, and save hundreds of dollars. We used Thrifty and I have been told that they dont have the greatest cars but I just want it to run, especially for that price. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I assume you mean $160 total for all of you - good deal - 1 PM flight will get you home sooner in the day. And if the weather is bad at home, you have a better chance of getting things straightened out.

But if you don't take the earlier flight, then book the airboat ride through the Everglades - did it - loved it. And your luggage will go with you on the bus and they will drop you right off at the airport.

There isn't a car rental agency at the pier.

[jodymc]

I found airfare going out of Fort Lauderdale on Fri. morning at 8am. When we get off the ship we will go to the hotel and spend the day and night there. They provide transportation from the pier to the hotel and then again the next day from the hotel to the airport. I figure the $150 for the hotel is worth at least one more day of warmth. I would have stayed until Sat. but the airfare jumped almost $200 per person to stay the extra day and with 6 of us I did not think that warm weather was worth that much. :)