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The two basic options for getting to your port are to fly or drive. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. |
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Generally, speaking, the advantages of flying are that you get there quicker and, more importantly, the return trip home is quicker as well. The disadvantages are that you have to deal with flying and everything associated with that process, and you have to manage getting from the airport to the port and vice versa. And of course, there are obviously cases where there is no choice, flying is the only way to get to the port in a reasonable time frame. |
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If you have the option to drive, it allows for a lot more flexibility of schedule, perhaps more personal comfort and you can go directly to the port and directly home after the cruise without having to wait around for a cab or shuttle. There are also cost considerations that generally favor driving over flying,though, at current gas prices, the cost advantages of driving are not as great as they were just a year ago. In our opinion, if you have 4 hours or less to drive, it’s a no-brainer to do that. (For us, even a 10-hour car trip is preferable to the hassle of flying, but we’re weird that way.) |
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Regardless of how you are getting to the port city, the timing of your arrival can have a lot to do with the quality and pace of your cruise. Being under the gun and dealing with the anxiety of a tight schedule can be a very stressful experience. To the degree that you can build in extra leisure along the way, you will absolutely be glad you did. Now, we certainly understand that, in this day and age, squeezing a cruise into our busy lifestyle is enough of a challenge in and of itself. And one of the great appeals of the plethora of short cruise itineraries is that you can take a Caribbean cruise without having to be out of work or away from home for a week or more. Still, we recommend that you pay attention to the time line and give it enough extra room to have your cruise unfold gracefully and pleasantly. Remember, we’ve done this a lot. We know of what we speak. |
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The key to keeping everything in a pleasant frame of mind is to schedule yourself so that you can arrive at the cruise terminal by about 11:30 am of the day you are cruising. It won’t do you any good to get there earlier, since the ship and the terminal will be devoted to getting passengers off the ship And if you get there an hour later than our recommended time, it’s no big deal, though you may have to deal with longer check in lines. In any case, you should always plan to be INSIDE the terminal by 3:30 pm. After that, you may not be allowed to board. |
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With that target in mind, work back from there and plan your arrival accordingly. If you are flying, and your flight arrives in town at 10:00 am, good. Take your time, get your luggage, find a cab or shuttle, and head on out. You might even have time to take a little break before you get your luggage. Stop by a coffee shop or restaurant in the airport and have a snack or a cup of coffee. For that matter, we have been known to include one or two Bloody Marys in our morning break. (Hey, we’re not driving.) |
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From the Airport To The Terminal (and back). |
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Always do some presearch on the transportation options available to get you to the port. Any airport in any city with a cruise terminal will be very familiar with the process of getting passengers to the terminal and they will know the schedules of the ships. They will have round trip shuttle packages that are designed to get you to the port and bring you back. Prices vary depending on how far you have to go – Tampa International has port shuttles that cost you about $11 one way, whereas Orlando International has shuttles that cost about $40 one way (because it’s quite a bit farther).. |
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Once you know your arrival airport, go online and check out the ground transportation. You can determine cost, frequency, where the shuttle boarding takes place (a very useful bit of information), and even pre-purchase your tickets in many cases. |
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Don’t forget to consider a cab as opposed to a shuttle. Though on the surface, it may look like cabs are more expensive, they may not be if you are traveling with three or four people. Cabs typically charge for the trip regardless of how many people are going, whereas shuttles typically charge per person. Whenever it makes sense, we always use a cab. One reason is because we like to go when we’re ready to go and a cab will leave as soon as you get loaded up. Shuttles will wait until they get a full bus, which can sometimes mean a 20 -30 minute wait.. |
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Another reason we like a cab is because we often like to make a last minutes stop before arriving at the port – you know, get some batteries, grab some bottled water, replace whatever toiletries we had to give up at airport security, etc. A cab driver knows where to do that and is willing to make a slight detour (it may cost a bit extra), but a shuttle won’t make such stops. |
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Driving To the Port |
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If possible, plan your driving schedule to coincide with the target arrival time of approximately 11:30. If you are traveling a long distance, like more than 6 hours, you may want to consider spending the night along the trip. If we can’t do the drive in one leg, we usually pick a destination that is 2 hours or less from the port for our overnight stop. This allows us to get up in the morning, have a leisurely breakfast and still get to the port without having to risk speeding tickets. If we determine that we can arrive in the port area by 11:00 pm the night before the cruise, that’s what we do. That way we can get a good night’s sleep, get up and do breakfast and still have plenty of time to make our target arrival. Our general rule of thumb is that we don’t want to drive any more than 3 hours the morning of the cruise. |
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When driving to the port, you do have to deal with a couple of things that you wouldn’t otherwise if you were using a cab or shuttle. You have to know how to get there, you have to drop off your luggage, and then you have to park which will cost you about $12 per day of your cruise. |
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If it’s close call for you in terms of cost and hassle, consider the following: |
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You have a LOT more flexibility in packing when you drive as opposed to flying, since the cruise lines have a much more liberal policy about liquids, electronics, the number of pieces of luggage and the weight of each bag. |
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There is virtually no chance your luggage will get lost or abused if it makes the journey in your car. (Airlines are currently experiencing an historically high rate of 3-4% of luggage being lost or misplaced.) |
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When driving, you’re not going to miss a connecting flight or have one cancelled or delayed due to weather in Chicago (or wherever). |
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Should You Arrive At The Port A Day Early? |
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Whether flying or driving, if the timeline is such that you’re going to have to break your neck to get to the terminal by 3:00 pm, it might make sense to arrive the day or evening before and take the pressure off. Not only does it allow for a more leisurely beginning to your cruise, there are some options that can make getting to the port and onto the ship a breeze as well.. |
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In fact, we actually prefer getting into the port city the evening before the cruise and starting our vacation immediately. Having a nice dinner and a few drinks gets us relaxed and in the mood for our cruise. That way, we don't have to waste the first day onboard getting into "vacation mode" (you KNOW what I'm talkin' about!) |
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Many hotels offer a shuttle service to the port as part of an overnight package. Called a “Park & Cruise”, the hotel allows you to stay at the hotel, leave your car there for the duration of your cruise, take a hotel shuttle to the port the morning of the cruise and get a return ride back to the hotel to pick up your car, all for the cost of a room for one night. Financially, it's a great deal. |
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Our experience with these “Park & Cruise” services is mixed. When it works, it works great. But it depends on how many vehicles the hotel has reserved for the service and how many people want to ride in those vehicles. if there are a lot of people, you may have to wait for the shuttle to make a run to the terminal and come back. That could take awhile (1-1/2 to 2 hours if you are staying in Orlando and traveling to Port Canaveral. YUCK!). |
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It’s bad enough waiting around if you are trying to get to the terminal for your cruise, but it’s even worse if you have to wait for the shuttle when you’re leaving the terminal. We spent almost two hours in the sun at the Tampa port waiting for our hotel shuttle to make two runs back to the hotel before our turn came. (They only had one shuttle.) The last thing you want to do after disembarking from your cruise is hang around waiting for a shuttle ride to the airport or to get your car. The closer your hotel is to the port, the better your chances of having the shuttle work out smoothly. That’s not to say it is a certainty. |
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We have used a “hybrid” strategy with good success. We use the hotel package to park our car and get a lift to the port, but, if there is any delay in getting a hotel shuttle, we use a cab or a professional shuttle service to get back to the hotel. This adds a few bucks to the cost, since the roundtrip shuttle service is included in the “Park & Cruise” price, but a few extra bucks beats the heck out of waiting an hour or more for your pick-up. |
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Even when we do stay at a local hotel, our preferred way of getting to the port is to drive there. The two biggest reasons we like this option are 1) we don’t have to wait on anybody else (we’re a bit selfish about that), and 2) it allows us to get to our car and hit the road with the least amount of delay. When we're done with the cruise, we're ready to get headed home. |
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In the end, as much as we like to have new adventures once we get on our cruise, we don’t like the basic logistics of getting to and from the port to be an adventure. We like to know, as much as possible, what is going to happen and when. Driving gives us the most control, but it requires the most advanced planning and we do have to handle everything right up to the point where we get out of the car. Flying is usually our last option, because we don’t like the hassle of it all. But, we are travel realists and we are prepared to give up some of our preferences in order to shave about 10 hours off the trip to and from the port. |
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As you can see, there are some things to consider about getting to the port when you plan your cruise. Give it some thought rather than just assume you have to do it one particular way. Consider the options that give you the most leisurely pace (as much as practical), and the most certainty. If you put in the thought early in the process of planning your cruise, you will reap the benefits of a better cruise experience. And that’s what it’s really all about, yeah? |
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Articles we've written about
Cruising In The Caribbean |
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Ten Mistakes When Taking A Cruise - It’s a shame to lay out
$250 - $2,500 on a dreamy
cruise vacation only to encounter unnecessary mishaps and
inconveniences. So, in an effort
to minimize the likelihood of a
bump in the road to your perfect
vacation, here are some common
potholes that can tarnish your
experience.
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Eleven Expert Cruising Tips - Some useful,relevant tips and
ideas, and other neat stuff you
can use to make their cruising
experience better.
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Hooked On Cruising (And I Like It!) - It's official! I have a
condition, a disorder by some
people's assessment. It's called
"Caribbean Obsession Disorder",
and there really is such a thing.
Imagine that!
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