Flying into FL Question

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My husband and I are looking into our very first cruise 🙌🏼
I wanted to fly into FL (from MA) the night before. He thinks it’s fine to fly in the morning of. I just worry about delays and all that. I’m curious what others have done.
Thanks!
 

KeithVH

Well-Known Member
NO. Just no. Check ANY Disney fan site for this question. Even before C19, large consensus was always you go night before. Except maybe if you live in FL and can drive there is 2-3 hours. Now, after pandemic upheaval, difficult weather, and flight cancellations for a multitude of reasons, you'll have only yourselves to blame if you don't make it. Just way too many variables you can't control. Please be sure to get travel insurance.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
My husband and I are looking into our very first cruise 🙌🏼
I wanted to fly into FL (from MA) the night before. He thinks it’s fine to fly in the morning of. I just worry about delays and all that. I’m curious what others have done.
Thanks!
Fly in the night before - stay in a hotel near the airport and take a private transfer to the port. Then no car rental, no parking fees, etc. Piece of cake. You can get 2 way transfers for <$40.

You do not want the stress or liability of having your flight the day of the cruise - there is no plan B and you don't control anything. It's flirting with disaster and it will make your first day of the cruise (which you are paying for!!) miserable because you will be stressed and tired.

The first day of your cruise is very busy - don't pile on to it by adding in your airport times.

Or the disney splurge is.. you come in early and stay at WDW... then transfer from there.
 

SplashJacket

Well-Known Member
My husband and I are looking into our very first cruise 🙌🏼
I wanted to fly into FL (from MA) the night before. He thinks it’s fine to fly in the morning of. I just worry about delays and all that. I’m curious what others have done.
Thanks!
I have a rule with cruises that if your flight gets canceled and you can't drive and make sail away on time, take an earlier flight.

As others have said, the combined risk and stress for very little reward is not worth it.

Flying the night before likely only costs the difference in airfare, and a single night's hotel. The reduced stress and likely earlier boarding will be worth the difference, even before considering the risk of missing your flight.

If you fly in the night before after work and school obligations, it won't even cost an extra vacation day.

If you're not planning on buying vacation insurance, do not, under any circumstances, fly in on the day of, if you're buying vacation insurance, listen to what others have said and make an informed decision.
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thank you everyone! This is all very helpful. We will definitely fly in the day/night before. It’s another day our kids will have to spend with grandparents but we will make it work.

Another question for anyone who can answer. Who have you used (besides Uber/Lyft) to get from your hotel to the port in Fort Lauderdale?
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
There are two hotels that offer shuttles that I know of - The EB Hotel Miami and the Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami. There may be others, but those two I know for sure do as they are DCL "approved" hotels. I can tell you that the Hilton Miami Downtown does not offer a shuttle to the port, but there is a Publix a block and half away. :)
Publix chicken tender sub with all the fixings!
 

jme

Well-Known Member
Thank you everyone! This is all very helpful. We will definitely fly in the day/night before. It’s another day our kids will have to spend with grandparents but we will make it work.

Another question for anyone who can answer. Who have you used (besides Uber/Lyft) to get from your hotel to the port in Fort Lauderdale?
Disney has not yet sailed out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, this will be a new cruise terminal once operations begin this fall.

That being said...

I flew into Fort Lauderdale for a Miami cruise (the night before!) and we stayed at Hyatt House right there at the airport. Well appointed, affordable, and free shuttle from airport to hotel. We then used Jiffy Jeff Transportation to get us from the hotel to the Port of Miami. They do also service Port Everglades, and I enjoyed our driver and their service enough that I would use them again.

Having said that, I would personally also look into booking transfers directly with Disney Cruise Line if they are offering them. You might need to get the complementary shuttle from the hotel back to the airport to board DCL buses, but doesn't sound too bad either. Price comparison would factor into my choice here
 
Last edited:

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Disney has not yet sailed out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, this will be a new cruise terminal once operations begin this fall.

That being said...

I flew into Fort Lauderdale for a Miami cruise (the night before!) and we stayed at Hyatt House right there at the airport. Well appointed, affordable, and free shuttle from airport to hotel. We then used Jiffy Jeff Transportation to get us from the hotel to the Port of Miami. They do also service Port Everglades, and I enjoyed our driver and their service enough that I would use them again.

Having said that, I would personally also look into booking transfers directly with Disney Cruise Line if they are offering them. You might need to get the complementary shuttle form the hotel back to the airport to board DCL buses, but doesn't sound too bad either. Price comparison would factor into my choice here
This is great info, thanks so much. I didn’t realize Fort Lauderdale was a new port.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Thank you everyone! This is all very helpful. We will definitely fly in the day/night before. It’s another day our kids will have to spend with grandparents but we will make it work.

Another question for anyone who can answer. Who have you used (besides Uber/Lyft) to get from your hotel to the port in Fort Lauderdale?

D'oh! I was thinking of the Port of Miami, not Port Everglades. I'll delete my previous post.

As mentioned, they haven't started sailing from PE yet. The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina is listed on the DCL site and is about half a mile from the cruise terminal, so it may be possible to walk there (as inconvenient as that may be for many). Their website does not mention a cruise shuttle, however.

Edit: This site lists a bunch of hotels with a cruise shuttle, but I don't think any are free: https://www.cruzely.com/11-port-eve...ay Inn Express Ft. Lauderdale Airport/Cruise
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
I have a rule with cruises that if your flight gets canceled and you can't drive and make sail away on time, take an earlier flight.

As others have said, the combined risk and stress for very little reward is not worth it.

Flying the night before likely only costs the difference in airfare, and a single night's hotel. The reduced stress and likely earlier boarding will be worth the difference, even before considering the risk of missing your flight.

If you fly in the night before after work and school obligations, it won't even cost an extra vacation day.

If you're not planning on buying vacation insurance, do not, under any circumstances, fly in on the day of, if you're buying vacation insurance, listen to what others have said and make an informed decision.

Wait, I am cruising out of Seattle this summer, and flying in from NJ, does that mean I need to fly in 4 or 5 days before my cruise?

In all seriousness, the cruse is on a Friday morning and we are flying in Wednesday night. That means that if our flight is canceled / delayed, we do have the ability to adjust to a flight the next day. Flying in the night before NJ to Seattle really does not allow any time for adjustment.
 


Write your reply...

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom