MIA (Miami) or FLL (Ft Lauderdale) ?
 

Our cruise is out of Miami, and we plan on spending a few days pre-cruise in Miami. I'm reading many negatives about MIA airport. Will it be easier for us to fly to FLL and take a shuttle to our Miami hotel late at night?

We will not have a car, and flying from West Coast our arrival wll be late due to time difference. How easy is it to find a shuttle to Miami?

Or should we forget Miami, stay in Ft Lauderdale, and take a shuttle to Miami port?

(See my response on US board)

While I've read of some negative experiences at MIA, personally we've had very good luck there. Actually FLL has caused us more problems - one day the lines to get through security were snaking all the way outside the front doors. It was while cruise ships were embarking so that may have been part of the problem and will be what you run into also. Good luck, and have a great vacation!

You will have a choice of several non-stops from the West Coast to Miami. To FLL, I think you are looking at a change in DFW, ORD, or ATL. That does not seem like a good idea. While I don't like MIA, getting s shuttle or taxi to your hotel should not be a problem.

The only hotel I know of in Miami that provides a shuttle to the cruise terminal is the Intercontinental. It is a nice hotel but is far from much of what you would want to do in Miami. And, unless you are looking for jewelry findings, like my wife, or going to AA arena, there is nothing near that hotel to visit.

More importantly, if you have an early flight back from MIA on the day or your arrival, or are just trying to get a taxi back to a hotel, get off the ship EARLY! We did that on return from a holiday cruise and got a taxi to the airport at once. But, there were 4 ships arriving that morning and our driver reported that the dispatcher was calling for 300 taxis at the cruise pier. In retrospect, we probably would have taken the expensive ship's transfer back to the airport rather than having unwittingly taken the chance of a long wait to get a taxi.

Oh, thanks Ccolor, I will be in that cruise ship crowd on Sunday, didn't think that FLL may be crowded.

Now I am leaning towards MIA RT, should I wait, maybe in the fall there will be a sale for January?

This is strange, I didn't see Jeff's post when I posted my reply! When I was doing a search I found several hotels that provide shuttles (free or charge, depends) to the airport and/or cruise terminal. No, not looking for jewelry, I am a jewel myself :))

Thanks for advise to get off the ship early!

I would wait and see what prices you can find flying into MIA and FLL. For a cruise out of Miami, we once got a really great rate on Southwest from ORD to FLL, and then just grabbed the shuttle outside FLL baggage claim that took us to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Port of Miami. Worked great. Getting off the ship, we had a limo waiting to FLL. Even with the round trip transportation to MIA, still cheaper to fly into FLL.

Yes, I've noticed it's much cheaper :) I will wait.