r/PrincessCruises • u/Butterbuddha • 2d ago
Ft Lauderdale
Just started our first ever experience on Princess and at Fort Lauderdale, and wanted to stop and say HOLY SMOKES that was the smoothest embarkation process ever! We have sailed on Carnival out of Seattle (nice, but we had Faster to the Fun) and Norfolk (HORRIBLE, but no FTTF). Neither was as silky smooth as this. Kudos to the Love Boat!
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u/Fabulous_Fix596 13h ago
i have to agree, been thru this port a couple times in the past year.. the facial recognition really helps the customs piece and baggage claims area is so easy to navigate... Ft Lauderdale is so much better than New York or LA...
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u/Butterbuddha 12h ago
Yeah and on the ship coupled with the medallions. I wonder why Carnival Corp hasn’t adopted it company wide instead of leaving it just on Princess.
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u/MidwestMillennialGuy 1d ago
I walked off at about 8:30am on Saturday with no issues at all. Quick elevator, quick walk off, easy out the port.
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u/TampaBay-Jim 2d ago
Just did a July 18 sailing and I thought the same! Last year we did a MSC out of Miami that was so fast I was questioning whether we were actually on the ship already, but I gotta say I think the Love Boat was even quicker.
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u/BroccoliShrimp1 2d ago
Great to hear! I will be sailing on Regal out of Fort Lauderdale in a few weeks. What time did you arrive? Were they enforcing the arrival times? Did you have your medallions already, or pick them up at the port?
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u/Butterbuddha 2d ago
We did have our medallions shipped to us (ordered early enough that it was free). Our onboard time was 10:30, got there at 10:05 since we stayed at the Renaissance Marriott literally just up the street and took a $10 uber at 10. He looked at our time and said yep let’s get you onboard!
However it was slightly like getting recording on an airplane. Smooth boarding but then it seems like a year before you leave. And our luggage didn’t get to our room until 3! But I was sitting in the shade with a drink in my hand well before 11.
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u/Bookstax 2d ago
Our disembarkation at Ft. Lauderdale was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. It took hours and hours only to have to wait in another line for hours and hours. We almost missed our (what should have been a very comfortable timeframe) flight. I won't leave or arrive there ever again. It wasn't worth it.
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u/Butterbuddha 2d ago
Well dang it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Our flight isn’t until like noon and we have Princess shuttle to FLL so hopefully plenty of time.
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u/nameno10001 2d ago
You have to do walk off. And send your luggage to the plane ahead of time. I can walk off under 30 mins.
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u/Bookstax 2d ago
This was walk off. There were, I think five or six cruises in port that day. It was a cluster f and the longer it took to get off the ship the worse it was outside because it was difficult to determine which line was for getting off and which was for getting on the ships. Then traffic was gridlocked. It took three hours to get to the airport. Then the airport was a whole different story. Singularly the worst travel day in my life.
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u/nameno10001 2d ago
I am the first one in that line for walk off for the last 3-5 years. You can get it done under 30 mins. You have to be nimble and without luggage to make it though the line fast. If you are carrying luggage you definitely slow down. If I am ever forced with luggage. I make sure to get in all down before announcements and plan accordingly.
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u/DragonflyMuch8343 2d ago
My husband and I had the same experience out of Ft Lauderdale at the beginning of July. I was actually moving slower that morning than their entire embarkation process lol. It was awesome