First Time Cruising out of Miami and SO Many Questions

[nj2vagrl]

I just booked an August cruise on the Dream out of Miami for myself, husband, and two sons (21 and 20 at time of cruise). This will be our 5th Disney Cruise, but first out of Miami. I have quite a few questions.
Current plan is to fly out the morning before into Miami Airport
What are the best hotels in the area?
We have been a Marriott family is there a recommended one in the area?
Would it be best to stay closer to airport or closer to port or is that distance negligible?
Do most hotels offer shuttles from airport then to port? Or do I need to schedule that separately and reserve ahead of time?
What is the best way to get to port back to airport and is it best to reserve that return trip in advance?
Does Disney provide any of these transportation services.

So sorry for all the questions we are trying to be cautiously optimistic about this trip. It will be our first family trip since January 2020.

 

[lcarter0922]

1st cruise out of Miami we stayed at the Comfort Suites near the airport that had a shuttle to and from the airport and also to and from port for free. While I did like the hotel and shuttles. The port shuttle was first come first serve at check in so we ended up on like the 3rd shuttle and did get to port until early afternoon. Second time we were concierge so we wanted to get to port early since we could get on as soon as we had a negative covid test. So we stayed at the Best Western near airport, they had a shuttle from airport. We took and Uber to port, it was about $30. After cruise we planned to take an Uber back to airport. But they had so many taxis lined up available when we came out. We just jumped in a taxi back to the airport. It was $27.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I just booked an August cruise on the Dream out of Miami for myself, husband, and two sons (21 and 20 at time of cruise). This will be our 5th Disney Cruise, but first out of Miami. I have quite a few questions.
Current plan is to fly out the morning before into Miami Airport
What are the best hotels in the area?
That is very subjective. There's a huge number of hotels from cheap to very expensive. Best could mean 5* or best value or cheapest. There is something for every taste.
We have been a Marriott family is there a recommended one in the area?
We were booked at the Marriott Biscayne Bay for our pre-covid cruise that was scheduled for March 2020 which was cancelled. I would have loved to stay there for our Nov 27 cruise but I had to work that day and our flight arrival was at 10:50pm. I really wanted to have some time to relax on the waterfront and wake up to seeing the Magic docked. (Bay view rooms are available.) There is also a Ferrari dealer within walking distance that dh would have LOVED to stroll past and maybe even fog up the showroom glass for a minute. Anyway, with such a late arrival, I felt there was no time for any of that so we ended up staying at the less expensive EB Hotel near the airport. It was very nice for being an airport hotel. It has a very European flavor; I felt like we were in Barcelona or Rome. The shower was very sexy with full glass on the opposite wall so whoever is laying in bed has a full view of the shower. An electric shade can be lowered for privacy. Our kids (21 & 24) were not with us. It also has a bidet.
Would it be best to stay closer to airport or closer to port or is that distance negligible?
Airport hotels are usually very dull with not much to do in the area. That's fine for a late arrival but who wants to sit in a hotel room if you have several hours to kill the day before? The distance is definitely negligible. It's around a 15-20 minute ride from airport to port. Very convenient. You might as well stay in the area that you want to spend time the day before sailing, especially if you have a morning arrival. You'll have a good 8 or 9 hours to enjoy the area.
Do most hotels offer shuttles from airport then to port? Or do I need to schedule that separately and reserve ahead of time? EB Hotel had a free shuttle from airport and they offered paid shuttle to the port. EB is also a DCL partner hotel so we could have taken a DCL bus to the port. I didn't want a shared ride though, so we Ubered and it was super easy and convenient and cheaper than any shuttle. Generally speaking, usually only airport area hotels offer free airport shuttles.
What is the best way to get to port back to airport and is it best to reserve that return trip in advance?
Again, "best" is a subjective description. Do you mean most luxurious? cheapest? most convenient? fastest? lowest-covid risk? Your options are Uber/Lyft, taxi, a private transportation company, rental car or DCL bus. We used Larry's Limosine which was $102 after port & airport fees and gratuity. That was for a 4 door sedan which would have been tight for 4 adults but the car itself was a beautiful, very new-appearing Lincoln. I didn't book it for the pretty car; we were on a tight schedule with a 10am flight home and wanted a driver there ready and waiting for us. As it turned out, we could have gotten an Uber very quickly and there were several taxis waiting so my worries were unnecessary.
Does Disney provide any of these transportation services.
Yes. Disney provides bus service from MIA to port or from any of their 3 partner hotels which, as of the time of our Nov 27 sailing, were EB Hotel, Four Seasons (or was it Ritz-Carlton?) and I forget the 3rd one. If you specifically want a DCL-partner hotel, ask your TA or call DCL. They also provide port to MIA after debarking. DCL does not offer transfers to FLL.

So sorry for all the questions we are trying to be cautiously optimistic about this trip. It will be our first family trip since January 2020.

Answers above in red. Have fun planning!!

 

[MomOTwins]

Right now the three hotels you can book through DCL are EB, Four Seasons and Hyatt Centric Brickell. We booked one of them (Hyatt) because with all the strict PAT protocol and having heard the Miami port is not as easy to navigate as Port Canaveral, I wanted to take the DCL transport to simplify our arrival at the port. Cruise is in April, will report back if we liked the hotel!

I spent ages searching for hotels in the area and there are so many options at all different price points, but in the end going with a hotel recommended by Disney with their port transfers felt like the safest bet for someone like me used to the WDW/DCL bubble.

 

[mmouse37]

We sail out of Miami later this month. We wanted a Marriott property as we a few free night rewards and wanted to use one of those.

I checked many properties near the airport and many had terrible reviews so we decided on the SpringHill Suites Miami Downtown/Medical Center. It is closer to the port than the airport but does NOT have any shuttles but thought we would just taxi or uber from airport to hotel and hotel to port. We can use our free night there. We may book DCL transfers from port back to airport.

Does anyone know if DCL is doing Onboard Airline Check-In service currently out of Miami? or even PC for that matter.

Edited to add.....I may be changing hotels yet again....newer reviews have been terrible!!

MJ

 

[unrequited23]

I may be changing hotels yet again....newer reviews have been terrible!!

I have a different Miami hotel booked and I'm thinking the same thing.

Also, if you are considering a hotel with an included shuttle to the port, find out when the first departure time. I booked a Comfort Inn & Suites near the airport (free shuttle to hotel & to port, plus breakfast) but then discovered the first shuttle to the port doesn't leave the hotel until 11 (if you can reserve a seat on the first shuttle.) Our PAT is 10:30.

So now I'm back to hunting for a hotel. It is a nice distraction from all of the other cruise worries I have for our 1/31 trip.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Right now the three hotels you can book through DCL are EB, Four Seasons and Hyatt Centric Brickell. We booked one of them (Hyatt) because with all the strict PAT protocol and having heard the Miami port is not as easy to navigate as Port Canaveral, I wanted to take the DCL transport to simplify our arrival at the port. Cruise is in April, will report back if we liked the hotel!

I spent ages searching for hotels in the area and there are so many options at all different price points, but in the end going with a hotel recommended by Disney with their port transfers felt like the safest bet for someone like me used to the WDW/DCL bubble.

Ah, that's the one I couldn't remember the name, Hyatt Centric. That was like $500/nt on Black Friday. I heard Miami was hard to navigate too. Staying at a DCL partner hotel makes it easy and one less thing to worry about. For anyone looking at other hotels, our Uber driver had no problem getting us straight to the pull up area where we dropped our luggage. It sounds like it's only complicated to all of us vistors who aren't familiar with the area.
Even the one time we rented a car at WDW and drove to PoM, we dropped the car off at MIA rental car return center and took their shuttle to the port.

 

[MomOTwins]

Ah, that's the one I couldn't remember the name, Hyatt Centric. That was like $500/nt on Black Friday. I heard Miami was hard to navigate too. Staying at a DCL partner hotel makes it easy and one less thing to worry about. For anyone looking at other hotels, our Uber driver had no problem getting us straight to the pull up area where we dropped our luggage. It sounds like it's only complicated to all of us vistors who aren't familiar with the area.
Even the one time we rented a car at WDW and drove to PoM, we dropped the car off at MIA rental car return center and took their shuttle to the port.

Yeah, we chose they Hyatt because it was the only one that let us do a family of 5 in one room and my kids are young enough I don’t want us split up. But the EB was definitely the cheapest by a long shot ($250 in spring break) and also has an airport shuttle.

For those wanting a splurge, the Four Seasons rate DCL quoted us was significantly less than what was advertised on the hotel’s website ($450 per room per night from DCL vs $800+ from the hotel directly). The CM explained they buy a block of rooms at a fixed price. It was two expensive for us as we had to get two rooms there with a family of 5.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We chose the EB because with our extremely late arrival, we really wanted an airport hotel. EB was the only one with good reviews and also we were booking with Chase points so I didn't even get prices from DCL.
It’s good to know DCL pricing is actually cheaper than the advertised rate. I will keep that in mind.

 

[miss0033]

Just a question... Why the concern about a free shuttle? We've had pretty negative experiences with complimentary shuttles... (Late, never showing up, crowded, etc.). For Miami we have done an Uber in the past, and will likely do it in September for our cruise. Sure its $30~ish each way. But it is less than 1% of my cruise cost. Disney charges something like $40 per person for the port transfers. Isn't an Uber/Taxi just easier? Am I missing something?

 

[Capt_BJ]

you are missing the point that logic does not matter to most ....

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Just a question... Why the concern about a free shuttle? We've had pretty negative experiences with complimentary shuttles... (Late, never showing up, crowded, etc.). For Miami we have done an Uber in the past, and will likely do it in September for our cruise. Sure its $30~ish each way. But it is less than 1% of my cruise cost. Disney charges something like $40 per person for the port transfers. Isn't an Uber/Taxi just easier? Am I missing something?

True. I guess the word free ropes people in. I would think someone with several children would like the idea of getting a financial break anywhere they can find it.
Our Uber experience going to PoM was wonderful. We don't have the occasion to Uber at home but it will be our plan to get to our hotel and the port in New Orleans in March.

 

[nj2vagrl]

1st cruise out of Miami we stayed at the Comfort Suites near the airport that had a shuttle to and from the airport and also to and from port for free. While I did like the hotel and shuttles. The port shuttle was first come first serve at check in so we ended up on like the 3rd shuttle and did get to port until early afternoon. Second time we were concierge so we wanted to get to port early since we could get on as soon as we had a negative covid test. So we stayed at the Best Western near airport, they had a shuttle from airport. We took and Uber to port, it was about $30. After cruise we planned to take an Uber back to airport. But they had so many taxis lined up available when we came out. We just jumped in a taxi back to the airport. It was $27.

Great information, thank you so much for taking the time to respond!!

 

[nj2vagrl]

1st cruise out of Miami we stayed at the Comfort Suites near the airport that had a shuttle to and from the airport and also to and from port for free. While I did like the hotel and shuttles. The port shuttle was first come first serve at check in so we ended up on like the 3rd shuttle and did get to port until early afternoon. Second time we were concierge so we wanted to get to port early since we could get on as soon as we had a negative covid test. So we stayed at the Best Western near airport, they had a shuttle from airport. We took and Uber to port, it was about $30. After cruise we planned to take an Uber back to airport. But they had so many taxis lined up available when we came out. We just jumped in a taxi back to the airport. It was $27.

Great information, thank you so much for taking the time to respond!!

Just a question... Why the concern about a free shuttle? We've had pretty negative experiences with complimentary shuttles... (Late, never showing up, crowded, etc.). For Miami we have done an Uber in the past, and will likely do it in September for our cruise. Sure its $30~ish each way. But it is less than 1% of my cruise cost. Disney charges something like $40 per person for the port transfers. Isn't an Uber/Taxi just easier? Am I missing something?

Just honest questions. FREE isn't a concern in anyway. Most FREE offerings are included somehow in costs already being paid. I was asking an honest question and your way to respond is quite interesting. Just providing the facts would have been enough, thank you for that. I appreciate it. I have not been on the boards in years and am probably even posting and responding wrong. I am old school and have never used Lyft or Uber. I have a large sized family (oldest son is 6'8"). He does not comfortably fit in the passenger side of most cars and many suv's.

 

[nj2vagrl]

you are missing the point that logic does not matter to most ....

Wow, not quite sure about the comment about logic. I have booked multiple DCL's over much cheaper cruises for a family of 4 so I am well aware of cost and the percentage breakdowns of multiple items. I asked honest questions and apparently foolishly assumed I would receive just basic facts regarding what hotels offered and/or costs for such drives. FREE was a poor choice of wording as most FREE offerings are already wrapped in the costs charged by the entity.

 

[nj2vagrl]

True. I guess the word free ropes people in. I would think someone with several children would like the idea of getting a financial break anywhere they can find it.
Our Uber experience going to PoM was wonderful. We don't have the occasion to Uber at home but it will be our plan to get to our hotel and the port in New Orleans in March.

Cost really isn't the issue. FREE was a poor choice in wording I realize that now. Free is rarely free as it is typically already rolled into the cost of the amenities being provided. As someone who has never needed to use an Uber or Lyft can one request a large vehicle? My oldest son is 6'8" and doe not fit in the passenger side of most cars and many SUV's and Vans.

 

[unrequited23]

Just a question... Why the concern about a free shuttle?

For us, value. If I am choosing between Hotel A that has a free shuttle to the hotel & port plus an included breakfast that costs $200 and Hotel B that just costs $200, picking Hotel B will actually cost me at least $75 more (2 uber/taxi fares and breakfast for 4.)

Knowing when an included shuttle will get you to port is an important part of making the decision to book that hotel or use the shuttle.

 

[mmouse37]

Just a question... Why the concern about a free shuttle? We've had pretty negative experiences with complimentary shuttles... (Late, never showing up, crowded, etc.). For Miami we have done an Uber in the past, and will likely do it in September for our cruise. Sure its $30~ish each way. But it is less than 1% of my cruise cost. Disney charges something like $40 per person for the port transfers. Isn't an Uber/Taxi just easier? Am I missing something?

We can easily afford an Uber but we may look at a hotel with free airport shuttle...why not? That's more money for an onboard purchase or a few drinks.

The DCL transfers for Miami are, I believe, $21 each way pp.

MJ

 

[nj2vagrl]

Answers above in red. Have fun planning!!

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful and thorough answers. We are fortunately quite financially comfortable so convenience and quality tend to be more important than cost. Free was a poor choice of wording as free isn't typically free anyhow as it tends to be tied to costs already paid for the amenities offered. I had not even thought about DCL partner hotels I will definitely look into that before booking/reserving room. After my initial search I was leaning towards the Marriott Biscayne Bay. I have never needed to and therefore have never used Lyft or Uber. Is there a way to request a large vehicle? My oldest son in 6'8" and actually does not fit in most cars and many vans/suv's.
I so appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions

 

[nj2vagrl]

Right now the three hotels you can book through DCL are EB, Four Seasons and Hyatt Centric Brickell. We booked one of them (Hyatt) because with all the strict PAT protocol and having heard the Miami port is not as easy to navigate as Port Canaveral, I wanted to take the DCL transport to simplify our arrival at the port. Cruise is in April, will report back if we liked the hotel!

I spent ages searching for hotels in the area and there are so many options at all different price points, but in the end going with a hotel recommended by Disney with their port transfers felt like the safest bet for someone like me used to the WDW/DCL bubble.

Thank you so much for this information. I had not even considered DCL partner hotels. I will do more research on that. I too am used to the amenities paid for through Disney. Our previous cruises we went out of Port Canaveral and stay at the airport Hyatt so did Disney transportation to the port. When we did Alaska on DCL we stayed at the hotel directly above the terminal so we walked out of the lobby, outside, and into terminal. I feel like a fish out of water going out of Miami.
I greatly appreciate your feedback. I spent hours yesterday looking at all the Port Of Miami hotels and had dozens of tabs open just going around in circles.