Can anyone confirm for me what time the Port of Miami opens and will let you in for your check in?
We were on the 10/27/13 Magic (2nd sailing after drydock).
Here is our experience. Probably more info than you asked for but thought it may help others doing a similar plan.
We picked up a car in MCO and spent a few days at WDW. We arrived at MIA the morning of the cruise at 9:30 to drop off our rental car. We dropped off the car with no problem and were directed upstairs to the Alamo shuttle pick up area. If you book with Alamo/Enterprise you can ride their shuttle to the port of Miami for free. There was absolutely no one around at 9:40 while we were waiting for the shuttle. We waiting about 15 minutes and a shuttle arrived and dropped some
DCL passengers off who just got off the 2 night cruise. The driver asked us for our Alamo paperwork and checked it before he let us on the bus. The ride to the port was about 20 minutes with no traffic (on a Sunday). Porters were waiting for us and we handed over our luggage right away. The shuttle drops you at the other end of the port area so we had a bit of a walk along the port building to get to where DCL was. We got to the port about 10:20 and there about 50 people already milling around the outside the doors waiting to be let in. There were 2 doors for entry with no difference on which you waited at. People started forming lines on their own so we lined up in front of the left door. Port staff said they were still debarking passengers so it would a bit before we were let in the terminal. I can't remember exactly but we were let in shortly after about 10:40 or so. We entered and had to go up an escalator where they had the x-ray machines for carry on luggage. After we got through that we continued through the terminal to the check in area. There are some DCL signage around and they did break the line down into the different CC levels. Silver/Gold together and Platinum/Concierge. We checked in fairly quickly and waited to board. There did look like a Concierge lounge area. The entrance to board was at the opposite end of the terminal from the Concierge lounge but they may have had their own entrance to the upper level of the terminal. At about 11:35 they finally called the family of the day and then boarding group 1 (after I was told 5 minutes before by a port worker that boarding would be at 1:00). We went up another escalator and walked on the upper level of the terminal a ways to the gangway. We entered the ship on Deck 4 and our names were announced.
Here are some pics of the car rental center Alamo shuttle pick up drop off area and outside the airport area waiting to be let in. If you are driving your own car there is a parking garage right there at the terminal. Can't vouch for its safety factor but many cars were parked there.
Waiting area for Alamo shuttle at the Miami Car Rental Center...we were the only ones there!!
View from the shuttle as we were getting close to the port.
After drop off and walking toward the entrance for DCL part of the terminal. I believe it was terminal F. At the end of this sidewalk we made a left under the blue roof.
People waiting outside for terminal to open
Door to the left. there was one to the right as well
Some signage
Inside terminal before it got crowded. It did get very crowded before boarding started.
Check in station in the back of pic. Front of pic is where boarding starts and then you make a left and go up the escalator.
they had a separate room for character meet and greet in the terminal and her is a pic of Goofy arriving. He is on the upper walkway of the terminal at this point but came down to check level
Hope this helps someone. Once onboard we were directed to either Carioca's or Cabanas for lunch. We went up to Cabanas.
MJ
so I'll plan on arriving at 1030 or so and hope to be boarding before 1200!! Yippee, 12 more days!!
