Before leaving the port for a cruise, you first have to get to the port. A common mistake made by many first time cruisers is to schedule their arrival at the nearby port airport the same day of the cruise. However, if you live in our northern climates you should be well aware that winter travel can be very unreliable. If your plane has a delay of few hours or a day, the cruise ship is not going to wait for you to arrive before heading out of port. It may be wise to plan your arrival at least one to two days before the cruise departs. On our first cruise we flew out the morning before the departure date, however if we had waited until that afternoon or evening to fly out we may have missed our cruise departure as there were some serious weather delays that afternoon. If you're planning on driving you should also watch the weather closely and perhaps plan on taking an additional day to get there on time.
We are planning on arriving two days before the cruise leaves to give us more assurance that potential delayed flights will not hinder our cruising departure. Traveling by air can cause delays due to weather, but you must also consider what happens if your luggage gets lost? Having an extra day or two before your cruise departs gives you some extra time to collect or <gasp> replace all of your lost luggage.
If you miss embarkation due to weather or other travel snafus it is your responsibility to arrange and pay for transportation to the next port of call to get aboard the ship. If you have booked your air transportation with Princess Cruises EZair, or have acquired other travel insurance, they may arrange and pay for this transportation but you will still miss out on one or more days of cruising. This is not the way to begin a vacation.
If you find yourself snowbound or otherwise stuck as sail-away looms near, we offer the following tips -- some of them preventative -- to redeem your cruise vacation, or at the very least, a chunk of what you paid for it.
Travel insurance ---- should you get it? There are many things to know and consider about trip insurance.
The last thing most of us think about when we plan a cruise is the list of things that can go wrong before and during our vacation. But, there are many risk factors which are very unique to cruising.
Flight delays caused by weather or a mechanical problem can keep us from arriving to our embarkation port in time. The airline can lose your checked bags. We can get sick before we board or, even worse, mid-cruise. We might make a boneheaded move in a port of call and miss the ship. Plus, a host of other general issues can scuttle a cruise, such as the illness or death of a family member, cancellation of plans by a travel companion, job loss, airline delays and lost baggage.
Those reasons and so many others are why travelers may seek travel insurance coverage. It can provide that extra bit of calm and control we all crave. More importantly, it can prevent you from losing money due to unforeseen circumstances and travel emergencies, and insurance fees are typically just a small percentage of your vacation expenditure.
An outbreak of virus is not covered under most travel insurance plans for trip cancellation purposes. If you purchased a "Cancel for Any Reason" optional upgrade, however, there should be some level of trip cancellation protection available but only if you cancel your trip at least two days prior to departure.
Cruisers who have "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage might be able to get back a portion of their nonrefundable trip costs if the cruise line cancels the entire cruise prior to departure. However, cruisers should first work with their cruises line to see if refunds are being offered, including for airfare and nonrefundable hotel reservations.
An important thing to consider if you are thinking about getting the "Cancel for Any Reason" option is that it is typically only offered when you book the cruise or perhaps within 14-21 days (verify) of your initial booking date. The amount you may get back can also vary from 50% to 100% of your trip cost so shop wisely! You should be aware that the "Cancel for Any Reason" option cannot be typically chosen within 60 days of sailing with some insurance providers. It is wise to check the fine print before agreeing to any trip insurance.
It’s worth noting that if airfare and hotel reservations were booked outside the cruise line (independently, or by a travel agent), the cruise line has no obligation to provide any sort of refund. Those details would have to be worked out with individual airlines and hotels in conjunction with their current policies.
It should be noted that during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Princess Cruise line offered full refunds or offered to defer the cruise for a later date (and offered additional onboard credits) to all passengers even though they were not obligated to do so. Up to 45% of the passengers chose to defer their cruises for a later date.
You can shop and compare trip insurance coverages and rates on sites such as insuremytrip.com . Decide what coverages are important to you and how much you are willing to pay. The coverages and rates can vary widely so shop around for what works best for you.
Princess Cruises also offers their Princess Vacation Protection (PVP). Available in both a Standard and Platinum plan, choose the plan you want based on the coverage and plan price that works best for you. The Standard plan costs 8% of your cruise fare while the Platinum plan costs 12%. Princess Cruise Captain's Circle Loyalty Program members who have achieved Ruby status (minimum of 3 cruises or 30 days) automatically receive a complimentary upgrade to PVP Platinum; Princess Cruises will pay the difference in plan cost on their behalf.
Should you drive or fly to the departure port for your cruise? If you're lucky enough to live near to Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, or want to take a road trip and perhaps see some sights along the way either before or after your cruise, you've got a choice in how you want to travel. You can either drive or fly, and both have their pros and cons to consider.
By driving to the cruise port you have the added advantage of bringing as much "stuff" as you want (limited only by your vehicle size) on the cruise ship because you will not be limited by weight restrictions of suitcases or paying for extra luggage if you fly. Having your own vehicle before and after the cruise can also allow you to do other things in Florida without the added expense of renting a vehicle. We did this for our last two cruises and loved the flexibility it provided us. We were not limited to only one suitcase each so we could bring along our own snorkeling gear and other beach items to use when we vacationed in Florida before our cruise.
If you drive to the cruise port, as we did on our last two cruises, you will find a very large, covered, and secure Heron Parking Garage near the Princess Cruise terminal to park your vehicle for $15 per day. This brand new lot replaces the Northport Parking Garage which is adjacent to the Convention Center and Terminal 2. The new 1,818 space Heron Parking Garage offers a moving elevated walkway which will bring you to the Princess Terminal 2.
There are also numerous off site parking lots that will provide you with shuttle service to the cruise port as part of your parking fee for the week. Some hotels in the area also allow you to leave your vehicle at their location during the cruise if you stayed with them prior to the cruise for free or for a fee of $5 to $10 per day.
If you plan to fly to the Fort Lauderdale (or an other airport in Florida) you can book the flight yourself or investigate using Princess EZair to book your flight. They offer two air fares to consider:
Flexible fares are designed for those who have less certainty in their travel plans and want the freedom to cancel their flight arrangements easily.
Air payment is due on the date of the final cruise payment (90 days before cruise departure), not at the time of air booking
Air charges are fully refundable until 45 days prior to departure.
Restricted fares will typically be lower than the flexible fares
Air charges are non-refundable
Payment is due immediately at the time of air booking
To see more details log into the Princess Cruise website with your account login, click the "Booked Guest" link and then choose "Access Cruise Personalizer" and then click the "Travel" link. From there look for the link "learn about the benefits of Princess EZair" to see more information to consider.
This is not an endorsement to use this service and is only provided as information to consider.
If you do fly into the area and plan to spend a few days there prior to the cruise you can get a rental car from the airport. When you return the rental car to the airport there are then multiple options available to get you and your luggage to the cruise port terminal (see embarkation day). However, Uber and other transportation options can also get you around the area.
Even if you don't have a vehicle the port areas of Fort Lauderdale and Miami offer a high speed Bright Line train system linking the two cities which then connects you to the Miami Metrorail system which then gives you access to many parts of Miami to explore.
There are some important things to consider when looking for lodging before your cruise. Often an afterthought in your cruise planning, your pre-cruise lodging is an important part of your vacation. It can help you start your trip, setting the tone for the rest of your vacation and help make your embarkation day much less stressful.
If you arrive in Fort Lauderdale a day or two ahead of your cruise there are a lot of things to see and do in the area. More than just being home to Port Everglades -- the busy embarkation port for cruises going to the Bahamas, Caribbean and beyond -- Fort Lauderdale is a popular sun-soaked vacation destination that begs to be explored before or after a cruise.
Boasting more than 300 miles of Intracoastal Waterway and navigable inland canals lined with lavish mansions and yachts, Fort Lauderdale is often referred to as the "Venice of America." Greater Fort Lauderdale consists of 23 miles of soft-sand beaches along the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and a number of beach parks and natural attractions are located a stone's throw from the cruise port. Just to the south, the port of Miami is also a bustling city offering many sites to explore.
Perhaps the biggest downfall we discovered to arriving a day early in port is that the local hotels can be VERY expensive immediately prior to the cruise departure. Often times, there may be 5 to 7 cruise ships setting sail out of the port on the same day making hotel rooms to house at times nearly 20,000 of these cruise travelers very scarce. Expect to pay $280-$500 for a room the night before the cruise. An alternative, is to find a hotel located farther away from port which may offer lower rates (although avoid the Miami area because it also has a busy cruise port). However, the cost of transportation will then be more, both to and from the hotel. Even booking early doesn't seem to lower the cost much but it will give you a few more choices to consider.
The advantage of finding a hotel near the airport and cruise port is that often free transportation may be offered by the hotel from the airport. Transportation can also be arranged to take you from your hotel to the cruise port for a nominal fee on embarkation day. We used All Stars Transportation for our first cruise to get to the cruise port on embarkation day from our hotel and pre-booked them to get us to the airport on disembarkation day. Some hotels also offer transportation to your cruise terminal for a nominal fee.
We have booked a room at the Cambria Hotel, Fr. Lauderdale, Airport South & Cruise Port for this cruise. We also stayed there for our first cruise and loved it! They do provide a free shuttle from the airport. They do not offer a free breakfast but they have a nice restaurant onsite and many other dining options nearby.
You may also choose to share a hotel room with some of the fellow travelers who may be joining us on this cruise to help share the cost. Just be aware that your bunk mates may snore.
A more reasonable option to consider may be to book an Airbnb or Vrbo rental unit as the cost can often be much less than a hotel room. The rental option can turn out to be a much more economical choice to consider. You will have to deal with providing your own transportation to the rental unit from the airport. Many hotels will provide free shuttle service from the airport to their hotel. However, the availability options are less the closer you wait to book your lodging. You snooze, you lose.
As part of getting OceanReady® you will be giving Princess Cruises information about your emergency contacts in the Cruise Personalizer. People they may need to contact in case something unforeseen happens to you while you are on this cruise. Likewise, you should let this person, and perhaps other close relatives, information on how they might be able to contact you, in case of an emergency back home. While we would hope nothing would ever happen, it is wise to be prepared. You may want to give them a link to this website so they know your complete itinerary.
If your family needs to get in touch with you they need to get ahold of you on the Sky Princess have them call: +1 661-593-6016 . When calling, they should include the guest name and stateroom number to ensure quick delivery.
If you have purchased the MedillionNet internet package your loved ones can contact you via email or other social media sites. If you haven't purchased this package, there is still an Internet Cafe onboard the ship that may allow you to check your emails for a fee, usually based upon minutes used. (This option may not be available)
To provide greater peace of mind while you're away from home, give friends and relatives the following information on how to telephone you. Contact your phone company directly for rates, your phone company will charge you directly for calls made to the ship. When calling, please include guest name and stateroom number to ensure quick delivery.
For calls originating outside of the US and Canada, the following numbers should be used, preceded by your country's International Direct Dialing (IDD) code and the global ocean code 870. Please contact your long distance service provider for pricing. For example, if you would like to call the Sky Princess while it is out at sea from the United States, dial 011 870 764 054 1321
Guests may use their personal mobile devices onboard while at sea in international waters and in other areas where such use is permitted. Your mobile phone provider must have a roaming agreement with Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) or Wireless Maritime Services (WMS). Please contact your provider for more details on rates and availability. If they do not provide such an agreement you will be shocked to find a very expensive cellphone bill waiting for you when you get home. That is why it is imperative that you put your cellphone into airplane mode soon after boarding the ship.
Click here for a more detailed article about making phone calls to or from a cruise ship. Also be aware that it is expensive. The minimum charge is $5 for the first 30 seconds, if the call is dialed directly. After the first 30 seconds, the rate is $1 for each additional 6 seconds. If one calls person to person, the minimum rate is $30, based on $10 a minute with a 3 minute minimum.
It is suggested that if relatives have to contact you that they contact Princess Cruise line and they will get a message to you. They can also contact you via email if you, or someone in your group, has internet access via the wi-fi onboard.