Cruise Connection
 

For those of you who like to cruise and who frequently do so from Fort Lauderdale or Miami, I have recently learned some BAD NEWS. :cryin2:

Cruise Connection is ending service entirely effective Sunday 18 March 2012.

While I know that many Villagers choose to drive to Fort Lauderdale at their own schedule rather than getting up at oh-dark-thirty to catch the 6:40 am departure of Cruise Connection, consider that driving your own vehicle will cost you!

Last I knew, a roundtrip on Cruise Connection was approximately $90 per person. That'd be $180 per couple.

Parking at Port Everglades is generally $15 per day. For a ten-day cruise, that'll run you $150-$165. Roundtrip tolls on the Turnpike will add another $35. And, the wear and tear on your vehicle, let alone your butt!

Ah, well, perhaps someone will step in and fill the gap! :-)

Anyone got a quarter million bucks lying around loose? You could buy a quality motor-coach for that!

SWR
:beer3:

That's a shame, we have used them in the past.:cryin2:

There will be a new sevice starting soon. Don't know the details but the website is myCruiseBUS.com and the phone number is 941-953-7994.

Their site is still "under construction"

Any other thoughts on going TV-FLL?

cybermuda:

Until and unless mycruisebus.com is really on line, I'm afraid the only real option is to drive to Port Everglades.

If you park in port, that'll run you something like $15 a day, in addition to the wear and tear on your vehicle, and the tolls on the Turnpike, which were close to $35 roundtrip in March 2012. I hear that there may very well be an increase soon.

There are a number of off-port parking places (mostly close to the airport) that I understand offer rates lower than the $15 per day. These bear considerable research. Since my next several cruises are not from Fort Lauderdale, I haven't honestly dug into this question, at this point.

As a sort of reassurance, the drive is quite easy, though somewhat boring! Count on stopping at the Fort Drum Service Plaza on the Turnpike in both directions. It is almost exactly half-way from TV.

SWR
:beer3:

Princess cruises lists a transport at 89 pp as follows:
"Florida Motorcoach Program

The cost is $89 per person roundtrip

Four routes with convenient pick-up locations along the way:
1.Tampa/Brandon, Sun City Center, Port Charlotte, Ft. Meyers, North Naples, Ft. Lauderdale PIER
2.Ocala, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Orlando, Ft. Pierce, Ft. Lauderdale PIER
3.Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Vero Beach, Stuart, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale PIER
4.Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota South, Venice, Ft. Lauderdale PIER"

It is possible this is old information on their website as they may have used the now defunct cruise connection. The same info is on Royal Carib where they specify that the service is by Cruise connection and one should call Cruise Connection for details.

There also is a private transport company which goes from Orlando to FLL port everglades at 55/pp at Cruise Connection to Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and Port of Miami They also have departures from Ocala that take you to Orlando where I guess you would change busses?? Don't know the details. Apparently their price goes up the later you reserve and the more full the bus becomes.

Any updates on bus transportation from TV or Lady Lake to Port Everglades?

bump

This service has not started yet and the website is still "under construction."

Cruise Connection
Started up Sept. 14th. It has new owners. You can go to the website and make reservations. We have reservations for Dec.

Becky

Thanks, Becky. See the price has increased but still may be a viable option.

Great news for all cruisers.
 

Great news for all of TV cruisers. Cruise Connection by Escot is back on the road again. This is a new company (ESCOT) which has taken over the Cruise Connection routes to and from all of the normal cruise ports. I had the pleasure of traveling with them on September 22, 2012 from Lady Lake to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Round trip fare was $100. The buses were clean and drivers were professional. Port contact person was very helpful and attentive. So, if you don't want to wear out your tires, spend money on gas and pay parking to get to these ports again, you now have ESCOT to deliver and pick you up. Pickup places are the same as was with Cruise Connection. You can call and make reservations at 941-256-8762. They are very helpful and friendly. Once you make your reservations, you will be sent a pdf file with your confirmation and itinerary. If you do not use a computer, they will mail your confirmation upon request. Happy sailings.:pepper2: