Agree 100%. I'm going to take my largest cruise luggage with me on my test drive to Orlando so that I can see how that is handled. It measures just below the size requirements so that should be a good test. I hope that they open the Coco, FL in the near future. That will open up that port for us as well as most of South Fl. Thanks for the great points and for watching!

That works perfectly! I haven't purchased my Orlando test drive yet but I plan to. You will really enjoy it! Thanks for watching!

I did see that but when I asked a staff member about that, he stated that most people do use the Uber option either through their own app or through pre-purchase through Brightline. I believe it has to do with reliability and the actual stops the shuttles make at the port.

The basic Brightline+ people mover is free even to Smart class ticket holders.

That is exactly the scenario that I see happening. Disney for a couple pre-cruise days then head down to either of the ports without having to rent a car. Each of the stations have a premium lounge - the main stations will have the larger ones like Miami. Boca had a very small lounge at the back of the station. I was in the Smart Coach southbound so I did not have access. I do believe that you can bring your own snacks onboard. The big 305 in Miami is referencing the long standing area code for Miami. In S FL, 305 refers to people who live in Miami Dade. I was really surprised when I measured my cruise luggage only to find out that it was smaller than the Brightline size limit. The website says that your first checked bag is free and additional per person is $25. I will be doing the Orlando high speed test once it gets the kinks ironed out. They are accepting tickets beyond Sept 1. I actually was thinking to take our largest cruise bag with me to see how it is handled - great minds think alike! Thanks for your comment and for watching!

@seemoreseascruises3791 Great minds breathe sea salt air! Excellent response. I can't wait for this fall's report .

Yes, you can take your own food and drinks on the train. I saw a few people take them in the smart class.

@@seemoreseascruises3791I wonder if Universal Orlando would offer a similar Brightline and (non-Disney) cruise package.

So glad that you like it! Thanks for watching!

I'm glad that you found it helpful! I was very interested in the same things so I went for the test drive. I'm going to do another one to Orlando and take my large suitcase with me to confirm how they handle it. As long as your luggage is under the checked luggage requirements, you will be able to place it on the racks. The stops are very quick and most people begin to get up as the train rolls into the station. Thanks for watching!

I hope to film the high speed section to Orlando this fall. Thanks for watching!

The boarding process was actually very easy. You scan your QR code and that's it. The train arrives and staff guide you to your car and three minutes later you are off. There are kiosks at the stations for same day tickets just like in Europe. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

this is also the reason why a lot of delays happen in europe ( i am from NL europe ) people often arrive on the last moment, wanting to jump in the train on the last moment, because they are not familiar with the area ( tourists ) wich delays trains, With this you cancel this out. here in NL we are actually going to put waiters on the platforms to keep people who are late out of the train that is about to depart, so that tourists can no longer influence the train departure schedule, they have to wait for the next train arrival, frequency here on most lines is 15 minutes. you only have to scan ticket and your trip gets announced and you can board the platform with brightline, easy enough.

I agree - It is a large bag! I was very surprised to see that. Our largest bag is still within that size. If anyone has a mobility issue, I think it would be difficult to use this method. The company does provide accessible assistance however the short turn around times would concern me. If you purchase a premium ticket, they do provide free shuttle service within 5 miles of the station. I think that we might use this for a Miami embarkation and when and if a Coco, FL station is added for Port Canaveral, we would consider that as well. It is cheaper for us to take an Uber to Port Everglades. Thanks for watching!

@@seemoreseascruises3791 I've checked bags several times and not once have I had a problem with them not taking it off, but also I've always terminated at the end of the line in either West Palm Beach or Miami. It's definitely much easier/faster to take your bag on the train with you.

That would be great! They are talking about something like that for Miami. Thanks for watching!

The city of Miami is planning to extend the MetroMover to those areas

@@gossettcd The one I saw proposed was just to the Virgin Voyages terminal which is the first one. That is a huge walk down to NCL or to Royal Caribbean. We had to do that once due to parking garages being full. I hope that some day, they can put in a convenient option.

That is great information! I did not go into the terminal store so did not experience that. It makes sense though. Thanks for sharing!

That would be great! That last mile segment and their every changing position is something that needs to be corrected and that hole plugged! Thanks for the comment and for watching.

Also, I read they have water taxis around Fort Lauderdale !! :)

That will be so great for you! We are planning our trip to Orlando as well! Thanks for watching!

Thanks Michael! Once the expansion is complete, this should give FL residents and out of state visitors lots of options. I'll get you out there on the sea! Thanks for watching!

You also have TriRail for the 3 counties and airports but Brightline is an upgraded experience. Thanks so much for watching and good luck with your move!

@@seemoreseascruises3791 Thanks. We will be moving just outside of Orlando and are avid cruisers so looking forward to the train trips to the cruise ports!

Port Canaveral has just recently overtaken PortMiami as the busiest port but Miami is still a very big port. I agree that they should reinstate the port shuttle service and move up those plans to extend to the actual port. The planned station in Coco, FL near Port Canaveral should also be on the fast track. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

I haven't bought my Orlando ticket yet but they are still available for September. High hopes for Tampa and maybe Coco too! Thanks for watching!

as of 9/12 trains have NOT been certified to carry people past West Palm Beach. Two announced begin dates have been missed with refunds issues for tickets already sold. So far as continuing to Tampa .... that is going no-where beyond discussion stage. Stake holders in Orlando have big differences of opinion as to desired route. It is many years away. You can still DRIVE from Miami to Orlando it the same time they say this train will take. For 3 in a rental car .... guess which is less $$.

There is no free shuttle to MIA. Brightline launched a fixed route shuttle service this year to and from MIA. The cost is $10 and does not require advanced reservations. Customers can pay upon boarding the shuttle. The Brightline website has MIA pickup locations. Shuttles leave the Brightline station 10 minutes after each train arrival.

Currently if you are traveling from South Florida and want to get to Port Canaveral, you would have to travel to Orlando and take one of the many shuttle companies to the port. These normally leave from or near the Orlando Airport in the morning and get to the port in plenty of time for check-in. It is about a 45 minute bus (coach) ride. These are very comfortable coaches and several companies provide this service. Brightline had been hinting at at a new station in Coco Beach, FL which is only about 10 minutes from the port. They have finally formally announced that they will be adding this stop just before the big curve to Orlando. This will really open up options for those flying into South Florida airports. The other new station in Stuart, FL is expected in Late 2026 so the Coco station should follow that sometime in 2027.

Both Port Miami and Port Everglades are pretty close to Brightline stations. Miami is just over a mile from the port so that is very easy with a taxi or Uber. I have graphics in the video that show the location and proximity to the port. Port Miami graphic is at 11:49 in the video. Port Everglades is not as close but still very manageable. The port is just over 5 miles from the port and also an easy taxi or Uber trip. The Port Everglades graphic is at 7:44 in the video. There are chapter markers in the video so you can just jump to that section. I have also included Uber estimates for each in those sections. Check out those sections and pause the video to review in detail. Make sure that you also measure your main bag so that you do not have to check it. Anything over 28"x22"x14" will need to be checked. Good luck and thanks for watching!

That would be awesome! It has taken a couple of years for this Orlando extension so future growth will be a few years out . Thanks for watching!

There are talks about Jacksonville being a future phase for extension, which would be perfect after Tampa.

They only operate that service for Premium tickets via Uber within a 5 mile radius. The shuttles now only service MIA for most arrival terminals. You can book an Uber pickup via Brightline when you book your ticket online or through the app. It is really confusing when you look at the Brightline website. The customer service team in Miami confirmed that.

@@seemoreseascruises3791 so if i am buy the premium service to miami, i can book a free uber via brightline to take me to the port if it's within the 5 mile radius. Correct?

The problem with Brightline is that they do not have a solution for last mile services. They do have a 5 mile limit for shuttle service only for First Class passengers. In addition, that shuttle only drops you at 1st terminal in Port Miami and Port Everglades - again, only for first class passengers. You will have to walk to the other terminals at both ports. The price of the first class ticket for two people is more than just driving and parking for a 7 day cruise. Adding a taxi or Uber for last mile is even more so. There is also NO high speed rail service to any of the ports. The only semi high speed is not yet operating and is between West Palm Beach and Orlando. There are no port stops in that segment. Why would you pay more to travel slower to Port Miami or Port Everglades? Is the connivence of not having to drive worth that to you? That is the question. VERY few people are currently using this train for port services. Bringing attention to this was the point of the video.

GREAT POINT! Brightline purchased land just near where the tracks turn towards Orlando outside of Coco. There has still not been any formal announcement for a Coco (Cape Canaveral, Port Canaveral) station but it is highly assumed that it is in their long term plan. Let's hope so! Thanks for watching.

@seemoreseascruises3791 I'm worried about the Coco station getting massively delayed now that brightline is shifting its focus to brightline west and the Tampa line. There might not be much money left over for infill stations. A similar thing happened on the Washington metro system with the Potomac Yard station. Metro's budget was absolutely destroyed by the 6 billion dollar silver line extension to Dulles airport, causing construction of the Potomac Yard station to move at turtle speed. The silver line extension was 3 billion dollars over budget and ten years late when it finally opened last year. Potomac Yard station was at least 4 years late opening and surprise (not really) it was over budget. On a more positive note now that the silver line extension is open if you ever need to get to the cruse port in Norfolk Virginia, you can save lots of money by flying to Washington DC and taking a local train to Union Station to get an Amtrak or a bus to Norfolk. The airports in Norfolk and Richmond are an absolute ripoff. Norfolk has an extensive bus system, so getting to the actual port shouldn't be a problem, especially during the day. If you ever go to BWI Airport, don't let cab drivers try to get you to take a ride to DC. They will give you a low ball estimate of the price that doesn't include the amount of time you spend in DC's notorious gridlock. By the time you get to where you are going, the price will be at least double what they said it will be. For seven dollars, you can take a Maryland MARC train to DC's Union Station. The train will be more than twice as fast as driving to. If you need to get to Baltimore, you can take the Baltimore light rail into the city from the other side of BWI and save an enormous amount of money over taking a cab or Uber to.

@@Mars-ev7qg ...from National Airport in D.C. you don't need to take the Metro to Union Station in the city. Just take Metro to the Alexandria station, right next to the Amtrak station, where you can catch the 2 trains per day to Norfolk.

@robertwallace6868 it's true that you can do that. Of course, this assumes several things. First of all, you actually need to be flying into Washington National Airport. Dulles and BWI are much bigger airports. Even if you are flying to Ragan, your flight has to arrive at a time that allows you to catch one of those trains. Also, amtrak tickets often sell out many days in advance. Do you really want to spend at least 40 dollars per person on train tickets and have your plane be late or canceled and miss the train? For most people, it will make more sense to wait until they get off the plane and go to Union Station and buy their tickets to Norfolk there. If you get there in time to catch the train and it's not sold out, go for it. If you can't catch the train, then all you have to do is go upstairs and get a bus ticket. I'm not saying that your idea is necessarily bad. For some people, it would work great, but for most people, Union Station is a much better option.

​@@Mars-ev7qgThe Cocoa station can be erected in a few months if not quicker once the location is ironed out. It will be a satellite station just like Aventura and Boca Raton which was built in months not years. So the Tampa extension which requires laying rails down and land and right of way acquisitions should have no bearing on the Cocoa station. The station will be essentially a fiberglass tent masquerading as a building like Boca Raton & Aventura stations are.