Noon flight out of Ft. Launderdale...

I am wanting to know if any of you have taken the noon flight out of ft Lauderdale the same day of disembarkation from the SKY in Miami?

I was originally informed by my travel agent that making the noon flight could get a little tricky, depending on what time we got off the boat and onto our shuttle. Subsequently, we booked the later evening flight out of fLL but that puts us getting home much later. I am considering changing my flight back to the noon and just risking it. Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter? Or have you done it?

I sailed getaway so disembarked in Miami on a Saturday. I had an 11:55 flight from FLL. Made it easily. Got off ship at 8, had SAS transport waiting for me ($15 pp) and was there and at gate by 10ish.

Last November from the Sky I was in the 8:30am group, had my luggage picked up the night prior, used the NCL motorcoach to FLL and could have made a noon flight. The bus was essentially at the base of the stairs outside the terminal. So let's say it took an hour for me to get to the bus and an hour to get to FLL that's a 10:30 arrival at FLL.

It's your vacation, there is stress with trying to make the noon flight and stress of having to arrive home later than preferred. Select the one that suits you best and understand the risk if you did miss the early flight.

I live in New England, in November I was happy to spend the day in Ft. Lauderdale rather than a cold gray day up north. Either way I was taking a vacation day, so I decided to enjoy. As it turned out I hit a local , had fun and won enough money to cover the trip, woo hoo!

It is 45 minutes from the port to FLL with NO TRAFFIC. Youngestof9 made the shuttle run in 2 hours on a Saturday morning. You will be traveling at rush hour on a Fri. (or Mon.) so add another 30 minutes to 45 minutes. You might get lucky, you might not.

NOT RECOMMENDED - "UNLESS"

- You can do a walk-off with baggage and gear

- Be one of the first disembarking the ship

- Customs and Immigration is fully functional not tending to petty details

- Have contracted transportation arranged to go from port to airport

- Not have unusual weather or traffic problems enroute to airport

- Best to have an affinity (frequent flyer/TSA PreCheck) to speed check-in

- Able to arrive at boarding gate in the required time

That is a lot to expect (those darn flaming hoops etc.) !

"POSITIVE *+* NOTE"

It can be done - others have done it - get organized - have a plan - just do IT !

Have alternative plans for the WHAT IF FACTOR that is you miss your flight

and have to contend with additional money ($) factors; airline change fees

rescheduling your travel which no doubt is already crowded with those fellow

cruisers who have had more timely plans to arrive at the airport for leisure

check in and timely arrival at the boarding gate without breaking a sweat !

ON A SCALE of time:

Before 10:00 AM - You gotta be kidding - doomed to failure !

Before 11:00 AM - You musta have won the Lottery $$$ nothing money can't fix

Before NOON - You are getting close to the approved scheduled plan

AFTER NOON - Your odds are improving exponentially

After 1:00 PM - You have been pre-approved to move about the country !

Anything later - What are you doing here at this CC Forum ?

We have flown out of FLL several times, for a 11:30 or later flight (week days as well). It is doable.

We always disembark at the first call (we have carryon only). ;)

No guarantees but Noon flight is doable.

Keith

I would NOT try a flight that early. Not only is traffic going to be a nightmare from POM to FLL, but depending on how many ships are disembarking not only in POM but also in Ft Lauderdale the security line at FLL can be horrendous.

Walk off at 8ish and it's very doable.

I say yes. You should be off the ship and on the street by 9. You would be FLL by 10:30 even with some traffic. And actually, you should do better than those times. This assumes all is normal that morning.

We made an 11:30 flight no problem. We self-disembarked (first people through customs, my hubby is a go-getter morning person lol), had previously arranged travel, and it was a Sunday. We were at the airport with a LOT OF time to spare. An hour later, the security line was RIDICULOUS.

That said, a cruise the year prior had DH, his brother and SIL almost missing a flight that was actually later in the day than that. If you know there's another flight or two that day, it's probably a safer risk to take the early flight.

That's the timeframe I always get!

You do self walk off at 8am. This puts you in the front of the customs lines. Grab a taxi which will be lined up and waiting. You will get to the airport by 9:15-9:30. You will be all checked in and sitting at the gate no later than 10:15am.

It's plenty of time. I've done it many times.

I just did this yesterday. Left the ship (NCL Sky) at 8:30, got to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) around 10:00. I sat around three hours to get my 1 o'clock flight. I used the ships transfer.