Disembarking in Rome

First of all, I didn't schedule it that close. American switched my flight, or cancelled the one I booked, and substituted the earlier time.

 

To help me understand, how does Customs work? Do we go through customs when we arrive in port, like you do when a Caribbean cruise gets in to Fort Lauderdale? Or do we go through at the airport and if so, in Rome or where we're flying into? And if my final destination is Fort Lauderdale but I'm flying into another city first do we do customs there?

 

This is our first international trip so I don't know how it works.

 

 

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First of all don't forget immigration as that goes together with customs and are two different agencies both of which you may or may not talk to.

You generally go thru customs and immigration when arriving in your final port. There are times when you see or talk to no one and other times to both agencies. No real pattern. We did a World Cruise for 4 months and upon arrival in Fort Lauderdale we neither saw or talked ot any US Government people.

After you arrive and get thru the immigration and customs one way or another, at the airport you will probably go thru a quick immigration process for leaving the country assuming your next stop is the US. If another stop in Europe before heading home, it will be like a US Domestic Flight as you will still be in the EU.

As far as immigration and customs in the US. You will go thru that process at your first stop in the US and from there you are domestic like any flight only in the US.

Hope this answers your questions. Sorry it can't be completely specific but, a lot depends on where you cruised and the whims of the customs and immigration people when you disembark.

 

 

 

Hope this answers your questions. Sorry it can't be completely specific but, a lot depends on where you cruised and the whims of the customs and immigration people when you disembark.

.. and let's not forget the actual arrival time.

Just because you are scheduled to arrive at 8 AM (or whatever time) it does not necessarily mean that you will actually arrive at that time.

It could be earlier (no problem) or later (possible problem) - depending on weather, sea conditions, possible engine problems, etc.

Let's hope all will go well and on time for you.

Thank you all. Oceania said they arrive at 6 but of course that's ideal. No knowing weather, conditions, etc.

Sounds like we could go through Customs either at our first stop or final stop. We only have an hour and a half between planes so hopefully we'll be ok there as well.

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What is your first US city on your return itinerary?

Sounds like we could go through Customs either at our first stop or final stop. We only have an hour and a half between planes so hopefully we'll be ok there as well.

Are you talking about going through US customs? If so, you'll go through Customs at your entry point into the US. Only international airports are staffed with the personnel to deal with passport control and customs.

When you write that you only have an hour and a half between planes, are you speaking about the time between arriving from a trans-Atlantic flight and the second flight to your home airport?

Ninety minutes may be a legal connection, but that's for a person who has Trusted Traveler Status and who has no checked luggage. Are you a member of a Trusted Traveler program? Even if you speed up the process with a GOES card, you're still going to have to collect your luggage at the carousel, pass through customs with your luggage, place your suitcases back into the system to be loaded on your domestic final flight and, then, get yourself to your next gate.

Who advised you to select those flights? Are you flying on Oceania's air program?

If your airline changed your flight you MAY be able to change it to one that is better for you at no cost. Normally America Airlines sends out an e-mail saying

that there has been a change in your flight and you can contact an AA Agent.

Good Luck and enjoy your cruise

And what will you do if you can't get off of the ship until 9:30?

 

Will the CSR at American spring for your flight change fee's?

 

 

 

I divide people who run this ridiculous race with the clock into two groups, those who have been delayed by Customs and those who never have.

 

It's all fun and games until you are sitting amidst your luggage with the cab waiting outside while they endlessly page some passenger who never showed up to passport control.

 

 

 

We're not trying to scare you, but the REALITY is that until the ship is cleared no one moves an inch. If everything works fine you're golden, but it's insanity to schedule your flights assuming that everything will be perfect.

AND, who doesn't get the most out of their airfare by spending at least 2-3 extra days in Rome.

First of all, I didn't schedule it that close. American switched my flight, or cancelled the one I booked, and substituted the earlier time.

As zz19 wrote late last might, if the airline makes the change, you have the right to insist that you be re-booked on a flight that is actually do-able. I don't know if you were awake when zz19 posted his/her message, but American Airlines works 24/7. If you're sitting down to read your messages now, stop reading this board and phone American Airlines.

This is a problem with a solution!

To help me understand, how does Customs work? Do we go through customs when we arrive in port, like you do when a Caribbean cruise gets in to Fort Lauderdale?

Customs is a US activity. When you cruised in the Caribbean, you went through customs at the port in Ft. Lauderdale because that was your entry point into the US. The same principle applies when you fly home from any international trip. You deal with customs at your point of entry. Whether you'll be flying into Newark, JFK, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dulles, or Miami -- all possible points of entry from Europe when your final destination is FLL -- that is where you'll go through passport control and customs. Two separate processes at two separate -- but reasonably close -- destinations within the airport. When both of those legal requirement are taken care of, only then will you be able to walk to the gate for your connecting flight to Ft. Lauderdale/home.

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As zz19 wrote late last might, if the airline makes the change, you have the right to insist that you be re-booked on a flight that is actually do-able. I don't know if you were awake when zz19 posted his/her message, but American Airlines works 24/7. If you're sitting down to read your messages now, stop reading this board and phone American Airlines.

 

This is a problem with a solution!

Once you're calling American, you may be able to fix both your flight problems.

I just went to AA.com and plugged in July 12 as a straw man date for your FCO (Rome Fiumicino) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) itinerary.

Here's what came up:

Flight 721 Depart FCO @ 11:15 AM...............Arrive Charlotte (CLT) 3:55 PM

Flight 416 Depart CLT @ 8:00 PM.................Arrive Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) 9:54 PM

Lots of time to make both of your flights. Yes, it's a long hard day of flying, but a day of stress as you worry whether you'll make each flight doesn't sound appealing either.

I recommend you do your own search for your actual travel day and know your options before you call American. For example, there's another route through Philadelphia, departing not too long afterwards (11:55 AM). However, that flight requires a change of terminal along with your change of planes. That's something to be avoided when possible.

Riviera hit a major snag disembarking in Rome today with a bad thunderstorm that just sat over the port. The ship wasn't cleared until 8:00 and it was difficult to offload luggage. They didn't bother calling colors. Exiting the port building was very slow, because people would stop dead in there tracks with the heavy rain. Hopefully, flights were also delayed because of the storm, otherwise those leaving today would have had difficulty catching flights.

I also arrived on riviera this morning. A thunder storm slowed everything way down. The shipped was cleared at 8 but getting off was very difficult. I was lucky. I made it off at 9 am. It was a human traffic jam at the entrance of the pick up area. I bet 80 percent were still trying to get off.

There were many announcements saying until all the luggage was off the ship, the ship could not clear customs, etc. My one suitcase was very wet, the steps slippery, the whole process was difficult. 8:45 was the earliest anyone really could have been out of the port on the way to the airport in very heavy rain.

I do hope the storm delayed planes at the airport too.

Riviera hit a major snag disembarking in Rome today with a bad thunderstorm that just sat over the port. The ship wasn't cleared until 8:00 and it was difficult to offload luggage. They didn't bother calling colors. Exiting the port building was very slow, because people would stop dead in there tracks with the heavy rain. Hopefully, flights were also delayed because of the storm, otherwise those leaving today would have had difficulty catching flights.

That says it all.. Give yourself plenty of time to catch flights since these things can happen.

I also arrived on riviera this morning. A thunder storm slowed everything way down. The shipped was cleared at 8 but getting off was very difficult. I was lucky. I made it off at 9 am. It was a human traffic jam at the entrance of the pick up area. I bet 80 percent were still trying to get off.

There were many announcements saying until all the luggage was off the ship, the ship could not clear customs, etc. My one suitcase was very wet, the steps slippery, the whole process was difficult. 8:45 was the earliest anyone really could have been out of the port on the way to the airport in very heavy rain.

I do hope the storm delayed planes at the airport too.

We made the train. It was delayed 20 minutes and there was no luggage/security screening similar to what I have seen in other European train stations. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought an 11:20 Termini train would be a tight connection out of the port,

We made the train. It was delayed 20 minutes and there was no luggage/security screening similar to what I have seen in other European train stations. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought an 11:20 Termini train would be a tight connection out of the port,

You just never know what can happen. Better to be safe than sorry.

I am so glad to hear you made your train! I was releived to see you did not mention missing it when you posted. No security? That's not good for trains with big suitcases! If you were taking a plane, at 11:15 instead you would have missed it. There is no way anyone should book a flight before 1 at the earliest.

I also arrived on riviera this morning. A thunder storm slowed everything way down. The shipped was cleared at 8 but getting off was very difficult. I was lucky. I made it off at 9 am. It was a human traffic jam at the entrance of the pick up area. I bet 80 percent were still trying to get off.

There were many announcements saying until all the luggage was off the ship, the ship could not clear customs, etc. My one suitcase was very wet, the steps slippery, the whole process was difficult. 8:45 was the earliest anyone really could have been out of the port on the way to the airport in very heavy rain.

I do hope the storm delayed planes at the airport too.

I thought I would continue since I can now talk about the Rome airport. You are dropped off at terminal 5. First, you must get past a security check with all your luggage. This is an additional layer of security that we don't have in the US. They even ask you questions about your trip, etc. The lines are long and difficult with your luggage in tow. Then you can go to your airline to check in and baggage check luggage for the flight. Next you have the security screening lines like we are used to. After you have cleared security, you wait for busses to take you to the airplane terminal. This process takes time and needs to also be factored into the time it takes to go from the ship to the airport.

So, we booked a shared transfer with another couple through NCC for 8 am. Our plane was 11:15 am. Having read all the dire warnings I got worried and tried to change to a 7:30 pickup but was told they didn't have any 7:30 available and the other people had requested 8. I asked if they could come earlier in case we were all ready and waiting but they could not guarantee that.

We kept our luggage to walk off at 7:30. The ship wasn't cleared until 7:30 so it was closer to 7:40 that we walked off. The luggage was already there so we could've put it out and not dealt with taking it off ourselves. The couple we booked with was already out but the driver didn't show up until about 7:55. Apparently there was another couple we didn't know about and they didn't show up until about 8:10 even though they also had an 11:15 am flight.

That said, we got to the airport by 9 am. Yes, the process discussed by dasi11 was time consuming. But we arrived at our gate in plenty if time for our 10:25 boarding time. Yes I know we were fortunate. As it was our flight was an hour and a half hour late departing and the procedures at our first stop in Charlotte were way more time consuming than we had anticipated. The four hour layover we thought we'd have turned into just enough time to grab a quick bite before we boarded the final leg. All told, we left the ship at 7:40 am Rome time and arrived in our house in South Florida at 5 am Rome time the next day. That's a long time!!

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Oceania told me not to book a flight before 1p.m.This is for May 2017

Oceania included air provided a flight at 10:40 a.m. When I called to inquire if we had time to make it they informed me that anytime after 10:00 a.m. is sufficient telling me the ship arrives at 5:00 a.m. I'm nervous but they are telling me not to worry. I have their emergency phone number on hand. Since we have a direct flight from Rome to Miami we will see how it goes. If it works out it will be an easy trip back with no stopover. We leave in a few weeks.

Here is our experience disembarking Sirena in Civitevecchia today (6/25). Obviously, your experience may vary. We were able to disembark at 6:55 AM. Our luggage was easily located in the terminal. We had a private car pick us up at 7:40 AM. (We could have been picked up at 7:10!) The shuttle buses started leaving at 7:20. The airport ride (Saturday) took 45 minutes. Security lines were long, but we were waiting in the boarding area by 10:15 AM. Oceania had booked our flight at 11:50AM, and we had some hesitation, fearing that it was too early (thank goodness all in vain). Again, everything went very well for us; thought this might be helpful.

Thank you for your update. We are thinking about using Oceania Transfer since they are handling our air and telling us to contact them if we run into a delay and they will take care of it with no cost to us. I will discuss with them what the best way to get to the airport quickly once on the ship if not I may arrange for a 7:00 am transfer privately since flight is 10:40. We will be arriving on a Wednesday. Hopefully, it all works out.

Here is our experience disembarking Sirena in Civitevecchia today (6/25). Obviously, your experience may vary. We were able to disembark at 6:55 AM. Our luggage was easily located in the terminal. We had a private car pick us up at 7:40 AM. (We could have been picked up at 7:10!) The shuttle buses started leaving at 7:20. The airport ride (Saturday) took 45 minutes. Security lines were long, but we were waiting in the boarding area by 10:15 AM. Oceania had booked our flight at 11:50AM, and we had some hesitation, fearing that it was too early (thank goodness all in vain). Again, everything went very well for us; thought this might be helpful.

Pretty much our experience the last time we were there.