Earliest Disembark time off FOS in Port C!

[Julzizzle]

We have a flight to catch at 10:30 am in Orlando. Will we make it? What is the earliest time we can get off the ship...and will it be taking our own luggage? Thanks!

[reallyitsmema]

That is going to be a tough flight to make unless everything works perfectly. If you self disembark, you could be off at 7:30-8 but that is if the ship isn't delayed. Make sure you have private transportation waiting for you since the ride to the airport is 45 minutes if there is no traffic. Also check with your airline to see how early you need to be checked in for your flight.

 

We have made an 11:15am flight but the ship came in early and we were off the ship quickly. Towncar was waiting for us and off we went.

 

Good luck!

[Gonzo70]

I would go with a later flight. The airport is about an hour from the cruise port! Nobody can tell you what time you will be able to leave the ship - it varies sailing-to-sailing. Ships arrive late at times (i.e. due to bad weather, mechanical problems, diversion due to medical emergency, search for person overboard etc.). Once the ship arrives, nobody may leave until customs clears the ship; sometimes this is fast, sometimes slow. On a ship that size, there will be a few hundred people vying to be "first off." While you likely can just make it if there are no delays, delays somewhere along the process are not all that uncommon and you have minimal wiggle room for delays. Travel insurance will not cover you as you have such a narrow window and the fees from the airline for missing your flight are often quite high. Not worth the risk IMHO.

[fletch5727]

We just got off Freedom yesterday, and I don't think you should have a problem with a 10:30 flight. The ship got into port around 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., and self-debarkation started at 6 a.m. Once you get to the airport there are plenty of self service check-in kiosks to use, or you could go to the internet lounge Saturday afternoon to check in and print your boarding passes.

 

We were supposed to do the Kennedy Space Center tour and ended up leaving the ship at around 7:30 a.m. They wouldn't let us do the tour (long story), so we hopped on an airport shuttle instead. Even with the time that it took to get the tour thing figured out, we were still airport by 9:00 (even with our ocd shuttle driver making everyone stay in the bus for 20 minutes until he had meticulously taken out every piece of luggage from under the bus and lined them up in perfect rows).

[disfan]

I was on the Freedom last week. Carry your own luggage was scheduled for 6AM but actually started at about 6:20. I was in first group of checked luggage and was off the ship by 7:30 and home in Orlando before 8:30.

You can never predict delays and I might be very lucky but in 34 PC cruises, I have never been home later than 9AM.

[suezyq50]

It could be risky. Yesterday, ship was announcing at 6:00 that self embark could get off. Next announcement didn't come until 7:15 or so. The announcement said there was a luggage delay. I also recommend private shuttle.

[maggieq]

take your own luggage off. We do this all the time. They should start letting you off around 7:00. Don't use rccl shuttle otherwise you will be late....they wait for it to fill up. I used cocoa beach shuttle and we were at the airport around 8:00/8:15 and ended up catching an earlier flight but I booked an 11:30 a.m.

[yogimax]

Do you want to be stressed out your entire cruise, worrying about whether you will make the flight?

 

Some will tell you, "we did it," but that guarantees absolutely NOTHING. Go for a later flight and have peace of mind!

[JTJ]

Julz, it depends on the route. Seems the Western gets in 1 to 2 hrs earlier than the Eastern, consistantly. I know because I can see the ship pull in from my upstairs windows.

 

Of course weather or a pilot boat problem could change it.