Late flight on arrival day into FLL..

[JLC@SD]

We are leaving on Nov. 14 on the Ruby and our flight gets in at 3:05 into FLL. What is the absolute latest time you can check in at the port in case we experience any airport delays. The ship departs at 5:00. I know princess says that your arrival time on the plane can be as late as 3:30 into the airport. Has anyone had any past experiences with a late afternoon flight?

 

Too many things can go wrong that can delay you. We were delayed at FLL even though we landed, because lightening hit the airport and the luggage could not be unloaded. Too tight......3:05 landing means luggage at 3:30 and you need to be signed into the ship by 4:00.

[Whimsy]

The last time we flew to FLL our flight was canceled and we were put on another plane from St Louis 2 hours later. We were lucky, we flew in the day before. Had it been the day of the cruise I would of been going crazy and DH would of drove me totally over the edge.

 

Start the day of the cruise in a very relaxing, vacation mode. Wake up in your hotel in Fort Lauderdale, enjoy an extra cup of coffee over breakfast and have fun getting to the ship early and seeing it without all the passengers onboard. Makes for a great start to your vacation.

[lovevacadays]

OMG, any future cruisers that are reading this post - please, please try and not make your flight arrangements this close. I advocate flying in the day before but if you absolutely can't do this - try and do a red-eye if you are on the West Coast and as early, early on cruise day in other areas of the country so your estimated arrival time is at least by noon. There are so many flight delays these days for so many reasons and it would be such a disappointment to start your cruise missing your ship and trying to figure out how to catch up to her or being able to board but being so very stressed out when you did.

 

I know not everyone can take that extra day off to fly the previous day but if there is anyway you can it is so worth it.

[Colo Cruiser]

I would never do it. :eek:

[caribill]

It's a 90-minute rule, not 60 minutes. Princess needs time to set up the manifest and submit it, which has to be at least 60 minutes before sailing.

 

 

Yes, that is right. According to Princess, you need to be checked in at least 90 minutes prior to sailing if you haven't completed the online registration at least 6 days prior to your sail date. Here is the official rule:

 

"Passengers who fail to provide complete and accurate information prior to embarkation must complete check-in at least 90 minutes prior to the ship's scheduled departure time or they will be denied boarding."

 

Those that complete the online registration 6 days prior to sailing must be checked in at least 60 mins. prior to the published sail time for US departures.

 

Here is more info.:

 

Embarking Passengers

For voyages departing Ft. Lauderdale at 5:00 pm, the latest flight arrival is 2:45 pm for international flights and 3:30 pm for domestic flights.

 

 

 

Looks as if within the rules Princess says a 3:30 arrival is OK at FLL, and that check-in must be by 4:00 PM (which seems impossible for a 3:30 on-time arrival).

 

Still, a scheduled 3:05 arrival will test anybody's luck for making the ship in time.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We had decided years ago to always get into our embarkation city at least a day ahead so we don't stress out over any last minute problems with our travel. And when we leaving from the Port of LA (which we're an hour's drive away), we leave home by 10am or 11am (sometimes, we've had the car all packed and ready to go at 9:30am).

[Putterdude]

With the thousands of dollars you have invested in a cruise I would want to be there the night before .... if you are not flying from to far away then maybe the morning of.

[CrusinAgain]

I hope you haven't booked your flight yet. The stress and anxiety it will cause you when your plane is even a few minutes late boarding, leaving, sitting on the runway because they have to recalculate the load, arriving late, and waiting for the luggage is not worth it. Don't do it to yourself. Its a small chance you will make it. It is very rare for planes to make it on time anymore especially if you have a connecting flight.

[u2cruiser]

I would not risk this flight time.

 

So many delays have happened to us on our travels: weather, airport check in delays, airport security technical problems, aeroplane technical problems, broken luggage carousels, taxi chaos, gridlocked traffic etc. I would be nervous at arriving in the morning, nevermind so late in the afternoon.

[paul929207]

Seems like you have two choices.

 

Choice 1 - Pay the change fee & hotel for the night before the cruise.

Choice 2 - keep existing flights. Pay hotel for first night of cruise. Pay to fly to the first port to catch up with ship. Is the first port outside the US? if so, be sure you have a passport.

[98Charlie]

It's a 90-minute rule, not 60 minutes. Princess needs time to set up the manifest and submit it, which has to be at least 60 minutes before sailing.

 

What do Carnival Cruises FAQs have to do with Princess? Carnival Cruise Lines do not own Princess and have nothing to do with it. They are both owned by Carnival Corporation & PLC, a holding company. FYI, what's a "Fun Pass"? I'm assuming that's your cruise card; it's not a term used on Princess.

Ooops! I was actually reading 2 different threads and got the lines mixed up. And you are correct. With Princess it is the 90 minute rule only.

 

The "Fun Pass" is the same as the "Princess e-Ticket Boarding Pass".

 

Charlie

[Coolmama_1]

With a nickname like Murphy26, aren't you really tempting Murphy's Law :eek:

 

I was thinking the same thing!:)

[cruiseron36]

It's a 90-minute rule, not 60 minutes. Princess needs time to set up the manifest and submit it, which has to be at least 60 minutes before sailing.

 

What do Carnival Cruises FAQs have to do with Princess? Carnival Cruise Lines do not own Princess and have nothing to do with it. They are both owned by Carnival Corporation & PLC, a holding company. FYI, what's a "Fun Pass"? I'm assuming that's your cruise card; it's not a term used on Princess.

 

Marios post had a copy from Princess that indicated 60 minutes if you had your paperwork filled out on line. Is Princess wrong again??

[cruiseron36]

This is a copy from my cruise personalizer for our Ot 30 Crown sailing out of FLL

 

CRUISE CHECK-IN

Cruise check-in will be conducted at the pier and is expected to begin at

1:00 pm and will conclude at 4:00 pm. To minimize wait times, please arrive

after 2:00 pm. All passengers are asked to be onboard by 4:00 pm.

CRUISE CHECK-IN

Cruise check-in will be conducted at the pier and is expected to begin at

1:00 pm and will conclude at 4:00 pm. To minimize wait times, please arrive

after 2:00 pm. All passengers are asked to be onboard by 4:00 pm.

CRUISE CHECK-IN

Cruise check-in will be conducted at the pier and is expected to begin at

1:00 pm and will conclude at 4:00 pm. To minimize wait times, please arrive

after 2:00 pm. All passengers are asked to be onboard by 4:00 pm.

 

 

This would indicate 60 minutes not 90. I guess it could be another Princess misprint. So, a 3 PM flight is possible to make, however, I still would not recomend it.

[dashulak]

Remember, delays in ANY part of the country can delay your flight.

 

Once, a two-hour layover in Dallas became an almost six hour layover. The weather was great in Louisville (our origin) and Vancouver, B.C. (our destination). Unfortunately, weather delays in the northeast and midwest caused aircraft and flight crews delays in DFW.

 

Flying into your departure port the day before gives you plenty of "wiggle room" if there is a problem and your trip will get off to a MUCH better start!

[awhcruiser]

I would only remotely consider cutting it that close if the flight was non-stop. Even then there could be weather or some other kind delay. Is there any way you could switch to an earlier flight?

[dawcruiser]

I almost always fly in the same day of the cruise. But Ii always get the first flight leaving my home airport. I have never gotten into FLL later than 1:00. I have always been on time. But if I missed the first flight I always had another one to get on at a later time and still would make it to FLL on time.

 

I would change my flighjt time if I could to an earlierr departure from my home airport.

 

Don

[notentirelynormal]

This is a copy from my cruise personalizer for our Ot 30 Crown sailing out of FLL

 

CRUISE CHECK-IN

Cruise check-in will be conducted at the pier and is expected to begin at

1:00 pm and will conclude at 4:00 pm. To minimize wait times, please arrive

after 2:00 pm. All passengers are asked to be onboard by 4:00 pm.

 

 

This would indicate 60 minutes not 90. I guess it could be another Princess misprint. So, a 3 PM flight is possible to make, however, I still would not recomend it.

 

Yes, but if you have to be onboard by 4:00 you have to allow time to pick up your suitcases, grab a taxi and drive to the port. Once you get to the pier you actually have to get out of the taxi, give your luggage to the porters which are off to the side, enter the building, go through security, fill out your health questionaire, walk over to the counter, be processed, walk up that long walkway and on to the ship. That is a minimum of 15 minutes no matter how fast you are moving. I would imagine the 30 minute window is to do the above just at the pier. Also, if the check in process "concludes" at 4:00 - I read that to be - you're done! Not you are just getting there.

[Pam in CA]

The post above is correct. There will be no one to check you in after 4pm. No check in, no boarding. The manifest will already have been submitted to Homeland Security and no changes can be made. You can blame Homeland Security but that's the way it is.

[caribill]

The post above is correct. There will be no one to check you in after 4pm. No check in, no boarding. The manifest will already have been submitted to Homeland Security and no changes can be made. You can blame Homeland Security but that's the way it is.

 

As long as the required personalizer information was completely filled out, Princess has the information needed to give to Homeland Security even if you have not checked in yet.

 

Still, arriving after 4 PM is not a good idea.

[dchip]

We flew into FLL in March the day before our cruise. We were delayed due to huge thunderstorms. The next day, the entire airport was shut down for several hours also because of thunderstorms. The folks that flew in that day were mighty lucky because Princess delayed departure until 8pm.

 

There is NO WAY I would take your flight. I would be so stressed it would take me a week to get over it :eek: We get to the port at least a day ahead of time even when we drive from San Francisco to LA.

 

Cheers, Denise

[BoPippy]

If the weather was perfect i could leave the East coast of Canada-2 hr flight,arrive in Toronto and direct to Florida,but with airlines today,they could cancel flight for any reason and u r stuck and stressed.Even the day before cruise,i arrive in Florida at 1 pm and in our winters,even the day before is very risky since so many r trying to get the same flights from the East coast to Toronto.If i lived in Toronto,i would worry less bec.there are a lot more departing flights.

Heading home,i could care less what happens!:)

The only way i would do your flights is when i am at an island stay.

[Holidayz]

I would try to change your flight, we had a direct flight that arrived late and for some reason or another the plane door would not shut, took two hours to fix, my son ended up in tears because it looked like we would definately miss the ship. My husband was angry by then, I had to be the calm one,we rushed off the plane, grabbed our luggage, grabbed a taxi and luckly they were just bringing in the plank thing, the ship waited, but ohhhhhh sooo stressful, and everyone new we were the ones being waited for,but we didn't have to wait in any lines and had all our luggage with us and they did have cocktails waiting.

[ejd]

We are leaving on Nov. 14 on the Ruby and our flight gets in at 3:05 into FLL. What is the absolute latest time you can check in at the port in case we experience any airport delays. The ship departs at 5:00. I know princess says that your arrival time on the plane can be as late as 3:30 into the airport. Has anyone had any past experiences with a late afternoon flight?

 

You are really cutting it close. If you have a plan "B" go to it..change the flight.

 

Once boarded a NCL ship at at 3:20 for a 4:00PM departure. Stress level was red lining. . Will not do that again.

[luvs2travl]

No way would we ever take a chance with a flight landing (hopefully, on time) that close to a ship's sailing time. If you can possibly change your flight, we would recommend that you do so ASAP.

 

Even the slightest delay (waiting in line for take-off; weather delays; time used in taxiing to the gate; walking to baggage claim; waiting for luggage, getting to the pier, etc., etc.) will cause you to miss your ship.

 

Also - remember that your flight arrival time merely means the time the plane is due to touch down - NOT the time you will be off the plane & out of the airport. So, if your flight is due to arrive a 3:05PM, you won't even be at the gate & off the plane much before 3:30PM. And if you are flying in from any of the Northern/Midwestern states - well, you probably know about the weather and the havoc it can wreak upon air travel at that time of year.....

 

We always fly in to any port at least one day before, and have, on many occasions, been very glad we did!

 

Run - don't walk to the phone & get those flight reservations changed! ;) :)