Miami flights home @ 10AM

[rzivkovic]

I havent taken a cruise from the port of Miami in years. Wondering if I book a 10 AM flight home, can I make it? If the Celebrity Eclipse is expected back at 7AM, can I make it off the ship and at MIA airport by 9am for a 10 am flight?

[A Sixth?]

Many years ago (2003?) I had a flight out of San Juan after a Carnival cruise that at 9:10 am

 

It was a bit nerve wrecking but we were fast tracked off and made the fight in plenty of time.

 

 

Wouldn't do it again though.

[Giorgi-one]

Not criticizing you but there are about 5 threads every week with the same question. People will post and tell you they have made early flights - even ealier than yours. The only real answer is that if everything goes smoothly at the Port, you can make this flight. If not, you will not make the flight. If you do not cancel the flight, you will lose everything. If you do cancel the flight, you probably have to pay something like $150 per person change fee and the difference in the price of the ticket which could be substantial because same day flights are very expensive. About three years ago, I was on Royal Caribbean Freedom on the seas. There was a problem with immigration at the Port and we were still on the ship at 11 AM. Luckily I had a 2 PM flight but most of the people around me had missed their flights. You roll the dice and take your chances.

[Lsimon]

I havent taken a cruise from the port of Miami in years. Wondering if I book a 10 AM flight home, can I make it? If the Celebrity Eclipse is expected back at 7AM, can I make it off the ship and at MIA airport by 9am for a 10 am flight?

 

The posted time is not necessarily the time you can get off the ship. Actual disembarkation time will depend on the ship itself being on schedule and will also be dependant on customs and immigration who could be running late due to their own staffing, unrelated problems, or a particular problem or concern with as few as one other passenger on your ship.

 

So the biggest question isn't "Can I make it" but rather: Do you feel lucky? And also: What is your backup plan if you miss your flight?

[Leesie6351]

and you need to allow a minimum of 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs to check-in, deposit luggage, go thru security and get to your gate. Remember too there may be very long lines waiting to check-in or drop baggage even if you have pre-printed boarding passes. Security at MIA is sometimes a hassle because of issues with drug smuggling and you may find yourself the target of a random full body and carry-on search. It happened to us and we are in our 60's!!!

 

In short, as the other posters stated, you could possibly make the flight but why take the chance??

 

Good luck

[CelebrityAgentX]

I havent taken a cruise from the port of Miami in years. Wondering if I book a 10 AM flight home, can I make it? If the Celebrity Eclipse is expected back at 7AM, can I make it off the ship and at MIA airport by 9am for a 10 am flight?

Your butt needs to be on the plane at 9:30.... You need 2 hrs for security screening/checkin. add 1/2 hr from the time your card is scanned to airport arrival, if there is no traffic.... I think you are cutting it to close.

[wannabetraveler]

I just got back from Barcelona Mid-Sept. Boat docked at 6:00am and we got off the boat at 7:00 (after eating breakfast in the buffet). I booked the Celebrity airport transfer. It went well... arrived at the airport around 7:35 and went through customs and was sitting at the gate at 9:00am. My flight was for 10:45am. Celebrity will only take transfers from the ship if the flight is 10:00am or later...on our cruise. You may want to get info on this. I was on the second bus out of the port...and I think there were 1 or 2 after me. The only flights out of Barcelona to Cincinnati were 10:00- 10:15- 10:45. I was a little anxious, but it flowed will well. After reading all the blogs, I guess I was lucky. Good luck and have a great time. Kathy

[Jade13]

I havent taken a cruise from the port of Miami in years. Wondering if I book a 10 AM flight home, can I make it? If the Celebrity Eclipse is expected back at 7AM, can I make it off the ship and at MIA airport by 9am for a 10 am flight?

 

We are doing this. We are walking off the ship with our luggage and are not checking any luggage. It is a 15 minute taxi to MIA. Last time we were at MIA early on a SAT and it was dead (and with 7 ships in port).

[Jade13]

I just got back from Barcelona Mid-Sept. Boat docked at 6:00am and we got off the boat at 7:00 (after eating breakfast in the buffet). I booked the Celebrity airport transfer. It went well... arrived at the airport around 7:35 and went through customs and was sitting at the gate at 9:00am. My flight was for 10:45am. Celebrity will only take transfers from the ship if the flight is 10:00am or later...on our cruise. You may want to get info on this. I was on the second bus out of the port...and I think there were 1 or 2 after me. The only flights out of Barcelona to Cincinnati were 10:00- 10:15- 10:45. I was a little anxious, but it flowed will well. After reading all the blogs, I guess I was lucky. Good luck and have a great time. Kathy

 

Question was about Miami airport.

[eandj]

I havent taken a cruise from the port of Miami in years. Wondering if I book a 10 AM flight home, can I make it? If the Celebrity Eclipse is expected back at 7AM, can I make it off the ship and at MIA airport by 9am for a 10 am flight?

 

I'd bet you are asking because you notice the flight is cheaper than a later one, Right? There's a reason for that.

 

You can't expect to get to the airport at 9 and make your flight. You need to be there at 8-ish to give you time to go thru all the security, check bags and head to your gate.

 

Can you make it? Maybe. Will you make it? um.. Maybe. The number of seats on most planes are a lot fewer than 3 years ago. So if you don't make that flight, more than likely you will be struggling to find seats on another flight. ANd you'll pay the penalties to change. I've seen people having to spend the night for the next open flight. You have to decide if you want that kind of stress as you end your vacation. Good luck.:eek:

[cb at sea]

As long as you're one of the first off the ship, you shouldn't have a problem. Just make sure there's a later flight, should you miss your scheduled departure!

[kitty9]

I just got back from Barcelona Mid-Sept. Boat docked at 6:00am and we got off the boat at 7:00 (after eating breakfast in the buffet). I booked the Celebrity airport transfer. It went well... arrived at the airport around 7:35 and went through customs and was sitting at the gate at 9:00am. My flight was for 10:45am. Celebrity will only take transfers from the ship if the flight is 10:00am or later...on our cruise. You may want to get info on this. I was on the second bus out of the port...and I think there were 1 or 2 after me. The only flights out of Barcelona to Cincinnati were 10:00- 10:15- 10:45. I was a little anxious, but it flowed will well. After reading all the blogs, I guess I was lucky. Good luck and have a great time. Kathy

 

This is a totally different situation than the OP, who wants to fly home from Miami. Barcelona is a completely different story and routine.

 

OP, Miami International is totally and completely insane. Look at it this way. If your flight leaves at 10am, you absolutely must be in your seat, on the plane by 9:30. They're getting really sticky on this early boarding stuff. If only one thing goes wrong with clearing the ship, and it invariably does, you might not start leaving the ship until 8 or later. You'll need AT LEAST 90 minutes at the airport for check in (the lines at that airport are terribly long) and then another impossibly long line for security. Of course, there's the lines for Immigration at the cruise terminal, another line for US Customs, finding your transportation and then the approximately 20 minute drive to the airport. Are you feeling lucky?????

 

Now, here's your other problem. If you miss the flight, with so many less flights nowadays, smaller planes being used by many airlines, the chances of you getting on a flight home the same day is almost nil. You'll be lucky to get one the next day unless you're flying home to a city that has numerous daily flights.

 

I'm guessing that you booked this flight because it was so cheap. Guess why? Because airlines know that most cruise ship passengers can't make those early flights.