Earliest time to schedule return flight from Ft. Lauderle?

[Luv2Cook2010]

We are cruising the Allure from Ft. Lauderdale and will be returning 4/10. What time is the earliest I should consider scheduling a return flight? Is 11:22am too early? It is the only non-stop flight offered that day. Thanks!

[bevomom]

I'm assuming you are flying out of FLL and not MIA. If so, then it's probably not too early, if you play your cards right, in my opinion. Just be on top of things by requesting an early disembarkation, have your transportation pre-arranged, and be ready to go as soon as you can get off the ship. I hope things have changed there, but I'll just share that our last 2 departures from FLL had huge customs lines.

[dirtgirl]

There were HORRIFIC lines getting off of the Solstice in November. By contrast, there was no problem with lines getting off the Oasis.

 

It's Customs and Immigration that holds everyone up. They never seem to have enough agents working. If you are non-US, the line-ups are even worse.

 

I would get Express Disembarkation - but you must be able to handle all your big luggage on your own. Otherwise, I wouldn't even try. My boss missed a 12:30 pm flight because of line-ups at Immigration in FLL.

[Trickie Dickie]

On my Jewel of the Seas cruise out of Fort Lauderdale this past November they put the Canadians and people from the United States in the US Citizen line and everyone else was in the Non-US line. A first for this Canuck! and it was much quicker! :D

 

The worst was our Independence of the Seas transatlantic cruise from Southhampton to Fort Lauderdale. I was in the Non-US line and they scanned everyone's thumbprint and it took hours! I guess there is increased checking when the ship is arriving from a different port than where it departed.

 

My travel agent always tells me never book flights home before 11am when cruising.