Worried. Will We Make It?

[traveling1969]

We are schedule on the Navigator of the Seas in February. My husband booked the airfare. I just looked at the confirmation of our flights. He booked a 9am flight out of Ft. Lauderdale :eek: The Navigator is due back in port at 5:30 am. To make the matter worse, he booked non refundable tickets:(. Am I stressing about nothing, or are we going to miss our flight? I am thinking we are going to have to carry our bags off to save time!

I'd make HIM rebook and pay the fee out of his golf/fishing/poker/bowling money:D.

[Eng23]

There is a chance that you could make that flight.

 

There is a greater chance that you will miss it.

 

You increase the chance of making it by doing "self-disembark", but that is far from a guarantee.

 

Which airline? What other flights does this airline have out of FLL to your destination airport.

Mom has given you the simplest answer to your question.

I would say the odds are against you making that early of a flight. My experience at FLL on Southwest is that there will be long lines to check any bags and an even longer line to get through the TSA checkpoint.

If you are flying another airline besides Southwest you will take a hit if you rebook for a later flight and if you miss your flight you will then become a stand-by passenger for any later flights.

[Langley Cruisers]

Mom has given you the simplest answer to your question.

 

I think everyone in this thread has contributed well, don't you? All these replies are saying the same thing.

[Corby114]

Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood International Airport is an absolute zoo on weekends especially since Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure Of The Seas began service there. During that time of the year you can figure at least a few ships in port that day causing chaos at FLL. Definitely change your flight to a reasonable departure after 12 Noon. All the stars have to be in perfect alignment for you to make a 9:00AM departure.

[Eng23]

I think everyone in this thread has contributed well, don't you? All these replies are saying the same thing.

Hi Langley. Yes everyone has contributed well here. I did not mean to offend anyone. Please forgive me if I did. :o:)

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi Langley. Yes everyone has contributed well here. I did not mean to offend anyone. Please forgive me if I did. :o:)

 

Aww, thank you. :) Bit of a pet peeve/bone of contention with me on these boards because I really feel almost everyone contributes something, unless it's sarcastic, hurtful, or trolling. OP asks a question, we all respond. I think the advice in this thread is particularly useful and helpful, and I sincerely hope OP and hubby can change that flight home. :)

[iluvcruzin]

Don't do it. Take the recommendation of others here and rebook.

 

The earlierst I ever made it through Ft. Lauderdale was 8:30am and that's because we carried off our luggage and it was not a weekend. With a 9am flight you have to be onboard by 8:30am. Think about having to go through TSA. Nope.. don't do it.

[patty0227]

If you're worried now, just imagine how this nagging concern is totally going to ruin the anticipation every single time you think about your cruise for the next 6 months. And picture how stressed out this is going to make you every single minute of your vacation. By the end of the cruise, after the mounting squabbles and nasty flare ups this will cause, it will happen. You and your husband will have a huge fight. Probably in public. It won't be pretty. And then, after tossing and turning the night before, getting up sleep-deprived at 4:30 AM to hustle down to be first off, hurtling down the gangplank with your luggage, telling your cab driver to go so fast you're white-knuckled, and sweating bullets through all the Murphy's law occurences at FLL that blow through every single spare minute, you'll either be screaming at each other (again) or staring stonily out the window as you watch your plane take off without you.

 

Ooops! I wasn't talking about you...I was having a nightmare about what would happen in my house if we did this! :eek:

 

Seriously, I am very aggressive with travel arrangements and often take risks others wouldn't touch. But even I wouldn't do this. ;)

 

I hope you are flying Southwest so you can change without penalty.

 

Are you flying Jet Blue by any chance? The last time we flew out of FLL post-cruise was this past March 2011. The security line was so long it went outside the terminal onto the sidewalk. No kidding! It was a mess. I asked why, they said it always happened with Jet Blue on weekends. ?? It sounds logical FLL is super busy on cruise turnaround days, and March is spring break season just like February is Valentine's, Carnival/Mardi Gras and President's Day, but I didn't get why a particular airline would take it on the chin over others?

 

Anyway, add my vote to the pile. And just thank your lucky stars you didn't make that booking! :D

 

I hope you have a fabulous time on the AOS!

 

 

 

OMG! have you traveled with me?!?! :p

This is exactly whats going to happen....

I'd spend the extra to rebook, oh what the hell, just book for the next day and spend the day on the beach and relax! ;)

[Northerncheapo]

I was in FLL airport (not on a cruise) in June around 10am on a Saturday and it was a freakin' zoo. Yes, it was busy but it is run so inefficiently because of the stupid design of the security area. The line ups were almost out the door, people didn't know which line to get in which only added to the confusion. It was aweful. I will NEVER go that airport again.

 

To answer your question, I too will take risks that most people will not take and have been known to cut it close a few times but even I wouldn't do this. Rebook if you can.

[LarryL]

One more bit of information to discourage a 9AM booking. The following ships will be disembarking up to this number of passengers the same day: Emerald Princess - 3,070, Ruby Princess 3,070, Allure of the Seas 5,400, Silver Cloud 296, Solstice 2,850, and the Navigatpr of the Seas 3,114. That's a total of 17,800 potential people at the airport trying to get checked in. Even with 30% making the early flights (checking in up to 4 hours early) you are looking at 5,340 people not including local travelers.

 

Not a good chance for a 9AM flight.:eek:

[alexkrn46]

My husband flies almost every week, the TSA is now questioning random people going through security. This slows the line down.

[rosebud1g]

We were on Carnival Freedom Aug 09, disembarking in FLL.

The ship did not even clear customs until 9:30 am. The self

assists were the 1st ones off starting at 9:45am. I was having

a MI then, knowing my flight was due to leave at 11:30am.

We barely made it to FLL airport. Talk about being STRESSED!

[05mak05]

We recently got into a conversation with a young man (military in civilian clothes) who was bumped from his 6:30 am flight because he checked in 57 minutes before takeoff rather than 60 minutes. I swear he was telling the truth. He rented a car, drove to San Antonio in order to get on a flight to be at his interview that same day. He said that the plane was still at the gate but that the attendant at the gate refused to let him board quoting new Homeland Security rules. It could be selective enforcement ... that I do not know. What I do know is that a 9 am flight is way too risky.