MSC Armonia Venice Disembrak

[Energie]

Hello,

 

I will be on a cruise Oct 19 - 26. According to my reservation, it has a time to leave the boat at 10:00am.

 

Im looking at a flight for 1:15pm. Is that cutting to close?

[Bigbum & Shortarse]

Energie, the chances of getting to Marco Polo airport for your flight is good if you go through this proceedure. The night before you dock you are issued with baggage tags of differing colour. Generally the more you pay for your cabin, the quicker you get off the ship. However, if you go to the reception on board you can request an early disembarkation and they will give you the appropriate coloured tag for your luggage. When you get off the ship go through imigration, collect your luggage, exit through the customs area and as you come out of the Customs Hall turn sharp left to the waiting taxis, one will take you to the airport for 45Euros (Jan 2012 price) you can pay 15Euros each to go on the bus but it is quicker to go by taxi, about 20 minutes. Last month when returning on Magnifica we were held up for over an hour because of fog and did not dock until 11.00am but we were still back at the airport by 11.45am. Read our report on MSC Magnifica Eastern Mediterranean 14th to 23rd January 2012 for a full report which may be helpful.

Have a great cruise.

 

B & S

[AmoMondo]

Hello,

 

I will be on a cruise Oct 19 - 26. According to my reservation, it has a time to leave the boat at 10:00am.

 

Im looking at a flight for 1:15pm. Is that cutting to close?

 

Yes i think you are. The time is not the time you leave the ship but the time the ship arrives, which is not the same thing at all. Even if the ship docks on time, there is no guarantee that local immigration will clear the ship and allow disembarkation to start immediately. Could be 10.30. Then it depends which group you are in - everyone can't be in the first group and people with their transfers/excursions are likely to priority. As B&S says in the previous post, you can request to be moved to the first group but there is no guarantee theyll say yes, particularly if you booked a flight earler than the recommended time. (for 9.00am arrival, they recommend aft 14.00).Disembarkation can take an hour or more to complete. You then have to find your luggage innhe baggage hall and get yourself to the airport (quickest way probably by land taxi, but how long will you have to wait to get one- there will be hundreds of other people wanting one too).

 

Depending on your nationality, you may have to factor in allowing time to go and collect your passports that morning. They have a tendency to make the collection pointmon one of the high decks, not necessarily near the meeting point for disembarkation.

 

What's your latest checkin time for that flight? If it's 12.15 or earlier, you may well miss it.

 

There have been a few instances of arrivals into Venice being delayed by fog as well.

 

If everything works in your favour, you could make it. Personally I'd go for a flight At least 2 hours later, which would allow for not getting off the ship until 11.30 and an hour to get to the airport and a little bit of wiggle room! I'd prefer to minimise the risk of not making the flight and all the hassle/additional cost that would bring. It's up to you though.........do you feel lucky?!