Would you take the chance???

[mouche]

Going on the Breeze next Oct and found a really good deal on round trip air fare from RDU to MIA, $395 for both of us. The only thing is the flight after the cruise leaves is at 10:15 am and the ship docks at 8:00am I'm worried this will be to close to call. Have or would any of you chance this? Or would you wait and take the 4:45pm flight at the same price? Thanks

[flounder315]

take the 4:45 flight for sure, tooooo many things can happen. why stress, if you can take a later flight

[emelvee]

No way would I risk it...I'd just take the later flight. I'd be too stressed about missing the flight, and I'd hate to end my vacation in that mood.

 

And hi from Winston-Salem! :)

[pcsanity]

Take the 4:45pm and enjoy your day relaxing! If your ship offers to check your checked luggage "through" on departure, that is an excellent way to go. Then all you have is your carry on. We have rented cars for the day in this case so we have a "home base" and then go to the beach, lunch, etc.

[golfadj]

Definitely take the later flight. Too much stress

[susie8862]

Keep in mind that most airports require you to check in 2 hours prior to the flight. Would be a shame to end a great cruise with such stress. The airplane tickets WILL drop...I promise

[mouche]

Yep!!! That's what I was thinking, but needed to hear someone else say it, we could always take the airport flyer to South Beach if weather permits to pass the time I guess. Would have been nice to get home early though. Thanks again:)

[JinxyB]

I've been tempted by that 10:15 MIA-RDU flight and I'm too chicken to try it. If it was 11:15 I would do it. Southwest usually has a direct flight from Fort Lauderde that gets to RDU around 3- may be an option for you.

[bbohbbneedacruise]

Take the later flight and use the luggage express.

Go enjoy Miami for a few hours and then head to the airport. {luggageless because it will be checked through for you.}

[gtalum]

It depends on how badly you need to get home the same day. If you have a day or two leeway, risk the earlier flight. If it's absolutely imperative to get home that day, book the later flight.

[Anthomaniac]

i know its tempting, but I wouldnt risk it...

[Brenna's Mom1]

Book the later flight and if you walk of the ship at 8am go to the airport and see if you can go out on the first flight, stand-by and check your luggage. If that fails you still have the day to "play" and your luggage is on its way home and they will just put it in the "to be claimed" space at your home airport. Sometimes, even though flights scheduled before your 4:15 departure are more expensive, airlines will let you board as a standby passenger with a later ticket. I have done this too many times to count.

[jiggs]

if you had to ask, obviously you're nervous. But -

 

self assist, off the boat super early, cab to the airport in 10 minutes...MIA does not require 2 hour check in on any airline (considering your domestic)...your goal is to be at the sky caps no later than 9:15, it would be tight but so worth it. Ship, Cab, Airport, Secuirty, walk on the plane and fly away.

 

a lot of people will tell you about customs, and the boat not clearing and their aunt who was on a ship that was fogged in and didn't tie up until lunch time...others will tell you to be the last off the boat and just relax...

 

a great percentage of ships docking in MIA are there before daybreak, and clearing passengers as early as 7:00...when I'm cruising my vacation ends at bedtime before disembark...then I want to be home or on to the next thing...

[cruisinfanatic]

Going on the Breeze next Oct and found a really good deal on round trip air fare from RDU to MIA, $395 for both of us. The only thing is the flight after the cruise leaves is at 10:15 am and the ship docks at 8:00am I'm worried this will be to close to call. Have or would any of you chance this? Or would you wait and take the 4:45pm flight at the same price? Thanks

You are way too early to be booking flights.

From RDU to FLL, Southwest flights are very cheap. Less than $250 RT pp can be had.

And much less if you can catch a sale

[alymb03]

Going on the Breeze next Oct and found a really good deal on round trip air fare from RDU to MIA, $395 for both of us. The only thing is the flight after the cruise leaves is at 10:15 am and the ship docks at 8:00am I'm worried this will be to close to call. Have or would any of you chance this? Or would you wait and take the 4:45pm flight at the same price? Thanks

 

definitely 4:45 flight

[diamondgirl54]

I recently did this. I did a different kind of B2B. I went on the Imagination on 9/3/12. On the day I returned I was leaving on the Glory out of NY. My flight that morning was at 10:20am. I carried my luggage off the ship and was out of the port of Miami by 8am. The airport in just a few minutes away. Got to the airport by 9am. I had an over any hour to spare at the airport. You can get off the ship early if you let them know at customer service that you have an early flight and you must carry off your own luggage. Good Luck

[serene56]

10:15-- i would not risk it. Book the earlier flight and try like heck to get there for this earlier flight.

 

You would need to be at the airport/checked in by 8:15am.

9:00 at the latest for any checked luggage.

 

 

even with self embarkation that 9:00 luggage thing will be what prevents me from booking that flight

[mouche]

Thanks everyone!

[gtalum]

10:15...

 

You would need to be at the airport/checked in by 8:15am.

 

9:15, even with checked bags. Without checked bags you could push it to 9:45, but it might get stressful. The only hard deadline is that you need to be at the gate by 10 minutes before your scheduled departure, because that's when they start giving away seats to standby pax on full flights.

 

Quasi-related tip: Learn to travel in a single airline carry-on. Your travels will be much less stressful in general.

[SNJCruisers]

when I'm cruising my vacation ends at bedtime before disembark...then I want to be home or on to the next thing...

And there are some that want to stay on the boat until last call about 945 AM.....then it's real easy to find your bags, because there are not that many to sort through. ;)