Early flight

[plunker]

We have been on the ruby twice but always take a noon flight or later. We have a nice breakfast and take a walk around the ship enjoying it one more time before we leave. We now have booked the regal for january 18th and the only flight back we could get without waiting til 6pm is at 10am. How do we make sure we get off the ship early enough so that we can make our flight. We are a little nervous about that early of a flight. Thanks

[shepp]

We have been on the ruby twice but always take a noon flight or later. We have a nice breakfast and take a walk around the ship enjoying it one more time before we leave. We now have booked the regal for january 18th and the only flight back we could get without waiting til 6pm is at 10am. How do we make sure we get off the ship early enough so that we can make our flight. We are a little nervous about that early of a flight. Thanks

 

Fortunately, the FLL airport is close to the port.

 

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the ship will arrive, clear customs, and disembark passengers on schedule. And FLL can have killer TSA lines when a bunch of ships make it into port. It's a simple matter to request you're put in the earliest possible disembarkation group, and if you can wrangle your own luggage and still have a hand free, you can request an early walk-off time, which will save you searching for your bags in the terminal.

 

Oh, and you should probably make a shuttle reservation, since taxi and shuttle lines can be brutal, depending.

 

Good luck.

Edited August 13, 2014 by shepp

[Coveguy4]

Wow, that's cutting it close. Go to the pursers desk, request earliest walk off, take your own baggage and pray that you get in port on time and that customs is not having a bad day. Grab a taxi, If you do make it to airport by 9am, hope the lines aren't a madhouse since it is early. I would not chance it, having had customs hold up disembaking twice in my last 4 cruises. It may be possible but so many things can delay you. I would be seriously stressed out trying to make that early of a flight, not saying it could not happen without a hitch

[Psychedout]

We have been on the ruby twice but always take a noon flight or later. We have a nice breakfast and take a walk around the ship enjoying it one more time before we leave. We now have booked the regal for january 18th and the only flight back we could get without waiting til 6pm is at 10am. How do we make sure we get off the ship early enough so that we can make our flight. We are a little nervous about that early of a flight. Thanks

 

If the ship docks early enough you can request a walk off with your bags, we had to change our flights from London after our 12 day BI cruise. Princess required a flight 7 hours after docking, if not they would not transfer us by bus to Heathrow.

 

And now the same problem sailing on the Royal next February. Princess requires a flight 5 hours after docking. We are to dock at 8 am and our flight out of FLL is 1025am. So we are going to walk off early and get a cab to FLL.

 

I priced a van for 4 adults from port everglades to FLL and the company wanted $121.00 :(

 

Hugh :o

[Colo Cruiser]

We have been on the ruby twice but always take a noon flight or later. We have a nice breakfast and take a walk around the ship enjoying it one more time before we leave. We now have booked the regal for january 18th and the only flight back we could get without waiting til 6pm is at 10am. How do we make sure we get off the ship early enough so that we can make our flight. We are a little nervous about that early of a flight. Thanks

 

 

We take a 9:30 flight each time we are in Ft Lauderdale.

Do the self disembarkation carrying off your luggage in the first group.

Midway through the cruise you can sign up for it at the passenger services desk.

Get a cab!

 

First group is off by 700 to 7:30, at the airport by 7:45 or earlier.

 

Have a backup plan.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[Colo Cruiser]

If the ship docks early enough you can request a walk off with your bags, we had to change our flights from London after our 12 day BI cruise. Princess required a flight 7 hours after docking, if not they would not transfer us by bus to Heathrow.

 

And now the same problem sailing on the Royal next February. Princess requires a flight 5 hours after docking. We are to dock at 8 am and our flight out of FLL is 1025am. So we are going to walk off early and get a cab to FLL.

 

I priced a van for 4 adults from port everglades to FLL and the company wanted $121.00 :(

 

Hugh :o

 

They don't require it, its a suggestion due to their transfers etc.

[yvr49]

We had a 9:45 departure from FLL back in January - the fear was put into me by posters on the board here so I booked a second flight as a back-up.

 

We were in the first group to disembark, walked off just after 7 a.m., went through security/customs very quickly and were at the airport by 8 a.m. I have been told we were lucky...but others have had a similar experience to mine. I guess it's a gamble and I probably wouldn't book as early a flight next time.

 

I was able to cancel the next-day flight which I had booked using points, but we now had 2 one-way tickets we must use before the end of this year....so we are taking an Alaskan cruise and flying back from Anchorage on those tickets!

[Stevesan]

We had a 9:45 departure from FLL back in January - the fear was put into me by posters on the board here so I booked a second flight as a back-up.

 

We were in the first group to disembark, walked off just after 7 a.m., went through security/customs very quickly and were at the airport by 8 a.m. I have been told we were lucky...but others have had a similar experience to mine. I guess it's a gamble and I probably wouldn't book as early a flight next time.

I was able to cancel the next-day flight which I had booked using points, but we now had 2 one-way tickets we must use before the end of this year....so we are taking an Alaskan cruise and flying back from Anchorage on those tickets!

 

My last two times I was at the airport at 8:30-8:45.

However, a previous cruise the ship was late arriving.

It's a bit of a gamble, but the odds favor early.

It's less worrysome to know your airline has later flights you can change to.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Stevesan

[Pam in CA]

It is a gamble. No matter what other people's experiences were, the only thing that counts is yours.

 

I've disembarked in FLL many times. Sometimes I've made it to the gate for an 11:20am flight with a couple of hours to spare and other times I've made it while the plane was boarding. It all depends on how efficient US Immigration and Customs are, how many other ships are in port that day , the day of the week, whether the TSA decides to have just one line for the entire terminal regardless of whether you're coach or First Class, and whether there are any conventions or sporting events happening/ending in FLL. A lot of variables. I've seen it all.

 

If you decide to go for it, make sure you have a back up plan.

[geoherb]

We flew home from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess on Saturday. We were in the last walk-off group. Our scheduled time was 7:50 a.m., but we did not leave the ship until around 8:15. The lines for Customs/Immigration were long but moved quickly. We were through in about 10 minutes. Then we had another 10-minute wait for a taxi. The ride to the airport was another 10 minutes. We got there at a little before 9. The Southwest check-in wasn't allowing anyone with flights after 10:30 to check in. They sent us downstairs to an alternate check-in place. We then had about 30 minutes to get through TSA screening. While we were waiting in that line, officials came through asking for anyone who had a flight before 9:55 so they could cut in line. Our flight was not until 11:35, so we had plenty of time.

[Colo Cruiser]

We flew home from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess on Saturday. We were in the last walk-off group. Our scheduled time was 7:50 a.m., but we did not leave the ship until around 8:15. The lines for Customs/Immigration were long but moved quickly. We were through in about 10 minutes. Then we had another 10-minute wait for a taxi. The ride to the airport was another 10 minutes. We got there at a little before 9. The Southwest check-in wasn't allowing anyone with flights after 10:30 to check in. They sent us downstairs to an alternate check-in place. We then had about 30 minutes to get through TSA screening. While we were waiting in that line, officials came through asking for anyone who had a flight before 9:55 so they could cut in line. Our flight was not until 11:35, so we had plenty of time.

 

Thanks for the info. :)

[bhopal21]

We take a 9:30 flight each time we are in Ft Lauderdale.

Do the self disembarkation carrying off your luggage in the first group.

Midway through the cruise you can sign up for it at the passenger services desk.

Get a cab!

 

First group is off by 700 to 7:30, at the airport by 7:45 or earlier.

 

Have a backup plan.

 

I agree with the above. We always make a 945 at FLL by doing early walkoff and taking a taxi. No lines that early.

 

Mike:)

[bjcanady]

We take a 9:30 flight each time we are in Ft Lauderdale.

Do the self disembarkation carrying off your luggage in the first group.

Midway through the cruise you can sign up for it at the passenger services desk.

Get a cab!

 

First group is off by 700 to 7:30, at the airport by 7:45 or earlier.

 

Have a backup plan.

 

We do the same~

[sueandkent]

We have been on the ruby twice but always take a noon flight or later. We have a nice breakfast and take a walk around the ship enjoying it one more time before we leave. We now have booked the regal for january 18th and the only flight back we could get without waiting til 6pm is at 10am. How do we make sure we get off the ship early enough so that we can make our flight. We are a little nervous about that early of a flight. Thanks

 

You have lots of time before your cruise, consider getting a Trusted Traveller Card from the TSA. We call them Nexus cards here in Canada. If you qualify it allows you to go in a much shorter TSA lineup at most large US airports, you don't have to take your shoes off and you avoid the dreaded body scanner (most of the time). It can shave quite a bit of time off your wait at the airport. We have Nexus cards that allow us to fly under the Trusted Traveller rules in the US and in Canada we clear US customs without the long line up. In Canada there is also a separate line at security for domestic flights that allows you to bypass the long security line ups in favor of a Nexus Only line that is much shorter and quicker. Just a thought, may make things faster for you.

[Working 2 Cruise]

I agree with the above. We always make a 945 at FLL by doing early walkoff and taking a taxi. No lines that early.

 

Mike:)

 

That's until a surprise Coast Guard inspection happens, among many other things,... And it does! You have been lucky so far, but don't be shocked if you do miss your flight at some point. At least you're aware of the possibility...

[bhopal21]

That's until a surprise Coast Guard inspection happens, among many other things,... And it does! You have been lucky so far, but don't be shocked if you do miss your flight at some point. At least you're aware of the possibility...

 

The last part is the most important, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.

 

Sure, things can go wrong but that is the exception not the norm.

 

Mike:)

[Working 2 Cruise]

The last part is the most important, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.

 

Sure, things can go wrong but that is the exception not the norm.

 

Mike:)

 

Agreed!

[Pam in CA]

You have lots of time before your cruise, consider getting a Trusted Traveller Card from the TSA. We call them Nexus cards here in Canada. If you qualify it allows you to go in a much shorter TSA lineup at most large US airports, you don't have to take your shoes off and you avoid the dreaded body scanner (most of the time).

In the USA, it's called TSA-Pre and costs $85. This is a little different from Global Re-Entry which is similar to NEXUS and applicable when re-entering the US by air.

 

After my Royal cruise in October, we flew out of Miami and there was ONE (1) line for everyone, whether you were coach, First Class or TSA-Pre. They took people one from coach, one from Business/First Class and then one from TSA-Pre. I was flying First Class and it took me an hour and a half to get through Security and that's only because I was able to grab a TSA agent to say I was about to have an "accident." My flight was almost completely boarded.

 

When I got home, I researched TSA-Pre and saw that applications had been opened up to a few more US airports. I think you could only apply in Washington DC and one other airport. I drove up to Long Beach and applied for my TSA-Pre which I now have. I chose not to get Global Re-entry since I almost always re-enter the US by ship, not air.