Express disembarkation in Lauderdale

[jpinperth]

Hello fellow cruisers, First time question regarding Holland America. I am planning a cruise on the Eurodam in and out of Lauderdale and am looking at a flight post cruise at 10:50am back to Canada. Does anyone here have experience with Holland America and express disembarkation, and do you think at 10:50am flight might be ok?

Thanks...Jim

[DaveOKC]

10:50 am is cutting it a bit too close for me. If everything goes "as planned", you should make it, but any delays - ship arrival, customs, traffic, etc - could cause you to miss it. I would only take this early a flight out of FLL if I had backup plans in place.

 

DaveOKC

[cruz chic]

If your cruise ends on a weekend I would not do it. The airport is a zoo at the best of times but it's a hot mess on the weekends.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Although it has happened only a couple of times, ships we have been on did not clear right away.

Cutbacks in the number of officials handling customs and immigration has been a big factor the last couple of years. Longer lines.

Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays are extremely busy times at Ft Lauderdale airport.

The airport is close to the port and there are a lot of taxis at the port, but I would never risk having a flight that early.

[Hflors]

OP - The posters above have given you sound advice. I would follow it so you have a great cruise and a stress free flight home.

[dateacher]

Does this advice also apply for a domestic flight? I assumed a 10:10 AM flight wouldn't be a problem.

[jpinperth]

It's a transborder to Canada and the Air Canada flight departs at 10:50am

[dateacher]

It's a transborder to Canada and the Air Canada flight departs at 10:50am

 

I understand that and assumed a domestic flight without customs would not be an issue. However, some of these comments scare me.

[DaveOKC]

Does this advice also apply for a domestic flight? I assumed a 10:10 AM flight wouldn't be a problem.

 

10:10 am is too close IMO. I have been at the gate by 9 am, but then everything went perfectly.

 

DaveOKC

[Alberta Quilter]

You could always stay overnight in FLL and then take the 10:50 flight the following day. I would do that if making that particular flight made the travel back home easier.

[RuthC]

I understand that and assumed a domestic flight without customs would not be an issue.

You will have to clear Customs, and probably Immigration, when leaving the ship. That can take a significant amount of time, depending on how many ships are in port, and how many officials are assigned to deal with them.

[Typhoon1]

Not a problem.

 

Express disembarkation can have you off the ship as early as 0715.

 

Be forewarned, should anything delay your arrival, have a backup plan in place.

[mamaofami]

Personally, I would never take that chance. That said, I have been at the airport at 9am getting off with luggage direct. But, that was on a day when everything fell into place for us.

[dateacher]

Thanks all, we are using Luggage Direct and we are flying SWA to Baltimore. There are plenty of flights if we miss that one which I hope we won't.