Disembarkation and flight home

[kc13]

Normally our flight home after cruise departs late afternoon... How early do you think you can go on departure? We purchased the FTTF and so I'm thinking I could go with an earlier flight home.. Just not sure how early. Also we will be sailing during hurricane season (September). Thoughts?

TIA! 😁

[AngAndBoys]

Depends on port, distance to airport. This time of year, have to consider fog delays as well.

[mrneil001]

Earliest flight I have booked and the past was at 11:30 AM, just made it on time because customs in Everglades sucks.

Edited January 10, 2015 by mrneil001

[kc13]

Depends on port, distance to airport. This time of year, have to consider fog delays as well.

 

 

Port is Miami, Florida. Which we cruised out of last September as well. And it's only like a 15min drive (depending on traffic of course) We chose to get off the ship later because our flight was at 3pm so not sure about how quickly the process went. I've seen flights for 11am. Not sure if that seems to early.

[nwcruiselover]

I wouldn't book an 11:00 flight. You would probably make it, but if anything went wrong you could miss the flight. I debarked in Miami in November and the ship's computer system crashed and they couldn't process people off the ship, so there was a long lineup. The taxi line was also very long. I waited 20 minutes for a taxi. My flight was at 12:20 and I made it just fine, but probably would have missed an 11:00 flight.

[kc13]

I wouldn't book an 11:00 flight. You would probably make it, but if anything went wrong you could miss the flight. I debarked in Miami in November and the ship's computer system crashed and they couldn't process people off the ship, so there was a long lineup. The taxi line was also very long. I waited 20 minutes for a taxi. My flight was at 12:20 and I made it just fine, but probably would have missed an 11:00 flight.

 

 

Good advice thank you! 👍

[Coopdog08]

Normally our flight home after cruise departs late afternoon... How early do you think you can go on departure? We purchased the FTTF and so I'm thinking I could go with an earlier flight home.. Just not sure how early. Also we will be sailing during hurricane season (September). Thoughts?

TIA! 😁

 

I have made 940am and 1015am flights out of Miami getting off the Breeze. We self assisted and were in taxi both times by 730. We had enough time to eat breakfast at the airport both times.

[AngAndBoys]

I have made 940am and 1015am flights out of Miami getting off the Breeze. We self assisted and were in taxi both times by 730. We had enough time to eat breakfast at the airport both times.

 

I think it probably works out fine 95% of the time. Just depends on your risk taking comfort zone.

[Tapi]

Earliest flight I've ever made: 9:30am (we flew on standby with no checked luggage, straight to the gate and made it when final call was being made)

 

Earliest flight I have ever actually booked and would recommend; 11:30-12:00pm

 

 

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[serene56]

I have made 940am and 1015am flights out of Miami getting off the Breeze. We self assisted and were in taxi both times by 730. We had enough time to eat breakfast at the airport both times.

 

this is all good for an experience cruiser-- i would not tell a first time cruiser to do this

[nissach]

I personally would not book anything before 12:00.

On our most recent cruise we had a medical emergency and had to head back to Grand Cayman to disembark 2 passengers. We did not leave GC until midnight(6 hours later than the original time of 6pm). GC was our last port day with one sea day ahead of us. The ship made up some time but arrived back in Tampa 2 hours late, at 10am. The captain did open up the phone lines so passengers could try to change travel arrangements, etc.

We also usually try to stay one extra night(if possible) to avoid any issue.

You just never know what can happen :confused:

[familyfuncruise]

:confused:Getting nervous... We have an 11:00 am flight out of San Juan. We also have the FTTF. I was hoping that having the FTTF would help us. Should I change my flights? Anyone else have problems out of San Juan? What to do?

[RuthlessBoss]

I wouldn't book an 11:00 flight. You would probably make it, but if anything went wrong you could miss the flight. I debarked in Miami in November and the ship's computer system crashed and they couldn't process people off the ship, so there was a long lineup. The taxi line was also very long. I waited 20 minutes for a taxi. My flight was at 12:20 and I made it just fine, but probably would have missed an 11:00 flight.

 

And if you have insurance, but miss the flight, they won't reimburse for times earlier.

[Tapi]

:confused:Getting nervous... We have an 11:00 am flight out of San Juan. We also have the FTTF. I was hoping that having the FTTF would help us. Should I change my flights? Anyone else have problems out of San Juan? What to do?

 

 

FTTF doesn't give you priority debarkation. It just let's you choose between early or late debarkation, something that you can get without buying FTTF. So don't think that you're getting special treatment on that one.

 

Just keep in mind that San Juan is different than flying from airports in the mainland. Before you even go to the check in counter, your bags need to be screened at a separate USDA checkpoint. After that, you can then proceed to the airline's counter for check-in. The lines can sometimes be very long just to screen your bags.

 

Another thing slowing things down in San Juan is the ongoing construction. One of the concourses has been closed for renovations and airlines have been displaced to other concourses. The problem is that passengers are now being funneled through one security checkpoint instead of three, so the lines there are ridiculously long sometimes. Once inside the gate area, you may have a long walk to your gate because of the displacement.

 

To add more salt to the wound, Saturdays and Sundays are VERY busy days at the San Juan airport since it's a leisure destination. Airlines add several extra flights on the weekends to satisfy the demand, not only from cruise ship passengers, but also from tourists vacationing in the island, in addition to the 4 million people who live there and who frequently fly to the mainland.

 

If flying on JetBlue, you may avoid most of the headaches since that terminal is not affected by the construction, but you'll still need to deal with the USDA checkpoint and the crowds.

 

Will you make your flight? Probably, but you'll have a very busy morning. You better make sure that you know exactly what you're doing and don't procrastinate. It won't be like catching an 11:00am flight in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

 

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Edited January 11, 2015 by Tapi

[Tapi]

Double post

Edited January 11, 2015 by Tapi

[riffatsea]

FTTF DOES give you priority debarkation!

IF you carry your own bags off you can go to the "secret" meeting place with the priority platinum folks and get off as the first ones off the ship! We've already done this twice.

[Tapi]

FTTF DOES give you priority debarkation!

 

 

Even if you were allowed to go to the Platinum meeting point for self assist debarkation, it's not one of the benefits described as part of FTTF. The person asking the question should not make plans assuming that they'll get the same. Better it be a pleasant surprise than to be a disappointment because "someone on Cruise Critic told me that they got it".

 

Even if they do get to self disembark with the Platinums, everything else about flying out of San Juan still applies.

 

 

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Edited January 11, 2015 by Tapi

[riffatsea]

I went back to read the description Tapi and you are right that it doesn't say priority disembarkation. Not sure what they mean when they say you can pick "early or late" time? That is not very specific is it?? I wonder if they've changed it or if I just have not noticed the wording before this?

[nissach]

FTTF DOES give you priority debarkation!

IF you carry your own bags off you can go to the "secret" meeting place with the priority platinum folks and get off as the first ones off the ship! We've already done this twice.

 

Technically it does, however if you check your bags you will have to wait for all the self assist passengers and the passengers with early flights. We had FTTF on our recent Pride cruise. We checked our bags and only had our carryon luggage. It took at least an hour for all the self assist and early flight passengers to get off. They have priority.

So with an early flight to catch I would do self assist and let Carnival also know you have an early flight.

[westward]

When I fly back to the UK after a week on the Miracle, I decided to book the transportation to LAX through Carnival. My flight leaves at 8.45pm so I guess we won't be first off!

 

Anyone any idea on times etc? Appreciated. Thanks.

[HawksFan74]

When I fly back to the UK after a week on the Miracle, I decided to book the transportation to LAX through Carnival. My flight leaves at 8.45pm so I guess we won't be first off!

 

Anyone any idea on times etc? Appreciated. Thanks.

I wouldn't book a Carnival transfer from Long Beach to LAX. They charge $30 pp each way. You can get essentially the same service from Prime Time or SuperShuttle for $16-17 pp.