San Diego flight time after PC cruise

[canyoncam]

We will be arriving in San Diego after our Panama Canal cruise. I have heard horror stories of getting off the ship. I currently have a 12:15pm flight but wonder if I should move it to the next flight at 4:00pm to be more relaxed on the last day. Or would you think I should be able to make the first flight? I was planning on getting a taxi to airport but I also heard they are rather limited there. Maybe book the cruise shuttle for that if we do the early flight?

[CruiserBruce]

A little reading down the board would reveal that, yes, San Diego can be a problem, but 12:15 will be fine.

[sassyredhat]

I agree. You can see the airport from the cruise port.

Patti

[Northern Aurora]

We have disembarked in San Diego twice, and on one cruise we did have a very slow disembarkation. But the folks who were having their travel plans tossed awry were those who had booked a 9 AM (if I remember correctly) Amtrak departure (in addition to seeing the airport from the ship we were also looking at the Amtrak station just past the bow).

 

And we have never stood in the line for taxis for more than a few minutes.

[SadieN]

If docked at the old pier, you'll clear customs on the ship. Takes forever because everyone has to clear before anybody can get off.

 

Haven't sailed into the new pier yet.

[canyoncam]

I agree. You can see the airport from the cruise port.

Patti

 

That would KILL me IF things were moving slow! But I am reassured by most of these replies. Flights are Southwest so I may move to the later one if it becomes the same price, but for now feel confident. Thanks everyone.

[kenish]

You should be OK, even though I've been unlucky "two for two" when disembarking at SD. Fortunately I take the train to and from home (live an hour north) and there's no plane to catch.

 

The first time I was through Customs and on the street by 930am. Some in our group were dual British/US citizens. For reasons that were never clear, all dual or foreign citizens were held on the ship. The rest of us hung out across the street and they finally got ashore at 130pm.

 

The second time there were two ships disembarking. That always creates a delay in SD. I was in the first group of self-disembarkations and was told to expect 830-900am. There were some foreign citizens who didn't pre-clear Immigration aboard ship. Several hours of repeated shipwide pages and I guess they finally appeared. I was off the ship at 11am. The 1045am Amtrak I intended to take was sitting at the depot and I made a run for it. Fortunately the train was late, the conductor had me hop on and I bought a ticket on board. My Canadian friend missed her noon flight, though.

 

All this said, I think I'm just unlucky and a noon flight shouldn't be a problem.

Edited January 14, 2015 by kenish