Earliest Flight Out of Miami Airport

[Luv2Cruise525]

What is the earliest flight we can take out of Miami airport, without rushing? We've taken a 11:45 am flight out of FLL and had no issues. We haven't sailed out of Miami yet!

 

Thanks in advance!!!

[CruiserBruce]

Similar, except MIA is larger, busier and less user friendly. I wouldn't book before noon, but some will book 11:30.

[JohninDC]

From POM to MIA is an easy 15+ minute cab ride ($27+tip). If you are trying for a flight earlier than noon I would carry my bags off.

[Cruisinforsanity]

Our travel agent told us no earlier flight than11:30 am when arriving POM & flying out of MIA

[Keith1010]

Noon since you said you don't want to rush. 11:30 AM would not fit the bill based on your post.

 

Keith

[shadowlover]

We booked a 10:30 as we always walk off the ship and try to be some of the first off.

[Keith1010]

We booked a 10:30 as we always walk off the ship and try to be some of the first off.

 

If you have done this when arriving to Miami and gotten away with it consider yourself lucky. In time, the odds will catch up with you and you will miss your flight. No different than flying in the day of the cruise. It might work out but one time it won't.

 

And the Original Poster mentioned they don't want to rush off the ship.

 

I have sailed in and out of Miami many times. And while things can go right things can go terribly wrong. Same is true of other USA ports. I've been on voyages where passengers were screaming at the crew because they had made early flights and things didn't go so well.

 

Keith

[trish1c]

My advice: don't look at what time your flight takes off. Look at what time you have to be at the AP to clear the various lines & boards. For an 11:30 flight that would be 10. So you need to leave the port by 9:30. Still think you won't feel rushed?

[shadowlover]

If you have done this when arriving to Miami and gotten away with it consider yourself lucky. In time, the odds will catch up with you and you will miss your flight. No different than flying in the day of the cruise. It might work out but one time it won't.

 

And the Original Poster mentioned they don't want to rush off the ship.

 

I have sailed in and out of Miami many times. And while things can go right things can go terribly wrong. Same is true of other USA ports. I've been on voyages where passengers were screaming at the crew because they had made early flights and things didn't go so well.

 

Keith

 

I have cruised many times and hate hanging around at the airport or trying to find something to do for the day after a nice cruise. I have seen plenty of posts where the ship docked at 7 and people are sitting at their gate in miami at 845. If something "goes wrong" with getting into port then it really doesn't matter if I have a 1030, 11 or noon flight...Things can happen when travelling and that's life. I will definitely let you know if I "get away with it" again..

[Keith1010]

I have cruised many times and hate hanging around at the airport or trying to find something to do for the day after a nice cruise. I have seen plenty of posts where the ship docked at 7 and people are sitting at their gate in miami at 845. If something "goes wrong" with getting into port then it really doesn't matter if I have a 1030, 11 or noon flight...Things can happen when travelling and that's life. I will definitely let you know if I "get away with it" again..

 

No, let me know when the odds catch up with you and then you will be one of those who post and say never again.

 

I don't hang around the airport at 8:45.

 

Why? Because I get off the ship leisurely. I don't need to be the first off the ship because we don't push it and I can be one of the last off the ship and have a leisurely ride to the airport. And yes, I give myself extra time at the airport.

 

Oh well. In the end each person can figure out what works for them.

 

After 100 or more cruses I know what works for us.

 

Keith

[shadowlover]

No, let me know when the odds catch up with you and then you will be one of those who post and say never again.

 

I don't hang around the airport at 8:45.

 

Why? Because I get off the ship leisurely. I don't need to be the first off the ship because we don't push it and I can be one of the last off the ship and have a leisurely ride to the airport. And yes, I give myself extra time at the airport.

 

Oh well. In the end each person can figure out what works for them.

 

After 100 or more cruses I know what works for us.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

And this is certainly your right to do so. The question is how early can one book a flight. The reflection allows you to disembark as early as 645 am many times, usually 7am at the latest. How is that such a rush to make it to an airport that is 20-30 min away by taxi? It is annoying to try to scare people out of taking an earlier flight based purely on opinion and "what if" scenarios. Personally I am saving 400 dollars by taking a 10:30 flight and that gives me more joy than hanging around a cruise ship waiting to then stand in line with the masses who also chose a "leisurely" departure.

[Keith1010]

And this is certainly your right to do so. The question is how early can one book a flight. The reflection allows you to disembark as early as 645 am many times, usually 7am at the latest. How is that such a rush to make it to an airport that is 20-30 min away by taxi? It is annoying to try to scare people out of taking an earlier flight based purely on opinion and "what if" scenarios. Personally I am saving 400 dollars by taking a 10:30 flight and that gives me more joy than hanging around a cruise ship waiting to then stand in line with the masses who also chose a "leisurely" departure.

 

I have not been on a cruise arriving at Miami that one could leave the ship at 7:0 AM.

 

You will find very few people on this board who regularly post who will tell advice anyone to take a flight at 10:30 AM.

 

Again the original poster asked for a recommendation concerning a flight time that involved no rushing.

 

OK, let's move on.

 

Keith

[GUT2407]

Personally not before noon.

 

I'd much rather spend time at the airport than stress over missing my flight.

[shadowlover]

I have not been on a cruise arriving at Miami that one could leave the ship at 7:0 AM.

 

You will find very few people on this board who regularly post who will tell advice anyone to take a flight at 10:30 AM.

 

Again the original poster asked for a recommendation concerning a flight time that involved no rushing.

 

OK, let's move on.

 

Keith

 

 

In case anyone is reading this thread and would like more information please look at reviews from previous cruisers on the Reflection out of Miami. These forums are not just for debate and so that someone can have the final say and tell us to move on. These forums are for information. I have gained alot of information from reading reviews of passengers who have already traveled on a specific ship. The reflection allows disembarkation at 7am at the latest. Many have arrived at the airport at 8. I am not trying to be argumentative, I am trying to give accurate information not information based on fear and ultra caution. If you are a cautious person then great- book a later flight. If you have no choice but a 10:30 or 11 I am telling you that in most cases it can be done.

[Keith1010]

In case anyone is reading this thread and would like more information please look at reviews from previous cruisers on the Reflection out of Miami. These forums are not just for debate and so that someone can have the final say and tell us to move on. These forums are for information. I have gained alot of information from reading reviews of passengers who have already traveled on a specific ship. The reflection allows disembarkation at 7am at the latest. Many have arrived at the airport at 8. I am not trying to be argumentative, I am trying to give accurate information not information based on fear and ultra caution. If you are a cautious person then great- book a later flight. If you have no choice but a 10:30 or 11 I am telling you that in most cases it can be done.

 

Well I couldn't let it go.

 

People do come to this board to get recommendations.

 

My point was that most of us who have sailed into Miami many times do not recommend early flights at 10:30 AM.

 

Now, have I ever made it in time to Miami airport to make an 10:30 AM flight?

Yes. But that was the exception. There is so much that comes into play on this including how regularly the ship you are on arrives to this port, to whether or not you arrive on time, to what time the immigration personnel schedule the ship for (they don't schedule all ships at the same time because they don't have enough personnel to do that, to what your specific itinerary is, and these are just some examples.

 

Also, you may (and by the way a few are randomly pulled on each ship) to have customs go through your luggage. This happens on each cruise.

 

And you might be on the ship where the shoremen have a work slowdown. Does this happen? You bet. I've seen it happen twice in Miami and once in San Pedro. And the ship is not allowed to unload the luggage themselves.

 

I can't tell you how often people will ask a similar question which is about flying in the day of the cruise. And many people will say they have not had the problem. Others will recommend not doing it. And some will say I used to do it but one time things went very wrong so never again.

 

I am not sure how many times you have cruised and how many times your ship has arrived to Miami. I average around two saplings per year that arrive in Miami and I have seen it all, or at least pretty close to it.

 

Again, the original poster will make the decision but they mentioned from the get go that they did not want to feel rushed and also noted that in Fort Lauderdale which arguably if you are arriving to Port Everglades one could be more aggressive for flights they took an 11:45 AM flight.

 

And two other factors, that we haven't touched on. One is traffic to Miami. Often not a problem but can be. And the final point, the airport. If you fly first or business class you will have a shorter line but if you don't then it's the luck of the draw how long your security check will be unless you have Global Entry to TSA Pre-Approved and then the other factor is where your gate and terminal is.

 

And finally, why not end the cruise on a high note. To me that means you don't have to have breakfast at the crack of dawn, or rush off the ship, or spend even a minute worrying about making your flight.

 

So, there we are.

 

You think it's fine to take a 10:30 AM flight and I am sure some will agree. And I think it's a mistake and recommend a Noon flight which most cruise lines recommend as well and many who post on this board regular.

 

In the end, the original poster will make the decision.

 

And the original poster will have to live with that decision.

 

Keith

[shadowlover]

Well there could also be a terrorist attack, a measles outbreak onboard the ship, a missed alarm clock that morning, a flat tire on the way to the airport...I mean the list of what ifs are endless! I just don't live my life in the what ifs. I look at what is reasonable and listen to others that have done what I would like to do. My point is, I am not in the same financial situation as someone who has cruised 100 times and I would prefer to choose a less expensive option in regards to flight time. Every single review that I read of those that disembarked the reflection and left the ship in one of the first groups made it to the airport no later than 830 am. I would not plan to be there any earlier than that if I was staying in a hotel with a flight the next morning leaving at 1030....

[Keith1010]

Well there could also be a terrorist attack, a measles outbreak onboard the ship, a missed alarm clock that morning, a flat tire on the way to the airport...I mean the list of what ifs are endless! I just don't live my life in the what ifs. I look at what is reasonable and listen to others that have done what I would like to do. My point is, I am not in the same financial situation as someone who has cruised 100 times and I would prefer to choose a less expensive option in regards to flight time. Every single review that I read of those that disembarked the reflection and left the ship in one of the first groups made it to the airport no later than 830 am. I would not plan to be there any earlier than that if I was staying in a hotel with a flight the next morning leaving at 1030....

 

I don't either. If I did, I just would stay at home.

 

But, I don't go through stop signs, red lights, drink and drive, fly in the day of the cruise, book flights at 10:30 AM because I know better.

 

In terms of travel, I flew so much for business that I saw all that could go wrong and it happened several times and yes I have been fortunate to have cruises a lot so I know the implications of that.

 

And as I mentioned earlier, there are many more cruise lines that port at Miami than the Celebrity ship.

 

Every day on Cruise Critic if you visit the many boards you will read a post from someone who said they booked a flight too early and missed it or flew in the day of the cruise and missed the cruise. :)

 

And of booking a flight at 10:30 AM was a sure thing than so many of us on this board would recommend it. But that is not the case.

 

Keith

Edited September 29, 2015 by Keith1010

[Cancun01]

And this is certainly your right to do so. The question is how early can one book a flight. The reflection allows you to disembark as early as 645 am many times, usually 7am at the latest. How is that such a rush to make it to an airport that is 20-30 min away by taxi? It is annoying to try to scare people out of taking an earlier flight based purely on opinion and "what if" scenarios. Personally I am saving 400 dollars by taking a 10:30 flight and that gives me more joy than hanging around a cruise ship waiting to then stand in line with the masses who also chose a "leisurely" departure.

 

Understood but what if you can't disembark the ship? I am with Keith here! Depending where the ship is coming from the crew and staff may have to clear immigration before any passengers may disembark. On September 21 we arrived in Fort Lauderdale on the Royal Princess ...a much quieter port and city than Miami...from a transatlantic that docked at 4am. Crew and staff were scheduled to begin immigration procedures at 4:30am; for whatever reason it took longer than anticipated and the first passengers could not disembark until much later than their scheduled time. A medical emergency then occurred in one of the lounges and disembarkation was stopped until the local first responders arrived and took the passenger to hospital. Our 7:30am disembarkation turned into a 9:10 am disembarkation. There was a long line of people waiting for taxis because the cruise line doubled-up the groups getting off because of the delays. Add to that the fact that it was Monday morning...fortunately we did not require a taxi and we did not have an immediate flight to catch...all I can suggest if that if you gamble with a 10:30 am flight time ensure that your ticket is such that it can be changed easily.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Cancun01