Cutting it to close?

[kcruise1]

So I am worried I may be cutting it to close. Our carnival ship(port Canaveral) is disembark meant starts at 7am. We plan on doing the self assist disembarkment and carry out luggage off. Our flight is at 1045 and we are wondering if we we will be off the ship no later than 8:30

[CruiserBruce]

Assuming you are going to Orlando, yes it will be tight. You will be off the ship before 8, but you have no control over immigration and customs. And it is a solid 45 minutes to the airport.

Edited November 4, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[MCC retired]

If you are worried already , how worried about making that flight will you be during your cruise ?

I would find a latter flight and eliminate needless worry .

[Laughing Angel]

For me, this would be too close for comfort. There are so many variables here--so many things that could go wrong. We're talking delays getting through customs, traffic issues on the way to the airport (construction, accidents), etc. I would not chance it, and would try to book a later flight.

 

PS: MCC retired is right--imagine the stress of worrying about making that flight at the end of a terrific cruise. Life is too short for that...

[fishywood]

How are you planning to get from Port Canaveral to MCO? The earliest flight you could use Carnival Transfers for is 12:50 PM. No time to pick up and drop off a rental car, or even to only drop one you had parked at the port from the beginning of your cruise. You would have to have a private car service waiting for you by 8:15 and hope you have zero delays going through customs.

[Keith1010]

I would not do this. Too tight.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would not want to end a cruise with the stress of making an early flight.

Too many things can go wrong -- ship arrives late, ship isn't cleared right away, etc.

[trish1c]

Never look at the time your flight takes off. Look at the time you have to be at the AP to make the flight. For a 10:45 flight, you need to be there at 9:15. Do you still think you can do that? I wouldn't count on it. Also remember, if you miss your flight, you get put on the next flight that has available seats, which is almost never the next flight.

[newbiecruiser09]

I might (MIGHT) book a flight that early if: 1) the 1045 flight is WAY cheaper than a later flight 2)there are a lot of later flights into your home airport and the seats are not all booked already; 3) you don't mind spending possibly the whole day at the airport waiting to get on standby; 4) you can afford to miss another day of work and pay for a hotel if you don't get on a same day flight. (and the hotel/food costs are not more than the flight cost difference between the 1045 and a later flight)

 

Too risky for me in most cases. (plus don't want to stress getting home at the end of a vacation)

[prettyblue2]

Change your flight. I too, had a return flight booked for 12:45 pm from Port Everglades. I planned on doing the self disembarkation, then hurrying by cab to the airport. The more I thought about it the more stressed I felt. i asked myself why I had scheduled the 12:45 pm flight, and it was so that I could be back in Washington, D.C. by 4:30 pm just for the convenience of getting home early. And I decided it was not worth the stress. so I changed my flight and am getting home much later, but I no longer feel the stress. As a side, I also will not have to carry my luggage as I have no need for self disembarkation.

[zqvol]

So I am worried I may be cutting it to close. Our carnival ship(port Canaveral) is disembark meant starts at 7am. We plan on doing the self assist disembarkment and carry out luggage off. Our flight is at 1045 and we are wondering if we we will be off the ship no later than 8:30

 

You need to be at the airport no later than 8:45. Clearing security at MCO can be a real problem and that is one airport that you need to allow 2 hours from the time you walk into the terminal.

 

You should look at changing your flight. Your assumption that disembarkation will actually start at 7:00 could be off by as much as an hour. You should not assume that you will be off the ship before 9:00, and at the airport any earlier than 10:00, and that is just too close for comfort.

[fishywood]

Change your flight. I too, had a return flight booked for 12:45 pm from Port Everglades. I planned on doing the self disembarkation, then hurrying by cab to the airport. The more I thought about it the more stressed I felt. i asked myself why I had scheduled the 12:45 pm flight, and it was so that I could be back in Washington, D.C. by 4:30 pm just for the convenience of getting home early. And I decided it was not worth the stress. so I changed my flight and am getting home much later, but I no longer feel the stress. As a side, I also will not have to carry my luggage as I have no need for self disembarkation.

 

Um, you're comparing apples to oranges. Or more like watermelons to kumquats.

 

At Port Everglades the airport is literally across the street from the port. Though I personally wouldn't risk it, people make 10:30 flights every day. A 12:45 flight is plenty of time and you certainly don't have to do self-carry for it.

 

Meanwhile the OP is talking about a 10:45 flight after disembarking at Port Canaveral which is 45 minutes away from Orlando airport (if traffic is light) and transportation options that early are few.

Edited November 4, 2015 by fishywood

[kitty9]

Just returned from Orlando, and we had to be ON the plane 15 minutes before departure. The line for checkin at Delta was 33 minutes (I timed it) and security lines were terrible (thank heaven we are TSA Pre Check), more than 45 minutes if you weren't TSA Pre or in First Class. So with all that, you'll have to be at MCO by at least 9. I wouldn't risk it.

[Sea Hag]

I don't usually comment on air travel threads, but on this one I can say that I wouldn't do this at all. Way too tight and stressful.

[cruiseapril]

As someone mentioned, disembarking the ship can be late or slow- for many reasons. Better to allow plenty of time.

[Flatbush Flyer]

It seems like, almost everyday, someone hellbent on saving a few dollars, posts a message on CC looking for someone to justify taking the early "cheap" flight (which, of course, is cheap because no one who travels regularly would ever book that kind of "no room for error" flight).

OP already knows this is a bad idea.

[fishywood]

Actually anyone who travels regularly quickly learns that midday or early-to-mid afternoon is the least convenient time to fly--it breaks your day into two halves neither of which anything substantial can actually be accomplished in.

 

But those who cruise regularly know not to book flights home earlier than midday, which of course costs more than the same early morning flight out of the turnaround port city. Just as the flights into the port city the day before are never at the time you want, whether that's early in the day to so some sightseeing, or right around hotel check-in time if you just want to rest. They getcha coming and going.

Edited November 7, 2015 by fishywood