Make a 11:45 flight from TPA?

[sanger727]

We are traveling on the Norwegian jade in Jan 2017. For the same price we are looking at an 11:45 flight and a 2:25 flight. The ship is scheduled to return to port at 8 am. The last time I booked a noon flight was out of FLL and we got to the airport close to 9 and had hours to wait. If it's likely to be the same thing I'd prefer the 11:45 flight. However, if it might be dicey I'm fine with the 2:25 flight, just hate spending hours and hours sitting in the airport lobby

[JohninDC]

TPA is a 15 minute, $25 cab ride from the port. You should be fine with the 11:45 flight unless the ship is delayed due to fog - which occurs most often in Jan & Feb :eek:

[Capt_BJ]

Tampa weekday rush hour traffic is HORRIBLE, and even mid day on a weekday has big issues. Was there around 1130 AM this Thursday and OMG .. why did I come this way?

 

15 minutes can be an hour EASY on a weekday

 

Do you feel lucky?

 

If no fog and no traffic issues you'll be fine. But I want to let you know traffic is a possibility

Edited July 2, 2016 by Capt_BJ

[sanger727]

Good tip. We will be traveling on a weekday. May go ahead and take the later flight.

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

Good tip. We will be traveling on a weekday. May go ahead and take the later flight.

 

Hi there - yes, I think you will be glad you did this, then. As stated, fog and traffic are your variables. While we were lucky to make it back to port on time, there was a thread a few years back where a ship was delayed due to fog for - I want to say 2 days? Imagine. How awful.

[Capt_BJ]

and BTW

 

of the Florida airports

 

Tampa is possibly the least painful for killing some time ...

[Keith1010]

I would take the later flight because of the potential for Fog.

 

If ship arrives on time just plan to be one of the last off. Enjoy a nice breakfast on board the ship.

 

The Tampa Airport is very nice.

 

But if the ship is delayed you will be very happy with your decision.

 

Keith

[sanger727]

We took the later flight... Won't help if there's a huge fog delay, but then nothing would other than staying an extra day. Will help with traffic though. The issue reference killing time in the airport is that if you have checked baggage, they won't let you check it until 2 hours ahead or so of your flight. Which leaves you stuck sitting in the lobby where there is usually nothing of interest.

 

 

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[Keith1010]

If I was in that situation I would just go to the Marriott Hotel at the Tampa International Airport and enjoy lunch there.

 

Keith

[ducklite]

We took the later flight... Won't help if there's a huge fog delay, but then nothing would other than staying an extra day. Will help with traffic though. The issue reference killing time in the airport is that if you have checked baggage, they won't let you check it until 2 hours ahead or so of your flight. Which leaves you stuck sitting in the lobby where there is usually nothing of interest.

 

 

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TSA rules state four hours domestic and six international, although I've been able to get them to take bags for domestic almost six hours ahead of time at SFO within the past year. What carrier is saying two hours?

[sanger727]

We were flying delta. Not entirely sure that that was a hard and fast rule, but it certainly wasn't four hours ahead. But it was fll on a sat or sun with probably a thousand or more people in there so they were jumping people with early flights to the front to check in and people with later flights had to sit until they called the time out.

 

 

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[ducklite]

We were flying delta. Not entirely sure that that was a hard and fast rule, but it certainly wasn't four hours ahead. But it was fll on a sat or sun with probably a thousand or more people in there so they were jumping people with early flights to the front to check in and people with later flights had to sit until they called the time out.

 

 

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So it was something the carrier implemented at that station on that day due to operational circumstances. Big difference between that and a "rule."