POM to FLL

[divechick]

Just wondering if a 1110am flight out of FLL is doable we are cruising out of POM on the Reflection the next reasonable Thought option for us is 615pm not getting us home till 11pm. Thought I would ask the experts.

[CruiserBruce]

Too tight for our tastes, and is commonly NOT recommended on this board.

[capriccio]

Just debated (an 11:15 am departure) last week on the Ask a Cruise Question board: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2375846. As you will see I agree with Cruiser Bruce; I wouldn't do it and my advice is if you try make sure you have a very solid Plan B.

 

"That is around the recommended flight time out of FLL for passengers arriving in Port Everglades, not Port of Miami, for some good reasons: your arrival time and/or disembarkation time may be delayed, customs and immigration may be understaffed resulting in long and slow lines, TSA at FLL may be understaffed resulting in lines out the door (I've seen that), etc. Those same reasons can hold up a departure from Port of Miami and you then have to add potential traffic problems getting to FLL. You didn't say what day of the week you are disembarking but weekends obviously have less traffic than weekdays.

 

If you like living on the edge and decide to go with it, make sure you have a well thought out Plan B in case you miss the flight. Will you be charged - and how much - to change your flight? When is the next scheduled flight and does it usually have available seats? Should you be traveling during the high season most flights - especially on the weekend - fly full. In an absolute worst case scenario are you willing to risk having to spend a night in FLL?"

Edited July 11, 2016 by capriccio

[marys350]

Disembarking Enchantment of the Seas at Port of Miami on Friday, Feb. 24th (during President's Day school vacation week for some schools in Northeast).

 

Would a 1:25 p.m. flight (domestic, not international) out of Fort Lauderdale be doable? There are 10 people in our party. We plan to hire a private shuttle/car service rather than a shared shuttle. Since it's just a 4 night cruise we won't have as much luggage as a longer cruise and could do early self-debarkation and carry off our luggage if needed. We would also consider using luggage valet (JetBlue or Southwest flight). Next available nonstop flight is around 7:30 p.m. We have not booked our flight yet, but plan to do so this week. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences or suggestions.

:) Mary

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, doable, not a problem.

[JohninDC]

For an 11:10 flight you need to be at FLL by about 9:30 -- earlier is better, especially on weekends. At least 2 hours prior to your flight would be my minimum.

 

The drive from POM to FLL takes about 45-60+ minutes; you do not have time to wait for a shared shuttle or an Uber to find you. Jump into the first cab in the line and be happy paying about $80+tip.

 

If you carry your bags off and are clear of customs/immigration NLT 8:-8:30 you should be okay.

 

Do you want to spend your cruise worried about making your flight home? :confused: I would choose a flight leaving after noon, or extend your vacation by another day and fly home the next morning.

[brookie848]

Can it be done...without a doubt, yes. Can something go wrong? Of course.

 

Personally, I wouldn't book a flight any earlier than 11:30. With that being said, our last two cruises we were at FLL from POM no later than 9:00. However, we were in a suite and got priority walk-off, so that made a huge difference. Also in our favor is that we booked a car service and have TSA PreCheck, which can be a considerable time saver.

 

If you do decide to take this flight time, make sure you have a solid plan, including back-up options, in place.