early flight at FLL

[waterbug123]

People are always asking about early flights after a cruise, and the one thing that is often agreed upon is that it's a different ballgame when disembarking Oasis/Allure and flying out of FLL. The early docking times and proximity to the airport mean you can usually book an earlier flight than you otherwise might consider.

 

This is not meant to persuade or convince anyone of anything, as I'm well aware that ships can dock late and other surprises can pop up unexpectedly. This is offered purely as an anecdote:

 

I disembarked Allure yesterday and had an 8:45am flight out of FLL on Delta. I walked out of my cabin at 6:35am and was having a bagel in the Sky Club at FLL at 7:20. I did not have to wait for an elevator, and walked right off the ship with my luggage. I recalled that there was some form of Global Entry at the port but waited in the customs line (which was already growing and was moving very slowly) for about 5 min before I asked someone and showed them my GE card and was directed to cut to the front of the line. Grabbed a cab and waited behind one party of 2 in the sky priority line to check my bag. The security line was minimal; I think I was 3rd or 4th in the PreCheck line, although when I got up to the belt I had to wait behind 2 women who had no idea what they did or did not have to do differently, and really slowed things down trying to take off their jackets and put their rollaboards in/on a bin, LOL.

 

In the end I had a full hour after clearing security, which would have compensated for a longer check in line, longer security line etc. I will say though, that had I not brought my GE card and had to wait in the regular line slow line at the port, a good bit of that hour-long cushion may have been taken up in the customs line at the port.