Is a 10:50 am flight too early out of FLL?

[MIcruiseguy]

We are looking at a 10:50 am departure out of Fort Lauderdale after our 8 day Carnival Splendor cruise in October. We are also doing self assist off the ship. We arrive in port at 8am and was just wondering if anyone has booked a return a flight this early. I know everything would have to go like clock work for this to happen. Thanks for your help!

[fsa1155]

I have heard that you never want to book a return flight before noon because you have to get to the airport and through security before the boarding time. I have never booked my return flight before 2:00 pm because I don't like to worry and feel rushed. Hope that helps. :-)

[mscinmia]

It is doable if you are docking in Port Everglades, just make sure you do self assist. But I would not risk it coming up from Miami.

[fsa1155]

I've been on only 3 cruises and am unsure of all the lingo. What is "self assist"? Just wondering.

[Clarea]

I've been on only 3 cruises and am unsure of all the lingo. What is "self assist"? Just wondering.

Self-assist is when you take off all your own luggage yourself, with no help from crew and no carts. If you do this, you can get off the ship much quicker than if you want for the bags to be unloaded and staged in the terminal.

[Biglissa]

We made our 940 am flight . They start letting folks walk off at 7 am .

 

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[Havingfun2010]

We are looking at a 10:50 am departure out of Fort Lauderdale after our 8 day Carnival Splendor cruise in October. We are also doing self assist off the ship. We arrive in port at 8am and was just wondering if anyone has booked a return a flight this early. I know everything would have to go like clock work for this to happen. Thanks for your help!

 

Well, it is recommended that yo arrive at the airport 2 hours early, meaning at 8:50. Just because someone booked a flight that early and was successful, does not mean you would. Even the slightest delay can cause you issue. Good luck.

[Rufftackle]

We are looking at a 10:50 am departure out of Fort Lauderdale after our 8 day Carnival Splendor cruise in October. We are also doing self assist off the ship. We arrive in port at 8am and was just wondering if anyone has booked a return a flight this early. I know everything would have to go like clock work for this to happen. Thanks for your help!

 

I think you would be OK as long as you are doing the self-assist. I asked the same question (but for an hour later flight) out of Port Canaveral. You can see that threat here

[grest]

I wouldn't do it....sometimes the cruise traffic is ridiculous and can create a bit of a logjam

[cb at sea]

It's only about an 8 min. ride...I would do that flight without a 2nd thought.

[BallFour4]

We made a 9am flight last year. Platinum self-assist, TSA Pre-check and time for checking luggage curbside.

 

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[Shipbound]

I've left out of FLL many times coming from POM after a cruise and used self-asst was in FLL airport by 8:30-9:00 am to make my morning flights never had a problem.

 

Gary

[Lem_On_Ade]

We had an 11am flight from FLL once and disembarked in Miami. We had plenty of time but it's just a risk you have to take. We've always been lucky and never been delayed getting off the ship but there's always a possibility of delays.

[drvmywifecrzy]

Do be aware FLL has much tighter Security now. As well as lots of Airport construction inside the terminals that can impact your time in line

[sailor05]

You can make it. Security won't be that busy until the other thousands of cruise passengers get there and you'll beat those suckers who book the late flights;);p:')

[easyboy]

My DS just made it on same flight time last April. He did self assist and took a taxi. He was lucky the ship arrived and cleared as scheduled.

 

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[Kevin Hort]

We are looking at a 10:50 am departure out of Fort Lauderdale after our 8 day Carnival Splendor cruise in October. We are also doing self assist off the ship. We arrive in port at 8am and was just wondering if anyone has booked a return a flight this early. I know everything would have to go like clock work for this to happen. Thanks for your help!

 

Yes it is, leaving out of FLL. We have caught 11am flights more than once getting off a cruise in FLL and have never had an issue. As long as you use self assist it should be all good.

[SmoothFlying]

Well, it is recommended that yo arrive at the airport 2 hours early, meaning at 8:50. Just because someone booked a flight that early and was successful, does not mean you would. Even the slightest delay can cause you issue. Good luck.

 

And you never know just WHEN such a problem is going to happen.:eek: It's happened once, on our last cruise, out of Port Canaveral on our return when they closed ICE because the escalators (from the second floor to customs) stopped working. They had to stop disembarking for over an hour. We weren't flying so didn't worry about trying to make an early flight but I wondered if those poor souls rushing to the airport made it or not. Another time we were departing Miami on a 7 day cruise w/a departure time of 4 p.m. when we found out the ship we were leaving on was being held up clearing customs, so NO passengers were being cleared till the ship was released and this took 2 hours. So, you just never know.:(

 

Mac

[SMSACE6]

Technically it might be doable, given perfect circumstances, ie; your ship arrives in port early, or ahead of others that are due in port that day, as well as US Customs clearance, and port staff availability and placement etc. As others have said, so so only if you can do self assist debarking.

 

For me; I have tried a time or two to make a noon or 1pm flight, without self assist, and it worked out for me but dont think it would have for a flight that early. but was also stressful for me, trying to make those flights on time.

 

Also for me, since I fly in from Canada, and add the expense of air, and fly in a day or two early, I now tend to add a day at a hotel after the cruise, just so I dont have to stress about getting off in time to make it to the airport. After what I have already spend on flight, pre cruise hotel, cruise, and on board spending, a day post cruise at a hotel is not much more of an expense and it does help to ease my nerves on debarking. That just my situation though and others will see things differently.

 

For me though, not stressing about debarking is a big part of my total vacation value and pleasure.:)

[A&Jfamily]

Way too close for my comfort. I have seen both MIA and FLL airports with huge lines when cruise ships are returning on the weekend. And that doesn't even count docking and clearing customs timely.

 

 

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[7upp]

Get the Mobile Passport app. We've used it twice now. Off the ship and through customs in less than ten minutes...passing by hundreds of others waiting in the regular line.

 

 

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[joepeka]

Of all the times we've sailed from FLL, we have never arrived at the airport on debarkation day later than 9:30AM (no self assist, just walk off when our group was called). BUT, there were no delays of any kind in any of those situations and like some others have said, we would never book a flight earlier than 12PM from FLL.

[JohnSpo]

We made our 940 am flight . They start letting folks walk off at 7 am .

 

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My last 2 cruises out of Tampa and Jacksonville both had hold ups at customs on debarkation. I did not get to my airport pickup van until 9:30am on for both cruises and I had self assist. Tampa was really slow and Jacksonville only had 2 customs people handling the debarkation. Good luck with that.

[Elaine5715]

Couple things to consider....

If you book a flight before the recommended time of 12 noon and there is a problem, your travel insurance won't cover you.

I have been in FLL when the entire crew needed to go through Immigration, taking up two stations, reducing Customs for passengers.

I have been at FLL with 11 ships debarking at the same time with tens of thousands heading home where you could not enter baggage checkin until 2 hours before your flight then 45 minutes for security, running for the gate.

I have been at FLL, walked right up to luggage checkin, breezed thru security less than 10 minutes.

There is a reason flights before noon are cheaper.

[riclop]

We are looking at a 10:50 am departure out of Fort Lauderdale after our 8 day Carnival Splendor cruise in October. We are also doing self assist off the ship. We arrive in port at 8am and was just wondering if anyone has booked a return a flight this early. I know everything would have to go like clock work for this to happen. Thanks for your help!

We make a 1000 flight all the time.