Disembarkation RCI Allure - Port Everglades to FLL

[choogroovy]

Howdy all, thanks for reading, and any advice you can provide: Considering my first and only cruise was back in 2000, I'm really a new cruiser, going on Allure of the Seas. In port at Port Everglades (says 6-6:15 AM), we have a 9:00 AM flight out of FLL (10 mins between Port Everglades and FLL) on Sun Jun 24th. I've heard I can request an early disembarkation, and I can pay for some sort of 'valet' service where RC coordinates getting my luggage that they pick up in front of my door the night before to the airport and getting those checked-in, but not sure if that's true, or even if we did that, would we still be able to get to FFL by 7:30 - 8:00 AM. Money is not a concern (i.e. changing flights or paying for special luggage/transportation), I just don't want to miss the flight, but I also would rather end up at home at 3PM that day, as opposed to 10:30PM that night. Looking for advice, ideally, from anyone who has had early flights out of FFL, is this doable, or should I try to change my flight?

[nat9511]

To use Luggage Valet your fight from FLL cannot be before 11:30 am.

[Clarea]

Howdy all, thanks for reading, and any advice you can provide: Considering my first and only cruise was back in 2000, I'm really a new cruiser, going on Allure of the Seas. In port at Port Everglades (says 6-6:15 AM), we have a 9:00 AM flight out of FLL (10 mins between Port Everglades and FLL) on Sun Jun 24th. I've heard I can request an early disembarkation, and I can pay for some sort of 'valet' service where RC coordinates getting my luggage that they pick up in front of my door the night before to the airport and getting those checked-in, but not sure if that's true, or even if we did that, would we still be able to get to FFL by 7:30 - 8:00 AM. Money is not a concern (i.e. changing flights or paying for special luggage/transportation), I just don't want to miss the flight, but I also would rather end up at home at 3PM that day, as opposed to 10:30PM that night. Looking for advice, ideally, from anyone who has had early flights out of FFL, is this doable, or should I try to change my flight?

You can make the flight, though you have very little margin for delay. I'd be in the self-assist line at 5am so you can get off the ship ASAP. You will need to carry off all your bags yourself, with no help from crew or carts. If everything goes well, you could be at the airport by 7am.

[katiel53]

If there is no delay, you can do self assist and debark by 6:30, have a passport, have downloaded the Mobile Passport App and have a Known traveler number, you should be ok.

 

I have the above and was at the airport by 7 or earlier and could have made an 8:15 flight, but it would have cost me $300 more per person and that wasn't worth it to get home a couple of hours earlier.

 

If there is any delay though, it will be chancy making that flight. That was only once of the 3 times I have sailed on Allure. I usually book a flight about 10:00 or later, but that's my choice. Good luck.

[maggieq]

We have caught as early as a 9:10 am flight. However, we have been in the walk off line extremely early. We don’t have the mobile app for passport but do have TSA; which helps. Most of the time we are at the airport between 7 and 7:30 am.

[sharse]

I will be on this cruise as well! If you are on FB come find our group! I also wonder if maybe you’re doing what I’m doing... flying SW to IAD? I had the option of the 9:00 am flight but decided not to chance it, so I’m on the one leaving at 8:30pm. Not ideal but it is what it is.

[micmacmissy]

You've gotten good advice - we booked a 9:30 flight and were at the airport by 8am.

 

Definitely you will have to carry off your own luggage, get in the self-disembark line by 5:30am, and download the mobile Customs app on your phone and you'll sail right through.

 

Downside: if there is any sort of delay getting the ship back to port you're in trouble. But, probably a risk I'd take.

[BirdTravels]

Here was our experience. We did not try to get off early, just after breakfast.

The ship docked at 6:40

 

Windjammer opened at 5:30. After a quick bite, we went back to our stateroom to collect our bags and say goodbye to our home for the past week.

 

We rolled our bags down to the promenade at 7:10 and walked right up to the security podium (no lines)

 

We were through customs and on the curb at 7:20. Small lines at the top of the escalator and to get to customs.

 

Taxi to FLL was $12 + tip

 

And at the gate in Ft Lauderdale Airport at 7:45 after checking our bags at the front counter.

[choogroovy]

All great info and advice. Thanks everyone. It'll be nice to get home early, but would also be nice to take a leisurely last morning rather than rushing. Will talk to the wife, and see which she prefers. Thanks again everyone.

[WillTravelForFood]

Having just done this on Sunday, I would say be cautious. We queued at 6:30 but they didn't start letting people off until 6:45 am. Our flight was at 9:05 so we got nervous when we saw that the line went from the Royal Promenade, through the MDR, out the side of the ship and around the back. Around 6:50 we started moving and were eventually through customs by 7:20. We made it to the airport by 7:30 and through security by 7:50. Our plane started boarding at 8:35 so we had enough time for breakfast.

 

We got lucky though. Allure/the terminal has been having issues with one of the ramps exiting the ship and some of our fellow cruisers reported that the closed a ramp around 7:30 due to it being unsafe for guests to stand on (a little worrisome) which would add a lot of time to the disembarkation process. Customs was fast for us be we had friends on the same sailing waiting in line for 2 hours. Actually, by the time our flight landed in NJ at noon, we still had friends waiting in customs at the port. Crazy!!

 

You can do it if you have a perfect disembarkation but I wouldn't do it again. To me, it was almost the same amount of stress as flying in the same day. This time we got lucky (and probably avoided weather delays at the airport due to Alberto) but I don't want to end vacation on a stressful note haha.

 

Good luck! Enjoy your cruise!!!

[CruiszBug]

Having just done this on Sunday, I would say be cautious. We queued at 6:30 but they didn't start letting people off until 6:45 am...

We got lucky though. Allure/the terminal has been having issues with one of the ramps exiting the ship and some of our fellow cruisers reported that the closed a ramp around 7:30 due to it being unsafe for guests to stand on (a little worrisome) which would add a lot of time to the disembarkation process...

Which ramp? Forward or aft? We are cruising in July and need to be among the first group off..

[ptf2009]

Having just done this on Sunday, I would say be cautious. We queued at 6:30 but they didn't start letting people off until 6:45 am. Our flight was at 9:05 so we got nervous when we saw that the line went from the Royal Promenade, through the MDR, out the side of the ship and around the back. Around 6:50 we started moving and were eventually through customs by 7:20. We made it to the airport by 7:30 and through security by 7:50. Our plane started boarding at 8:35 so we had enough time for breakfast.

 

We got lucky though. Allure/the terminal has been having issues with one of the ramps exiting the ship and some of our fellow cruisers reported that the closed a ramp around 7:30 due to it being unsafe for guests to stand on (a little worrisome) which would add a lot of time to the disembarkation process. Customs was fast for us be we had friends on the same sailing waiting in line for 2 hours. Actually, by the time our flight landed in NJ at noon, we still had friends waiting in customs at the port. Crazy!!

 

You can do it if you have a perfect disembarkation but I wouldn't do it again. To me, it was almost the same amount of stress as flying in the same day. This time we got lucky (and probably avoided weather delays at the airport due to Alberto) but I don't want to end vacation on a stressful note haha.

 

Good luck! Enjoy your cruise!!!

We just disembarked this past Sunday also. We left the WJ at 7:30, walked back to our cabin to get our luggage and took the elevator to deck 5, walked off the ship, through customs, took a cab and arrived at FLL at 7:50 and was at our gate by 8:00 (we do have TSA, but the non-TSA line was even shorter)..go figure. So we had plenty of time for our 9:55 flight. Hope your disembarkation will be as smooth as ours was:)

 

Happy cruising!

[ptf2009]

One more thing...we didn’t do the mobile app for the passport either. If you make it off the ship before the first group who have to collect their luggage, there will be no line for customs.