Rswan84 Posted June 29, 2018 #1 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Hello all! We are planning our first cruise with our kids this December. We will be back to our port in Miami on Christmas Eve at 7:00 am. Would booking an outgoing flight from MIA at 5 pm be a mistake? We aren’t in a huge hurry to get home, but would prefer not to have to stay another night in a hotel 😬. Thanks for any insight/advice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted June 29, 2018 #2 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Hi and welcome! Christmas is a busy travel time but I should think that by 5 pm on Christmas Eve, most people will already be where they want to be. Having said that, your scheduled dock time that morning isn't when you can get off the ship. You will need to go through Customs first and many other thousands of passengers are also disembarking. I think 5 pm is a very reasonable time for a flight home; if you get to the airport soon enough, I'm sure you'll be wondering if an earlier flight would have been better. ;p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rswan84 Posted June 29, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Hi and welcome! Christmas is a busy travel time but I should think that by 5 pm on Christmas Eve, most people will already be where they want to be. Having said that, your scheduled dock time that morning isn't when you can get off the ship. You will need to go through Customs first and many other thousands of passengers are also disembarking. I think 5 pm is a very reasonable time for a flight home; if you get to the airport soon enough, I'm sure you'll be wondering if an earlier flight would have been better. ;p That was so very helpful! Thank you so much! The going home is always the worst part of vacations, huh? 😩😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted June 29, 2018 #4 Share Posted June 29, 2018 With an ship ETA of 07:00 and flight time of 17:00, you should not have any issues making the flight. While we normally do not fly the day of scheduled arrival, due to potential delays, on Christmas Eve we would definitely make an exception to get home for Christmas Day. The probability of NOT making that flight is very low. Your only issue might be keeping the kids quiet, or entertained for that many hours. Hopefully you are flying Business/First, or have access to a Lounge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted June 29, 2018 #5 Share Posted June 29, 2018 You will likely have a VERY long day, as you will be off the ship by 9am....maybe earlier. They recommend a flight after noon, but we always take the 10:45 am flight home from Miami. You just need to tell them you have an "early" flight, and you will be put in one of the 1st groups off the ship. I would check if there are any earlier flights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herfnerd Posted June 29, 2018 #6 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I would prefer an earlier flight if possible but you should be fine with a 5pm flight. Normally I would say that flying on Christmas Eve is a crap shoot but seeing as how Christmas Day is on a Tuesday this year, I would imagine most people flying will have most likely reached their destination by Friday or Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted June 29, 2018 #7 Share Posted June 29, 2018 I think 5pm flight is fine but then we don't know where you are heading to., If the flight is going up north, weather may be a huge factor and landing at night will make it more tricky. I suppose all I can say is make sure you have travel insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebr.cruiser Posted June 29, 2018 #8 Share Posted June 29, 2018 5 PM should be just fine; actually earlier would be better as that is a long time to wait, but I know for us most flights home are either too early or quite late like that one. You should have no problems; of course, no one can predict weather, especially if you are flying north in December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Itchy&Scratchy Posted June 29, 2018 #9 Share Posted June 29, 2018 5 pm is fine. We fly out of FLL at 5 pm because it's the most reasonably priced flight. We just hang out at the airport, there are charging stations for tablets and phones, free wifi, we get a meal.. Granted, we don't fly too far, the flight is only 1.5 hours, but hubby doesn't want to drive for 10 hours. Last year this 5 pm flight was a blessing, because while we usually get off the ship around 9-10 am, last year there was some kind of a customs problem and we didn't get off the ship until after noon. We got to the airport at 1 pm, the line to drop off the bags (we checked in online) was over an hour long, then security... by the time we finally got lunch and got to the gate, we only had a bit of time left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob brown Posted June 29, 2018 #10 Share Posted June 29, 2018 5 pm is fine. We fly out of FLL at 5 pm because it's the most reasonably priced flight. We just hang out at the airport, there are charging stations for tablets and phones, free wifi, we get a meal..Granted, we don't fly too far, the flight is only 1.5 hours, but hubby doesn't want to drive for 10 hours. Last year this 5 pm flight was a blessing, because while we usually get off the ship around 9-10 am, last year there was some kind of a customs problem and we didn't get off the ship until after noon. We got to the airport at 1 pm, the line to drop off the bags (we checked in online) was over an hour long, then security... by the time we finally got lunch and got to the gate, we only had a bit of time left. I agree with this post. While it may be a long wait, there is little that can ruin your vacation worse, than stressing over whether you will make your connection--whether going to the cruise, or going home. It is much better to relax, and 'waste' a few hours, than worrying about missing it, or worse yet, actually missing it. And since it is Christmas, you might have trouble rebooking, and getting home in time for your holiday celebration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted June 29, 2018 #11 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Correct me if I am wrong but Christmas eve is one of the busiest flight days of the year, if not the busiest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pudgesmom Posted June 29, 2018 #12 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Christmas Eve is indeed very busy. Be aware that if for any reason your flight is canceled, any flights after yours will likely be full, and you may face the possibility of not getting out until the next day. I would actually look for an earlier flight that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herfnerd Posted June 29, 2018 #13 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Correct me if I am wrong but Christmas eve is one of the busiest flight days of the year, if not the busiest. Actually, the busiest is the day before Thanksgiving But like I posted earlier, with Christmas Day being on aTuesday, I have a feeling that most travelers will be flying to their destination on Friday, Saturday or even Sunday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted June 29, 2018 #14 Share Posted June 29, 2018 If you are returning to Miami, any time after noon is a safe time to book a flight. A 5:00 p.m. departure is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pudgesmom Posted June 29, 2018 #15 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Actually, the busiest is the day before Thanksgiving But like I posted earlier, with Christmas Day being on aTuesday, I have a feeling that most travelers will be flying to their destination on Friday, Saturday or even Sunday As the wife of a guy who has flown every Christmas Eve for the last 38 years, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Christmas Eve is always busy. Tensions can run very high if the weather goes downhill anywhere as inbound flights can also be canceled and no crew or plane available for a specific flight and NO ONE willing to give up his seat on subsequent flights. I’ll repeat my recommendation that the OP look for an earlier flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K32682 Posted June 30, 2018 #16 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I've flown on Christmas Eve many times. The later your flight is the less busy it will be. The emptiest flight I was ever on departed at 8pm on a Christmas Eve. Depending on how long the flight is and where you are going 5pm should be nearing the end of the panic. Also, you are flying out of Florida and based on my experiences in Tampa the inbound flights are busier than the outbound on Christmas Eve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted June 30, 2018 #17 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I've flown on Christmas Eve many times. The later your flight is the less busy it will be. The emptiest flight I was ever on departed at 8pm on a Christmas Eve. Depending on how long the flight is and where you are going 5pm should be nearing the end of the panic. Also, you are flying out of Florida and based on my experiences in Tampa the inbound flights are busier than the outbound on Christmas Eve. That certainly makes sense except for when weather intervenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPacificbound Posted July 1, 2018 #18 Share Posted July 1, 2018 5:00PM will be fine unless there is some weather related thing somewhere in the country that cancels flights in domino effect all over. I think I would try to book a hotel for the night just in case, and you can always cancel it before 6:00PM when you see your flight is going to be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronandannette Posted July 1, 2018 #19 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Whether or not the flight takes off as scheduled is an issue you can't predict and worrying about it won't really help. I would be inclined to book something a bit earlier so that there would at least be a possibility of subsequent flights to fall back on if needed but again, I wouldn't obsess over it, and depending where you're going, there may not be a lot of other choices. As to the issue of hanging around the airport all day, personally I would hate it. Look into what's available from the cruiseline for a departure-day excursion with airport drop-off. We've done this many times and for not much more than the price of a transfer you get a 1/2 day tour around the city, sometimes with other activities thrown in (depends on the port) and a ride to the airport. The last one we did in Florida was from Ft. Lauderdale and included an Everglades air boat ride and time spent at an animal sanctuary before being dropped back at FLL. Pretty sure something similar will be available for MIA - check with your cruiseline. As a first-time cruiser, I'll also mention there's another BIG advantage to booking one of these tours. You will get priority disembarkation and be led off the ship past the huge horde of other passengers all clamoring to get off and home for Christmas. If you've never experienced the chaos of leaving the ship, you can thank me later! Have a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted July 1, 2018 #20 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Good point about the tour and transfer, takes a lot of the stress out of it along with the waiting around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine5715 Posted July 1, 2018 #21 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Flights on Christmas day are going to be cheaper than Christmas Eve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRF Posted July 4, 2018 #22 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Other than finding parking at the airport, one of the best days to travel in the US is Christmas Day. And flights tend to be cheaper also. NO ONE wants to be flying on Christmas Day. : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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