Enough time to catch MCO flight from Harmony

[MonikaJ42]

Hi all

1st time cruiser.  Going on the October 6th sailing on the Harmony.  We have not yet booked our flights and am seeking some advice.  We want to take a flight home (international) the same day we disembark.  The two flights we are interested are leaving Orlando at either 11:30am or at noon.  Is that cutting it close? How quickly once the ship docks can you get off? 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

 

[Clarea]

If you use self-assist disembarkation and are at the front of that line, you can be off the ship within 45 minutes of arrival.  If you have private (you don't have to wait for a van to fill) transportation, the airport should be another 45 minutes.  I would also strongly suggest you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight, and since you have an international flight, I'd plan on airport arrival 3 hours before the flight.

 

 

[reallyitsmema]

13 minutes ago, MonikaJ42 said:

Hi all

1st time cruiser.  Going on the October 6th sailing on the Harmony.  We have not yet booked our flights and am seeking some advice.  We want to take a flight home (international) the same day we disembark.  The two flights we are interested are leaving Orlando at either 11:30am or at noon.  Is that cutting it close? How quickly once the ship docks can you get off? 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have made domestic flights earlier than those stated but I would be hesitant with an international flight.  Check out the airlines requirements before you book.  Some have very strict deadlines for when luggage has to be received prior to the flight.

[Cruiser_1977]

As long as there are no delays returning to port or with disembarkation, the noon flight should work. But please follow the advice above!

[MommaBear55]

And have a back up plan.

[ptf2009]

We have a flight scheduled at 11:25 in September and plan to self disembark @7:30 and  have reserved transportation for 8:00 for 6 of us.  

[Capt_BJ]

warning // hint

 

On our last OASIS cruise from Canaveral the queue for "self service departure" aka "first off" started forming up around 5am  ...

 

if you are at the end of the queue, 'first' might find you in a queue for an hour after they open the doors .... we were

 

fortunately we were in no hurry and will probably never try this again . . .

Edited July 10, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[orville99]

We do the PC MCO route almost every week, and I wouldn't chance it. All it takes is one pinch point (there are several stretches of the 528 that are under construction), and a 45 minute drive can quickly double in time. We cruise out of PC 5-6 times a year (Harmony and Mariner), and have experienced sporadic delays debarking the ship due to customs and/or slow offloading of luggage. If you are going to try the 11:30 or noon international flights, you'd need to be at the airport by 8:30-9:00. When we were on Harmony in May, they didn't even start calling tag numbers until 7:30.

[RazorbackIslandGirl]

We too have a 11:25 flight & have a private transfer set for 8:00. Unless something goes REALLY wrong we should be fine.

[orville99]

2 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

warning // hint

 

On our last OASIS cruise from Canaveral the queue for "self service departure" aka "first off" started forming up around 5am  ...

 

if you are at the end of the queue, 'first' might find you in a queue for an hour after they open the doors .... we were

 

fortunately we were in no hurry and will probably never try this again . . .

When we were on Harmony in May, we watched the selfies roll across the gangway around 7:30. When our number was called and we debarked at 8:30, we saw a lot of them still snaking their way through the single-file self assist line for customs.

[reallyitsmema]

18 minutes ago, ptf2009 said:

We have a flight scheduled at 11:25 in September and plan to self disembark @7:30 and  have reserved transportation for 8:00 for 6 of us.  

 

10 minutes ago, RazorbackIslandGirl said:

We too have a 11:25 flight & have a private transfer set for 8:00. Unless something goes REALLY wrong we should be fine.

 

Are your flights international?  The OP is booking an international flight.  Typically, you need to be at the airport 3 hours in advance for an international flight.

[Ashland]

23 minutes ago, ptf2009 said:

We have a flight scheduled at 11:25 in September and plan to self disembark @7:30 and  have reserved transportation for 8:00 for 6 of us.  

Mind sharing what company you're using for private transportation ? We'll need to do the same for 10 of us in May..but will need a company that will provide carseats/boosters...So far Ace has been recommended.

 

We have an 11:30am flight home.

Edited July 10, 2019 by Ashland

[Clarea]

37 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

warning // hint

 

On our last OASIS cruise from Canaveral the queue for "self service departure" aka "first off" started forming up around 5am  ... ...

 

Good point, I was going to mention lining up at 5am.

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

If you use self-assist disembarkation and are at the front of that line, you can be off the ship within 45 minutes of arrival.  If you have private (you don't have to wait for a van to fill) transportation, the airport should be another 45 minutes.  I would also strongly suggest you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight, and since you have an international flight, I'd plan on airport arrival 3 hours before the flight.

 

 

So, if all goes perfect, doing the math, 1145 would be earliest flight?

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

So, if all goes perfect, doing the math, 1145 would be earliest flight?

 

If the ship gets in at 6am, they are at the front of the self-assist line,  there are no other delays, they could be at the airport as early as 7:30am.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Just now, Host Clarea said:

 

If the ship gets in at 6am, they are at the front of the self-assist line,  there are no other delays, they could be at the airport as early as 7:30am.

3 hours early would be 1130 earliest flight, all things go without a hitch?

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

3 hours early would be 1130 earliest flight, all things go without a hitch?

 

My math may be wrong, but 7:30am plus 3 hours is 10:30am.  However, I like having extra time at the airport.

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

My math may be wrong, but 7:30am plus 3 hours is 10:30am.  However, I like having extra time at the airport.

Opps. Your absolutely correct as usual. So a flight leaving at 1030, all things perfect. 

[BlueSkiesTX]

35 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Good point, I was going to mention lining up at 5am.

 

This 100%. To be at the front of the line, you have to get in line at 5AM. Two weeks ago when we got in line for the self-assist from Harmony, it was closer to the time that RC listed in the Compass. The line wrapped from outside the MDR through the MDR, out the door and around the OUTSIDE DECK of the ship. Once the line started moving, it was a constant flow. However, about an hour or so later the line was stopped due to a customs issue according to my niece who was in one of the non-self assist groups. Just an FYI. 

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

We do the PC MCO route almost every week, and I wouldn't chance it. All it takes is one pinch point (there are several stretches of the 528 that are under construction), and a 45 minute drive can quickly double in time. We cruise out of PC 5-6 times a year (Harmony and Mariner), and have experienced sporadic delays debarking the ship due to customs and/or slow offloading of luggage. If you are going to try the 11:30 or noon international flights, you'd need to be at the airport by 8:30-9:00. When we were on Harmony in May, they didn't even start calling tag numbers until 7:30.

Also on the Bee/Beach Line occasionally they play demolition derby and you get delayed in traffic.  Would be in line at 5/530 if I planned to meet a noon international flight.  Also, hope there are no issues and ship docks as scheduled.

[ducklite]

Keep in mind that it can take an hour to get through security at MCO.  The lines were to the escalator last Saturday morning.  With TSA Pre it took 25 minutes to get through security.  Crazy.

[bobmacliberty]

12 hours ago, ducklite said:

Keep in mind that it can take an hour to get through security at MCO.  The lines were to the escalator last Saturday morning.  With TSA Pre it took 25 minutes to get through security.  Crazy.

 

This, for me, is the biggest risk at MCO.  Consistently the longest security lines that I see and as ducklite said, TSA pre-check only gets you past part of the line.  That said, I'd still go for an 11:30 flight if later options don't work.  Very high probability that you will be sitting in the airport, twiddling your thumbs will waiting for your flight to board.

[ducklite]

13 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Also on the Bee/Beach Line occasionally they play demolition derby and you get delayed in traffic.  Would be in line at 5/530 if I planned to meet a noon international flight.  Also, hope there are no issues and ship docks as scheduled.

There have been two wrecks blocking the 528 for hours two days in a row this week.

[uksimonusa]

When you collect your bags in PC if there is a line at customs, grab a porter, they have their own line with little or no wait, the only way to go if you're in a hurry

 

[akeka]

If it was me, I would stay an extra day in Orlando.  Wouldn't want to start a long travel day off by having to stand in a line for 2 plus hours to get off the ship.