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10:35 FLL departure: to early?


seaworthy1
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Delta Airlines has changed our flt time to 10:35am on Friday 9/07.  Our ship arrival is 7:00am.  Is this cutting it to close?  Self debarkation(sp?) then taxi to airport.  Later flight to ATL would be easy enough, but ATL/PHX on a Friday pm, not so easy.  So,  to those of you with FLL experience, is 10:35 to early? 

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With a 7AM arrival it is a bit tight--especially if the ship is delayed arriving. 

Most likely, though, you could walk off about 8AM & be fine.

Get in line about an hour early to be sure you are FIRST OFF is my recommendation. 

Kind of a PITA, but you will be waiting around somewhere to get off/get home, right?

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Probably ok with self debarkation, but like flying in on the day of embarkation, a late arrival in port could throw a monkey wrench into your plans. As long as you have a solid Plan "B", you could risk it and probably be fine.

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Go to cruise timetables and check how many ships are arriving the same day as yours.  I know I won't be like it was in the past but boy oh boy, that port can get very busy on Saturday and Sunday and the lines at the airport can be incredible.   I would think Friday would be safe but it is worth checking.

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We made a 10:20 flight when we were younger and fitter. I dismissed it for our future cruises because it is too stressful, and we sail in upper suites so usually no issues getting off the ship.  Then the s**& starts in the terminal.

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1 hour ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Port Everglades is five (5) miles from FLL airport. I would have no concerns whatsoever.

I'm guessing that you've never had a cruise that was late reaching port or had delays getting out of the terminal due to CBP slowdowns. I've had both, but not on the same cruise, thankfully. which is why we aim for 11:30 at the very earliest.

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We've done it a couple of times.... but we are not worried about something happening that would cause us to have to stay another night or get home later than planned.  We were once at the airport by 7:30am!  Just make sure you're down in line for self disembark early.  Of course, we may be shocked by the new normal post COVID.  The best flight for our Jan 2022 cruise out of FLL was 1:30pm, so we'll be hanging around with the big crowds... would prefer earlier for sure!

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1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

I'm guessing that you've never had a cruise that was late reaching port or had delays getting out of the terminal due to CBP slowdowns. I've had both, but not on the same cruise, thankfully. which is why we aim for 11:30 at the very earliest.

 

A few cruises ago I was on one where they had a problem with the gangway. As it was a Sunday it took a while to get someone there to repair. There were two gangways but we were still delayed debarking about an hour. Luckily I did not have an early flight that cruise.

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Carry off your luggage and you should be fine.  However, we were on a cruise where there had been a report filed on individuals on the ship.  Agents boarded the ship and there was a delay.  I guess that is the risk that you take.  

 

I had friends who made a 9:30 flight at FLL.  Thought they were taking a big risk.

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18 minutes ago, CTSandy said:

We have a noon and a 12:40 Flight out of FLL for an Equinox cruise that’s arriving on a Sunday.  I’m fairly sure we’ll be ok with that.

Good for you! We cruise to relax and get away from it all for a while. The last thing we want to do on the final day is get anxious over whether or not we'll make our flights home. Noon flights or later means you can take your time in the morning, make your way through the airport lines without having to keep checking your watch - pre-Check helps! - and board the plane in a serene state of mind. 🙏 😇

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We were on the 6/26 cruise and caught a Delta 10:37 flight out with plenty of time to spare.  We met friends for breakfast and then walked off around 8:45AM.  We have TSA Clear pre-check so lines at the ariport weren't an issue for us. 

 

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7 hours ago, seaworthy1 said:

Delta Airlines has changed our flt time to 10:35am on Friday 9/07.  Our ship arrival is 7:00am.  Is this cutting it to close?  Self debarkation(sp?) then taxi to airport.  Later flight to ATL would be easy enough, but ATL/PHX on a Friday pm, not so easy.  So,  to those of you with FLL experience, is 10:35 to early? 

 

It can be done based on our pre-pandemic experience.  You would need to do the self-debarkation however you would be surprised how long that line can be.

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It really depends on how many ships are in port.  I have been in FLL when 7 ships were in port and the TSA lines went all the way to the rental car counters.  TSA personnel were actually helpful, pulling passengers with early flights to the front of the line.  But it was stressful.  If Celebrity is still doing luggage valet, that would be an important factor as well.  Not having to stand in line to check your bags is a huge time saver!  On a Friday, you will probably be fine, especially if you have TSA pre check.  Good luck!   

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I’ve got a 9:30. If it works out, great. 
 

If I have to find another flight, then so be it. This 9:30 flight is getting me home about 6 hours earlier. 
 

I think you will be fine. 

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