Disembarkation times in the COVID era

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

I'm trying to decide if I want to gamble on an 11:05 flight. We're sailing out of Port Everglades and flying out of FLL, so they're practically next door, but I know it's still a risk.  Especially since taking our own luggage isn't an option. Air2Sea starts their flights at 11:30, so it isn't too much of a difference, but still a difference.

 

There are plenty of flights later in the day. However, they're 1) a lot later, 2) not direct flights, and 3) much pricier. So I'm torn. 🤨 

 

For those who have cruised in the past couple of months, what has been your experience?

 

 

[Sunshine3601]

You should be fine as most people are reporting they can get off ship starting at 730 and get bags and thru customs in 15 to 20 mins.

Check in at FLL is usually pretty easy as long as you are not flying on a holiday or big event in the area.  

[Floater4life]

We were o the Oasis ..the 9/12 sailing. They hustled everyone off as fast and early as possible. We were in no hurry so sign up for a 8:30 disembark. By 7:40 our number was called. When we went to pick up our luggage most were already gone and the parking garage there was not very traffic. 

[orville99]

On 10/6/2021 at 7:50 AM, Heymarco said:

Pre-COVID, customs line at Port Canaveral was very long but I guess now it really depends on ship’s capacity. If you bring your Global Entry card, you can zip right past it though.

Once they installed the facial recognition systems in PC, getting through customs takes all of 30 seconds if you are traveling with a passport. to the OP, the cruise lines are trying to get passengers off the ship as quickly as possible so they can do their cleaning before boarding the next cruise. If anything, we got off Allure faster in August than pre-COVID.

[pcur]

You mentioned taking your own luggage off the ship is not possible.  So, self-disembarking with the earliest group is not going to work for you, right?

 

I suggest you do three things:

Get a Global Entry card if you have time.  One for each adult.  It's worth the fee because you also get 5 years of TSA Pre-check with it.  The line for Global Entry passengers is waaaay over to the far left when you get into the cattle call part of exiting.  If you get a porter for your luggage, tell him you are Global Entry, and he knows exactly where to take you.

 

Secondly, go to Guest Services mid-cruise and tell them you need to be in the first color group disembarking, and that you have an 11am flight out, with a lot of luggage to pick up in the terminal at the dock.  They should accommodate you.

 

Use Uber to get to the airport, even if you have to call for 2 cars.  Much quicker than using shuttle vans that wait for other travelers.  

[Another_Critic]

On 10/5/2021 at 8:17 PM, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

I'm trying to decide if I want to gamble on an 11:05 flight. We're sailing out of Port Everglades and flying out of FLL, so they're practically next door, but I know it's still a risk.  Especially since taking our own luggage isn't an option. Air2Sea starts their flights at 11:30, so it isn't too much of a difference, but still a difference.

Booking Air2Sea is not an option?

[brillohead]

I would not hesitate to take an 11:05 flight out of FLL if debarking at Port Everglades.  

You'll likely be sitting at the gate before 9am.  

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

5 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Booking Air2Sea is not an option?

 

It is an option, just not one that I like. 😉 I know some people love it, which is great.  But I always seem to find fewer options, less flexibility with changes/cancellations, and pricier flights. 

 

[Lou33]

I would take the 11:05 flight, especially at FLL.   If you miss your flight, they will likely put you on standby for one of the later flights.  

[Lou33]

1 minute ago, Heymarco said:

Depends on the airline. With some, you would have to buy another ticket.

Which airlines will not put you on standby?  They already have your money, so it makes sense to fill an otherwise empty seat on a later flight.  Maybe a super low cost airline that doesn't have a lot of flights?

[RoyalC]

On 10/5/2021 at 7:17 PM, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

I'm trying to decide if I want to gamble on an 11:05 flight. We're sailing out of Port Everglades and flying out of FLL, so they're practically next door, but I know it's still a risk.  Especially since taking our own luggage isn't an option. Air2Sea starts their flights at 11:30, so it isn't too much of a difference, but still a difference.

 

There are plenty of flights later in the day. However, they're 1) a lot later, 2) not direct flights, and 3) much pricier. So I'm torn. 🤨 

 

For those who have cruised in the past couple of months, what has been your experience?

 

 

Well, you don't say what time you arrive in port but either way 11:05 is plenty of time. Relax.

[Tapi]

Self debarkation isn’t an option on Royal Caribbean at this time? When we sailed on MSC last month we walked right off the ship with our luggage (all we had were small rollaways). 

[pcur]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

Self debarkation isn’t an option on Royal Caribbean at this time? When we sailed on MSC last month we walked right off the ship with our luggage (all we had were small rollaways). 

No, it's not, but my comment was based on it being available by the time the OP sails. 

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

Self debarkation isn’t an option on Royal Caribbean at this time? When we sailed on MSC last month we walked right off the ship with our luggage (all we had were small rollaways). 

I read that to mean that the OP wasn't going to be physically able to take off their own luggage (not an option for them personally), not that self-debarkation isn't offered as an option to passengers in general. 

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, Tapi said:

Self debarkation isn’t an option on Royal Caribbean at this time?

Yes, that's available.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

20 hours ago, RoyalC said:

Well, you don't say what time you arrive in port but either way 11:05 is plenty of time. Relax.

 

That's kind of the point, actually. 😉 Port arrival times are estimates at best, and one of the multiple variables that change from one cruise to the next. So it's all a matter of how much you feel like gambling!

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

17 hours ago, brillohead said:

I read that to mean that the OP wasn't going to be physically able to take off their own luggage (not an option for them personally), not that self-debarkation isn't offered as an option to passengers in general. 

 

Correct. Apologies for any confusion. 🙂 

[cruiselvr04]

We have an 11:00 from FLL in February.  It was that or 6 p.m.  We will carry off our own bags and I think we’ll be fine barring anything unusual.  We’ve done it before.  We have passports and pre check.  The roughest part is checking in your bags at the airport.  That line is really long. Get off as early as possible, hop in a cab and go.  

[BirdTravels]

On 10/5/2021 at 8:17 PM, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

I'm trying to decide if I want to gamble on an 11:05 flight. We're sailing out of Port Everglades and flying out of FLL, so they're practically next door, but I know it's still a risk.  Especially since taking our own luggage isn't an option. Air2Sea starts their flights at 11:30, so it isn't too much of a difference, but still a difference. There are plenty of flights later in the day. However, they're 1) a lot later, 2) not direct flights, and 3) much pricier. So I'm torn. 🤨 For those who have cruised in the past couple of months, what has been your experience?

As a frequent cruiser and flyer, I would have no problem with an 11:05 departure. 

 

Just as an example, the following were the disembarkation times for our cruise out of Miami a few weeks ago. We had a nice breakfast in the Windjammer, returned to our room to collect our luggage, and used a taxi from PortMiami to the airport. We were sitting in the airport lounge before 9:15. 

 

[jcc1025]

We sailed out of Galveston in August. Granted the ship passenger numbers were low but the self debarkation was on time and very fast. The facial recognition at customes now is almost just a walk through if you are a US citizen. We had to travel from Galveston to Huston for a flight, used the shuttle bus service through the ship and could have made a 11:30am flight so getting to FLL should be a breeze.