If flying in the night before isn't possible...

[MamaParrotHead]

what is the LATEST time you would personally feel comfortable arriving into port? We've booked a Sat-Sat cruise, and don't know if it's feasible yet to take an additional day (Fri) plus the week of the cruise. We're sailing out of Miami at 4:30 p.m., looking to fly into FLL. The flight I have my eye on arrives in FLL at 12:30 p.m. (planning on taking a car service, not taxi or train). Thanks.

[jcanino]

what is the LATEST time you would personally feel comfortable arriving into port? We've booked a Sat-Sat cruise, and don't know if it's feasible yet to take an additional day (Fri) plus the week of the cruise. We're sailing out of Miami at 4:30 p.m., looking to fly into FLL. The flight I have my eye on arrives in FLL at 12:30 p.m. (planning on taking a car service, not taxi or train). Thanks.

 

I would be very comfortable arriving in FLL at 12:30 for a cruise out of Miami that day. Carnival offers transfers from FLL to Port of Miami and I that is within their flight arrival guidelines.

[hnschipper]

I, too, would be very comfortable with this flight. We booked our airfare through Carnival when we sailed on the Victory (out of Miami). We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and our flight was supposed to land around 2, but it was late. We got to the pier at about 4:15 and walked on to the ship around 4:30.

[victory2020]

If your'e cutting it close, make sure you know backup flights to get you there on time just in case yours is cancelled or late!

[starketcher]

cancelling the original flight would be a concern. I had it happen once and made it to the ship as the lifejacket drill was going on!

[dznymom]

If I had to fly in the day of my cruise, I would absolutely take the first possible flight out in the morning. There are just too many variables, and too many things that can go wrong. Between the weather, (and not just in the winter) possible maintenance problems, air traffic control delays, and then all the non-flight related things that could come up, I would much rather have time to kill in the port. Take a look at the airlines 'On Time" records if you think I am exaggerating.

 

ANyway, that's my professional opinion.

[MamaParrotHead]

is with the first flight leaving from the airport (about an hour and a half from my home) at 6:00 a.m.

[BlueHerons]

I would not be comfortable arriving any later than 8AM the day of the cruise.

 

Call me crazy but I fly around 100,000 miles per year and flights are delayed for so many reasons you don't even think about I would not chance my vacation.

 

Look at where your originating flight is coming from and the weather scenario for that time of year in that city and the type of equipment used.

 

Example; I knew I was flying out of Philly during February on US Airways so I picked a hub to hub flight on a large plane that originated in a city that would not be effected by weather. It actually worked because I was flying out of Philly the Sunday of the 18-24 inch blizzard and my flight was one of the few that flew because it was a hub to hub in a big ole stretch 767 and the originating city was Paris.

 

In other words, control all the variables you have power over.

[MamaParrotHead]

Take a look at the airlines 'On Time" records if you think I am exaggerating.

 

Not that I don't believe you, or think you're exaggerating, but can you tell me how to access that information, just out of curiosity. Thanks!

[MamaParrotHead]

we're leaving MLI (Moline, IL) to Nashville to FLL. We're going the end of April ('07) so weather isn't really a big concern.

[dznymom]

Taking a flight at 6:00am, the aircraft probably will arrive at your airport the night before, so you have eliminated one possible problem. I guess my next concern would be if and where you have to change planes enroute. Also, some airlines have a much better ontime performance than others...

 

Remember that it is about 45 minutes (if i remember correctly) from FLL to Miami, and you need time to collect your luggage, and find your car service, so you really don't have a very large margin of error. That said, people do it all the time without a hitch, and Fort Lauderdale airport is pretty easy to navigate.

 

Good luck :)

[Wennfred]

I would call in Sick on Friday and take that flight on Friday. Even if all went well with your flight to FLL, you still have to deal with Traffic down to Miami.

[dznymom]

Take a look at the airlines 'On Time" records if you think I am exaggerating.

 

Not that I don't believe you, or think you're exaggerating, but can you tell me how to access that information, just out of curiosity. Thanks!

 

You can probably just do a search for some variation of "airline on time performance" and get some sources. I would stick to looking at the government sites. The FAA keeps track of flight delays in excess of 15 minutes, so when you see statistics that show only sixty something percent of flights are on time, it doesn't mean that the other thirty something percent are hours late. But I can tell you that because of the way certain airlines make unrealistic flight schedules, that the odds for a delay go up dramatically.

 

I didn't mean to sound like the voice of doom - sorry about that :)

[MamaParrotHead]

http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/ incase anyone else wants to do some digging. thanks, dznymom, for the insight.

[BlueHerons]

we're leaving MLI (Moline, IL) to Nashville to FLL. We're going the end of April ('07) so weather isn't really a big concern.

 

I would say thunderstorms are most definitely an issue in South Florida during the spring so weather should be a concern. This is exactly the thing I was talking about, the things that delay flights that you don't think about.

 

Pick the largest plane that you can for that route.

 

Can you fly direct? If so, pick the non-stop direct flight (some direct flights actually make stops).

[fdwt994]

Not to mention it is one of the busiest months of the year for thunderstorms accross the midwest...

[jckvpa0]

I would worry about springtime weather to.

 

Calling in sick is probably not an option considering this cruise is a year away and I'm sure you'll mention it once or twice at work before you leave. I would consider taking an extra vacation day or even a day without pay.

[MamaParrotHead]

planes don't fly in thunderstorms of any kind? :confused:

[pardoni]

You may want to see if you can get something out on Friday night, after work. Even if you fly all night, you can sleep on the plane.

[pardoni]

they do fly in thunderstorms, but sometimes if the storm is parked over the area where you are going to land or take off from, they will not attempt in a thunderstorm, then you have a delay.

[MamaParrotHead]

You may want to see if you can get something out on Friday night, after work. Even if you fly all night, you can sleep on the plane.

 

any thoughts where we can go in between landing and boarding the ship (we usually don't head to the port until like 10 or 11)?

[serene56]

Whats the VERY last flight out on Friday night?

 

My SO works on Sartuday and thats what I must do to fly in the day before. Always took the last flight out-- last cruise we flew out at 8:40pm arrived after midnight. Seems to some to be a waste of money to get a hotel for a few hours.

 

But I had a stressful first cruise with almost msising a ship with a 7am flight the same morning.

 

Hotels can be had using priceline== www.biddingfortravel.com allows you to see what hotels are being offered in what area.

[dznymom]

Flying through a thunderstorm is very dangerous because of the associated turbulence as well as the lightening. So aircraft are vectored around the storms, but this can cause all kinds of delays both in the air and on the ground, and this often has a ripple effect on the whole ATC systerm.

 

<warning - boring content ahead> For example, suppose you leave Moline and the weather is great there and in Nashville, but the flight you are changing to is coming in from Dallas. Suppose there are storms over Dallas so that flight is delayed, and then delayed further because they have to penetrate the line of thunderstorms enroute to Nashville. By the time they get to Nashville, unload the passengers and reload to head for Fort Lauderdale, guess what? Those pesky thunderstorms from Dallas are now over Nashville, and that flight is sitting on the runway waiting for clearance. When that flight finally departs, those stupid storms are between Nashville and Fort Lauderdale, so more precious time is lost flying off course to get around them. This scenario is really not farfetched, and the resulting delays could easily add up to hours.

 

If you possibly can take a flight on Friday, I highly recommend it. Geez - I sound like the voice of doom all over again. Sorry :o

[MamaParrotHead]

am checking into late Friday night flights. We could leave here around 5:00 and be in Miami by 11:00, hop a cab to the hotel, get a decent night's sleep and be ready to roll in the morning. Does anyone know if it's tough to get a cab that late at night in Miami?

[serene56]

You will be able to get a cab. Better yet--get a hotel that has free shuttle serice from the airport also.

For as many cruises that we have taken we are always arriving about midnight. That place is still hoping at midnight. (wait til you see all the people out and about)