What time are you off FOS

[robster18]

We are leaving this weekend for FOS. What time will we be off the ship on sunday 10/22? Right now we have a 4:20 flight going home, should we try and get on the 1:40 flight or is that cutting it close?

Thanks!

[dngtrumps]

Just got off FOS on Sunday 10/8:( ........

 

We booked an excursion in Miami so were offered early disembarkation. We were off the ship by 7:15, collected our bags and on tour bus by 7:45 and dropped at Miami Intl Airport shortly at 12:05.

 

Wonderful cruise, fantastic ship, loved everything about it!

 

Dawn

[ChristieNJ]

We are leaving this weekend for FOS. What time will we be off the ship on sunday 10/22? Right now we have a 4:20 flight going home, should we try and get on the 1:40 flight or is that cutting it close?

Thanks!

 

1:40 wouldn't even be cutting it close...I've been on 11 a.m. flights and I'm sure some have been on earlier. The ship even has an option now, that if you take your OWN luggage, you can get off the ship anytime from 6:30 a.m. onward. So you can make your flight safely in the morning.

[branndi]

We had orange tags (Oct 8th), our tags were called by 8:15 (we were scheduled for 8:15-8:45) and we were through customs, had our luggage, and were in a cab by 9. However, we did have friends that were off before us and ended up waiting an hour for their luggage to come. We went to the Miami Seaquarium for a few hours and were STILL at the airport by 2! Definitely go for the earlier flight, Miami is not a fun airport to wait around in!

[cb at sea]

Book the earlier flight! The worst part of a cruise is waiting to get home! Having hours and hours after a relaxing vacation where you have no "home base" is awful! Killing time, knowing that you could be back in your own house, if only you could LEAVE!!!!!!!

Book it--you'll have PLENTY of time!

[hardingk]

We got off FOS on Oct 1 and had Orange 1 tags. We were supposed to be called at 8:45-9:15 but they called us at 7:45 AM. Went through customs within 15 mins, but waitied almost an hour for our luggage. The bags didn't start coming out until 8:45 (when our color was orginally supposed to be called). Our flight wasn't until 1:40 so we took a cab over to bayside to walk around for a few hours, but hardly anything was open.

 

There is also the 6:30 AM departure where you carry your own luggage. You can also valet check your luggage at the pier for $10 a person if you fly American, Delta, Continental. However, your flight has to be after 12 Noon to use this option.

[hardingk]

Double post

[robster18]

My concern is if I dont get on an earlier flight, where am I going to put my luggage? What can I do with it? We are flying AA. Thanks

[PhoenixCruiser]

My concern is if I dont get on an earlier flight, where am I going to put my luggage? What can I do with it? We are flying AA. Thanks

 

As stated above, check it in with AA before you leave the pier - $10 pp. :D

 

###

[sand and water]

Our flight was changed from 11:30am to leaving Miami airport @ 10:30. Hope we're not cutting it to close. Sailing FOS on 12/3/06. I know we will need to be the first group called. No chance of taking our own luggage off. We tend to pack too much.

[branndi]

We did the AA onboard check in. IT WAS GREAT! $10pp, and they send your boarding pass and airline luggage tags to your room. After you pick up your luggage, you walk it about 20 feet to the AA rep and drop it off, and you are free! To the airport and through security and to your gate. We did it just so we didn't have to lug aroung our luggage, but once we saw the lines at the airport, we were practically giddy with the fact that we got to avoid all of it. Definitely worth the $10!

[wrp96]

Our flight was changed from 11:30am to leaving Miami airport @ 10:30. Hope we're not cutting it to close. Sailing FOS on 12/3/06. I know we will need to be the first group called. No chance of taking our own luggage off. We tend to pack too much.

 

Call your airline. Since they are the one that changed the flight time, they should change you to a later flight at no charge.

[robster18]

How do you get the boarding passes in your room if you have to check your luggage at the pier. Aren't you already off the ship?

[PhoenixCruiser]

How do you get the boarding passes in your room if you have to check your luggage at the pier. Aren't you already off the ship?

 

Online checkin using the computers on the ship. Usually you can checkin as far as 24 hours before your flight.

 

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[MGoBlue2]

What time are you off FOS

 

So far, I'm pretty much off FOS all the time. :)

[branndi]

Actually, if you are flying on one of the particpating airlines (there are quite a few) you don't have to do anything on the computer. There is a form in your compass earlier in the week that needs to be turned in by noon on Friday with your flight info. You turn it in and they print your boarding passes for you with your luggage tags and deliver them to your room on Saturday. You put the tags on your luggage along with your colored disembarkment tags and put your luggage outside your room like normal. Then, when you pick up your luggage after customs you walk it to the airline reps who deliver it to the airport.

[J&SLowery]

To anwer the original question "what time are you off the FOS?", the answer can be as early as 6:30am.

 

FOS has the option to do Express Disembarkation. That is, you carry your own luggage off. We did this last weekend, and it was so much nicer.

 

First off, we did not have to be packed and have the bags out by midnight on Saturday. We were able to wake up at 6:30, pack the bags, get breakfast while our bags remained in our stateroom (with the complete blessing of our stateroom attendant), then we got off "at out leisure" at about 8:15. In reality, we got off at the same time as the tag color we had, but did not need- that being ORANGE 1.

 

Second, having been through the Port of Miami numerous times, there was a welcomed change (IMHO) with Immigtation/Customs. No longer, did we have to see the Immigration agent upstairs, and then also see the Customs Agent downstairs after getting luggage. The Agent upstairs now serves the dual role of Immigration and Customs. It is much quicker and removes the bottleneck out of the lower level where you get your bags (if you've not taken them off with you). Once through the Immigration/Customs agent on the upper level, if you have bags in hand, you are done. We were out of the port in a taxi by 8:45am.

 

Jay

[DaveT65]

I like the idea to carry off my bags myself and depart at my convenience [we travel light], so how long can I leave my bags in the stateroom? Does it require a "little extra tip" for the stateroom attendant since making up my stateroom will be delayed? I assume the room pass will still work to retrieve the luggage?

 

The whole luggage thing on disembarkation has always bothered me. Risk of theft overnight, damage to luggage, search-and-retrieval process, risk of lost/misplaced luggage. Just a mess!

[wrp96]

DaveT if you want to carry off all your own bags, then you need to go off when they call the self disembark group which is at the beginning.

 

If you want to wait and go off later, then you will have to keep your bags with you, not in your stateroom.

[J&SLowery]

DaveT

 

The description of Express Disembarkation on FOS last week was you could get off the ship anytime you desired (beginning at 6:30am). You did not have to get off at the beginning. We walked right off when we felt like it, with no tags and our lugage in hand.

 

Our stateroom attendant had no problem with us leaving our packed bags in the room. He had plenty of space to make the room while we had breakfast. No additional tip was required for this, but he got some addiotional anyway because of the superb service we received the balance of the week.

 

Our room key still worked when we went back at about 8:10-8:15. It wasn't until we were on the elevator going back the 4th floor to disembark that we heard the final request for passengers to vacate the staterooms (if you hadn't already).

 

 

Jay

[DaveT65]

Jay,

 

Thanks for the complete, first-hand info. I think we will do the Express Disembarkation even though we have an afternoon flight. As I said in my first post, I hate the luggage zoo!