JAX Airport 11:30 am flight

[grandmato4]

Need some advise from someone familiar with Jacksonville. Our ship is scheduled to be back to Jacksonville at 8 a.m. (on a Thursday morning) and I need to figure out if a 11:30 am. flight out of Jax would likely be ok ? While I would prefer one a bit later I'm not having much luck other than quite bit later in the afternoon. Thanks !!

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

IMO that would be ok (although still risky) if you can use Carnival's "Self Assist Debarkation" option. Under that plan you don't put your luggage in the hallway the night before arrival and then have to wait for your color or deck to be called to get off the ship. Under "Self Assist Debarkation" you keep all you luggage and you have to be able to take all of your belongings off the ship by yourself. They usually let those people off first and then you can be on your way.

 

Carnival's ships seem to list a lot of 8am arrival times in all their ports. It's been my experience that the ships usually pull in earlier than that. However I can't speak for this cruise as I've never been on it.

 

Cruise terminal to airport is only about a 20 minute drive.

 

BobK/Orlando

[grandmato4]

Thanks Bobk/Orlando. We did self assist two weeks ago on the Victory for the first time and it worked great and will plan to do it again unless we end up with a late flight which I'm trying to avoid but I'm only find earlier than I'd like or much later than I'd like options out of Jacksonville at the moment. Do you know if the Jacksonville airport is fairly easy ( I know thats a relative term nowadays :) ) to check into, get through security and find your gate ? Thanks for your help.

[huxlemo]

I have been to the Jacksonville airport numerous times and I feel it is a small airport. I don't feel you will have any problems making an 11:30 flight.

[grandmato4]

I have been to the Jacksonville airport numerous times and I feel it is a small airport. I don't feel you will have any problems making an 11:30 flight.

 

Thanks for your in put, its appreciated. I booked flights this afternoon and we are scheduled to leave JAX at 11:55 am so unless there's a major problem sounds like everything will be ok.

 

By the way, we are now flying out of and back into Buffalo via Jet Blue.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

11:55am is better than 11:30am, of course. I think you'll be fine too as long as there are no delays in clearing the ship for disembarkation. And you'll be arriving the JAX airport after the 6am-9am madhouse. And hopefully the ship actually pulls in at 6am and not 8am as published.

 

BobK/Orlando

[grandmato4]

Our experience has also always been that the ships with 8 am arrival times back in port tend to dock much earlier and we've gotten to leave early or at least right on time, but I don't wish to ever get caught "assuming" that will happen when I need it to ;) Since I'm not familiar with Jacksonville I thought it safest to ask help from those that do know the area. Hoping that if we do get a delay that the extra 25 minutes later flight I booked yesterday will make the difference between wondering, Will we make it ? or Why was I worried ?:) Now to find a precruise hotel !

[Victrola]

The transfer from the ship back to the airport is no problem. Let Carnival know what time your flight is and they will assist you with first off status. If you do a little checking on this site you can find an airport hotel with a port shuttle. I wish I could be more help but since we live in jax never needed the hotel. I have read several post on here that spoke of hotels with port transfers. The airport road hotels are only 15 min from the port.

We hope you enjoy your stay in Jax " where Florida begins".