HELP - did I book my return flight from the Explorer (Miami airport) too early !?!

[Ocruise]

Hi all,

 

After our RCCL Explorer of the Seas cruise, I have already paid for our return flight home (out of Miami airport) at 11:44AM, my TA said that she doubts very highly I will make it in time since we must be at the airport at least 2 hours before.

 

The boat returns at 8:30AM disembark time at the Miami port. RCCL recommends no flight earlier than 12 noon, when I picked this flight I figured "what's 15 minutes"

 

Did I just screw up royally? (I could have had a 12:50 flight home, but now to change it it will cost us 200.00, don't want to pay that.

 

The boat is returning on a Sunday in Miami July 25

 

I'm freaking out now, please advise,

 

~ Marina

[superjerryw]

The cruise line has no control over when they start to let the passengers off the ship as this is determined by U.S. Customs. In all probability you wil be able to make the flight. You need to notify Guest Relations on the ship about your flight time so they can put you in the first group to disembark. If it had been me I would have taken the 12:50 flight just to have that extra piece of mind.

 

 

Donuts, is there anything they can't do....

[vossjemi]

I wouldn't stress. We had a 12:35am flight. We were red tags (3rd to get off boat) and at the airport by 9 or 9:30 am. The ship rushed us off so fast we barely got breakfast.

 

Carnival Festivale 8/95

RCI Navigator of the Seas 1/24/04--SEE MY REVIEW AT http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077

RCI Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/05

WE CAN'T WAIT TIL WE SAIL AGAIN!

[iluvcruzin]

You could purchase transfers from the cruiseline. This way they would know when your flight is and work with the time.

 

Maureen

 

Princess Sun 2/27/2005

Mariner of the Seas 10/16/2005

 

[Family of 14]

We use to get that flight home and always ended up waiting at the airport a couple of hours til flight time. Now we take a later flight because of 9/11 and end up waiting a few hours in the airport. I think you will be fine. Just get the first-off tags for your luggage and take the first available taxi to the airport. The RCCL transfers are no guaranteee that you will get to the airport on time and they are slow to pack up, to leave the port and to get there.

 

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Disney Wonder 3/2000 ~ Disney Magic 9/2000 ~ RCI Vision 2/2001 ~ Carnival Victory 12/2001 ~ Celebrity Millennium 3/2003 ~ RCI Adventure OTS 9/2003 ~ RCI Mariner OTS 7/18/2004 ~ RCI Serenade OTS 9/26/2004

[serene56]

I would not get the trasnfers from the cruise lines. Get the first off tags and get off with that group- grab a taxi and be on your way.

Witht he transfers you have to wait til a bus is full before it leaves-wasting valuable time.

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000

 

 

[duke052]

The cruise line will not do transfers for flights b/4 2 pm. We have the 11:45 on the 23rd and expect to make it. Royal has a very good system for getting your bags and moving you out.

 

05/16/04 Mariner of the Seas

12/4/04 Constellation

Britannis

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Infinity

Granduer of the Seas

Millennium 2xs

Monarch of the Seas

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Constellation

 

 

[Nancyquilts]

Last month we were at the airport before 10:00 - got an earlier flight, but middle seats. I'll bet you make it.

[cruisinisforme]

Last month we made our 10:15 flight off of the Mariner, I would not take the transfers from RCCL but instead make arrangements yourself this way you dont have to wait for the bus to fill up. The other thing is forget the white tags carry your luggage off yourself, its not hard and then you dont have to wait and find your luggage, you just get off, have the driver waiting and go right to the airport, even if it took a while to go through customs you should still be ok. Its the waiting for your luggage and those buses to fill up that really eats away your time, usually rccl has you off between 8 - 9 in the morning

 

Janet

 

Mariner of the Seas 3/04

Enchantment of the Seas 9/03

Explorer of the Seas 7/03

Carnival Triumph 2/03

Imagination 7/02

Jubilee 4/02

Sensation 2/98

Carnivale 10/91

 

Until we sail again on the Mariner

 

[want2seaitall]

Just make a request for the earliest debarkation...my husband and I had orange tags...which are called off first...we were eating in the Windjammer around 8:15 and heard our tags called for debarkation...we couldn't believe it...we finished our breakfast...and went down to the Centrum exit...no lines...we were off by 8:30...the airport is a very short ride away...you'll be cutting it close...but as long as everything goes well with customs...it is doable.

 

My first balcony on the Serenade - 4/16/05!!!

 

RCCL Majesty of the Seas - April 2004

Carnival Inspiration - June 2003

RCCL Monarch of the Seas - July 2002

 

 

[thelbert]

Have your cabin steward also get you tags to get off early.

 

One other thing I saw other people doing on the Mariner in March. Taking their own luggage off. Just remember not to over pack.

 

The main thing I think is getting the tags.. People started lining up to get off 7:00am

 

When they give you a time to start clearing immigrations be in line early as everyone on the ship is trying to line up. We started on one deck and ended up on another the whole lenght of the ship. Just prepare.jj

 

Happy Cruiser

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Norway

Fascination 1999

Triumph 2000

 

Grandeur of the Sea 2001

Adventure of the Sea 2002

Destiny 2003

Mariner of the Seas 2004

Brilliance of the Seas 3-18-05