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CruisinCadie
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We are sailing to Cuba on Azamara Quest in March, round trip from Miami. I booked our flight home for 10:17 am on the day we return. Now I see that Azamara recommends we book return flights departing no earlier than 11:00 am. Will we have enough time to make our flight? I'm not worried about the luggage, just about us.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

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We are sailing to Cuba on Azamara Quest in March, round trip from Miami. I booked our flight home for 10:17 am on the day we return. Now I see that Azamara recommends we book return flights departing no earlier than 11:00 am. Will we have enough time to make our flight? I'm not worried about the luggage, just about us.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

 

No way to confirm you will make your flight and there are so many variables that you don't have any control of doubt there are very many on CC that would even try for 11 let alone 10:17. Some of the variables are:

 

What time the ship actually gets docked in Miami. Realize there is a scheduled time but, not every time does the ship arrive on or before that time.

 

What time do you actually get off the ship. Miami is known as a horrible port for the workers getting the luggage off the ship and many times you cannot disembark until all of the luggage is off the ship..

 

Then there are the possible lines at immigration/customes.

 

Next is do you have a private car waiting for you or are you trying with many others to get a taxi.

 

Next is the day of the week you arrive as traffic from the morning rush hour or accidents can delay you.

 

Then after arrival at the airport is a possible delay checking in for the flight or checking your luggage.

 

And last is getting thru security which depending on the day can take a lot of time especially without TSA Pre.

 

Also airlines recommend getting to the airport under normal situations 2 hours before your flight which means getting to the airport by 8:17 so think about that with say disembarking at 7:30 how are you going to make the 20 to 30 minute drive without traffic and get thru immigration, customs, finding your luggage and then finding your transportion.

 

And, why end your cruise stressing about making this flight. Wouldn't reserve a flight before noon myself and probably 1 PM. It isn't worth the stress and worry.

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We are sailing to Cuba on Azamara Quest in March, round trip from Miami. I booked our flight home for 10:17 am on the day we return. Now I see that Azamara recommends we book return flights departing no earlier than 11:00 am. Will we have enough time to make our flight? I'm not worried about the luggage, just about us.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

I did a 1030 departure from MIA after departing Quest once. Long queue for cabs outside port customs. Rushed to airport. Checked bags. LONG line at TSA but we were TSA PreCheck so got into separate line. Made it to the gate 15 minutes to spare. Fellow cruisers who had to use regular TSA lines didn't make the flight. Taxi availability and TSA screening lines especially are high risks to success in MIA. And add the risk of being "selected" for enhanced screening to the risk pool. High stress is not a good way to end a vacation in my view.

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Kathy,

March is the key here. If you are disembarking on a weekend you will miss some of the work traffic but the airport will be a zoo. If you don't have TSA Pre you could be in for a long day trying to find a flight with empty seats.

The only real hope you have is an on time arrival in the port, easy Customs and Immigration, a private transfer to MIA and TSA Pre.

Just a few hints....

Do not exceed your customs allowance or bring back anything that would alert the agents. That includes food too.

You will have to use self disembarkation. Be there early. Fortunately the ship is small but elevators will still be challenged and toting luggage down the stairs is a real possibility.

As mentioned above you really need a private transfer.

Be sure to check in online and print your boarding passes and pay luggage fees if applicable.

I've got more hints but I think you understand disembarkation and flights.

Good luck. If you cannot change your flight(s) you are going to need it.

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Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was able to change our flight to 11:40 am. Anything leaving after 12 noon doesn't get into Cleveland until after 10 pm. With luggage to collect and an hour drive home, we wouldn't get home until after midnight.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

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Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was able to change our flight to 11:40 am. Anything leaving after 12 noon doesn't get into Cleveland until after 10 pm. With luggage to collect and an hour drive home, we wouldn't get home until after midnight.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

Much safer. Now you can relax a little.

 

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Forums mobile app

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Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was able to change our flight to 11:40 am. Anything leaving after 12 noon doesn't get into Cleveland until after 10 pm. With luggage to collect and an hour drive home, we wouldn't get home until after midnight.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

That's better. Luggage collection on a small ship like Azamara is less onerous than the larger ships. You'll probably be docked on the other side at Terminal J.

 

Phil

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No way to confirm you will make your flight and there are so many variables that you don't have any control of doubt there are very many on CC that would even try for 11 let alone 10:17. Some of the variables are:

 

What time the ship actually gets docked in Miami. Realize there is a scheduled time but, not every time does the ship arrive on or before that time.

 

What time do you actually get off the ship. Miami is known as a horrible port for the workers getting the luggage off the ship and many times you cannot disembark until all of the luggage is off the ship..

 

Then there are the possible lines at immigration/customes.

 

Next is do you have a private car waiting for you or are you trying with many others to get a taxi.

 

Next is the day of the week you arrive as traffic from the morning rush hour or accidents can delay you.

 

Then after arrival at the airport is a possible delay checking in for the flight or checking your luggage.

 

And last is getting thru security which depending on the day can take a lot of time especially without TSA Pre.

 

Also airlines recommend getting to the airport under normal situations 2 hours before your flight which means getting to the airport by 8:17 so think about that with say disembarking at 7:30 how are you going to make the 20 to 30 minute drive without traffic and get thru immigration, customs, finding your luggage and then finding your transportion.

 

And, why end your cruise stressing about making this flight. Wouldn't reserve a flight before noon myself and probably 1 PM. It isn't worth the stress and worry.

 

Excuse my ignorance but what is TSA Pre?

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Excuse my ignorance but what is TSA Pre?

 

TSA Pre is short for Transportation Security Administration Precheck. and was created to try to shorten security lines before boarding airplanes. There are several ways to qualify for TSA Pre such as high level airline status programs, pay money and the one many people on CC use is Global Entry. You get a boarding pass marked TSA Pre and go to the special TSA Pre lane at many airports now which are almost always much shorter than the regular lanes.

 

No taking shoes or light coats off, no taking laptops or medical devices out all a win win for having it. It does require a check of you by TSA so you can't be considered a risk because of the lessened security. Global entry avoids lines when returning to the US among other things, costs $100 for each 5 year period and if they catch you violating the rules you will lose the perk.

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TSA Pre is short for Transportation Security Administration Precheck. and was created to try to shorten security lines before boarding airplanes. There are several ways to qualify for TSA Pre such as high level airline status programs, pay money and the one many people on CC use is Global Entry. You get a boarding pass marked TSA Pre and go to the special TSA Pre lane at many airports now which are almost always much shorter than the regular lanes.

 

No taking shoes or light coats off, no taking laptops or medical devices out all a win win for having it. It does require a check of you by TSA so you can't be considered a risk because of the lessened security. Global entry avoids lines when returning to the US among other things, costs $100 for each 5 year period and if they catch you violating the rules you will lose the perk.

 

Thanks Dave, obviously not for non-US citizens then!

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Even as a U.K. citizen you can sometimes be lucky and find your boarding cards are marked TSA Pre. We had that on a flight back from Miami 18 months ago. We didn’t know what it meant and had to ask.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I wonder if there is more of a chance with 1st or Business Class?

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Don’t believe it has anything to do with your seat on the flight. It was being done when there were large backups in the regular security lines and controlled by TSA and not the airline.

 

Recently read that over concern over un vetted people they were phasing out of giving Non TSA people access to the Pre lines. Sorry about that.

 

 

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Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was able to change our flight to 11:40 am. Anything leaving after 12 noon doesn't get into Cleveland until after 10 pm. With luggage to collect and an hour drive home, we wouldn't get home until after midnight.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

 

I do hope you make this flight as I hear that due to a significant amount of marine traffic although Quest was sitting outside the harbour for some time, they were not able to dock until very late - fingers crossed for you

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Today I disembarked The Quest in Miami, so I thought I should share my experience. The traffic and airport check in were not the problem, it was the stevadores.

 

The ship was scheduled to dock at 8:30 AM. We were told we would be allowed to disembark after 8:30 AM, my flight was 12 noon, I thought that would be plenty of time.

 

First, due to heavy ship traffic we entered the ship channel over an hour late at 8:00 AM, we docked at ~8:45. Then the bags had to be unloaded before he first passengers were even allowed off the ship at ~9:45 AM. Then only group "one" bags were available.

 

Even though the bags were off no one was allowed to retrieve their bags (except group 1) until the stevadores unloaded and sorted all the bags. This was not completed until~10:30 AM. Luckily I was off the ship and grabbed my bags, cleared customs and got to the airport a bit after 11:AM and just made my flght with minutes to spare. My friend missed his 11:30 flight. As we left the port there were still 500 passengers behind us.

 

If I ever enter Miami again I will confirm with Guest relations that I am in departure group 1. Guest relations sends notices saying "have you made departure plans", mainly selling transfer packages. Well yes I had plans, I wanted to be off independently early and take a taxi, but THEY NEVER ASKED ME TO TELL THEM THAT (although I did provide that information during my check in). They assigned baggage tags by floor, and told us we could leave after 8:30 AM.

However, when there is a delay on the morning of departure (and yes I know that is out of their control), Group 1 gets priority baggage handling, and we waited ~2 hours for the stevadores.

 

So Miami lesson learned,

1) Book your flight late

2) be in departure group 1

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Today I disembarked The Quest in Miami, so I thought I should share my experience. The traffic and airport check in were not the problem, it was the stevadores.

 

The ship was scheduled to dock at 8:30 AM. We were told we would be allowed to disembark after 8:30 AM, my flight was 12 noon, I thought that would be plenty of time.

 

First, due to heavy ship traffic we entered the ship channel over an hour late at 8:00 AM, we docked at ~8:45. Then the bags had to be unloaded before he first passengers were even allowed off the ship at ~9:45 AM. Then only group "one" bags were available.

 

Even though the bags were off no one was allowed to retrieve their bags (except group 1) until the stevadores unloaded and sorted all the bags. This was not completed until~10:30 AM. Luckily I was off the ship and grabbed my bags, cleared customs and got to the airport a bit after 11:AM and just made my flght with minutes to spare. My friend missed his 11:30 flight. As we left the port there were still 500 passengers behind us.

 

If I ever enter Miami again I will confirm with Guest relations that I am in departure group 1. Guest relations sends notices saying "have you made departure plans", mainly selling transfer packages. Well yes I had plans, I wanted to be off independently early and take a taxi, but THEY NEVER ASKED ME TO TELL THEM THAT (although I did provide that information during my check in). They assigned baggage tags by floor, and told us we could leave after 8:30 AM.

However, when there is a delay on the morning of departure (and yes I know that is out of their control), Group 1 gets priority baggage handling, and we waited ~2 hours for the stevadores.

 

So Miami lesson learned,

1) Book your flight late

2) be in departure group 1

 

I was on this sailing, had tag #17 (for flights between 1:00 and 2:00 pm) and was scheduled to disembark at 9:15 am. My number wasn't called until 11:15 am. The lines were long to leave the terminal and it was a bit of a hike to my prearranged transfer to the airport. TSA Pre Check was mobbed, as they only had one person working there. Luckily I had a later afternoon flight.

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I have a flight out of Athens at 11;40 a.m.. I know it is an hour from the port to the airport. I ordered a car and Choice Air made my reservation. Do you think this is okay? I wish I had more time but it is what it is.......

 

Kathy

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Azamara certainly do not advise flights before noon or possibly 1300 here. I am assuming it’s an International flight so you need to be at the airport well ahead, if you are flying to the States it’s usually 2 hours because of the extra security.

The experiences in Miami highlight the risk, Azamara can get to outside the port on time, but what happens beyond there depends on so many things.

Athens can be prone to disputes and strikes that can impact on the port and other services en route to the airport which is as you say around 45-60 minutes away.

Our experiences in Athens, think we’ve arrived there 6 or 7 times is 50% on time or ahead of schedule 50% late. Worst was 2 hours late due to an issue with a ferry blocking our way.

I would rebook to a later flight if possible

You could be fine, but it’s risk otherwise

 

 

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I think that is tight too. I see the ship is due to arrive at 6:00am. If it docks on time you should be alright, I think.

As uktog says you need to be at the airport at least two hours before the flight - we usually try to get there 3 hours ahead for international flights. It’s also likely that your transfer will be at the busiest time so it may take a little more than an hour.

Are you flying direct to Miami or via somewhere else?

 

 

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I think that is tight too. I see the ship is due to arrive at 6:00am. If it docks on time you should be alright, I think.

As uktog says you need to be at the airport at least two hours before the flight - we usually try to get there 3 hours ahead for international flights. It’s also likely that your transfer will be at the busiest time so it may take a little more than an hour.

Are you flying direct to Miami or via somewhere else?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

No direct flight. Going to JFK then layover of 3 hours then Ft. Lauderdale. New question. Since Choice Air which is owned by the cruise line made the reservation I asked that question when they booked it. They told me they won;t book flights before 11 am. I agree with you but I thought they knew what they were doing????

 

Maybe I should call again tomorrow.

 

Kathy

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