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FLL Departure Flight Time Question


chrisn710
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Hi, we will be returning from our HAL cruise at 7:00am. We’ll need to clear customs leaving the ship. I’m looking at a 10:00am domestic flight out of FLL. Does anyone have thoughts or concerns about that timeline?

 

Thanks!

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Doable, but challenges will be getting off the ship fastest enough, and hoping for no complications. You will need to be in the first group off, probably carrying your own luggage, and catch a cab.

 

10:30 is the usual recommended early flight time.

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It's all about your tolerance for risk. Most times, those early flights from FLL are OK if you self-disembark with all your luggage and are one of the first ones off the ship.

 

However, all it takes is a deviation in the itinerary of the ship to change that.

 

Our last HAL trip out of FLL there was a medical emergency two days before our return to FLL that required a change in course to Grand Cayman so the ill passenger could be taken off the ship. During the next day (last full sea day on our way back) the Captain announced that he was trying to get us back as quickly as possible but at this point he expected arrival around 8am, and that anyone who needed to make adjustments in travel plans should see Guest Services.

 

We met a woman who had a flight booked at 9:30am and she was very concerned she would miss it. Chances are she did - we docked at FLL around 8-8:30am but then had additional delays as another passenger had to be medically debarked at the dock - it held up disembarkation for everyone else.

 

We didn't get off the ship until around 10am.

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OP,

If you are on a repositioning or trans-Atlantic cruise and do not have Global Entry your chances of making a 10:00 flight are very chancy.

You don't tell us the date so we cannot assist there either. Which airline?

I wouldn't consider it, but then I abhor self disembarkation and that would be the only way to make it off the ship, check in at FLL, and get through TSA for anything before 11 for most airlines.

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I believe this was also asked on the Florida Departures Board.

 

I would not do 10:00 AM.

 

The only exception would be on one of the larger RCI ships as they have a speedy disembarkation that starts at o dark hour.

 

Best to take a later flight.

 

Keith

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We have disembarked in FLL many times, from small ships (HAL Prisendam) to mega (RCCL Oasis class). We do not do self-embarkation, and have always been at the airport around 9 am. We don't book a flight before 11 or 11:30 am, but it seems possible …

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Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciate your wisdom! I have been on 3 or 4 cruises over the years but I’m pretty much a rookie. This is the 10 day HAL Panama Canal cruise between 11-4 and 11-14. The flight I was looking at was JetBlue to Hartford.

 

After your input though, Im now looking for afternoon flights!

 

Chris

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Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciate your wisdom! I have been on 3 or 4 cruises over the years but I’m pretty much a rookie. This is the 10 day HAL Panama Canal cruise between 11-4 and 11-14. The flight I was looking at was JetBlue to Hartford.

 

After your input though, Im now looking for afternoon flights!

 

Chris

 

 

 

We were on same cruise as msmayor. We were concerned we would miss our noon flight because of flying back to western Canada. We chose the self disembark (along with it seemed half the ship!) and luckily made it to the airport in lots of time going directly to find a taxi. But we were lucky. Normally I would not do that but my daughter had to get back.

 

If you can change it until after 1pm it would give you breathing room.

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