Return Flight Time For Departure

[Cruisenewbie85]

The Solstice arrives back in FLL at 7am. Assuming a flight out of FLL, what's the earliest time I should schedule a flight home? Is a 10:30am departure too early?

[greg_atlanta]

I booked an 11:20 am return flight and the X website barked at me since it was before the recommended time of no earlier than 11:30 am.

 

10:30 am is OK if everything goes perfectly.... but it may not work out that way. Later is safer. There may be a long line for customs, long line for cabs, a wait for all the "priority" customers (half of them) to get off first, etc.....

[dkjretired]

I had a 10:30 flight and did self debarkation. I was at the airport and through Security at 8:10A.M. With that being said, you always have the possibility of a problem but that could also happen and you will miss a 12 or 1 P.M flight. Chances are it won't happen but it could.

[Phxazzcruisers]

It is always better to be safe than sorry. I would aim for a flight around 11:30 or so. You never know if there will be traffic, delays, tsa screening, etc

[destinationsomewhere]

As a Canuck I really have a problem with Floridians doing self embark & no flight...... they as the cruiselines ask but don't care but will some day.... if you are flying anywhere 11:30 is a good depart time if you self serve - no baggage the night before & if it is earlier go to the customer service desk & they will help you figure it out.... have fun on your cruise.....

[cruiserbryce]

FLL is very close to the port...chances are that if you are in the first group of people and customs goes smoothly you'll be fine but if you can back it up and hour or so it would make your morning a lot less stressful

[broberts]

I don't like to stress out the last day of vacation. For me it mars the great time I had aboard ship. Me, I like to book a late afternoon or evening flight. I'd rather be board waiting an extra few hours than be rush, rush, rushing around worrying that USCBP was running extra slow or wondering how long the lines were going to be with all the other ships in port.

[rothjer]

It really depends, FLL is a funny little airport, sometimes its a breeze, other times its a nightmare. Especially (depending on what time of year) a sunday/saturday can be hellish. In november I think there were 5 cruises in port debarking on the same day, well, you could certainly tell once we got to FLL. Lineups out the door, TSA lines that never ended. We arrived for check in at 8am on a 2 pm flight and only made it to the gate at 1:30 (just in time for check in), our flight was delyed 45 minutes because so many passengers were stuck in TSA screenings.

 

The point is, anything can happen. FLL is not an overtly international airport, but becomes on when the cruising industry dictates. It really is not meant to deal with the overloads in capacity that some days can result. They try their best, buts its no international airport. Just a suggestion, if you have any medical conditions, prescription medication or any other sort of medical assistance, use the family/medical line at TSA, makes like a lot easier. DW has diabetes and requires needles/insulin so the medical line is always a safe (and usually a much shorter line). Then again, on some days that medical line can be horrendous ;)