Flight Times - Barcelona

[mjgcruise]

For those who have sailed on the Jade out of Barcelona, I would like to hear your experiences with realistically how early you can get to airport for a flight home. I'm an experienced cruiser so I'm not looking for any basic guidelines about I should wait "x" amount of hours but would like some honest feedback from some of you who have actual experience at that port. 1st time for us in Barcelona.

 

Thanks!

[Wingtips56]

We arrived in port pretty early, and on our own, could have been off by 8am if not earlier. That would have been different if the ship had not been on-time.

 

We did have to stay overnight anyway, as our flight schedule to get all the way to California in the same day required an 8 am departure. Allowing for a minimum of 2 hours for check-in (6:00), there's no way we could have made it from ship to airport in time. We certainly were not heartbroken to have a free day in BCN.

 

Our hotel was only 5 minutes or so from the port terminal, and at the foot of La Rambla, so figure on the same time: It was Easter Sunday morning at 5:00am, with nobody else on the road, so we were at the airport in under 20 minutes. You'll obviously need to allow for traffic later in the morning and probably with weekday traffic. But it shouldn't be too bad as you'd be going in the reverse direction of the morning commute, and it's primarily freeway once you get out of the downtown.

 

The cab fare was quite reasonable, and certainly was slick and easy, compared to dragging our luggage along the streets to a Metro station, getting on the subway and transfering uptown to the train that then goes to the airport. Worth every penny.

[AuntieBarb]

On our E. Med cruise March 7th, disembarkation started as early as 6AM, with everyone to be out of their staterooms by 8:30AM and off the ship by 9:30AM.

 

Once off the ship there is a queue of passengers waiting for taxis. Your place in that queue will be a factor of course.

 

If traffic is light, the port is only 30 minutes from the airport.

 

Airlines suggest arriving 3 hours before scheduled departure.

 

So if you carry off your own luggage at the earliest opportunity, stand in the taxi queue for at most a 1/2 hour, travel time to the airport is the norm, and you listen to the airlines arrival advisories..........the earliest I would recommend is 10AM, but personally feel that's pushing it.

 

Any number of variables can throw a loop into those plans. Why not book an afternoon flight? Your decision of course!

[jaw070701]

We did the March 19th cruise on the Jade. We flew out at 11:20 am. I think we were off the ship around 6:30. We got there in plenty of time. In fact we sat in the Airport after the 2nd security checkpoint playing cards for about 1.5 hours. After you go thru the 2nd security checkpoint you cannot go back out to shop (at least for Delta flights)

[Fishbait17]

NCL recommends a flight time of 10:30 or later (on our cruise that was scheduled to be back in Barcelona by 5:30 or 6am). We were in the GV, so had an easy time off the ship with transfer waiting but.... We had a 10:20 am flight to NYC. Had planned to be off the ship by 8 but alarm did not go off, so we overslept and ended up ready to leave at 8:30. Went straight to the limo, 20 minutes to the airport, a fairly quick check-in (Business Class), quick security line, and were in the lounge by 9:30. Flight ended up delayed, plus the additional security (after the Christmas debacle, at the gate when boarding, not at regular security line), so got a VERY late start to the USA. Even so, if you can swing an early wake up and disembark, cab line and ride, plus giving a long time for check-in and security, I would guess a 10am departure is even doable...

 

Robin

[mjgcruise]

Great info. If the airfares stay the way they are we might be "forced" to spend an extra day in Barcelona and fly back the next day if the cost savings makes it worth it. Thanks everyone!

[dalgirl]

We have a 10am flight out for our upcoming cruise in Nov - after being assured by NCL that 10am is the earliest to fly out, and perfectly OK. Hope we can really ge off the ship at 6:30 - now I am worried again:confused: We are returning in Oct 2011 with my mom - she is eagerly waiting for our return to see how that flight time goes - once again, we blaze the trail for her to get the best vacations:)

[CruisingGoddess]

I went on a Med cruise with Royal Caribbean in November. Our flight out of Barcelona was 10 am and we made it...only because they delayed the flight for us. First of all, the ship was scheduled to pull into Barcelona at 6 am but arrived late. (I'm guessing because we left the last port of call about 3 hours late waiting for 6 stray passengers.) We hand-carried our luggage off the ship and were among the first ones off but we did not leave the ship until 7:30 am. There were plenty of taxis and we arrived at the airport at 7:50 am.

 

Checking in with Iberia and going through security was a NIGHTMARE. We got through security at 9:20 am. Yes, you read that right. It took almost 1.5 hours for us to check-in and go through security. Our flight was already scheduled to board and we weren't even in the correct terminal. We had to take the tram to the terminal and made it to our gate around 9:35 am, just to find out that we had to do another security screening through American Airlines. Luckily, there were many passengers in the same situation as us so they delayed the flight by 20 minutes. Otherwise, we would not have made it.

 

From this experience, I recommend not leaving in the morning. It's really hectic and stressful. If I did it over again, I'd leave in the afternoon, even if it meant taking an additional day off work to fly home.

 

By the way, make sure you fly into Barcelona the day before too. Our flight to Barcelona was 7 hours late!!

[Fishbait17]

I went on a Med cruise with Royal Caribbean in November. Our flight out of Barcelona was 10 am and we made it...only because they delayed the flight for us. First of all, the ship was scheduled to pull into Barcelona at 6 am but arrived late. (I'm guessing because we left the last port of call about 3 hours late waiting for 6 stray passengers.) We hand-carried our luggage off the ship and were among the first ones off but we did not leave the ship until 7:30 am. There were plenty of taxis and we arrived at the airport at 7:50 am.

 

Checking in with Iberia and going through security was a NIGHTMARE. We got through security at 9:20 am. Yes, you read that right. It took almost 1.5 hours for us to check-in and go through security. Our flight was already scheduled to board and we weren't even in the correct terminal. We had to take the tram to the terminal and made it to our gate around 9:35 am, just to find out that we had to do another security screening through American Airlines. Luckily, there were many passengers in the same situation as us so they delayed the flight by 20 minutes. Otherwise, we would not have made it.

 

From this experience, I recommend not leaving in the morning. It's really hectic and stressful. If I did it over again, I'd leave in the afternoon, even if it meant taking an additional day off work to fly home.

 

By the way, make sure you fly into Barcelona the day before too. Our flight to Barcelona was 7 hours late!!

 

Hadn't thought about Iberia - last time I flew them it truly was a nightmare. We experienced the same check-in problems that you had - I will never fly them again because of that debacle.. Leaving in the afternoon is not always possible for direct transatlantic flights, but leaving the next morning is always an option, we do this often after a cruise - will probably take an extra day after our next Sun cruise for that reason.

 

Robin

[dalgirl]

Yikes! We are flying Delta - don't know if that matters. Last year we did leave the following day, but we really wanted to try to get home to avoid some of the jet lag before returning to work. And we really wanted that direct flight back this time. We always fly in the day before - our first cruise we almost missed our flight going out on cruise day in FLL - never again!

[Ann262]

Interesting, I had no idea that the airlines wanted us there 3 hours early in Barcelona. Here in Cleveland, they are saying 1 hour. We plan to get there 2 hours early, but Continental is saying 1.

[dalgirl]

We were told 2 hours by the airline and NCL- now depending on the "threat levels" I would think that would effect how quickly you can get through security. We got to BCN last year around 2 hours early and security was very fast - it was a Monday, mid day. We had a lot of time waiting in the airport

[ddoc]

let me offer the Soho Hotel 545 Gran Via located about 3 blocks from Las Ramblas. One of the NH hotels. They stepped up to the plate when we were stranded. Took in 6 couples-gave us breakfast and made a special deal for doing laundry. Plus, they were very gracious the whole time. At this point, 3 couples are home, 1 leaving today and 1 scheduled Sunday and the final scheduled for Monday. They couldn't have been nicer. They took the stress out of our situaltion. It is an extremely clean hotel in a good neighborhood--lots of places to eat nearby- 10 euros for a first course, second course an dessert including wine, beer or soda.

[Turtles06]

On Friday, Feb. 5, we got off the Jade in Barcelona. Following NCL's advice not to book a flight before 10:30am (or 10am, I can't recall now), we had originally booked a 12:30PM flight (to Frankfurt, then getting on a plane to Dulles). As it turned out, Feb. 5 was the day that Mother Nature dumped two feet of snow in the Mid Atlantic. We learned on Feb. 4, while still at sea, that our flight home on Feb. 5 from Frankfurt to Dulles had already been cancelled in advance of the predicted mega storm.

 

After some really expensive cell phone calls and much stress, we managed to get re-booked on a 9am flight out of Barcelona on Feb. 5 (to Geneva, then getting on a plane to JFK). We walked off the ship with our luggage at about 5:30am, hopped in a cab, and were at the BCN airport by about 6, before the ticket counters opened. Once they did, we cleared security quickly (keep in mind, we were NOT going directly to the U.S. but to Switzerland, so no secondary security), and had plenty of time to make our 9am plane.

 

So, is an early flight do-able? Yes, if the ship isn't late, you carry your own luggage off, there are cabs, no traffic, and you don't get held up by security at the airport. Would we have intentionally scheduled a fight that early? Absolutely not! Way too much could go wroing; don't want to spend the cruise worrying about not making a plane.

 

We made a 9am flight out of BCN, but we never meant to be on one!:)

[Fishbait17]

Interesting, I had no idea that the airlines wanted us there 3 hours early in Barcelona. Here in Cleveland, they are saying 1 hour. We plan to get there 2 hours early, but Continental is saying 1.

 

I can speak for CO as we have flown them three times in and out of BCN. Three hours is a LOT (too much if you ask me). Being that Cleveland is a hub (like EWR), I would arrive 1 1/2 hours ahead but usually have a lot of time hanging in the airport even so (Hubby hates that I like to get there so early - he is in the 1 hour or less faction and flies about 5 times a week). Security at CLE and EWR has always been a lot longer than security at BCN for our trips. For BCN, I would probably go for two hours to be safe (anything can happen), but don't think you will need it for CO. We were checked in and through security in about 1/2 hour total, but that was in BF and the economy lines were longer. Our last flight was right after the Christmas "issue", so we had a secondary FULL bag and person search, but it was right at the gate - it took almost two hours, but we were at the gate so CO was required to wait. I am not sure how they are handling the secondary search now... In BCN, you will go through two areas: After check-in, you will go through security (just like at home) into a large area that has all the shopping and dining options. I am pretty sure that's as far as we went to get to the lounge. If you want to do any shopping, etc, stay in this area as long as possible because once you go through section #2 you are stuck there. Section #2 is basically a passport control area - no searches, x rays, etc - you show your passport and go through - legally leaving the EU. Section #2 has not much for eating or shopping, but it took only about 5 minutes total to walk to and through passport check. Like I said, once you are there, you are stuck there.

 

If they are still doing a secondary search at the gate you are covered - as long as you are at the gate by "boarding time", CO will have to wait for everyone to get through that search.. But like I said, this was RIGHT after they instituted the secondary search and they may be doing it differently now. Perhaps someone who has flown in the last month can fill us in on the secondary search now...

 

Robin

[Bamagal in FL]

We did the March 19th cruise on the Jade. We flew out at 11:20 am. I think we were off the ship around 6:30. We got there in plenty of time. In fact we sat in the Airport after the 2nd security checkpoint playing cards for about 1.5 hours. After you go thru the 2nd security checkpoint you cannot go back out to shop (at least for Delta flights)

 

This sounds like us. We actually waited til the last possible moment to get off (9:30am or so) got in line for a taxi and was at the airport by 10:45am. We were checked in by 11:30am and had to wait for our 1:30pm flight. As mentioned, if you DO have time to kill, go shopping BEFORE going thru the 2nd security checkpoint (they have notices posted that there is NO RETURN beyond that point). We were on BA.