Port Canaveral Disembarking

[prizm8]

Hi:

 

Considering moving up our flight time out of Orlando from 2PM to 11:30 AM so that we can return home at an earlier hour. How quick is getting thru customs and picking up baggage? We will be on the Marinewr next Sunday. Thanks!

[Ken]

We left the Mariner on Jan 16, and the process was absolutely the best we have ever experienced. We were in the first group due to having a wheelchair, and we had collected our luggage by 7:45. I heard from several others who left later and they agreed. In fact, one gentleman e-mailed me that he drove to Daytona and arrived by 9am. You should be able to get early tags from your cabin steward and meet your deadline. It all depends on how early the ship gets cleared by Customs, so there are no guarantees.

[ga-shel]

How are you getting to the airport?

[prizm8]

Thanks for the information. We are renting a car at Budget in Cocoa Beach and dropping it at MCO. Alot cheaper than a limo and it gives a car for use the day before.

[CruisingCatherine]

I would probably not move up my flight time. Our disembarkation took quite a while. We were in the middle of the pack and it was well after 12:00 before we got off the ship. I believe it was problems in customs or something with the transfer buses.

 

Chances are you could probably make it but there is always that chance.

I think it would be cutting it too close. What if there were an accident on the interstate, the ship was late disembarking, your tags are messed up, you can't find your luggage, ect...I would rather keep things as relaxed as possible knowing I had plenty of time than be stressed trying to make a flight on time.

[ga-shel]

We sailed the Sovereign in October and got first color off the ship, customs ran a little later than usual and we got off the ship @ 8:40, waiting in line at customs for @ 20 then we went down the escalators to baggage claim and found our carosel (sp?) but our luggage wasn't there yet @ 20 - 30 minutes later we had all of our luggage. No porters available when I had everything, we left by the time we made it out and to the car it was @ 9:45.

 

Based on that 9:45am with a 45 minutes to an hour to drive to the airport that puts you there @ 10:45.

 

Seems a little close to me. If you were in Miami or Fort Lauderdale where the airport is 5 minutes away then maybe.

 

Seems a bit close to me. Ultimately you are the one that has to take the chance, although I would wait.

[prizm8]

Thanks for all the feedback. keeping it relaxed is a must. There is no sense in making it tense on the last day. We'll leave our flighttime as it is.

[bpear1600]

Thanks for all the feedback. keeping it relaxed is a must. There is no sense in making it tense on the last day. We'll leave our flighttime as it is.

 

Probably a good decision but the order you leave the ship depends on a few things. When you check in they ask your flight time or if you are driving etc. If you have your own car you don't tell them, of course, or you will be the last off the ship. ;)

 

We were platinum C and A members getting off the MOTS 1/23 and we got priority disembarkation by trading in what the cabin boy gave us for White 1, the second color called. I don't know what time we got off but after a taxi to Cocoa Beach where our car was we were on the road before 8 AM and back in Murrells Inlet, SC before 3 PM.

 

On our last MOTS cruise we weren't in a suite and we didn't get offered priority disembarkation. However, it was still possible to trade up at Guest Relations with no questions asked. They had bins of tags of all colors and if you found something better than what you had (we did) you took them and left yours.

 

You can always elect to carry off your own luggage and be the first off the ship. I wouldn't do this unless I was traveling light.

Bob

[snowmouse]

Can we request an early disembark? This is our first RC cruise, so no C&A status and we are in a D1 cabin, Deck 8.