Any chance of getting a 10:30 outbound flight?

[moondoggie]

Our only non-stop air option is a 10:30 am flight out of FLL on a Friday in middle December. Any chance we should book it, as long as we do the 'walk-off' luggage thing?

Thanks, all!

[sail7seas]

Not a chance we would book that flight but there are some who will tell you to go ahead.

 

There is some chance you could make it.

There is also real chance you get caught in security line and don't make it.

 

Are you a risk taker?

Everything has to go just right..... and it might.

[smslms]

Our only non-stop air option is a 10:30 am flight out of FLL on a Friday in middle December. Any chance we should book it, as long as we do the 'walk-off' luggage thing?

Thanks, all!

 

Anything is possible but personally I think you're pushing your luck. Ever heard of that guy Murphy?;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

No way would we consider a flight before noon.

 

There are just too many things that could go wrong -- ship arrives back in port late -- ship doesn't clear right away (that has happened to us a few times -- ship didn;t clear until after 9 AM).

[treasure4two]

We had a 11:30 AM flight and we had friends on the 10:30 AM flight who made it easily, in fact, if we had not checked luggage, they would have let us on it. But, that being said, I am with the others, I would not chance it as you never know what could happen to slow you down plus more accidents happen when you are rushing. I was a flight attendant for TWA for 27 years old and I can tell you that people who were rushed, never seemed to relax the entire flight plus they were cranky:mad: to deal with as their hearts were still going a mile a minute.

[Randyk47]

For several cruises we consistently made the airport by 11 AM at the latest and couple times were probably there by 9:30 AM. The pace was fast those mornings but everything went well and it wasn't too stressful. In all cases we'd booked flights around 1 PM. On our last cruise we had a 1:30 PM flight, one of the latest we've ever booked for a return flight, but the ship was late, then didn't clear for some reason and we missed our 1:30 PM flight but luckily got a flight around 3:30 PM. Sure eight or nine times out of ten you might make a 10:30 AM flight but I'd not count on it.

[CtheW0rld]

if you're a gambler, go for it. i would book a car to pick me up. lines for cabs can get very long (and competitive) depending on how many ships are in port that day.

[DFD1]

Bad Idea, IMO....for all the reasons stated above.

[Bill S]

And, there is Fagan's Theorem, which states the following:

"Murphy was an optimist." ;)

[silverado44]

Our only non-stop air option is a 10:30 am flight out of FLL on a Friday in middle December. Any chance we should book it, as long as we do the 'walk-off' luggage thing?

Thanks, all!

 

Only if your cruise ended on Thursday.:)

[luvs2travl]

No way would we chance that early of a flight (remember - yours will not be the only ship disembarking passengers in port that day) but as others have said, if you are a gambler......;). FLL is one of the busiest airports in the country.

 

We usually stay over one night after disembarking to avoid the "rush" of all the passengers on all the ships in port frantically racing each other to the airport. We have just come from a wonderful, relaxing cruise and just can't stand to get all stressed out immediately upon disembarking - scrambling to be amongst the first off the ship, hurrying to the airport, standing in the l-o-n-g lines at the airport and hoping to make the flight in time...no thanks, not for us!

 

We get a reservation for a flight out the the following day - have a wonderful day at a great hotel, nice meal, a few drinks, restful night's sleep, good breakfast the next morning and fly out after (most) all the other cruisers have already left. :D

[sail7seas]

We do the same but always keep in mind that if our cruise ended on Saturday and we are flying home Sunday, we have to arrange our arrival at the airport to negotiate the Sundary cruise travelers who have just left their ships.

 

[luvs2travl]

We do the same but always keep in mind that if our cruise ended on Saturday and we are flying home Sunday, we have to arrange our arrival at the airport to negotiate the Sundary cruise travelers who have just left their ships.

 

 

Agree with you, Sails! That's when we try to get the earliest possible flight out the next morning & get to the airport ahead of the "wave" - or we get a late afternoon or early evening flight out. Since we fly into Houston, we generally have a pretty good selection of flights and our choice of airports in Houston. :)

 

And hey - if it seems to be too hectic, we just stay over two nights! :D Either way, I wouldn't chance an early or mid-morning flight out on the same day as debarkation. Too many things to go wrong!

 

Off to Alaska out of IAH tomorrow - and some much needed cool weather! Sailing on Saturday - yippee!!

[mindydaile]

Is there a CHANCE you'll make it? Yes

 

Is is PROBABLE that you'll make it? No

 

 

Just as a point of reference, going out of FLL twice now on a Saturday after a cruise the longest part of the wait was in the check-in line, and then the security line. It took us over two hours from getting out of the cab to getting to our gate both times.

[Pam in CA]

Is there a CHANCE you'll make it? Yes

 

Is is PROBABLE that you'll make it? No

 

Just as a point of reference, going out of FLL twice now on a Saturday after a cruise the longest part of the wait was in the check-in line, and then the security line. It took us over two hours from getting out of the cab to getting to our gate both times.

This is true, particularly in December. Part of your gamble is when the ship gets in and is cleared, which is usually on time. But I've been on cruises that weren't cleared until after 9am or even 9:30am.

 

The other part of your gamble is FLL in December. From Thanksgiving through April, FLL is a mess with not only cruise travelers but FL vacationers as well. I've arrived at FLL by 9:00 only to wait 30 minutes in the curbside check-in line (well over an hour inside) and another 45 minutes going through Security. I've disembarked cruises and barely made it to the gate in time for an 11:20am flight.

 

You will have some who say that they or friends have done it many times but the only experience that counts is the one you encounter when you disembark. There are too many "what if's" for my comfort but some people like to take more of a chance.

 

Something else to consider is that if you do book the 10:30am flight and miss it, will there be space on the next flight(s)? Many airlines are fully-booked in December and charge exhorbitant rates to change or book a flight closer to the flying date.

 

Definitely have "Plan B" ready to go if you decide to gamble and book the 10:30am flight.

[jtl513]

Check cruisett.com under Ft Lauderdale (not Port Everglades) to see how many other ships are in port that day. If it's more than two others, your risk goes up considerably.

[mamaofami]

I would never take that chance. Any number of things might happen to keep you from getting to the airport on time. Stay over at a hotel and relax for another day.

[sharks48]

Well, I wouldn't chance it. However, on our Noordam cruise in March, our tablemates had a 9:00 A.M. [!!] flight from FLL [on Easter Sunday, no less]. We figured they'd never make it, but we later learned that they indeed HAD made it, with no problems. So, you never know. I guess it depends on how willing you are to take a chance and/or buy insurance that would cover a missed flight due to late return of the ship, etc.

[catl331]

Our only non-stop air option is a 10:30 am flight out of FLL on a Friday in middle December. Any chance we should book it, as long as we do the 'walk-off' luggage thing?

Thanks, all!

Have a Plan B!! :)

[Mtn2Sea]

Depends on whether you're a gambler & how you'd feel if you missed the flight and had to go through the hassles of finding alternate arrangements. We onced booked a 10:30 flight out of Athens, Greece, and made it. (The airport is almost an hour away from the port; we left the ship at 7 AM hauling our own luggage and had transportation prearranged.) Everything fell into place and we had to wait maybe 30 minutes at the gate for the flight to be called. In hindsight (and being older), I wouldn't try that again, but would probably try the FLL flight, because I'd be less upset about missing a flight in Florida, as opposed to a foreign country.

[pms4104]

With the airlines cutting capacity over the past year or so, and all/most flights going out full, if you do not make that 10:30AM flight ... it could be a day or more before the airline can accommodate you, as you likely would be on standby for subsequent flights.

[bob brown]

I would suggest you book a later flight that is a safe bet. Then, if you do find you can get to the airport early, see if you can get on an earlier flight as a 'standby'. It is to the airlines advantage to let you do this for no extra fee, since those seats would go unsold, and it would open up your seats for possible later sales or reaccommodating overbookings on later or cancelled flights.

[pms4104]

I would suggest you book a later flight that is a safe bet. Then, if you do find you can get to the airport early, see if you can get on an earlier flight as a 'standby'. It is to the airlines advantage to let you do this for no extra fee, since those seats would go unsold, and it would open up your seats for possible later sales or reaccommodating overbookings on later or cancelled flights.

Some airlines, such as American, no longer allow free standy ... they call it a same-day ticket change and charge $50/person.

[KAYEF]

Here's what happened in March in San Diego..........I'd never have thought about this scenario.

You know how they call certain people to come to meet with the "immigration" people? Well, they kept calling ONE guy over and over and over. He never came. Finally the Captain got on the "horn" and told him he was holding two thousand people hostage. I think his buddies woke him up.

We weren't able to begin disembarkation until ALL those folks had met with the Immigration people..................I think it was about 10:15.

A LOT of people missed their flights because they KNEW we'd dock on time in S.D. and the airport is right there by the pier. You should have seen the mess at the airport..............especially in the Southwest Air area.........and you wouldn't have wanted to see the unhappy passengers.

I know, it didn't seem fair.................but, rules are rules. Why didn't they go break his door down? I don't know.

We had booked flights for 1:30 p.m...............and I never even thought of this sort of thing happening............I was just being cautious because of things I've learned on CC..........but THIS sort of thing? I'd never read of it.:(

[VermeulT]

So what's the earliest you would book?

 

Noon? 1p?