NYC to Florida flight

[Paradise712]

Hey. I booked a cruise about a week ago and its approaching soon. I just wanted to know what's a good time to depart? It takes about 3 hours fly from nyc to florida. They start boarding people on the ship at 1:30. Do you think i'll make it if i take a 9:30 am flight? It arrives at 12:15 pm but its an hour away from the cruise terminal. I would be taking the shuttle to the cruise terminal. I've never taken the shuttle before. How often does the shuttle come and go? I know im asking a lot of questions but i wanted to book my flight today. The 9:30am flight is about 40 dollars cheaper than the 8:00am flight. I think the 8:00am flight might be the safer choice but I would like to save those 40 dollars since there are a few people going on this trip and it all adds up. Also, whats a good time to fly back? Would 2:00pm be a sufficient amount of time to get from the cruise to the airport assuming that we leave the ship around 9 or 10ish? I might have to play it safe and take the 3:45pm flight. But my biggest concern is the flight going to florida.

 

Thanks so much in advance for reading and replying back.

(:

[6rugrats]

Do you mean the flight arrives at 12:30 p.m.? What time does your ship leave? Don't forget to add on the amount of time it will take you to get off the plane, get to baggage claim and wait for your bags. That can easily take 45 additional minutes, if not more. What airport are you flying into? From where does your ship leave? What airline?

 

I would never fly the same day as my cruise; my best advice to you is fly in the day before. Too many things can go wrong. What would your plan be if you missed boarding the ship in Florida?

 

Your return flight time should be fine.

[cruiseron36]

Hey. I booked a cruise about a week ago and its approaching soon. I just wanted to know what's a good time to depart? It takes about 3 hours fly from nyc to florida. They start boarding people on the ship at 1:30. Do you think i'll make it if i take a 9:30 am flight? It arrives at 12:15 pm but its an hour away from the cruise terminal. I would be taking the shuttle to the cruise terminal. I've never taken the shuttle before. How often does the shuttle come and go? I know im asking a lot of questions but i wanted to book my flight today. The 9:30am flight is about 40 dollars cheaper than the 8:00am flight. I think the 8:00am flight might be the safer choice but I would like to save those 40 dollars since there are a few people going on this trip and it all adds up. Also, whats a good time to fly back? Would 2:00pm be a sufficient amount of time to get from the cruise to the airport assuming that we leave the ship around 9 or 10ish? I might have to play it safe and take the 3:45pm flight. But my biggest concern is the flight going to florida.

 

Thanks so much in advance for reading and replying back.

(:

 

If you are flying into FLL (Fort Lauderdale) and boarding the ship in Port Everglades you are only about ten minutes from the port by taxi. If you are talking Miami, Orlando or Tampa I do not know.

[Paradise712]

Do you mean the flight arrives at 12:30 p.m.? What time does your ship leave? Don't forget to add on the amount of time it will take you to get off the plane, get to baggage claim and wait for your bags. That can easily take 45 additional minutes, if not more. What airport are you flying into? From where does your ship leave? What airline?

 

I would never fly the same day as my cruise; my best advice to you is fly in the day before. Too many things can go wrong. What would your plan be if you missed boarding the ship in Florida?

 

Your return flight time should be fine.

 

Yea I meant pm. The ship leaves at 4:30. I'm flying into MCO (orlando airport). The ship leaves from Port Canaveral.

 

I usually stay in Florida for a week before then go on a cruise but I don't have a week off so I won't be able to do that.

[CruiserBruce]

MCO is 45 minutes or a little more from the Port.

 

Consider us another vote for flying in a day early.

[Keith1010]

If you would have asked I would have recommended flying in the day before the cruise. If your plane is later or it is cancelled you may miss the ship. At a minimum couldn't you have flown the night before?

 

A few other items. Are you planning to check luggage at the airport? If so you will have to add time for that.

 

Second, don't take a shuttle. You may not have the time to wait for it. Get a cab or a private car.

 

Third, check with the cruise line but I believe you are required to be on the ship 90 minutes before departure.

 

Keith

[AlanAllyn]

If the ship leaves at 4:30, you must be checked in by 3:00 (TSA requirements). I would certainly not take a plane SCHEDULED to land at 12:30. The airlines are just too unreliable.

 

I agree with others who always fly in the night before.

[Paradise712]

What about a 8:10am flight that arrives at 11? Do you think that would be early enough? And for going home, should i choose a 3:00pm flight or a 4:40pm flight?

[Keith1010]

What about a 8:10am flight that arrives at 11? Do you think that would be early enough? And for going home, should i choose a 3:00pm flight or a 4:40pm flight?

 

3:00 PM return flight is fine.

 

Can you fly in the night before?

 

If your ship really leaves at 4:30 PM you need to check in by 3:00 PM.

 

If your flight arrives on time, do you have checked luggage? That will add more to the timing.

 

If you don't until you get from the gate and take the train over to the main entrance I would add in another 30 minutes. That puts you at 11:30 AM if everything goes right. Add another one hour to get to the Port. That's 12:30 PM.

 

But as you can see if your plane is delayed a few hours on top of this that's when the problems occur.

 

I would at least look at the night before as an option.

 

Keith

[njhorseman]

If the ship leaves at 4:30, you must be checked in by 3:00 (TSA requirements). I would certainly not take a plane SCHEDULED to land at 12:30. The airlines are just too unreliable.

 

I agree with others who always fly in the night before.

 

No disagreement with your advice, but just to prevent the spread of misinformation, the TSA has nothing to do with the cruise line check in requirements (or for that matter cruise line passenger and baggage screening at the port). It's the TSA's "parent", the Department of Homeland Security (and I guess I'm nit picking over TSA vs DHS), and the requirement is actually that the final passenger manifest has to be submitted no later than 60 minutes prior to sailing. The 90 minute limit is one set by the cruise line, and different cruise lines have different deadlines. For example, NCL lets you check in right up to the 60 minute deadline, provided you've completed the online registration process prior to the cruise. If you haven't, they require you to check in no later than 2 hours prior to sailing. (And I'm not nit picking over the 60 minute/90 minute/2 hour thing because it does differ by cruise line, so you have to be aware of your cruise line's practices.)

[wrp96]

If you must fly in day of cruise, then take the earliest flight possible. For a 4:30pm departure remember you must be on the ship no later than 3pm - this is a DHS rule. Coming from the NYC area aren't there any earlier flights?

[waterbug123]

I think the 8:00am flight might be the safer choice but I would like to save those 40 dollars since there are a few people going on this trip and it all adds up.

(:

 

If you absolutely cannot fly in the day before, book the 8:00 flight. Actually, if you can get on an earlier one, book that. You're worrying over $40, but that will seem like a drop in the bucket if your flight has a mechanical problem and gets cancelled, or a severe weather delay, either of which would all but guarantee that you miss the cruise entirely.

[ducklite]

To make a long story short...

 

Recently there was a post by a woman whose son and his friends missed their cruise trying to fly from NY to Florida the day of. They had an early morning flight, it was delayed and they missed their connection. By the time they landed in Florida, the ship had left. They didn't have travel insurance or passports. No cruise for them.

 

If you can't come in the day before, book the very earliest flight possible on a carrier that has a lot of flights to MCO--US Airways, Continental, Southwest, and Jet Blue are probably your best bets. That way if there is a problem with one flight you've increased the odds of getting on another and still making your cruise.

 

And two other things, have a passport and travel insurance.