Return flight from Miami International

[PBJ123]

I've never tried to catch an early flight off a cruise ship, but my only choices of return flights are at 10:15am and 4:45pm, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried to make a morning flight from the ship. We will be on the Norwegian Sky, arriving back in Miami at 7:00am. Any information from past experience would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone!

[weltek]

Do you have any status on the airline that will make it easy/inexpensive for you to get on the standby list for the early flight? If so, I'd book on the later flight and hope to get on the earlier.

 

If that's not an option, I will only tell you that when we were in Miami for our January, 2010 crusie, we did self-carry "anytime" disembarkation and walked off around 8:30, got a taxi and were sitting at the gate by 9:15 at MIA. Our flight wasn't until 3:00 and we didn't want to spend money, so we were bored to tears.

 

If you can carry off your own luggage and disembark asap, and are a quick mover, I think you'd be reasonbly safe with the earlier flight. A customs issue for the ship or you would be the only reason I'd see you missing that early flight. But for every ten stories like mine, there is one where the ship was late and lines were outrageous at the airport.

[fiftyguy]

One of the things Weltek mentioned, long lines at the airport, is something I worry about on early flights. In March we were 45 minutes to an hour getting through security. We didn't have an early flight so it wasn't a big deal. I will say I did see airport staff asking those in line if they were near their flight time and moving them to the front of the line.

[PinkSand26]

Last year we made a 10:30am flight...We just made sure to get off the ship as soon as possible and rushed to the airport. I think we were off the ship and in a taxi to the airport by 800am? We made it with like 30 minutes waiting to board. :) I was very nervous the whole cruise about it, but it turned out just fine.

[jdvmd]

We did this last September (Labor Day weekend). We were off the ship by 7:45 a.m. and were at the Fort Lauderdale airport by 8:15 a.m.

[gail-s]

Did you try looking into Ft Lauderdale for flights? I refuse to fly through Miami if I can avoid it. On our honeymoon we got off the boat, got the transfer to the airport and got stuck in lines checking our luggage through security. We were running through crowds (July - prime vacation time) and barely made the last call to get onto the plane. I know it wasn't as early as 10:15 (we actually had a good travel agent back then) Since then I've tried to avoid Miami at all costs.

[nccruiser47]

I've never had any problems making early flights until last year. We made port at 7 am or so in Miami, but due to some customs hold-up we weren't able to debark until 9:30.......so, I would caution to have other alternatives available!!

[PBJ123]

Thank you so much, everyone. Lots of food for thought.