Don't Be LATE

[GetNby]

My wife and I are going to be on the Freedom of the seas out of PC. we would like to fly into MCO and out of MCO...how late can our arrival into MCO be without the worry of missing the embarkation and how early can we book departure the day of disembarkation? thank you in advance.

 

We dont want to arrive a day early and would like to be on a plane back home asap I know its vacation but responsibiilities at home are important.

[jennmaybe]

What type of transportation are you taking to PC?

[GetNby]

It's all on the table at this point...there has been nothing but the cruise booked so far.

[jennmaybe]

Since you can't arrive the day before (of course, most of CC'ers recommendation :)), then I would try and arrive to MCO as early as possible, but no later than 11am. If you book ship transportation, you have nothing to worry about--they will get you there. If you choose a shuttle, that would give you plenty of time to get to PC and give you some extra time just in case there are any traffic delays, etc.

 

As far as going home, we never book anything before noon, but that is just our preference. Many people will book as early as 10am, but I would not recommend that for MCO. I would stick to 11am-noon for the earliest, but make sure you walk off with your luggage.

[jennmaybe]

Oh, by the way, I see you are from Delaware! That is where I'm from. Born in Wilmington, lived in Bear......then moved to the South, where I now talk like a Southern Belle!:D:)

[GetNby]

I work in bear...thanks for the advice...

 

Anyone else with an opinion?

[Eng23]

I work in bear...thanks for the advice...

 

Anyone else with an opinion?

Jennmaybe has given you some very sound advice. If you have to arrive the day of the cruise get to Orlando as early as possible, there are many different modes of transportation to Port Canaveral and the drive is about 45-50 minutes. The two most popular ways that most people recommend are doing one way car rentals or taking a shared shuttle service. I can recommend a different option for you, being from Delaware you might consider driving to Northern Virginia and taking the Amtrak Auto Train. You load your car with all your luggage, drive to Lorton, VA., bring a carry on bag on the train for your overnight trip, they load your car on the train and away you go. When you get to Sanford, Fl., they unload your car and you drive straight to Port Canaveral. The train leaves Virginia at 4:30pm and arrives in Florida at 9:00am. The drive from Sanford to Port Canaveral is about 50 minutes.

[ducklite]

Take the 6:50 am US Airways flight out of PHL non-stop to MCO. Gives you two more chances if there's a problem with that flight, and the first am flights are almost never delayed unless there's bad weather--nothing you can co about that.

 

On the way back take the 12 noon non-stop that arrives at 2:30.

[GradUT]

Another option would be flying out of BWI on Southwest. They have 6 flights that leave early enough to get you to PC in time to board the ship and they have 9 flights that leave late enough for you to get from the ship to MCO.

 

Like you, my daughter and I could not arrive a day early for our cruise, so we took the 8am flight from BWI and then a shared shuttle (although we didn't have to share) with Travelynx. We were at PC and on the ship before noon.

 

On our return, we had a leisurely breakfast in the MDR and did self-assisted debarkation around 9am. We took the shared shuttle (which made one stop in Cocoa Beach to let off some passengers) and were at MCO before 11am. Our flight did not depart until 2:10 pm (because I wanted a non-stop flight that left after 12:00 noon). That gave us a lot of time in the airport, but we enjoyed looking at all the shops and having a sit-down lunch before we went through security (whose lines can be quite long, so plan for it.)

 

So, basically, I agree with the others--get an early flight to MCO and don't plan a return flight before noon.

[GetNby]

thanks for all of your suggestions. We worked out a deal that we could leave late saturday so we booked then and have a return flight between 12-1...thank you all!

[jennmaybe]

thanks for all of your suggestions. We worked out a deal that we could leave late saturday so we booked then and have a return flight between 12-1...thank you all!

 

Even better! :) Have a great cruise!!