How early is too early?

[wildcat1130]

I am looking at taking a cruise on the Epic, round trip out of Barcelona, and considering my flight options. As the best options for me are on airlines offering only one flight a day back to the US, I'm wondering how early is too early to schedule a flight (we're debating whether we want/need to stay another day). How early have you scheduled your flight and made it?

 

Thanks for the help!

[jdvmd]

I am looking at taking a cruise on the Epic, round trip out of Barcelona, and considering my flight options. As the best options for me are on airlines offering only one flight a day back to the US, I'm wondering how early is too early to schedule a flight (we're debating whether we want/need to stay another day). How early have you scheduled your flight and made it?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Would help if you would tell us what time the ship is docking and what the flight times you are looking at are. The BCN airport is approximately 20-25 minutes away depending upon traffic.

[wildcat1130]

Sorry about that...ship is supposed to dock at 5am. Flight is at 10:45

[jdvmd]

Sorry about that...ship is supposed to dock at 5am. Flight is at 10:45

 

No problem.

You cannot get off the ship until it is cleared by the local authorities. That said, I would have no problem doing this flight.

[gooch47]

Way too close for me. The time the ship docks and the time people start getting off can vary by hours.

[dexddd]

I don't recall exact time we flew out, but it was around noon on a Sunday. We left ship I think around 8:30. There were four of us so we had a bit of a wait for a van cab (most of the regular taxi cars were too small for us and the one piece of luggage each to fit in the trunk).

 

We had a bit of a wait for the check-in counter to open - I don't remember what time, then up through security for a bit of a wait but not too bad. If you leave ship asap and don't have any problems arriving on time in port (or earlier which is typical) you should be fine.

[gra2172]

I am looking at taking a cruise on the Epic, round trip out of Barcelona, and considering my flight options. As the best options for me are on airlines offering only one flight a day back to the US, I'm wondering how early is too early to schedule a flight (we're debating whether we want/need to stay another day). How early have you scheduled your flight and made it?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Fot the first day, you need to be in line at the pier 2 hours before the ships schedules to leave. On our last cruise we were the absolute last people on the ship. Which has pluses and minuses ;)

 

 

On the final day, You can probably make it. The problem is that NCL wont schedule a shuttle bus for you for anything before 11:30am. In Seattle, I actually had to buy a ticket from the guy at the shuttle bus stop to get on in time.

I now plan all my flights for 11:30-12:30. Its a safe margin for a ship docking at 8, and NCL will let me buy a shuttle bus ticket from them.

[KeithJenner]

Assuming nothing unforeseen happens you should have no trouble. Last year, disembarkation was scheduled to start at around 5.30 and they really wanted you off before 9am. There were literally hundreds of Taxis waiting, or if you arrange a transfer with NCL then they start running not long after 6am.

 

They really want you off the ship. People with NCL booked flights before midday are told to get off at 7am, and end up hanging around at the airport for a good few hours.

[keystoneboarder]

Don't debate. Stay an extra day in Barcelona and book a late flight home. See as much of Barcelona you can. It's worth it.:D

[4774Papa]

Last June when we got off the Epic, we made the morning Delta flight back to Atlanta, which I think departed about 11am.