Flying home from San Juan

[chrisedwards]

Hi I am getting ready to book my airline tickets for my return flight home from SJU. We will be heading home directly from the cruise. My question is what is the earliest flight time I should consider to be safe. I have never been to San Juan so I am not sure how long it takes to get of the ship and get to the airport. Thanks for any information

[Berzle986]

Hi I am getting ready to book my airline tickets for my return flight home from SJU. We will be heading home directly from the cruise. My question is what is the earliest flight time I should consider to be safe. I have never been to San Juan so I am not sure how long it takes to get of the ship and get to the airport. Thanks for any information

 

When we did this we had 1:30Pm flight out. No problems. Just make sure when you get to the airport in San Juan go directly to Department of Agriculture to get your bags scanned and stickered. If not you won't be able to check your bags in till you do so. It's very quick but the lines can get long.

[jmediii]

When we were on the Victory in July last year, out flight out of SJU was at 4:30pm and I remember us having plenty of time.

 

You know what, now that I think about it we actually had so much time we took one of Carnival's excursion tours that morning and they took us to the airport after.

[ShanteS]

I've always had an afternoon flight out of San Juan just in case. This year our flight leaves San Juan around 1 and we get back to BWI around 5 in the evening. If you booked a morning flight you'd be racing against time to get to the airport, clear customs, check your bags etc.

[Handsome58]

On the Victory last year out of SJ. Our return flights were between 2:30 and 3pm.

[Jettalinc]

Hi I am getting ready to book my airline tickets for my return flight home from SJU. We will be heading home directly from the cruise. My question is what is the earliest flight time I should consider to be safe. I have never been to San Juan so I am not sure how long it takes to get of the ship and get to the airport. Thanks for any information

 

When we went in 2010 we were off the ship around 10:00 am and the distance from the port to the airport is actually a really quick cab ride, maybe 10 minutes. The airport is very small too. I wouldn't book any earlier than 2:30 pm. Just to be able to go through customs.

However, Old San Juan is very beautiful so I would actually suggest staying at a hotel in Old San Juan just one night and flying out the next day to be able to take in some of the old town! ;)

[evandbob]

When we went in 2010 we were off the ship around 10:00 am and the distance from the port to the airport is actually a really quick cab ride, maybe 10 minutes. The airport is very small too. I wouldn't book any earlier than 2:30 pm. Just to be able to go through customs.

However, Old San Juan is very beautiful so I would actually suggest staying at a hotel in Old San Juan just one night and flying out the next day to be able to take in some of the old town! ;)

 

 

Old San Juan is indeed picturesque and has some excellent restaurants to boot. My return flight is 12:30PM, I'll walk off my one carry on, grab a cab to the airport, and use the priority lines to get through screenings.

 

If something goes wrong, so be it, I'll stay in OSJ and figure it out later. I'm retired, so it won't be a calamity.

[BenjiRodney]

We alway try to take a 3-5 pm flight or leave on Monday after the cruise.

[nwcruiselover]

The very earliest flight I would consider would be 1:00 PM, but 2:00 or later would be better, just to minimize the stress factor. The airport is small, but very busy on cruise ship days. The lines can get long for agricultural inspection, airline check-in and security. Also, the airport employees don't seem to hurry up when they see long lines.

[chrisedwards]

Thanks for the great information. Wish I could stay longer but have to be at work on Monday. :(

[ibcnusoon]

We had return flights between 1:00pm and 1:30pm. We took our time getting off the ship, had breakfast in the MDR, started walking off about 9:30am-10:00, through customs and in a taxi van (all 6 of us, and our luggage) and we were at the airport by 11am. Porter approached us, he and DH took the luggage to Agriculture inspection, I checked us in. By then, DH and porter were back, put luggage on conveyor belt, went through security and was waiting at the gate by 11:30am. Luckily we had early flights, others were sitting there steaming because Carnival transported them to the airport - for 4:50pm flights. They had to sit there ALL DAY! If you have a late flight, find something else to do before you go to the airport!

 

and this was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, supposedly the busiest travel day of the year. We just breezed on by.

[ShanteS]

Thanks for the great information. Wish I could stay longer but have to be at work on Monday. :(

 

If at all possible, I recommend you taking that Monday (and possibly Tuesday) off if you can because you will be tired coming back from such a port intensive cruise.

 

I learned this the hard way back in 2007. Went on the cruise and came back exhausted that Sunday and was up and ready for work that Monday but I'd caught a cold during the last few days of the trip. The cold coupled with exhaustion had me out of work an additional two days! :eek:

 

This time around I'm taking that Monday and Tuesday off and I'm not getting off at every stop either. I have an aft wrap that I plan on using to cross some books off my "reading to-do list".

 

Back in 2007 I wanted to experience and see every island and I had privae excursions booked for each stop too. Getting up early every morning to have breakfast and be off the ship for excursions after not going to sleep until 2, 3, or 4 am caught up to me.

 

Just something to think about...

[Tapi]

From the Carnival website:

 

What are the flight guidelines for the latest airport arrivals and earliest return flights?

 

Latest Flight Arrival:

Arrivals into the San Juan Airport: 6:00pm

 

Earliest Flight Departures:

Earliest departures out of the San Juan Airport: 12:00pm