Will we make our flight in FLL?

[yvr49]

We will be disembarking from Ruby Princess on February after our 5-day Eastern Caribbean. We will be in a suite so I think we get some priority for disembarking, and we will carry our own bags. Our flight from FLL is at 9:45 a.m. - when I booked it I thought that would be sufficient time to get to the airport but now I'm getting concerned. The flight back to YVR is not direct so I would hate to miss the connection in ATL. Opinions and comments, please.

[1025cruise]

I wouldn't book a flight that early. FLL is very busy on cruise days.

[Loonbeam]

My rule of thumb is if I have to wonder if its too early? It's too early.

 

That said, the biggest factor will be number of ships arriving that day. More ships = more people = more chance of customs delays, more competition for cabs, more competition for porters, more people checking in at the airport, etc.

 

I'd say while technically doable, not a chance in heck I would book that unless it was my only option, and it was the only ship in port of any size.

[Pam in CA]

We will be disembarking from Ruby Princess on February after our 5-day Eastern Caribbean. We will be in a suite so I think we get some priority for disembarking, and we will carry our own bags. Our flight from FLL is at 9:45 a.m. - when I booked it I thought that would be sufficient time to get to the airport but now I'm getting concerned. The flight back to YVR is not direct so I would hate to miss the connection in ATL. Opinions and comments, please.

Not sure when you are cruising but if it's within the next four months, 9:30am is too early. Even if you can get to FLL by 8am (doable but far from guaranteed and even then, you'd have to do self-disembarkation), high season in southern FL is just starting and flights will be full and check-in and security lines ridiculous. It might take you 1.5-2 hours to get to your gate after getting to the airport. FLL is crazy busy from the holidays through March. It's not just cruisers but all the tourists and vacationers to the area.

[cruiseryyc]

Change your flight - you're not going to make it!

[Arlened236]

There are five ships in port that day (if you are coming in in Feb. 1). With over 20,350 passengers in port. You will not make your flight that early.

Suggest you chane your flight.

[yvr49]

Sadly I am not able to change the flight - it was a deep discounted fare so we'll have to just let it go. We'll still try for 9:45 but not likely we will make it. To make lemons out of lemonade though, I now have a Plan B. We're going to rent a car and check out Fort Lauderdale after we disembark, and will fly home on points the following morning. I've heard Sawgrass Mills is worth a look :)

[whatcruiseisnext]

If the ship gets in on time and if you do walk off....you will make your flight without a problem. We have cruised out of FLL many, many times after a cruise and always book flights between 930 to 1030. Usually doing walk off we are at the airport by 730 to 800. Even with many ships in port IF you do walk off, that will be before the crowds descend on the airport. If you do not do walk off, you will not make the flight.

[yvr49]

Thanks whatcruiseisnext - that was my thinking when I chose the 9:45 departure -- we walked off on our Med cruise last summer, carried our own bags (which we will do again) and disembarkation was very quick. We will try to make the original flight but if not, Plan B is now in place.

[Keith1010]

Thanks whatcruiseisnext - that was my thinking when I chose the 9:45 departure -- we walked off on our Med cruise last summer, carried our own bags (which we will do again) and disembarkation was very quick. We will try to make the original flight but if not, Plan B is now in place.

 

In all sincerity, most people will tell you that your flight is too early. It's similar to flying in the day of the cruise. Yes, you might make it but the risk is great. In the future, even if you make this I would not book an early flight again. I have seen too many problems on any cruise arriving back to the USA and many of them are out of the control of the cruise line.

 

I hope this all works out for you.

 

Keith

[mollyanne]

As a point of reference we disembarked a HAL ship this past Saturday. Our disembarkation time was 7:45 - directly after the walk-offs. It took us 2 hours in total to get through customs (just 2 agents for 1800+ people), we had a short wait for a cab and then it took almost an hour to get through security at the FLL airport. It was 9:40 when all that was done. We had 7 ships in port that morning. I would never book a flight before noon.

[RSWBADGER]

We will be disembarking from Ruby Princess on February after our 5-day Eastern Caribbean. We will be in a suite so I think we get some priority for disembarking, and we will carry our own bags. Our flight from FLL is at 9:45 a.m. - when I booked it I thought that would be sufficient time to get to the airport but now I'm getting concerned. The flight back to YVR is not direct so I would hate to miss the connection in ATL. Opinions and comments, please.

 

We disembarked the Emerald Princess 10 days ago and cleared security at the airport (Delta) at 8:17 am. We both were on "Walk off 1" with our suitcases in tow. There were 4 Cruise ships in Port on the 9th.

 

We all met in the Da Vinci dining room and exited through the back door (Starboard) at 7:15 am. We had to wait 15 minutes for a taxi after clearing customs.

[argenta01]

Sadly I am not able to change the flight - it was a deep discounted fare so we'll have to just let it go. We'll still try for 9:45 but not likely we will make it. To make lemons out of lemonade though, I now have a Plan B. We're going to rent a car and check out Fort Lauderdale after we disembark, and will fly home on points the following morning. I've heard Sawgrass Mills is worth a look :)

 

 

Don't worry. I just disembarked from the Coral Princess yesterday in FLL. I was in the first walk off group at 7. Was at the airport by 8:15, had plenty of time to spare for my 10:15 flight. :)

[ahracer]

Sadly I am not able to change the flight - it was a deep discounted fare so we'll have to just let it go. We'll still try for 9:45 but not likely we will make it. To make lemons out of lemonade though, I now have a Plan B. We're going to rent a car and check out Fort Lauderdale after we disembark, and will fly home on points the following morning. I've heard Sawgrass Mills is worth a look :)

 

You should not have to use your points to fly home if you miss your flight. Just go to the ticket counter as soon as you get to the airport and explain you were delayed getting to the airport. They will put you on the next available flight. Worse case they'll charge you the change fee but more than likely they won't.

[Tak8]

You might be fine, but a big gamble. I wouldn't want it in the back of my mind. My last cruise was from San Juan and we were delayed on ship about 40 minutes because of a mechanical problem at the port. No electricity where our luggage was stored. Silly things happen. Good luck.

[jennmaybe]

If the ship gets in on time and if you do walk off....you will make your flight without a problem. We have cruised out of FLL many, many times after a cruise and always book flights between 930 to 1030. Usually doing walk off we are at the airport by 730 to 800. Even with many ships in port IF you do walk off, that will be before the crowds descend on the airport. If you do not do walk off, you will not make the flight.

 

 

I completely disagree with this! We just got off Crown this past Saturday and like usual, there was a HUGE delay with Customs. We did express walk off and arrived to the MDR at 7am....guess what?? It was way after 8am before we walked off the ship and into the terminal. They started letting people off a little before 7:30am, but stopped the line within 5-10 minutes. It was after 8am before they started the line again. Once we got into the terminal, they had 2 Customs lines open. It took us another 30 min to get out of the terminal. Then it was another 30 min before we got a taxi. There were NO taxis at the Princess terminal. It was 9:15 before we found ourselves sitting in a taxi.

 

We would never book a flight before noon out of FLL. The stress of trying to make anything earlier is too much for us.

[Ethel5]

I completely disagree with this! We just got off Crown this past Saturday and like usual, there was a HUGE delay with Customs. We did express walk off and arrived to the MDR at 7am....guess what?? It was way after 8am before we walked off the ship and into the terminal. They started letting people off a little before 7:30am, but stopped the line within 5-10 minutes. It was after 8am before they started the line again. Once we got into the terminal, they had 2 Customs lines open. It took us another 30 min to get out of the terminal. Then it was another 30 min before we got a taxi. There were NO taxis at the Princess terminal. It was 9:15 before we found ourselves sitting in a taxi.

 

We would never book a flight before noon out of FLL. The stress of trying to make anything earlier is too much for us.

 

Thank you for sharing you experience. It is unfair of those who tell the OP that it's a breeze to walk off and be at the airport before 8:30. Your post tells what might happen and often does. personally, I wouldn't book a flight before noon either. Why put all that stress o yourself?

[geoherb]

The earliest I'll book a flight out of FLL after a cruise is 11 a.m. While we've made it to the airport in time for earlier flights, I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

One of the interesting things reported on the recent "Live from the Ruby" thread is that most passengers are being assigned to groups to carry their own luggage off the ship instead of having their large pieces of luggage gathered up the night before. I guess Princess decided that most people would be able to do that on short cruises since they wouldn't need as many bags as people do on longer cruises.

[alexspepa]

If everything goes right and you are among the first off the ship you will probably make it - it also depends on what terminal you dock at.

 

On our Celebrity cruise in March they had 3 customs agents working our cruise with 4 lines. We were in one of the lines where one guy worked both - it took quite a while to clear.

[Happy ks]

The only way of truly knowing would be after the event. You might make it, possibly not. We disembarked last April in the first group of walk-offs, my husband (very much a worry wart) was concerned because of govt. shut downs at the time. Our flight wasn't until 12:30 or so. Long story long, we were off the ship before 7:30, through customs and immigration in mere moments, walked out, got into a cab and we were at the airport before 8:00 am. Through security and seated at our gate around 8:15.

 

The longer part of the story was our flight was delayed almost an hour…so we waited about 5 hours in the terminal. We noticed quite a few people from the cruise...who had wisely taken their time disembarking, arriving around 1-11:30 am. That's what I had wanted to do, so my husband did get some dirty looks from me during those 5 hours.

 

This whole scenario is not necessarily typical, there can be weather, mechanical, immigration…all sorts of delays.

 

Our next April cruise? We're staying over a couple nights in FLL. The lower airfare is more than paying for a hotel room.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Happy ks

[Ethel5]

Here is an up to the moment view of debarkation.......

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1957887

[PescadoAmarillo]

Today in Fort Lauderdale, although the first passengers were walking off the Emerald Princess at 7:15am, disembarkation bogged down until it was an hour behind schedule. This was a weekday with (I think) only one other cruise ship in port. I've learned that, while hiccups are rare, they do occur.

[yvr49]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Not going to stress about it now that I have arranged a flight the next day using our points. If it turns out we don't require that flight the points can be deposited back into our account and used for another flight.

 

In future I will be sure to book a later flight!

[alexspepa]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Not going to stress about it now that I have arranged a flight the next day using our points. If it turns out we don't require that flight the points can be deposited back into our account and used for another flight.

 

In future I will be sure to book a later flight!

 

sounds like you got all the bases covered! have fun...

[gardenbunny]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Not going to stress about it now that I have arranged a flight the next day using our points. If it turns out we don't require that flight the points can be deposited back into our account and used for another flight.

 

In future I will be sure to book a later flight!

 

I had to change my flight and paid the difference. It had been so long since we left a cruise to go back home the same day, I didn't even think about it and booked that 9:45. Read a similar post on CC before my trip amd got these same responses. I called Princess and felt really dumb when she asked if I had read the info on website about flights. Princess recommends no flights any earlier than 4 hours from arrival to port. For obvious reasons as custom clearance for ship that can delay time to begin disembarkation, and then all the other comments listed here.

 

lesson learned for me.