Docking at 6 am....NCL Jewel

[erby2283]

Am I pushing it to book a 9:30 am flight out of Miami? If not, the next flight is at 4:45, would we have to lug our luggage around all day?

[serene56]

Yikes--- dont even attempt to book that flight- book the later one and see if youmake it to the airport to go standby.

 

You have to be at the airport 2 hours before. thats 7:30. More then likely your ship wont be cleared by customs until 8am.

 

 

Are you seeing wicked??? I can not wait til it comes to Philly in March.

[electricron]

I would say you are. NCL recommends waiting until 2 pm to book a return flight. At the earliest 12 noon, imho.

While the Jewel may dock at 6 am, it usually takes an hour or two for the ship to clear customs. Then you should plan to get to the airport an hour early, getting through airport security will take time. And we haven't even discussed the time to travel from the port to the airport.

I hope you make it! :)

[TrentS]

Am I pushing it to book a 9:30 am flight out of Miami? If not, the next flight is at 4:45, would we have to lug our luggage around all day?

Don't even think about the 9:30am flight! You'll never make it... Take the 4:45pm flight and then book an Everglades excursion that drops you at the airport early/mid-afternoon. Your luggage goes with you on the bus.

[erby2283]

I actually booked an 11:30 am flight. The price dropped to $178 round trip and the next day it was up to $258 so I guess this flight was meant for me!

 

Serene...Yes, I am going to see Wicked on Dec 4. I'm going back home to CT for a wedding and made arrangements to see Wicked. My best friend wants to see it so badly that she is flying up to CT for 2 days just to go with me! Unfortunately, Charlotte isn't currently one of the tour stops but Atlanta is....If we like it, we might travel to Atlanta. Are you going to see it in Philly?

[TrentS]

I actually booked an 11:30 am flight. The price dropped to $178 round trip and the next day it was up to $258 so I guess this flight was meant for me!

 

Serene...Yes, I am going to see Wicked on Dec 4. I'm going back home to CT for a wedding and made arrangements to see Wicked. My best friend wants to see it so badly that she is flying up to CT for 2 days just to go with me! Unfortunately, Charlotte isn't currently one of the tour stops but Atlanta is....If we like it, we might travel to Atlanta. Are you going to see it in Philly?

Even 11:30am is pushing it... Make sure you're in the FIRST group off the ship! Weekends at both local airports are a zoo, with very long check-in and security lines. There can also be lenghty Customs & Immigration delays getting off the ship.

[shoreguy]

Even 11:30am is pushing it... Make sure you're in the FIRST group off the ship! Weekends at both local airports are a zoo, with very long check-in and security lines. There can also be lenghty Customs & Immigration delays getting off the ship.

 

With a 6 am arrival they should be ahead of the real crush. I was on the Sun from Miami that docked at 8 am and we were at MIA around 10AM. Even with delays the should be off the ship before 9:30.

[serene56]

Serene...Yes, I am going to see Wicked on Dec 4. I'm going back home to CT for a wedding and made arrangements to see Wicked. My best friend wants to see it so badly that she is flying up to CT for 2 days just to go with me! Unfortunately, Charlotte isn't currently one of the tour stops but Atlanta is....If we like it, we might travel to Atlanta. Are you going to see it in Philly?

 

I read the book and now I have an itch to see it in person. It comes to Philly in March so I will wait and see if I can get tickets. The book ws really great now i want to see how it all comes together in real life. Since I read the book I have watched the wizard of Oz twice now with different eyes.

[erby2283]

If you want to email me, I will burn you a copy of the CD and mail it to you if you'd like.

 

My email address is erby2283@yahoo.com

 

 

Shoreguy & Trent - thanks for your two cents. Since my boyfriend is Russian we're usually one of the first cleared by customs since they clear the non-us citizens first so I'll be sure to be one of the first!

[Haze]

We were on the Jewel last week. We disembarked at about 10:00:AM from New York and I think we were the second group off. WE had to go through immigration as we are Canadian. Anyone who did not need to go through immigration had not yet disembarked. There was one other group needing to go through immigration that was to disembark after us before any non immigration passengers disembarked.

Good luck on that 11:30 flight. I would not risk it. The other problem is that it depends how many other ships are docked at the same time that your ship comes in That impacts on the taxi situation.

[erby2283]

So most people think I am still pushing it even though we dock at 6 on a Sunday? How do I find out how many other ships will be docking at that time?

 

On the Majesty, we docked at 8 (in Charleston) and we were already in the car driving home by 11:30.

 

Now you people are worrying me...

[serene56]

http://www.cruisecal.com/dnn/ 5 ships--- all docking in miami between 7 and 8

 

even if the ship docks at 8am--it still needs to be cleared. the airport may be a mess- check and see how many ships are in port with you that morning

[erby2283]

As you said, a total of 5 ships are in port that morning (including ours). The Jewel docks at 6 and the others between 7-8....

 

I'd be curious to hear from others who docked at 6 and what time they got to the airport.

[wrp96]

Having missed an 11:40 flight coming off my cruise in January, I definitely agree that you are still pushing it with an 11:30 flight. You need to make sure you are in one of the earliest groups to disembark. The problem is not just with delays at the pier but also delays at the airport. The lines to check in and for security can be very long on the weekends.

[serene56]

As you said, a total of 5 ships are in port that morning (including ours). The Jewel docks at 6 and the others between 7-8....

 

I'd be curious to hear from others who docked at 6 and what time they got to the airport.

 

 

getting off the ship is not the main problem.. getting to the airport--checking in and GETTING through security will eat up your time.

 

friends tried to do that for a cruise last month in FLL and she said the line for security had to be at least 10 blocks long and no one wanted to hear that they were gonna miss their flight.

[Guest nhrich]

Even though the other ships are listed as docking at 7 or 8, they often are in port before that.

 

There is no way that I would recommend scheduling a flight at 9:30. As a previous poster said, even if you're off the ship early, getting through the lines at the airport can take a long time, especially at Miami.

 

We're not trying to scare you...just telling it like it is.

 

Rich, ACC

Carefree Vacations

[serene56]

Now you people are worrying me...

 

Curiosity got me-- did you book this 9:30 flight already?

[erby2283]

The flight I booked is at 11:30am not 9:30 am (I thought better of that).

 

It will cost be $100 PP to change flights today. My other options if miss my flight are:

 

1) Go on standby for the next flight (5:551 pm) at no additional cost

 

2) 3 hours before the 5:51 flight, pay $25 PP and get a gauranteed seat (if one's available).

[serene56]

Well an 11:30 flight is more doable then a 9:30-- whew--im relieved.

 

Ill tell you what-- since you are sailing in a few short weeks..I will hold off my airfare til you get home.

I see a 11:30 flight out of FLL for a Saturday--with 6 ships in port the same time. the cost of this flight is 84 bucks. THe one at 1:20 is 264.00 See the difference in price???? Sure would love to book that flight but i am totally scared to do so.

[shoreguy]

Well an 11:30 flight is more doable then a 9:30-- whew--im relieved.

 

Ill tell you what-- since you are sailing in a few short weeks..I will hold off my airfare til you get home.

I see a 11:30 flight out of FLL for a Saturday--with 6 ships in port the same time. the cost of this flight is 84 bucks. THe one at 1:20 is 264.00 See the difference in price???? Sure would love to book that flight but i am totally scared to do so.

 

11:30 Mia should be doable. Now your talking FLL with six ships - good luck

[TrentS]

First of all, don't go by the times they list the ships as "docking" in Miami, or Fort Lauderdale for that matter. They all come in between 5:30 and 7am... The problem, as mentioned above is getting through the long lines for Immigration and Customs - Everyone has to go through both, and non-citizens must be fingerprinted. Then you have to get to the airport... On weekends BOTH airports are absolute zoos, with extremely long lines to first check-in, and then to get through security.

 

An additional problem to deal with at Fort Lauderdale (for those flying out of there) is not only the ships at Port Everglades that day, but also the ships at Miami because so many people on Miami cruises also use FLL due to generally cheaper fares. The problem is FLL is a victim of it's own success and can't handle all the cruise people, plus the normal tourists on weekends. It's not uncommon for in excess of 20,000 people to be dumped on FLL in a 3 hour period on winter weekends. As you can imagine that totally overwhelms the place creating nightmarish lines first to check in and then again for security!

 

Hopefully everything will go like clockwork and you won't have any problems, but unfortunately many other people think that too, and miss their flights. It's just much much easier and less stressful to take a late afternoon flight and then take the city or Everglades tour you can buy on the ship. Those then drop you (and your luggage) off at the airport of your choice early to mid-afternoon.

[serene56]

Thats what I am looking at Trent- Flying out of FLL on a saturday-- 6 ships in port that morning we are. on top of the MIA traffic. AIr fare that day is soo high we really are considering cancelling the cruise--(WAHHHHH)

 

one way from FLL to Phl is 264pp but if i can finagle that 11:30 flight it will only be 99 total pp (as you can see --big difference in airfare)

[electricron]

Have you ever thought about why the earlier flight is so cheap?

Could it be because no one from a cruise ship can make it?

[TrentS]

Thats what I am looking at Trent- Flying out of FLL on a saturday-- 6 ships in port that morning we are. on top of the MIA traffic. AIr fare that day is soo high we really are considering cancelling the cruise--(WAHHHHH)

 

one way from FLL to Phl is 264pp but if i can finagle that 11:30 flight it will only be 99 total pp (as you can see --big difference in airfare)

Yeah, that adds up real fast... At least in Fort Lauderdale Port Everglades is adjacent to the airport. If there aren't any unusual delays with getting the ship cleared, and you can get off in the first group, jump in a cab and beat the rush to the airport you should be fine, but who knows. It's just so iffy anymore. :confused:

[TrentS]

Have you ever thought about why the earlier flight is so cheap?

Could it be because no one from a cruise ship can make it?

That's exactly the reason the later one is so much more expensive, cruise pax are scared to take it. Everyone wants the later one so there aren't as many seats left on it as on the earlier one.