FLL post-cruise flight 10:25am - HELP?

[j3000]

Booked on Regal Princess April 3-10. Looking at return flights on April 10 (Sunday). There's an Air Canada flight 1217 that leaves FLL (for Halifax) at 10:25am, which we'd LOVE to get! HAS anyone done this? CAN it be done? if so - how? Would really appreciate knowledgeable input.

Edited January 19, 2016 by jargey3000

[marc3565]

This is quite risky. Weather delays the ship from docking on occassion. There have been several ships the last few days that were not able to dock till much later in the day.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, as discussed here frequently, pretty risky. Plus, as an international flight, you need to be there sooner.

[JohninDC]

1025 from FLL if you are coming into PE you should be able to make it - too risky for me, but many others would try. ;)

 

1025 from FLL coming into POM - forget it! :(

 

Do you want to spend your cruise worried about making the flight home? :confused: Book a flight leaving at noon or later and relax while on the ship. :cool:

[j3000]

Question for CruiserBruce - WHY do you need to be there sooner for an international flight? I've never found that to be the case. (we don't clear customs till we land back in Canada). Explain?

JohninDC - sorry, what is PE & POM??? And, re booking a later flight - yes, wish I had that luxury. This partic. flight will get us back to my final destination at 5:30pm vs the (only) other later flght, which doesn't get us back home until 12:45am the next morning. You can see why I'd like to catch this flight!

 

update: oh! figured it out! PE -Port Everglades it is!

Edited January 19, 2016 by jargey3000

[capriccio]

Question for CruiserBruce - WHY do you need to be there sooner for an international flight? I've never found that to be the case. (we don't clear customs till we land back in Canada). Explain?

JohninDC - sorry, what is PE & POM??? And, re booking a later flight - yes, wish I had that luxury. This partic. flight will get us back to my final destination at 5:30pm vs the (only) other later flght, which doesn't get us back home until 12:45am the next morning. You can see why I'd like to catch this flight!

 

I'm neither Bruce nor John but....

 

According to the Fort Lauderdale Airport website: http://www.broward.org/Airport/FAQs/Pages/FlightInformation.aspx. "Check-in guidelines are at least one hour before domestic flights and two hours before international flights. It is always a good idea to check with your airline or tour operator for updates on your departure day."

 

PE is Port Everglades (the Fort Lauderdale port) and POM is Port of Miami. Since you are on the Regal you are leaving/returning to PE.

[Keith1010]

CruiserBruce is correct.

 

The quick check at the Air Canada web site says that check in for flights to and from the USA is two hours before the flight.

 

I would either find a later flight or stay the night and take the flight back home the next day.

 

On top of this things go wrong. Ship arrives late. Insufficient personnel for immigration which by the way does happen and I've seen it reported for Fort Lauderdale.

 

And the Fort Lauderdale airport can be a total zoo. I was there this past Friday and zoo was a good word to describe it.

 

Keith

[CruiserBruce]

Thanks to both capraccio and Keith for answering on my behalf with solid info.

 

As a non-US citizen, you might have longer Immigration and Customs at the Port, and additional Immigration checks at FLL. You must allow appropriate time for these.

Edited January 19, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[Bobocasey]

Also might be effected by how many other ships are in port that day. This would indicate how long the TSA lines would be at the airport.

We usually do walk off and have a shuttle ride waiting and make it to the airport in plenty of time.

[royalcruz]

I've never seen FLL so crowded as it is this winter! Last Wednesday night it took me 15 minutes to get from terminal 1 to 4 to pick up my friend!

[capriccio]

I've never seen FLL so crowded as it is this winter! Last Wednesday night it took me 15 minutes to get from terminal 1 to 4 to pick up my friend!

 

DH dropped our son and fiancee off at 5:30 AM yesterday morning for a 6:50 AM flight and he said he had to wait for a parking space in front of terminal 3 and he never seen anything like it. We had assured them - based on our own experience -- that it wouldn't be too crowded for such an early flight. We were wrong!

[DaveOKC]

Booked on Regal Princess April 3-10. Looking at return flights on April 10 (Sunday). There's an Air Canada flight 1217 that leaves FLL (for Halifax) at 10:25am, which we'd LOVE to get! HAS anyone done this? CAN it be done? if so - how? Would really appreciate knowledgeable input.

 

Assuming that your ship starts the disembarkation process around 7am AND you self-disembark (I assume Princess has this option) and take a taxi, you should be fine. When we do this we normally get to the airport by 8:00 to 8:30 am.

 

Of course, if the ship arrives late or Customs is backed up (normally not bad if you get off in the first group), then it could be close.

 

Be sure you know your options with your airline if you do miss the flight.

[Keith1010]

SinceOP has to check in for their flight by 8:25 I just can't see how anyone says they will be fine.

 

Keith

[jennmaybe]

SinceOP has to check in for their flight by 8:25 I just can't see how anyone says they will be fine.

 

Keith

 

I completely agree! :)

 

We don't fly home internationally and we still would never book a flight before noon out of FLL. Our last experience out of FLL......,we were in line in the MDR to self-disembark at 6:40am. It was 9am before we were actually walking off the ship. It was 9:45am before we were getting in a taxi. That's why we don't book anything before noon. :)

 

It always happens to us! :eek::D Honestly though, anything can happen to anybody, so I just always recommend that you have a Plan B....just in case.

[andymattmom]

We did make a domestic 10:45 am flight 2 weeks ago but I don't think I'd do that again. We arrived at FLL airport and were at our gate at 8:10 am. BUT there were only 2 other ships in port that day (this was a Monday). We were docked by a little after 6. We lined up at 6:30AM for disembarkation. There were maybe 20 people in front of us and by 7AM the line was huge. We started getting off at 7:20AM, didn't have a wait at customs since we were off so fast, didn't have to wait for a taxi but did have to wait at Southwest ticket counter and wait at security. The security line wasn't that long BUT it was SLOW! It was really long by the time we got through. We only did it as my boys had to be back at college and the later flight only had a 40 minute layover in Atlanta. We could have worked with that but we did make it. It was stressful....next time we would do one later in the afternoon.

[DaveOKC]

SinceOP has to check in for their flight by 8:25 I just can't see how anyone says they will be fine.

 

Keith

 

OK - point taken. What I meant was that the OP could make the flight if 1) there were no issues - late ship, etc - and 2) they worked the system to be off very early and got to the airport before the crowds from the ships. Having VIP access to security would help for example. I did forget to mention that this is easier to accomplish on a non-weekend day (fewer ships generally).

 

Doing this (close flight) depends on your risk attitude. If you do not mind the risks and are prepared to handle the situation if you miss your flight, fine, go for it. If not, just take the later flight.

 

Which reminds me, the situation can vary by airline. Some airlines allow you to standby for an earlier flight the day of travel for little or no fee. Others have hefty penalties to do this. So, know your airline rules and if it is possible, perhaps you can book the later flight, get to the airport early and standby on the earlier one. I do this on my favorite airline and sometimes I get lucky and end up home alot earlier. But if not, I still have my later flight to fall back on.

[smithmlmx]

For the last 7 years (December and March) I have booked a 9.45 am flight from Fort Lauderdale. We cruise on Princess & HAL. We walk off with our luggage. We have always been at the airport by 8.30 am. Last December (on HAL) we made it to the airport before 8 am

[BlueHerons]

I've never seen FLL so crowded as it is this winter! Last Wednesday night it took me 15 minutes to get from terminal 1 to 4 to pick up my friend!

 

DH dropped our son and fiancee off at 5:30 AM yesterday morning for a 6:50 AM flight and he said he had to wait for a parking space in front of terminal 3 and he never seen anything like it. We had assured them - based on our own experience -- that it wouldn't be too crowded for such an early flight. We were wrong!

 

My friend missed his flight boat show weekend Sunday night.

 

We dropped him off two hours early and couldn't make it through security in time.

 

Miami is just as bad lately. Took my Godson 90 minutes to get home from MIA at 12:30AM.

[Langley Cruisers]

Remember that the airport will be crowded with thousands of your newest, bestest friends - maybe several times over if there are other ships in that morning. NO WAY would I book this flight home to Canada.

 

BUT- having said that, if you are absolutely convinced you need to make this flight, then you must self-disembark and take a cab to the airport immediately. Do not wait for a shuttle bus - cab only. You must have a Plan B, and don't be upset if you miss this flight and have to implement that Plan B.

 

Take care.

[BlueHerons]

For the last 7 years (December and March) I have booked a 9.45 am flight from Fort Lauderdale. We cruise on Princess & HAL. We walk off with our luggage. We have always been at the airport by 8.30 am. Last December (on HAL) we made it to the airport before 8 am

 

This is some of the worst advice I've ever read.

 

I'm guessing you are flying to a city in the US and not London, England.

[Daisyloo]

OP, like many here have stated, you will be taking a chance by booking that early flight. That said, this is our experience flying home after our recent cruise out of Ft Lauderdale.

We took a chance and booked a flight for 10:35 am from Ft Lauderdale to Buffalo. We live in Canada about an hour from Buffalo and find the Buffalo airport very handy.

We applied for and got Nexus cards before this cruise and they sped us through the airport in both Buffalo and Ft Lauderdale. No having to wait in long lines, no taking off shoes, belts etc. Well worth the cost of $50 for 5 years.

We had early walk off and we left the ship at 7:30 am. We were at the gate in the airport by 8:00am.

FYI: There were 5 ships in port that Sunday. We had no wait for a taxi and we had no line to get through immigration at the port.

That was our experience, for what it's worth. It could however, have been the opposite and we could have missed our flight. Again, it's a chance you take.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Daisyloo

[smithmlmx]

London, CANADA

[j3000]

...decided to book the 10:25am flight....on MONDAY - the day AFTER cruise ends...:)

[Langley Cruisers]

...decided to book the 10:25am flight....on MONDAY - the day AFTER cruise ends...:)

 

Phew!!!! Yea! Awesome decision. Fort Lauderdale is fabulous and you will have a nice day to wind down from your cruise without worrying!! :D:D:D

[j3000]

thanks langleY.:cool: