Divina - All Aboard Time

[dmisra2058]

I have a flight arriving in FLL at 2:20 pm.

The Divina will be leaving port at 7 pm, but, what is a realistic "all aboard" time for embarkation? Should I be concerned and try to get an earlier flight at higher expense? Thanks.

[plucasana]

we have flights booked with msc coming in at 14.50.

I think you ought to be fine!

[Essiesmom]

I was surprised to read on the MSC website that they require you to be onboard 2 hours before departure time. Any realtime experience here for Miami? EM

[kathiean]

I have a flight arriving in FLL at 2:20 pm.

The Divina will be leaving port at 7 pm, but, what is a realistic "all aboard" time for embarkation? Should I be concerned and try to get an earlier flight at higher expense? Thanks.

 

Yes, I would be very concerned. You must be on board 2 hours ahead of sailing and FLL can be an hour or more of travel time if traffic is bad. If your flight is delayed at all or if you have to wait a bit for your luggage you would be cutting it very very close. I would not take the chance.

[riclop]

If there are delays you will not make it.

[cruiseguyinorl]

Just as a guideline, MSC will not offer transfers for flights arriving into FLL after 1PM. Also, the cruise lines when departing from the US have to turn over a final manifest to Customs & Border Protection/Homeland Security 90 minutes prior to departure. That's the reason for the "2 hour" rule.

 

Bret

[plucasana]

Just saying: I do have a flight and a transfer with MSC on a flight that they sell regularly to passengers from Europe that always comes in at 14:50. Being a european cruiseline they always have a lot of european passangers. that is why I assumed the op would be fine.

[mikesteg]

I think that is a different situation. MSC is much more likely to hold the ship for passengers which they have booked on flights and are responsible for. As you say, they are likely to have a number of cabins on the ship, making the equation even easier. They also presumably have the ability to know where the bus they provided is at, and it's ETA.

 

If one family doesn't show up, the ship will go. They have to or soon enough you'd have people showing up an hour late complaining that they ship waited for the people who were only 45 minutes late.

[cruiseguyinorl]

MSC will not offer transfers for flights arriving into FLL after 1PM.

 

My typo on that one....it should have said no arrivals after 3PM (MIA is 4PM). 1PM is the "no departures before" time in FLL.

 

Also, if your flight is late, they will guarantee transfers up to one hour after original scheduled arrival time if you booked your own air.

 

Bret

 

 

[dmisra2058]

Just saying: I do have a flight and a transfer with MSC on a flight that they sell regularly to passengers from Europe that always comes in at 14:50. Being a european cruiseline they always have a lot of european passangers. that is why I assumed the op would be fine.

 

That was my assumption as well.

[dmisra2058]

My typo on that one....it should have said no arrivals after 3PM (MIA is 4PM). 1PM is the "no departures before" time in FLL.

 

Also, if your flight is late, they will guarantee transfers up to one hour after original scheduled arrival time if you booked your own air.

 

Bret

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification Bret.

So, I "should" be safe with a 2:20 arrival at FLL.

I know that I'm cutting it close. But, my only other options are spending almost twice as much for tix for an earlier flight or flying in the night before and paying for a hotel.

I guess that getting travel insurance just to be safe is also an option.

[dmisra2058]

I have a flight arriving in FLL at 2:20 pm.

The Divina will be leaving port at 7 pm, but, what is a realistic "all aboard" time for embarkation? Should I be concerned and try to get an earlier flight at higher expense? Thanks.

 

I also should have mentioned that we are booked in an Aurea Suite. So, "priority boarding" applies. Will that really help with embarkation?

[AmoMondo]

Just saying: I do have a flight and a transfer with MSC on a flight that they sell regularly to passengers from Europe that always comes in at 14:50. Being a european cruiseline they always have a lot of european passangers. that is why I assumed the op would be fine.

 

This is not the same situation at all. I e been on a fly/cruise deal with MSC and our London flight was meant to arrive around that dtime but it didn't it was several hours late due to issues at Heathrow. They held the ship up for all of us (about 40 coming off that flight). We had transfers and were rushed to the ship. The engines were running and they pulled the gangplank up as so as we boarded but we're still about 40 minutes late in leaving.

 

Now when you've just bought the cruise and organised your own flights, if your flight is late, they simply sail without you.

 

I will only every fly out the same day as departure when it is a fly/cruise deal. If I'm organising the flights, I plan on plenty wiggle room for delays, cancellations and bags going astray.

[dmisra2058]

Just saying: I do have a flight and a transfer with MSC on a flight that they sell regularly to passengers from Europe that always comes in at 14:50. Being a european cruiseline they always have a lot of european passangers. that is why I assumed the op would be fine.

 

Hopefully this info. will be of help to others in a similar situation: I finally was able to speak with a MSC supervisor and he doesn't see an issue assuming that there are no unintended delays. He confirmed that there will be connecting flights from Europe that will be arriving in the 1 - 3 PM window. Also, unofficially, "all aboard" time is really 5:30 PM, although they REALLY like to have all of the paperwork in by 5 PM. This individual seemed to know what he was talking about. Not always a given...