Not purchasing FTTF in Ft. Lauderdale...but have 12N flight out

[newmil]

Am rethinking maybe we should buy FTTF so that we can get off the ship by 10. What were your experiences debarking without FTTF? (We don't care about any other perks that FTTF offers; just rethinking debarkation). Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Micahs Grandad]

Do self assist and get off by say 9 and you will be fine.

 

airport not that far away

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Am rethinking maybe we should buy FTTF so that we can get off the ship by 10. What were your experiences debarking without FTTF? (We don't care about any other perks that FTTF offers; just rethinking debarkation). Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

If you are buying FTTF just to get off the ship by 10am you are wasting your money.

 

The whole ship should be pretty much empty by 10am. You'll probably be off by 8:30 to 9am.

 

Bill

[Cousin Eddie]

On Victory in January FTTF was directed to wait in one of the show rooms with everyone that said they had an early flight. We were let go as a mass group right after Diamond and Platinums. In October on Conquest we had an early flight and did not have FTTF and were on the ground 5 minutes after my friends who were platinum. So as stated above, if you are buying solely to get off the boat early, save your money.

 

 

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[winddawn]

If you do self-assist and carry your own luggage off, you would probably make a 12 noon flight on a normal day. FLL airport is close to the port, so that is in your favor, and taxis are plentiful outside the port terminal. Be aware though that FLL airport is a lot smaller than it needs to be for the number of passengers that use it, so lines can be long both to check in and to get through security. Many, many cruises leave out of Port Everglades, and FLL airport has not kept up with the increased number of passengers. My last cruise from PE in November, there was absolutely nowhere to sit in the gate areas and people were sitting in the floor and standing around to the point you couldn't even walk through the gate area. So another advantage to having FTTF to debark earlier is that you might actually be able to find a place to sit in the gate area after you check in and make your way through security before the bulk of debarking passengers arrive at the airport.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Essiesmom]

Port Everglades and airport:

 

[Micahs Grandad]

wow you could almost walk there:)

[GSP-parents]

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Holland America in December and had a 9:30 am flight. We were self-assist and because of our early flight, we got a low disembarking group number. We departed the ship at 7:30 and at 7:50 were through customs and outside the terminal, and at 8:25 were through security and at the gate at the airport.

 

Rather than spending the money on FTTF, consider purchasing TSA pre-check so that you can get through security faster at the airport. TSA-precheck is $85/person for five years. Shorter line and no need to remove shoes, etc. Alternatively, you can get TSA-Global Entry. This gets the TSA airport benefits and adds in expedited processing (shorter line) through Customs. It is $100/person for five years.

 

You need to allow some processing time to acquire TSA-pre or Global Entry.

 

I find the unknown waits through security at the airport are the greatest risks and therefore the causes of the most travelor anxiety. After a cruise, don't need to reintroduce stress on the way home.

[easyboy]

No need for an FTTF just to get to your noon flight.

[sailor05]

My goal out of Fll is ANYTHING after 11 am I will take it, and believe I even had a 10:50 am flight once that was too good to pass up. I have never even been close to missing my plane and almost always have time to kill once there. Noon is perfect.

[sanger727]

Keep in mind that your goal isn't 'off the ship' time but out of the terminal time. Yes, the ship will be empty by 10, but that doesn't mean you won't be in the line in the terminal till 11. Getting off early is easy with self disembarkation. Then you have very short lines since you are in the front. It's when you wait till mid morning to get off and get caught up in the lines that you can run into trouble. I don't believe FTTF would be of any help to you either way

 

 

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[bjd2]

I hope our experience was a fluke. We had FTTF but it took nearly an hour to get through customs (only 2 agents) and then nearly 2 hours in line at the airport. We got to our gate only about 10 minutes before boarding for our noon flight. This was on a Sunday and at least 5 ships had come in that morning.

[SarahD112]

We did self assist (take your own luggage off, right?) and walked off at 7am. So nice not to have to put bags in hall or try to stuff things that can't be carried onto plane (but things we needed overnight or in the morning) into suitcases the next morning after reclaiming bags.

 

 

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[Tapi]

We've been off the ship as early as 6:45am with self assist and no FTTF. Save your money

 

 

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