Earliest flight time possiblel leaving ship from SJU

[sldcruiser]

We're taking a RCL cruise out of San Juan in January. The ship docks at around 6:30 am. What is the earliest time you'd suggest booking a flight home to allow for time to disembark and get through all the airport lines?

[waterbug123]

I've only flown out of SJU once so I'm hesitant to name a specific time, but here are some things to consider that make SJu a little different than FLL or TPA or other common cruise ports:

1. In addition to the usual check-in and security, you need to go through an agricultural check point

2. More so than most airports in the contiguous 48, SJU will have a huge number of people all trying to leave around the same time; this is a product of how airlines schedule flights in and out of a destination like this.  This means huge crowds and long lines, often worse than what you might find at your home airport.

3. There will be limited flights from SJU; many planes simply do a once daily turn and burn...arrive around noon from the states with inbound pax, then pick up outbound pax and return mid-aftrnoon to the hub from whence they came.  So Delta for instance might have just one flight/day from SJU to Atlanta, one per day SJU-LGA, and one each to a couple of their other hubs, as opposed to having almost hourly flights to ATL from FLL, at least half a dozen flights a day FLL to LGA etc. etc.  This can limit options to get rebooked if you miss your original flight from SJU.

 

[Ashland]

Our last trip (Sept 2018) AA changed flight times so many times that we ended up with a 9:45am flight....Would never have chosen this but it was what it was. We were off the ship (RCI Freedom) at 7:00am and at our gate in plenty of time..lucky. I will usually opt for nothing earlier than 11:00am.

[alcpa1]

Having flown in and out of SJU after cruising at least ten times I would not be comfortable with a flight before 11. We were there in January on an off day, just three ships in so that is my point of reference.

I know earlier flights are doable if you can do self disembarkation but it's problematic at best. The self disembarkation lines are getting longer and longer and you must be in control of your luggage from cabin to pier. That includes the potential for stairs onboard and a lengthy wait for the elevator at the pier.

I hope this helps and have a great cruise.

[bouhunter]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:35 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

1. In addition to the usual check-in and security, you need to go through an agricultural check point

 

 

Which in our 8-9 flights from SJU has taken an average of 2 minutes.  Just don't forget to do it

 

I agree with the other comments, would rather not book anything before 11:00 just to be safe.