Flight...? too early

[ari6108]

We will be on the Zuiderdam in December. We are flying to Ft. Lauderdale the night before...coming home, we can book a direct flight leaving Ft. Lauderdale at 10:50 AM...will we have trouble making this or, should this be OK?

[jhannah]

That's cutting it close, IMO. There will be many who will tell you they've made flights this early ... and others will tell you they didn't because someone or ones drug their feet on board and didn't go through the disembarkation immigration process when they were supposed to. Fort Lauderdale is great in that the pier is so close to the airport. We got off the ship, to the airport, and through check-in in less than an hour. However, we were a very long time in the security line. Our noon flight was fine, but we didn't have much time to spare.

 

If you can get a later flight, it would be far less stress on you to get off the ship and over to the gate. (Who needs stress at the end of a relaxing cruise???) If that's your only viable option, book it and HAL will get you off the ship ASAP. However, there is always the risk that some hold-up will occur and they will delay disembarkation.

[ron46936]

The airport is near the cruise terminal so if you get an early debarkation then you should be able to make it unless something goes wrong. The security line at Ft. L is not the fastest. Personally I would prefer a later flight just to be sure. Our preferred airline , ATA, flies out in the evening so we rent a car for the day and hang out. They have a giant flea market on Sunrise Blvd.

[ekerr19]

Its pretty close - but we have booked flights that early and not had a problem - I am probably going to be the minority here.

 

We just don't like hanging out in the airport all day, especially FLL on disembarkation day, so we take our chances.

 

Keep in mind, you may miss your flight - I would make sure there is something else available later in the day and also find out how much it would cost to change if you missed the early flight. Last summer we dismbarked the Zui and made a direct flight to Denver on Sprit Air and it departed about 11:00am...

 

Also, if you are not familiar with FLL, you may want to look at a diagram of the airport - it can save time knowing exactly where your ticket counter and gate are located.

[iluvcruzin]

That seems pretty early to me. I usually target 1pm fights to allow for the unexpected. If you are flying during the holidays, keep in mind the airports will be busy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Weekends are terrible in Ft Lauderdale. Not only will there be people there from the Ft Lauderdale cruise ships but some of the Miami cruise people also leave from that airport.

We have arrived many times in Ft Lauderdale on Saturdays and Sundays around 11:30 AM and have seen the lines snaking all over the terminal and people lined up quite deep trying to get through security.

I wouldn't risk that early of a flight.

:)

[Luvinlife1018]

I wouldnt book any flights before noon. I can safely say if you book the 10:50 flt you will be waiving good bye to it from the security line.

[MandyGirl]

Keep in mind, you may miss your flight - I would make sure there is something else available later in the day and also find out how much it would cost to change if you missed the early flight.

Also, if flights show up later in the day on the schedule now... it is not guaranteed to have availability as the time gets closer if you do miss the flight. Holidays are the perfect example, which is what we are trying to book - if we miss a flight, the weekend after Thanksgiving (for us) is not the time to try doing standby. Book a flight you KNOW you will make, and if you show up early, then the airline might squeeze you on depending on their load factors for the day (and they might even waive the new "fare difference" as well as the "change fee" some airlines have).

So... book a later flight, and if you show up early and get on an earlier flight without any extra cost, that's just icing on the cake! :)

As a side note for travel around holidays, we were trying to get out of St Thomas the day after Thanksgiving, our flight was overbooked, and they started the offers at $500 plus hotel stay. Only problem was that as the weekend progressed, flights were even worse (packed) - so those who took the offer were not guaranteed a seat until Monday after Thanksgiving.... We had bulkhead seats for that flight and didn't take advantage of the $500 offer.

[DaveOKC]

Last January we departed FLL on a SUnday and were at the airport before 9 AM. HOWEVER, why go through the stress and worry on the last day of your vacation? Book a later flight IMO.

DaveOKC

[Tatka]

We will be on the Zuiderdam in December. We are flying to Ft. Lauderdale the night before...coming home, we can book a direct flight leaving Ft. Lauderdale at 10:50 AM...will we have trouble making this or, should this be OK?

We are in the same situation... and decided to fly next morning.

 

2 reasons:

 

1) It's not enough time!

 

2) The difference between 12:30 flight and next morning flight (for 3 of us) was more than Embassy suites (priceline) + nice dinner!

 

3) We could get cheaper ticket for 7:50 PM but what would we do with our bags?

[Roz]

There were a couple of days last December when Ft. Lauderdale had 15-21 cruise ships coming into port in one day. Both the port and the airport were an ungodly mess. People missed flights because they were unable to get transportation to the airport, plus the security check-in was a mile long.

 

On one cruise we were delayed due to an elderly, hard of hearing British couple who didn't hear the immigration announcements, nor the bang on their door. The front desk finally had to unlock their cabin and physically escort them to the processing area.

 

Things like that are beyond your control. Book a later flight.

 

Roz

[MandyGirl]

Roz - I remember that - it was when they closed the port of Miami due to a march of some sort and diverted all ships elsewhere. We thought we were in for an extra treat being able to see alllllll those ships in port from our balcony at Embassy Suites before leaving out on Maasdam!