Can the 9:15 AM flight be made?

[okgladmom]

Is it remotely possible to make the 9:15 flight departing after the ship docks in PR? I posted this question here instead of the flight forum wondering if anyone has ever done it. We dock at 7:00. Yes, I know the risks involved, just wondering if it's possible to try to save several hundred dollars for the four of us.

[Carnival Game]

I wouldn't book a flight from ANY port leaving that early after the ship arrives! You'll either miss it or be a nervous wreck trying NOT to.

[rainforestgirl]

I have to agree- 9:15 is cutting it too close.

 

On our Carnival cruise, we had some kind of trouble clearing customs, and didn't start debarkation until 8am (and we "docked" at 6am). We were on the self assist (the first group off ) and we didn't get off until after 9am.

 

The airport is about 15 mins away from the dock. You need at least 1-1.5 hrs to get through check-in and security..... if there is some kind of baggage thing where they can get your bags checked in and to the airport for you, and you get off in the first group, then maybe...... but I think that is too risky.

[wrp96]

No way you will make it. We had an 8:45 flight on Sunday morning (the day after our cruise). We left our hotel at 6:30am and did not get to our gate until after our plane had started boarding. From the time we arrived at the airport to the time we got to the gate was close to 1.5 hours.

 

A 7am arrival in San Juan does not mean you will be disembarking the ship that early as the ship will first have to be cleared by the authorities and then you will have to go through immigration and customs, plus then get a taxi to the airport and then deal with check-in and security.

[wrp96]

if there is some kind of baggage thing where they can get your bags checked in and to the airport for you, and you get off in the first group, then maybe...... but I think that is too risky.

 

A flight THAT early would not qualify for any of the baggage services offered by the cruiseline.

[okgladmom]

I figured as much...was just hoping for a miracle ;)

 

We'll book the 4:00 flight and be happy with it.

[donnying]

I have a similar question...based on folk's comments it sounds like a 10:45 flight out of San Juan should be OK. Any comments? Thanks!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have a similar question...based on folk's comments it sounds like a 10:45 flight out of San Juan should be OK. Any comments? Thanks!

I make 1PM my rule of thumb on ANY cruise! That being said, we are booked on a 12:45 PM flight this time. However, we had one time that we did not get off the ship until 11 AM!:eek:

[BJAMINGIRL]

I have a similar question...based on folk's comments it sounds like a 10:45 flight out of San Juan should be OK. Any comments? Thanks!

 

 

To make this flight...I would suggest that you do not put your luggage out...hand carry it off. Let the front desk know the day before that you need early disembark...eat breakfast very early and be standing as close to the disembark area as possible by 7 or 7:30 am. Carry your own luggage off and grab a taxi. Good luck....

 

Our last SJU cruise we did not start disembarking till 10:30, but we were there during a government work stoppage and we had to wait for the riot police to get the mob away from the terminal.

[BJAMINGIRL]

Just remember, the cruise lines won't guarentee that you can make any flight before 12 noon, so if you are delayed, you have no recourse.

[lovemylab]

We flew out of San Juan last year on a Saturday. We had a 1pm flight however we were at our gate for 9:30am. I don't think it would have been possible for us to get there any sooner and the only reason we got there that early was luck.

 

We were in the first group called off the ship. There are two lines for clearing customs - one for US citizens and one for everyone else. The line for everyone else happened to be very short and we got through it in a matter of minutes. We easily found our luggage and there was hardly any traffic on the way to the airport. At the airport we didn't have to put our bags through the agriculture inspection because we still had the cruise tags on our luggage.

 

That being said, as we were finishing clearing security the line-ups became very long. Had we arrived 15 minutes later we easily could have been waiting an hour or more.