Coordinating flight with debarkation question: how early is too early?

[jgs2003]

Hi,

 

My husband and I will be taking a cruise with our son and my in-laws on the Carnival Imagination in March. The boat returns to Miami at 8 a.m. on a Friday. DH and I have cruised only once before, on Princess, and we took our luggage off the boat ourselves. Consequently, we were able to leave relatively early and had no problems getting to the airport for a noon flight.

 

We have booked our flight home for this cruise leaving MIA at 12:30. My FIL is now saying that he thinks that will be too early, based on his past cruising experience. He is saying something about how it took a long time for US Immigration to return their passports...? I don't remember anything like that--we just got on line, showed our documents, and left. Granted, we didn't purchase any liquor or duty-free items that would have to be shown to customs, and that was on a different cruise line and even a different port (Ft. Lauderdale), but I can't imagine that it's going to be that different this time around. We're early risers since we have a toddler, so we figure we'll be off the boat by 9 a.m. I have a feeling that my in-laws had the cruise staff take their luggage down, hence their delay in getting off the boat.

 

Can anyone give me some feedback on whether or not it will be difficult for us to make our 12:30 flight? We won't be on the same flight as my in-laws anyway, so they are free to make their own arrangements as they see fit. I just don't want him to worry about us.

 

Thanks!

[klfrodo]

I give a 99% confidence rating that you will make a 12:30 flight and you wouldn't even have to be the first off the ship.

[uppitycats]

I'm not smart nor brave enough to give any sort of "rating", but I think you'll be fine, from reading about others experiences at that port. But -- if your in-laws are going with you, are they willing to take their luggage themselves, or will they want to have the ship do that? If so, then there may be delays with that going on. Just to keep peace in the family you might want to consider a later flight, if you haven't already booked.

[Keith1010]

12:30 sounds fine.

 

Keith

[grandmato4]

While it is always possible for something to happen to hold up getting off the ship a flight scheduled for 12:30 p.m. should be fine. I just would never book a flight prior to noon in Miami.

[EGG]

If you still have doubts I would check with the cruise lines earliest suggested times. I think you can easily make it, especially if you do self disembarkation and assuming their passport problem was not because you are not U.S. citizens.

 

The main problem I foresee for you is that even though your in laws have a different flight they will expect you to do all the helpful things you readily do like handling their carryons, and helping collect their luggage. You will now be on their later schedule rather than your early flight schedule. This will put you on the back of the line waiting for the slowest person rather than your "everyone up early, eat a fast breakfast, get your bag and lets go" mode.

 

I might want to make sure your in laws can live with these ground rules up front, before you purchase your air tickets. If in laws need help with their luggage, pay for the program where their luggage gets shipped directly to the airport. Or have them pay for porters. Encourage light carryons or a small carryon that is on wheels. Say your goodbys the night before and do not plan to meet them for breakfast the last morning. It is so easy to get sucked in to wasting an extra half hour just waiting/looking for each other and for seating for breakfast and then spending another extra half hour eating breakfast. Then you need to wait for a larger taxi to accomidate all of you and drop them off first at their airline which may mean an extra tour around the airport for you.

 

I hope this makes sense.

[parody]

As EGG suggests, Carnival indicates that a return flight should be anytime after 11:30 AM in Miami. They are to be applauded for providing this information as most other cruise lines do not. Maybe someday, a histogram of departure times and success rates will be provided so that the percentage mentioned by klfrodo can be ascertained with some quantitative data.