what time do you get off the ship?

[ukdeebee]

I am very close to booking the seven seas voyager christmas cruise but planning my flight back to the uk is causing me some problems, what is the latest time that we would be able to leave the ship or are you thrown off as soon as it docks??

[ChatKat in Ca.]

It all depends on Customs and Immigration in Fort Lauderdale.

As early as 9 but often 11 ....you never know.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Usuallly they like everybody off before 9 a.m. Sometimes there are delays. Passengers disembark using a colour-coded system, you sit around and they call your colour. Last year when we got off the longshoremen got hot under the collar when some pax were too eager to get off, and downed tools for an hour.

So if you have to book a late flight to the U.K., you should plan to do something instead of just waiting at the airport. Not sure what, but Fort Lauderdale is small, easy to go to the airport and then somewhere else.

[OrpingtonT]

The colour coding that Wendy mentioned is based on your onward transport arrangements. If you have an early connection you get off first. If your flight is late afternoon or evening your are generally later off. In any event, they want you off as quickly as possible to prepare the ship for the next lot of cruisers.

In November when we disembark in FL, our flight back to the UK is from Miami around 1700hrs, so we have plenty of time and Regent is transferring us.

[ukdeebee]

so would booking a flight from fort lauderdale to atlanta at 10am be stupid!!
(unfortunately i can only use my airmiles in and out of Atlanta and then use delta to get to FLL) i was thinking of staying one night in Atlanta and then flying back to the uk the following day to break up the journey a bit (and use it as an excuse to go shopping!!) what do you think? is a 10am flight a little risky??

[NCCruzQueen]

If you can get off the ship early, the 10:00am flight should be fine. Taxis are usually easy to find at the port and less expensive than the Regent transfer.

[ukdeebee]

Alternatively i would like to have stayed on the ship until lunchtime then flown later in the day to Atlanta and got straight on a connecting flight back to the uk. i just hate all that hanging around all day at airports!!! it ruins the end of the holiday!

[DaveFr]

so would booking a flight from fort lauderdale to atlanta at 10am be stupid!!
(unfortunately i can only use my airmiles in and out of Atlanta and then use delta to get to FLL) i was thinking of staying one night in Atlanta and then flying back to the uk the following day to break up the journey a bit (and use it as an excuse to go shopping!!) what do you think? is a 10am flight a little risky??
I think a 10 am flight is very risky. The first time we arrived in FLL by ship, there was a customs delay and the first people didn't get off the ship until about 9:30 am. Since you are planning to stay overnight in Atlanta, why subject yourself to the stress of worrying about whether you'll miss your 10 am flight? I'd advise booking a flight to Atlanta no earlier than noon or 1 pm. JMO.

Dave

[dfb]

I've disembarked Voyager and Mariner in Ft. Lauderdale and I don't think I would have wanted to plan to make a 10am flight either time. I mean it may be possible, but then again unlikely. If you really want to shop, why not stay in Ft. Lauderdale and hit the Sawgrass Outlet Mall?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree that a 10 a.m. flight is risky. Regent would never book a flight for you so early. As I mentioned, we were delayed about an hour getting off the ship last December. Fort Lauderdale airport is small, but can be very busy with long check-in and security lines. We don't book a flight out of there earlier than noon.

Once we were able to change to an earlier flight because space was available when we checked in. Even then, we barely made the flight because we got stuck in the security line.

[Travelcat2]

Alternatively i would like to have stayed on the ship until lunchtime then flown later in the day to Atlanta and got straight on a connecting flight back to the uk. i just hate all that hanging around all day at airports!!! it ruins the end of the holiday!

If you are flying Business Class, you can spend the time in the lounge (we can spend hours and hours in British Airways lounge at Heathrow -- take a shower -- eat, drink. . .). Even if you're flying coach, it may be worth purchasing a one day pass.

[ukdeebee]

Flying coach on delta (cant justify the price hike for the sake of a two hour flight!) but then BA business class from Atlanta back to the uk however im not sure that BA has its own lounge at ALN (unlikely!!) however i agree with you i love the heathrow lounge!!
Not sure i need to do an overnight in Atlanta, maybe my best bet is a lunchtime flight from FLL and then just hang around for the BA flight at 20.40 from Atlanta (YUK!! what a hideous day!! wish i could wave a magic wand and just be home or better still have john travolta pick me up in his private plane from FLL and whisk me home!!) Oh to be rich and famous!!!!!!

[ChatKat in Ca.]

There is No Delta lounge at Fort Lauderdale.

I am a member of the don't book before noon club. And if you are into shopping, then I would 100% spend the night in Fort Lauderdale and go to Sawgrass Mills. It's outlet shopping with the very best of shops. You can spend a few days there...it's a shopping paradise.

[gf]

Don't know about Sawgrass Mills outlet; understand it's huge and you need to plan where to go.

I can tell you that shopping in Atlanta at the "best" malls (Phipps Plaza (Saks, Nordstorm,etc.) and Lenox Square)(Neiman-Marcus,etc. is at least a 45 minute ride from the airport and who know's with traffic jams? Just a local's obsevation!

[Jim B]

Have gotten off a Regent Seven Seas ship number of times in Fort Lauderdale.
Earliest we booked was 12:15 pm and latest was 1:45 pm.
After a little customs delay one time we were nervous that the 1:45 pm flights were not late enough. Worked out fine but realized we will not book anything before noon and prefer
to book a flight around 1:30 pm just to be safe.
Even if you get off the ship quickly and the 15 minute ride to the airport gets you there in plenty of time sometimes check in and security can be very very long lines which can make you a little concerned about making your flight on time.
Why take the chance?

[OrpingtonT]

however im not sure that BA has its own lounge at ALN (unlikely!!)

There is a BA lounge in Atlanta. See lounge locations on BA's web site.

[ukdeebee]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply i have booked my flight for 15.05 so i will have plenty of time and i am hoping that there is somewhere at the port that i can leave our luggage so that we can get a cab into the town centre to do some last minute shopping before heading to the airport (how long before we fly do i need to be at the airport? its only an internal flight to Atlanta so is it an hour before?)
Please let me know if you have any information regarding luggage storage or if Regent offer a service like HAL where for a fee they will take your luggage to the airport and check it in for the flight (how fantastic!)
I really appreciate your help
Many Thanks