Ship to FLL 12:15 flight? Too close??

My husband and I are flying into and from Fort Lauderdale for a November 8th cruise on the Reflection. This is our first Celebrity cruise and probably the first from Miami in 15 years. Before I make the reservations, is a return flight at 12:15 going to be a problem? It is a Saturday so traffic should be too bad early in the day, I would think. I would rather not pay for a cab, so any suggestions to get to the Fort Lauderdale airport? Thank you.

I'm a bit confused.....where are you flying into and out of and which port are you cruising from and returning to?

Sorry. Flying to Fort Lauderdale 2days early for a cruise from Miami

My husband and I are flying into and from Fort Lauderdale for a November 8th cruise on the Reflection. This is our first Celebrity cruise and probably the first from Miami in 15 years. Before I make the reservations, is a return flight at 12:15 going to be a problem? It is a Saturday so traffic should be too bad early in the day, I would think. I would rather not pay for a cab, so any suggestions to get to the Fort Lauderdale airport? Thank you.

While you might not think traffic would be bad on a Saturday keep in mind that on November 8 there will be ships with a capacity of over 17,000 passengers turning over in Ft. Lauderdale and over 14,000 capacity in Miami. This wouldn't be as busy as peak season later in the winter when there are more ships and they are fuller but it still could be busy both at the ports and the airports.

I think a 12:15 flight is doable but it isn't a loose schedule. There are other ways to travel than cab. Shared shuttles are probably the least expensive and there is also the ship's transfer but that is usually not cheap. But a cab will likely bet the quickest method as you do not have to wait for others nor worry about who gets dropped off at which terminal first. I think if I was going for a flight at that time I'd spring for a cab.

OP: you should really post your question over on the Florida Departures board, where you will get a great deal of very helpful info.

I will say, though, that we used SAS shuttle from the port of Miami last November to get to FLL, based on recommendations on the Florida board, and SAS was just fine. Easy to set up the reservation on line, then you call them once you are disembarking and they tell you where their van is waiting. They are constantly going back and forth between the port of Miami and FLL. They may make a couple of stops in the port area itself to pick up folks from other ships.

12:15 PM would be fine, but nothing earlier so if the flight time changes after you book to something earlier I would ask for a later flight at that point in time.

There will be four ships, including yours, the day you disembark.

I would request to be in the first group off the ship.

Keith

We also have a 12:15 flight home out of Fll..ship (Reflection) docks in Miami

We think it is a bit tight and hope there won't be any delays in clearance of the ship.

we will be walk off w our luggage and grab a taxi to the airport..

Taking a cab would be the easiest way to get there. I'd get off the ship around 9 a.m. 12:15 is a good flight time, no need to stress it. We've had people wanting to take flights before 10:30 a.m., from POM to FLL. That's when you have to worry a bit . . . you've got plenty of time.

As far as alternate modes of transportation, you can look at shuttle options but then you start being on somebody elses time. I've never had to take one so I'm not the expert on that . . . I'm sure some one else could assist. Rule out car rental, just too much to do and not enough savings, if any at all. Again, cab is the surest way to get this accomplished.

My husband and I are flying into and from Fort Lauderdale for a November 8th cruise on the Reflection. This is our first Celebrity cruise and probably the first from Miami in 15 years. Before I make the reservations, is a return flight at 12:15 going to be a problem? It is a Saturday so traffic should be too bad early in the day, I would think. I would rather not pay for a cab, so any suggestions to get to the Fort Lauderdale airport? Thank you.

Hi:)....we have a nice group of folks on the Reflection Roll call for

this cruise. Please come say hello:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1943909

I would be try to be in the first or second group off. I wouldn't carry (self) disembark. But certainly I'd want to be off the ship before 9. :o MIA can be a nightmare. And I hate stress.

As long as the ship empties on schedule you will be fine with a cab straight to your MIA terminal. If you have hours pre flight to sit, so be it. At least you are there. The airport has enough stores to browse and places for a lunch to use up preflight time.

My husband and I are flying into and from Fort Lauderdale for a November 8th cruise on the Reflection. This is our first Celebrity cruise and probably the first from Miami in 15 years. Before I make the reservations, is a return flight at 12:15 going to be a problem? It is a Saturday so traffic should be too bad early in the day, I would think. I would rather not pay for a cab, so any suggestions to get to the Fort Lauderdale airport? Thank you.

We are sailing on the same ship, Nov. 8 and staying in Miami for 2 days pre-cruise. Our res. returning from MIA are at 4:00 on Delta. I chose that because the other earlier departure options would be more stressful given the number of ships and passengers arriving at the same time. You also need to factor in time to check in at the airport and time to go thru TSA. Generally flights start boarding about 30 minutes before flight time.

Traffic is NEVER light between Fort Lauderdale and Miami no matter what day of the week or time of day.

November is peak season for us in Fort Lauderdale. The airport will be very busy on Saturday.

As I've said before on other posts, it isn't Americans that make up the majority of our tourism, it's people from other countries, mainly Europe, Canada, and South America with a good sprinkling of people from the Caribbean.

I would not dick around with a shuttle but hop straight in a cab. FLL has tons of construction going on and security will take you anywhere from 15-90 minutes.

For a 1215 flight you need to be at FLL by 1045 (by 1000 would be even better! :cool:). With a taxi/shuttle taking 45+ minutes from POM to FLL that translates into clear of customs/immigration & loaded and rolling in a vehicle preferably by 9:00-9:15.

You should be fine with 1215, but as mentioned do not dally.

I would do walk-off- you will have to possibly deal with less people at customs, a ride from SAS will get you to FLL quickly, you should have plenty of time.:D:D

Is there a reason you do not want to fly into Miami? It would make it much easier.

We flew out of FLL for our last cruises out of Miami. We used SAS transportation. We were on the road by 8:30. We were at the airport early enough they wouldn't let us check in yet. SO as long as everything goes ok and by ok I mean ship arrives on time, no traffic jams or delays and you are one of the first people off the ship you will be fine. But please do not dilly dally off the ship. You need to make sure you get off the ship early. Does Celebrity offer self assist when you take your own luggage off? That is what I would suggest for you.

On a previous cruise out of MIA and flying in and out of FLL, we were at the airport in plenty of time, but the SW check-in (along the front check in apron) and security lines (winding around and down a hallway) were long at the airport. The airport staff and TSA were going through the line and pulling out those with flight times within the hour to make sure they made it onboard.