flight home changed by airline..too early?

Disembarking Riviera at Miami on a Saturday Feb. 22. Originally had self booked (domestic) air leaving at 12:25 from Miami Intl. American has moved flight to 11:40. Last year on similar cruise we got a taxi and made 12:15 flight with much time to spare, but it was a weekday with less cruise traffic at POM. American will move us to a 1:30 flight if we want to. Would appreciate thoughts on whether 11:40 is a safe time (using a taxi to get to airport) or whether we should take later flight.

Disembarking Riviera at Miami on a Saturday Feb. 22. Originally had self booked (domestic) air leaving at 12:25 from Miami Intl. American has moved flight to 11:40. Last year on similar cruise we got a taxi and made 12:15 flight with much time to spare, but it was a weekday with less cruise traffic at POM. American will move us to a 1:30 flight if we want to. Would appreciate thoughts on whether 11:40 is a safe time (using a taxi to get to airport) or whether we should take later flight.

Later is always better.

Why look for stress? Take the later flight.

I would take the later flight

Oceania booked us on an 11:30 flight out of MIA this past Sunday.

We made it with plenty of time to spare -- spent almost two hours in the United lounge.

Ship docked at 6. We were in first group off at 8:15 -- at airport by 9.

While taxis were plentiful this trip, I suggest you use a private transport. MIA can be a problem.

Oceania booked us on an 11:30 flight out of MIA this past Sunday.

We made it with plenty of time to spare -- spent almost two hours in the United lounge.

 

Ship docked at 6. We were in first group off at 8:15 -- at airport by 9.

 

While taxis were plentiful this trip, I suggest you use a private transport. MIA can be a problem.

Thanks, Pacheco..since you had the most recent real experience I will take your advice & stay with the earlier flight. Also, since I am elite with American, that will hopefully speed me through lines if issues arise.

Thanks, Pacheco..since you had the most recent real experience I will take your advice & stay with the earlier flight. Also, since I am elite with American, that will hopefully speed me through lines if issues arise.

Check in on line before you leave ship and print boarding passes

Then all you have to do is check bags at the kiosk.

Check in on line before you leave ship and print boarding passes

Then all you have to do is check bags at the kiosk.

Yes, smallest advantage of Concierge class on larger ships...Concierge will print boarding passes for free :)

Anyone on the ship can get boarding passes printed for free

Anyone on the ship can get boarding passes printed for free

Not a big issue, but we were told differently last February on Riviera when we asked at computer center and at front desk. Only way we got it done free was by Concierge doing it on his computer in the lounge. Good to know, though.

We paid to print ours in the computer lounge. Petty to pay to print when you are paying top dollar for internet.

For Miami, we were off the ship at 8:15 - 1st boarding group. We had to pay duty on some purchases, found a shuttle van for $10 per person. Checked luggage at curbside on American. We were in the lounge having gone through security by 10am.

I think you will have plenty of time, but no need to print off boarding passes these days. Just load onto your phone and do electronically.

Anyone on the ship can get boarding passes printed for free

I beg to differ. I went to concierge who politely told me they do NOT offer this service. On Marina last Dec it was offered. When I told her this she said I was mistaken. I distinctly remember the concierge printing our passes. I made a note of this failing in our final comment cards.

I've been paying the 25 cents per page. If I don't have internet on the ship, or spending a couple of days post cruise, print boarding passes before going to the departing airport. It seems so much easier that way.

We docked Miami on Dec 12 with a 1:05 flight. Ship docked well before 6 am and they began disembarking at 8 am. Even though we were not in the first group, we were off before 8:30, picked up luggage and were in the taxi line well before 8:45. We were at the check-in desk at the airport at 9:15.

Keep your earlier flight as long as it won't cause you any stress. If it does, take the later one and enjoy lunch at the airport.

Sure there should be plenty of time, but why stress about it. If you are asking the question then you are worried about it. Take the later flight and give yourself peace of mind. :)

worst case scenario ...you have to eat lunch at the airport

If everything goes well you will probably be ok with the early flight but if something throws something off schedule well....

We almost missed our 1220 flight a few years ago due several events that just were bad luck ..heard several people missed their early flights

Lyn

The Port of Miami can hold up the show by failing to clear the ship in a timely manner. I've experienced it one out of the last three times we disembarked there, and others on these threads have also complained about it from time to time too.

If you have concerns, what is 2-3 hours time versus unnecessary worrying at the end of your vacation? Unless you have problems with connections, my personal choice would be the later flight.

On the November TA aboard Riviera, there were all kinds of rumors that the Miami Port Authorities might hold up debarking on Dec 2 due to the fact that Riviera had not docked there before. Bushwa!

We were in the second group to debark, right on time and other than a couple of minute wait while one of the security people took a passenger off for a shake down (whatever), of course he was handling our line, we were through and out in mere minutes without a problem.

Get a red-hat to handle your luggage in the pick-up area so you can hold your paperwork without hassle. The red-hat will take you out to the taxi stand, position your bags and tell one of you to stay with your luggage while the other goes to stand in line for the taxis which come up in small groups. We were maybe 20 minutes waiting for our taxi and off to the airport tout suite. 20 minute ride, $25 fare plus tip (I gave him ten and he helped the sky cap move our luggage to the curb side scales.)

We ended up having almost a 3 hour wait for our 1:30 flight. Gave us plenty of time to meet and say a leisurely final farewell to many of our fellow cruisers who debarked late/last. The Starbucks was great too.

JMBobB

The less time you spend in Miami Airport the better.

The less time you spend in Miami Airport the better.

And the reason?

We had no issue. We walked and walked to exercise a bit before our nearly 6 hour flight home and we waited in the AA lounge. We found it clean and we even found very good food. We did not see what would have appeared to be a criminal element either.

Oceanbill457, We live in Miami and use the Miami Airport for all of our international flights. I think your statement was way off base about the airport. Yes, its quite busy as we are the gateway to South America and the Caribbean. It is safe, clean and easy to use and has some wonderful food options. When were you there last?

dlouise,

What are some of those "wonderful food options" for Miami? We'll be debarking Riviera next month and our flight home from Miami doesn't leave until 5:30 PM. We are looking for a good restaurant where we can have a long, leisurely lunch to kill a few hours. Besides dining, are there any other options for killing time in the airport?

dlouise: We were in and out of MIA in Aug and got there in time for me to look for a Cuban Sandwich within the airport but the airport has changed a lot since we lived there in the 80s and I did not get it. In case we use MIA in the future (we are closer to MCO now but MIA better for Latin America), where is the Cuban food or do I need to leave time to stop at a restaurant on the way?

If memory serves, there are a number of outposts of the famous Cafe Versailles at the MIA airport, probably the best known Cuban restaurant in the country.

Can't speak for the entire airport, but at least for the part that houses American Airlines is great and functions better than anytime I have flown there in the last 25 years. Bright, clean and well organized.