Epic disembarkation question

This is my first time on the Epic. I hope this is an easy question as I have tried to research with out a clear answer. I will be on the Nov. transatlantic and I am doing my flights independently. The ship disembarks in Port Canaveral at 8 AM. What do all you wonderful experts who have disembarked here suggest as the earliest(best) time to book a flight from Orlando airport? I will most likely do a ship transfer as traveling solo. Any suggestions. Last minute cruise booking!! Thanks everyone :)

Hi Parislady

I'm on this sailing too I made my flight for 2:00 at Orlando I felt that was a safe time. I plan on doing self walk off so I can get right off the ship and take one of the shuttles to the airport.

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The airport is around 45 minutes to an hour away, barring traffic. NCL suggests not making any flights before 12:00. We have easily made12:30 and 1 pm flights when we cruised from Port Canaveral.

Thanks so much for the info. I am now a bit more comfortable booking a 1:30 pm flight. I was looking at booking Contrans shuttle service to the airport. If I do a walk off with baggage(done on other NCL ships easily) should I think of a 9 or 9:45 am shuttle? Sorry to be a newbie in regards to the port. I have traveled out of Port Canaveral and numerous other European ports, but first time on the Epic, and hear that it can be a very busy disembarkation, due to the volume of passengers. Thanks all.

Thanks so much cocod08 and pe4all. I have made a reservation with Contrans shuttle service. Hope that works out good. See you on board cocod08!!

This is my first time on the Epic. I hope this is an easy question as I have tried to research with out a clear answer. I will be on the Nov. transatlantic and I am doing my flights independently. The ship disembarks in Port Canaveral at 8 AM. What do all you wonderful experts who have disembarked here suggest as the earliest(best) time to book a flight from Orlando airport? I will most likely do a ship transfer as traveling solo. Any suggestions. Last minute cruise booking!! Thanks everyone :)

I wouldn't book before mid-afternoon. The airport is about an hour from the port. At port you go through immigration and customs. Then at the airport the checkin line is long and so is security.

When we did ta to Port Canaveral we were really glad our flight had been changed to 3:25 pm since we never would have made the original 1:25pm. We were at the airport but in security line.

I would take the earliest shuttle available. I would rather hang out at the airport a bit than be tense about missing my flight.

Thanks so much cocod08 and pe4all. I have made a reservation with Contrans shuttle service. Hope that works out good. See you on board cocod08!!

Have you joined the roll call for this sailing? We have lots of plans and many of the solos are meeting up for some specialty dining. There is a spread sheet with all the info

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Hi all,

I didn’t want to make a new thread as this one isn’t too old. I’ll be on a TA in November and looking at a flight form Orlando that leaves at 1123 domestic flight . Not sure being in the Haven makes a difference if doing self disembark, my flight will be in first class. I want to know if I get off the ship as early as possible (my itinerary says it docks at 8am. Does anyone know if that’s really the case or does it get in earlier?)

Does Orlando have a separate screening for business class passengers? I’ve read it can be busy but hoping a Saturday morning maybe quieter?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received. Thanks

Hi all,

I didn’t want to make a new thread as this one isn’t too old. I’ll be on a TA in November and looking at a flight form Orlando that leaves at 1123 domestic flight . Not sure being in the Haven makes a difference if doing self disembark, my flight will be in first class. I want to know if I get off the ship as early as possible (my itinerary says it docks at 8am. Does anyone know if that’s really the case or does it get in earlier?)

Does Orlando have a separate screening for business class passengers? I’ve read it can be busy but hoping a Saturday morning maybe quieter?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received. Thanks

With it being the TA, there’s no way I’d book a flight at that time. From what I’ve heard, the TA cruise usually takes a long time to disembark.

Hi all,

I didn’t want to make a new thread as this one isn’t too old. I’ll be on a TA in November and looking at a flight form Orlando that leaves at 1123 domestic flight . Not sure being in the Haven makes a difference if doing self disembark, my flight will be in first class. I want to know if I get off the ship as early as possible (my itinerary says it docks at 8am. Does anyone know if that’s really the case or does it get in earlier?)

Does Orlando have a separate screening for business class passengers? I’ve read it can be busy but hoping a Saturday morning maybe quieter?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received. Thanks

It's o.k. so long as you clear immigration and customs on board prior to arriving in PC. Full immigration processing at PC for 4000 people takes a while.

Hi all,

I didn’t want to make a new thread as this one isn’t too old. I’ll be on a TA in November and looking at a flight form Orlando that leaves at 1123 domestic flight . Not sure being in the Haven makes a difference if doing self disembark, my flight will be in first class. I want to know if I get off the ship as early as possible (my itinerary says it docks at 8am. Does anyone know if that’s really the case or does it get in earlier?)

Does Orlando have a separate screening for business class passengers? I’ve read it can be busy but hoping a Saturday morning maybe quieter?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received. Thanks

I did self walk off this past November on the TA. We began lining up around 6:00 and I think they started letting people off around 7:30. I will say it was a mad house. They do escort Haven guests off that early as well as I remember them coming off the elevator as we were walking out to the deck. They do usually try to do immigration at the USVI port but we were unable to do it last year due to all the hurricane damage and St. Thomas port being eliminated. This helps eliminate some of the back up at the port but there are no guarantees. I took the shuttle to the airport and got there I think around 9:30? Security was pretty quick put I had TSA precheck do it goes quick.

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The airport is around 45 minutes to an hour away, barring traffic. NCL suggests not making any flights before 12:00. We have easily made12:30 and 1 pm flights when we cruised from Port Canaveral.

Did you walk out with your luggage or can I wait for color to be called?

I've made a 12:30 flight from port Canaveral. BUT, the Epic is having a lot of issues if you read the reviews. Normal time for embarkation and I'm assuming disembarkation are taking a long time with people waiting in the hot sun for hours, sit-in gin the terminal for hours and then almost missing the lunch service. It's not normal NCL organization. I think 2pm is a good.

Just got off the Epic yesterday. Took Contrans to the airport and was there about 9:00 for an 11:50 flight. Orlando airport on Saturday is a madhouse. I have precheck and was glad to have it because the regular security lines are crazy.

Just got off the Epic yesterday. Took Contrans to the airport and was there about 9:00 for an 11:50 flight. Orlando airport on Saturday is a madhouse. I have precheck and was glad to have it because the regular security lines are crazy.

So if we have pre check and we are flying out on a Wednesday, we should be fine with an 11:30 flight? We are doing self disembark with just carry on luggage.

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we had our luggage picked up outside the room for 9 am pickup. We walked out at 830 grabbed a porter after finding our luggage. That gets you through customs a lot faster if you get a porter its worth the 5.00. He took us to our airport shuttle location. We had prepaid a 15.00 early bird check in with southwest and they gave us A line tickets. At the airport we checked the luggage in curbside. Another 5.00 and were sitting outside the airport at 10 am bags checked and boarding passes in hand This was for a 12.35 flight so spend a fiver at port and the airport and you should be good to go

we had our luggage picked up outside the room for 9 am pickup. We walked out at 830 grabbed a porter after finding our luggage. That gets you through customs a lot faster if you get a porter its worth the 5.00. He took us to our airport shuttle location. We had prepaid a 15.00 early bird check in with southwest and they gave us A line tickets. At the airport we checked the luggage in curbside. Another 5.00 and were sitting outside the airport at 10 am bags checked and boarding passes in hand This was for a 12.35 flight so spend a fiver at port and the airport and you should be good to go

Good to know. Thank you.

I did the SW early bird check in also.

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we had our luggage picked up outside the room for 9 am pickup. We walked out at 830 grabbed a porter after finding our luggage. That gets you through customs a lot faster if you get a porter its worth the 5.00. He took us to our airport shuttle location. We had prepaid a 15.00 early bird check in with southwest and they gave us A line tickets. At the airport we checked the luggage in curbside. Another 5.00 and were sitting outside the airport at 10 am bags checked and boarding passes in hand This was for a 12.35 flight so spend a fiver at port and the airport and you should be good to go

If we are just doing carry on luggage, do we need a porter? Or will he know where we need to go and get us there faster?

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A porter will take you to a much shorter customs line. At least in our cruising experience

A porter will take you to a much shorter customs line. At least in our cruising experience

Beautiful! Thank you so much.