Departing Flight Times

[papilliontraveler]

For you experienced do-it-yourself'ers, do you think a 12:00pm departing flight is too early? We usually book air through the cruiseline, but this time are booking everything on our own.

Going on the Glory, out of Miami.

Thanks.

[gone_cruisin]

Plenty of time - I've arrived at the airport as early as 8:30 am and been on a 9:45 am flight before.

[valancy1]

When I just booked my cruise for next year a couple days ago, they suggested I not schedule a flight back until 12 noon or later. I would think you'd easily be safe.

 

Particularly if you do the Luggage Express option (if it's offered for you)... you just walk off the ship and you're done! :)

 

They also let Self Assist people go first and you could easily be at the airport by 10 or 10:30.

 

Lastly, if you haven't thought about how to get to the airport, go with SAS transportation... they charge $15 and are SO PUNCTUAL it's almost scary. Love these guys!

[papilliontraveler]

Plenty of time - I've arrived at the airport as early as 8:30 am and been on a 9:45 am flight before.

 

How have you got to the airport by 8:30? I don't think we have ever been off the ship before 8:30.

[papilliontraveler]

When I just booked my cruise for next year a couple days ago, they suggested I not schedule a flight back until 12 noon or later. I would think you'd easily be safe.

 

Particularly if you do the Luggage Express option (if it's offered for you)... you just walk off the ship and you're done! :)

 

They also let Self Assist people go first and you could easily be at the airport by 10 or 10:30.

 

Lastly, if you haven't thought about how to get to the airport, go with SAS transportation... they charge $15 and are SO PUNCTUAL it's almost scary. Love these guys!

 

Thanks.

Yes, I think we are going to use SAS, seems like everyone has been very happy with their service.

[MamaParrotHead]

I'd say you have about a 75% chance of making it, provided you do Luggage Express or self-debarkation. I'd book it, jotting down the flight times and numbers of later flights to try to change to if for some reason the ship doesn't clear Customs or something funky (that happened to us once...missed our 2:30 flight and was on the phone with Delta ASAP and got us moved to the 4:30 flight).

[MamaParrotHead]

When I just booked my cruise for next year a couple days ago, they suggested I not schedule a flight back until 12 noon or later. I would think you'd easily be safe.

 

Particularly if you do the Luggage Express option (if it's offered for you)... you just walk off the ship and you're done! :)

 

They also let Self Assist people go first and you could easily be at the airport by 10 or 10:30.

 

Lastly, if you haven't thought about how to get to the airport, go with SAS transportation... they charge $15 and are SO PUNCTUAL it's almost scary. Love these guys!

 

SAS doesn't service MIA, only FLL. And I think Carnival's guidelines for scheduling flights for noon is out of MIA, FLL is bit further out and factoring in traffic I think it's later that they recommend.

[papilliontraveler]

Good point, I forgot that SAS doesn't service Miami.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

We are trying to use some points for free air, so I can't be real choosy on my times. Hopefully the afternoon(2-4) air will be available, and we will go with that.

[Earthworm Jim]

I'd say you have about a 75% chance of making it, provided you do Luggage Express or self-debarkation.

 

I don't think you need to do Luggage Express or self-debark to get off the ship early. I was on the Liberty in Miami last week and they said you can only do self-debark if you have only small carry-on type baggage, which we didn't. But they said if you had a flight before noon from Miami or before 1:00 from Ft. Lauderdale, you could go to the desk and get Group 2 debarkation tags for your luggage. I did so. (They didn't ask for proof, so some people may be getting group 2 tags they don't deserve)

 

If you read their signs they have posted they say groups 1 & 2 will begin debarking at about 7:30 and self-debark doesn't begin until 7:45, so we were actually off the ship before the people that self debarked.

 

I did have have to wait at the airport style luggage carousel for my bags, but they were only a few minutes. We were out at the curb with our bags by 8:00 and soon found our shuttle (QLS limousine, they were good). The van was full and left about 8:30 and we were at the Ft. Lauderdale airport just after 9:00 for out 12:10 flight.

 

There were long lines at the Southwest Airlines check-in and security at FLL, but they moved pretty quickly. We ended up having an hour and a half or so to kill before our flight started boarding at 11:30-ish.

[MamaParrotHead]

I've had three difference experiences getting off the ship.

 

First one, booked a 2:30 flight, did traditional debarkation and the ship had a Customs issue. Didn't get out of the terminal until 2:00.

 

Second one booked a 4:30 flight, booked a driver to kill time, did self-debarkation and we were toes on the curb of the terminal about 9:00.

 

Last one booked 12:40 flight, did Luggage Express and we were in a taxi and at MIA by around 10:00. It worked great.

[papilliontraveler]

Last time we cruised(2yrs ago) I can remember no one paying attention to what group should be getting off to disembark. It was like a free for all. Didn't make sense for Carnival to give you certain numbers according to flight times if it wasn't going to be enforced.

[papilliontraveler]

Hope this isn't covered in depth elsewhere, but could you give me a brief rundown of what Luggage Express is?

Thanks.

 

Also, who/what do you all recommend doing/using, as far as getting to the airport from the cruise terminal? Any particular shuttle, limo, etc. service?

[MamaParrotHead]

Hope this isn't covered in depth elsewhere, but could you give me a brief rundown of what Luggage Express is?

Thanks.

 

Also, who/what do you all recommend doing/using, as far as getting to the airport from the cruise terminal? Any particular shuttle, limo, etc. service?

 

Sure! You sign up for it on the ship, there will be notifications in the "Fun Times". You go to the Guest Services desk, with your passport and flight info, and fill out a form regarding your return flight/s. Then they deliver special tags for your luggage and you put them out the night before, like traditional debarkation. The morning of debarkation, you meet at the place/time that's stated on the letter that comes with your special luggage tags and you're escorted off the ship and through Customs. Carnival takes your luggage to the airport and gets them on your flights and you don't see it again until you reach your destination. Cost is like $20 per bag. AND they check in/print your boarding passes for you for your flight/s as well.

 

Taxis are plentiful, though the taxi lines can be nutty. I recently dug up info on this shuttle service, called them and they're quoting me like $10-$15 per person. http://www.vipshuttleservices.com/vehicle/browse.cfm?CFID=29163284&CFTOKEN=48244471

[Amosmoses33]

We were off the Glory in Port Canaveral and in the car by 8:15am doing self assist once. Near the first in line. Not sure how long it takes to get to the airport in Miami though. Good luck!

[Earthworm Jim]

Last time we cruised(2yrs ago) I can remember no one paying attention to what group should be getting off to disembark. It was like a free for all. Didn't make sense for Carnival to give you certain numbers according to flight times if it wasn't going to be enforced.

 

That what I recalled too, but they did something tricky on the Liberty to get around that problem. They told me (and I assume all the other Group 1 and 2 people as well) to report to the Main Lounge by 7:15 the morning of debarkation. Then they just verbally announced the groups 1 and 2 could debark there, so no one else on the ship even knew debarkation has started yet. No PA announcement. They also had a lot of chairs and such set up to block and other path to the exit but the one from the Lounge.

 

That said, there would have been nothing to stop someone with a higher Group number from reporting to the lounge and getting off with all the Group 1 and 2 people, but it was much more organized and less of a madhouse than I remember it being on my past cruises at least.

[jerseygirl79]

November 2009, I recall disembarking Destiny in Miami and waiting for SAS by 9:30. My group of 10 did general debarkation.

[papilliontraveler]

Thanks for the information on Luggage Express. Probably won't use it unless we have an earlier flight, sounds very helpful though.

 

Well hopefully they have the Group thing under control. It was ridiculous and the worst part was when we were trying to get to the front to get out(when out group was called to disembark), people with higher numbers were looking at us like we were cutting or doing some dirty deed.

[Joie]

on the luggage express you still have to go down and claim your luggage the following morning before it goes to airport????

When we were on HAL a few years back, we just se tit in the hallway and the next time we saw it was at Chicago O'Hare when we got home.

This trip we have a 4:30 in the afternoon flsight and just want to take a cab around town for awhile and eat lunch and shop before heading to the airport.

[MamaParrotHead]

on the luggage express you still have to go down and claim your luggage the following morning before it goes to airport????

When we were on HAL a few years back, we just se tit in the hallway and the next time we saw it was at Chicago O'Hare when we got home.

This trip we have a 4:30 in the afternoon flsight and just want to take a cab around town for awhile and eat lunch and shop before heading to the airport.

 

nope. set it outside your door and it's taken directly to the airport.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

November 2009, I recall disembarking Destiny in Miami and waiting for SAS by 9:30. My group of 10 did general debarkation.

 

You must have been flying from FLL airport. That's the only way they can pick you up in Miami.

 

nope. set it outside your door and it's taken directly to the airport.

 

Unless your luggage is picked for a random search by customs.:eek:

 

Thanks for the information on Luggage Express. Probably won't use it unless we have an earlier flight, sounds very helpful though.

 

You can't use luggage express with early flights as they need time to get all the luggage loaded into trucks and checked in at the airport.

 

We cruised from Miami but flew from FLL and we couldn't use it unless our flights were 2pm or later.

 

not sure what time if you are flying from Miami.

 

Bill

 

 

Bill

[gone_cruisin]

How have you got to the airport by 8:30? I don't think we have ever been off the ship before 8:30.

 

Self-assist and we were the first 20 off the boat by 7:55. The cab ride from the pier to Miami was only 15 minutes. It actually took longer to get through the airport security than customs.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I'm confused. How does someone get off earlier for luggage express than with self assist? Wouldn't they be getting off at the same time?

I have a flight leaving FLL at 12:30 - Carnival's website said that if you're coing into POM, flights from MIA should be booked after 11:30 and FLL flights 12:00. However, I hear Southwest has long lines so I want to be there for 10ish if possible. I booked SAS for 9 am but they said if we're not off the ship by then they are there until whenever we get off.

If self assist usually starts around 7:30 or 8:00 wouldn't I be sure to be off 9 ish?

[gone_cruisin]

I'm confused. How does someone get off earlier for luggage express than with self assist? Wouldn't they be getting off at the same time?

I have a flight leaving FLL at 12:30 - Carnival's website said that if you're coing into POM, flights from MIA should be booked after 11:30 and FLL flights 12:00. However, I hear Southwest has long lines so I want to be there for 10ish if possible. I booked SAS for 9 am but they said if we're not off the ship by then they are there until whenever we get off.

If self assist usually starts around 7:30 or 8:00 wouldn't I be sure to be off 9 ish?

 

I can't answer for how long it will take for SAS. All I can say is that out of the three times out of Miami, we have been off the ship no later than 9:00 with self-assist and in cab and at the airport no later than 9:30. This obviously is if everything goes right upon arrival into port.