Flights - your opinion please

[Torbsboy]

Hello,

We are docking at the Miami Cruise Terminal at 06.00 on December 2nd 2015 on Riviera and was wondering if we would have enough time to catch an internal flight from Fort Lauderdale Airport which departs at 10.26. I am not sure what time O allows you to disembark and how long it might take to clear customs as we are not US citizens? I was thinking it must be an hour by car to the airport too?

You thoughts would be great.

Thanks. Grant

[orchestrapal]

Hello,

We are docking at the Miami Cruise Terminal at 06.00 on December 2nd 2015 on Riviera and was wondering if we would have enough time to catch an internal flight from Fort Lauderdale Airport which departs at 10.26. I am not sure what time O allows you to disembark and how long it might take to clear customs as we are not US citizens? I was thinking it must be an hour by car to the airport too?

You thoughts would be great.

Thanks. Grant

 

I would book a later flight for sure. Customs in Miami can be very long and they can be late in clearing the ship. You then have the drive to Ft. Louderdale and most airlines require you to be at check in 2-3 hours in advance.

[LHT28]

agree... book a later flight or stay over & take one the next day

 

Why not get a non stop from MIA ?

Edited December 20, 2014 by LHT28

[StanandJim]

+3, The Airport is only half an hour away, but you'll have to be at the Airport at least 2 hours before an International flight, and you simply cannot count on the ship being released by Customs that early.

Incidentally, I have been hanging around Cruise Critic for a decade now, and nobody has even suggested a flight before 11AM before; so you must have a very optimistic World view.....;)

[azevedan]

If you are prepared to walk off with your luggage as soon as the ship is cleared, and have TSA Precheck, you could probably pull it off. I'd feel more comfortable with a little more time.

 

I believe the OP said 'internal' flight, so 60-90 minutes prior.

Edited December 20, 2014 by azevedan

[Paulchili]

OP,

Please read the discussion about disembarkation in Miami here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=45019686#post45019686

and then book a flight well after 12 noon - especially for a non US citizen (unless you enjoy stress and living on the edge) :D In my mind you would probably not even make the flight out Miami, never mind FLL - your flight would not even be a consideration for me.

PS If you miss your flight (your fault) the airline has no obligation to accommodate you on the next flight or at the same price. It may be a very costly mistake.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Paulchili

[no fuss travel]

From the last time I came through Miami, there were lots of immigration personnel for Americans and they had one booth for non-residents. Make your flight for after noon. Less stress for you.

I try not to sail out of Miami anymore because of the immigration since I am not an American. They always seem to have more booths open for Americans than they do for others.

[Mura]

Grant,

 

(Hi again!)

 

I could have been the first person to respond to your question but I saw no point in saying "I'm, not sure," although I was inclined to say what others have: take a later flight. It's 10 years since we went from the Miami port to Ft. Lauderdale for a flight but I was pretty sure you would need more time. especially since you cannot be positive the ship will really clear that early.

 

Mura

[StanandJim]

From the last time I came through Miami, there were lots of immigration personnel for Americans and they had one booth for non-residents. Make your flight for after noon. Less stress for you.

I try not to sail out of Miami anymore because of the immigration since I am not an American. They always seem to have more booths open for Americans than they do for others.

 

That's an odd thing to say, particularly as your countrymen have virtually overrun Florida....

[Mura]

It does work both ways.

 

A couple of years ago we had to change terminals at Charles de Gaulle in Paris to catch our flight to the U.S. We had a scant hour to do so and we knew from prior experience that it took us about 45 minutes at a minimum to get from Point A to Point B.

 

At passport control there were two or three EU people working and NONE for anyone else. After 10-15 minutes they finally switched one of the EU people to the Non-EU line.

 

We barely made our flight ...

 

However, rather than saying "tit for tat" I will agree that personnel at immigration points should have more sense in how they allocate passport stampers!

 

Mura

[Wendy The Wanderer]

That's an odd thing to say, particularly as your countrymen have virtually overrun Florida....

 

I hope you have your tongue firmly in your cheek on this one, Stan or Jim. Yes, there's lots of Canadians down here in the winter, but we have hardly overrun Florida.

 

to the OP, I wouldn't do it. First of all, you have to arrange one of the shuttles to FLL--how long is that going to take, given traffic and other contingencies? I would not even book a flight out of Miami before noon, but I'm a nervous traveller.

[PaulMCO]

Considering the past review with the OP complaining about disembarkation -- they began at 8:45.. As the New Yorkers-- say forgeeet about iiiit....

 

Now about the Canadians... There are more bad NY/CT drivers here than our neighbors from the 51st state (at least they know how to drive) :D

[no fuss travel]

That's an odd thing to say, particularly as your countrymen have virtually overrun Florida....

 

Not really odd, but even here at Vancouver's airport when returning home, they have more stations open for non-residents than they do for residents. Part of the reason here is that several Canadians now have NEXUS cards, which speeds up the process of coming home. More of the reason why I don't want to sail out of Miami anymore, which I should have stated is that I have been to the ports in the Caribbean enough times and they are now so shopping oriented that I do not find them enjoyable anymore. Same thing is happening in one of the ports on the Alaska run. Won't do that cruise anymore either for that reason. Now the immigration to get on the ship to sail to Alaska from Vancouver is a pain as you have to clear American immigration and they don't have enough booths at the cruise terminal to handle all the passengers embarking on the ships.

In Florida, you must be getting all the Eastern Canadians coming down to escape the snow and ice. Don't think you are getting too many westerners as they tend to go to Palm Springs or Arizona for the winter. We live in the Banana Belt or the temperate RAIN forest belt, so we tend to head for where there is more solid rather than liquid sunshine.:D:D

[Paulchili]

 

Now about the Canadians... There are more bad NY/CT drivers here than our neighbors from the 51st state (at least they know how to drive) :D

 

What about the local drivers? :)

Sometimes I think I'd rather drive in India than Florida (well, maybe not India but perhaps Italy) :D

[Mura]

Driving in various countries can be interesting.

 

I've driven across Canada 4-5 times over the years and have NOT had a problem with our neighbors to the north.

 

NYC drivers, that can be something else. Many years ago a friend went to JFK to pick us up at the airport in a blizzard. He didn't get the message I asked the airline to send to him that we had been delayed and diverted. Instead of arriving at JFK on the evening expected, we went to Bermuda and spent the night at a fancy hotel. (Therein lies another tale.)

 

But he wasn't alerted and didn't call to check on arrival time as I had instructed him, and ended up plowing into a Volvo. My Dodge Dart suffered the most from the encounter. The Volvo had a broken tail light, my car had a broken nose cone.

 

So I was driving around Manhattan for a few days with this damaged car before we could take it in for repairs, and CAB DRIVERS were avoiding me. I told them a man had done the damage, but they weren't listening. It meant making left turns were much easier, however ...

 

Anyway, the worst drivers I have encountered have been in rural France ... driving in Tuscany was far easier. I haven't tried Japan yet.

 

Just saying ...

 

Mura

[edgee]

Our ship (smaller than yours), the Regatta, arrived at Miami one hour later…at 7 a.m. a few weeks ago. We walked off of the ship month at 8:20 a.m…did not carry off our own luggage…picked it up inside the terminal. Had a car waiting for us which took us directly to Ft. Lauderdale airport….were through security and at our gate by 9:10 a.m. That is when everything goes right. Indeed it is possible, but I would not chance it.

Edited December 21, 2014 by edgee

[no fuss travel]

Worst drivers Maputo, Mozambique. I have never been so scared in my life. We had a couple sharing the van with us from New York City, and even they said they had never seen such bad drivers. To this day, I don't know how we got to the Reserve and back to the ship without having an accident.:eek:

[Paulchili]

Our ship (smaller than yours), the Regatta, arrived at Miami one hour later…at 7 a.m. a few weeks ago. We walked off of the ship month at 8:20 a.m…did not carry off our own luggage…picked it up inside the terminal. Had a car waiting for us which took us directly to Ft. Lauderdale airport….were through security and at our gate by 9:10 a.m. That is when everything goes right. Indeed it is possible, but I would not chance it.

 

I think you were very lucky.

I would like to ask OP a question, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry - "Do you feel lucky"? :D

[Torbsboy]

Lol Thanks for your words of wisdom. We were trying to find a direct flight to San Fran and then fly back to the UK once spending a few days there as we have been to Miami/Florida several times - might go for a 3 oclock flight from Miami instaed.

[Hambagahle]

Miami airport is pretty awful and should you fly on American Airlines it is awfuller than awfull if that is possible. When you check in you feel as though you are in a dungeon. And it doesn't get any better until you are on the plane. At least, that has been our experience (BA uses the AA check in area or used to...) I would allow at least one hour more than you think you need to allow just to deal with the airport. FLL airport is a whole lot nicer IMO - but you have to get there and getting there involves I-95...

[bitob]

Worst drivers Maputo, Mozambique. I have never been so scared in my life. We had a couple sharing the van with us from New York City, and even they said they had never seen such bad drivers. To this day, I don't know how we got to the Reserve and back to the ship without having an accident.:eek:

 

Apparently you have never been to Cairo.

 

 

 

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[seasoned]

…or China, where double yellow lines are only a suggestion.

 

-Sukey-

[orchestrapal]

…or China, where double yellow lines are only a suggestion.

 

-Sukey-

 

Or Israel where " one way" seems to mean YOUR way when necessary,

[bitob]

…or China, where double yellow lines are only a suggestion.

 

 

 

-Sukey-

 

 

There are no lines or lanes in Cairo

None at all

 

 

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[edgee]

I think you were very lucky.

I would like to ask OP a question, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry - "Do you feel lucky"?

 

We were, indeed, lucky. We really did not even need that much "luck" as our flight home was booked for a "sensible" 12:05 departure. My point was that making a flight before 11 is certainly possible, but I would not count on it.