Return home flight after cruise

[WhoDatNation]

Hello all. My family has a return flight booked from Fort Lauderdale leaving at 9:55am. What is the process for cruisers with early flights for as getting off the ship early? Thanks in advance

Edited January 12, 2017 by WhoDatNation

[Crusin' from Fl]

Customs is in control, once the ship is cleared by them, then the ship will release you, just take all your luggage with you and you can walk off.

 

 

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[SunnyAlberta27]

We got off the ship the earliest we could, the customs line was extremely long and took forever. If we had not been able to go through the handicap line we would have missed our 11 am flight.

 

 

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[pjules]

You will need to do walk off first thing in the morning. Don't put your luggage the night before because you will probably miss your flight.

 

 

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[msmayor]

You will most definitely want to do self-debarkation, which means you carry all your luggage off yourself. You will want to be up and ready to go early, so you can be off the ship as soon as they call for self-assist. Get through customs and get a cab as quickly as you can.

 

Whether or not you make the flight will depend on a lot of other factors. How many ships will be in port that morning? You could be competing with a lot of others trying to make early flights and while the airport isn't that far from the port, you have to get your party through security and be ready to board 30-45 minutes before flight time, so that means ready to board your plane around 9:15am.

 

The other thing you should have available? A backup plan....just in case.

[pyl27]

Hi all! Other then taking the cab to the airport, is there any shuttle service from the port? Thanks

 

 

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[Bowie MeMe]

Hello all. My family has a return flight booked from Fort Lauderdale leaving at 9:55am. What is the process for cruisers with early flights for as getting off the ship early? Thanks in advance

 

Woooha! You are asking for a big problem with a 9:55 AM flight out of FLL with cruise disembarkation. First you have to hail a taxi because you are too early for shuttles. Sometimes easy Sometimes not. You can make the 9:55 but it will take a great deal of luck. FLL on cruise day is really a zoo. I have a daughter about 2 miles from FLL and I fly in and out several times a year and have for 40 years. If you could change your flight-- do! I have flown since the shooting and it is even harder to get through the lines AND I have GOES/trusted traveler -- meaning no shoes/belts off and only random searches. Keep in mind that on an average weekend day 100,000 folks go through the FLL airport. It is way way too small but it is the hub for Southwest, Jet Blue and Spirit.

[WhoDatNation]

Thanks so for the replies. After talking to everyone, we decided to stay in Fort Lauderdale the day we return and fly back home the next day. Thank god we booked Southwest where it was easy to make the switch and the price stayed the same.

Edited January 12, 2017 by WhoDatNation

[DaveOKC]

Thanks so for the replies. After talking to everyone, we decided to stay in Fort Lauderdale the day we return and fly back home the next day. Thank god we booked Southwest where it was easy to make the switch and the price stayed the same.

 

Good move IMO. Last month we were off our ship and at the airline gate at 9 AM, but that time everything went perfectly (we did not carry our bags off) and it was a Wed, not the typical busy weekend.

 

I would not book at flight before 11:30 am.

Edited January 12, 2017 by DaveOKC