Earliest Flight home on disembarkation day

[Briightside]

Hello!

 

We have booked a 4 day cruise out of Orlando to Bahamas. 

 

We get back at 7am. 

 

There is direct flight home (to Canada) at 1145am. 

 

Can we we make this flight? 

As long as we do the early disembarkation etc. 

 

thanks,

B

 

 

[Twickenham]

Well, first things first: you are not cruising out of Orlando, as Orlando is quite far inland. You are cruising out of Port Canaveral. This is a critical point, as it has a direct bearing on your question.

 

It is around a 45-minute drive from Port Canaveral to MCO, but of course that is subject to traffic conditions. Plus you want to be at the airport a couple of hours earlier. Is it doable? Probably. What would I do? I'd be booking that flight... for the next day. I just don't like that kind of stress.

[zqvol]

Is it possible? Maybe.

 

It is at least a 45 minute drive to MCO. IF you get off the ship early it will probably be around 8:00. In that case you can be to the airport if you have private transport by 10:00 without any problem, and that is enough time to make the flight.

 

However, if anything goes wrong, if there is a traffic accident blocking the road, customs takes forever, or anything else delaying disembarkation, you will be watching the plane leave without you.

[Elaine5715]

MCO can be a nightmare. Figure 45 minutes to check luggage and another 45 minutes to get through Security on a slow day. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

No way would I want to be stressed on disembarkation day not knowing whether or not I would make the flight.

 

If there isn't a direct flight home later in the day, then stay over a day near the airport.

[skrufy]

We never book before 1pm, saying that, I would try to be on the road by 815am but no later than 830am. The more built in time to check in, drop luggage off, and get throughput  TSA, which can be a nightmare the better.

[Heidi13]

In addition to the reasons provided by previous responses, I would also consider that the ship could be late - weather, or a multitude of other issues.

 

When you also require a 45 mile drive to the airport, I certainly would not be booking a flight that early.

[cruising cockroach]

I hadn't expected sea levels to rise so much and so soon......

 

In addition to the above, your frequent flyer and KTN status will help.  MCO can be a bit of a zoo.

[Keith1010]

The advice you have been given is spot-on.

 

There is risk with the time of the fight you are considering.

No two disembarkations are precisely the same and some go great, some so so and some bad.

 

I would look for a flight closer to 1:00 PM and that way you will not spend time worrying about making it before and during the cruise.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

I am anti-stress. Find a later flight or stay overnight. If you miss your booked flight, it makes for a miserable day standing around waiting for later flights and hoping to get a seat on one.

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

If you do have some later choices available, pick one of them. While they don't generally have a strict enforcement policy, for international flights, you are requested to be at the airport 3 hrs. in advance. 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Nic6318

[navybankerteacher]

Perhaps it is Disney-marketing:  too many people seem to believe cruises sail from and return to Orlando—- they don’t!   You should plan on close to an hour just to get from the port to Orlando airport, on top of all the possible delays in ship arrival, debarking, luggage retrieval, etc.

 

You can “probably” make that flight - there is also a fair possibility that you will not:  do you feel lucky?

[SRF]

1 hour ago, paul929207 said:

I am anti-stress. Find a later flight or stay overnight. If you miss your booked flight, it makes for a miserable day standing around waiting for later flights and hoping to get a seat on one.

And at MCO, your wait might be more than a day.

 

I had a flight canceled, then the rebooked flight canceled do to weather coming out of MCO.  I got out the next morning (but VERY high status with airline).  I met a family that was not booked out (had been on my rebooked flight) and they wer enot getting out for 3 days.

 

And as others have said, 2 hours before you flight may not be long enough.  Personally, I would nowdays want a minimum of 3 hours, and probably would shot for 4.  And that is with TSA Pre-Check.  MCO IS A ZOO.

[donaldsc]

On 11/10/2018 at 10:42 AM, zqvol said:

Is it possible? Maybe.

 

It is at least a 45 minute drive to MCO. IF you get off the ship early it will probably be around 8:00. In that case you can be to the airport if you have private transport by 10:00 without any problem, and that is enough time to make the flight.

 

However, if anything goes wrong, if there is a traffic accident blocking the road, customs takes forever, or anything else delaying disembarkation, you will be watching the plane leave without you.

 

Are you suggesting that the OP arrive at the airport at 10:00 AM if everything goes perfectly for a flight to an airport that might have major security delays that takes off at 11:45.  This gives the OP 1 h 45 m from when they hopefully arrive at the airport to when the plane leaves the runway.  I would not take that chance.

 

DON

[zqvol]

22 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Are you suggesting that the OP arrive at the airport at 10:00 AM if everything goes perfectly for a flight to an airport that might have major security delays that takes off at 11:45.  This gives the OP 1 h 45 m from when they hopefully arrive at the airport to when the plane leaves the runway.  I would not take that chance.

 

DON

 

I do it all the time flying out of MCO, and have never had any issue.

[SRF]

Oh, and remember, an 11:45 departure means the gate closes at 11:30, or earlier.

 

Last time I flew out of MCO in the morning, it took over an hour to check the bags.  

[puppycanducruise]

And don't forget, the OP is flying to Canada, not a domestic flight.

So, don't they recommend you be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight?

[navybankerteacher]

16 hours ago, zqvol said:

 

I do it all the time flying out of MCO, and have never had any issue.

 

How many ACTUAL times is “all the time”?

[zqvol]

Just now, navybankerteacher said:

 

How many ACTUAL times is “all the time”?

 8  - 10 in the past three years.

[Capt_BJ]

this morning there was a 5:30 accident on 528 - the road between the port and MCO - between I-95 and SR-520

 

it is now approaching 9 and 528 westbound remains CLOSED

 

alternates are causing estimated 1 hour delays

 

this is not a terribly unusual occurrence.  

Edited November 12, 2018 by Capt_BJ

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, zqvol said:

 8  - 10 in the past three years.

 

Interesting : there are serious traffic delays on 528 at least five times per year - which is a lot closer to “all the time” than 8 or 10 times in three years:  meaning that perhaps OP should NOT count on everything: ship arrival, debarkation, luggage retrieval, driving to Orlando, checking in (for a flight to Canada), and boarding the plane seamlessly and without delay.

[FlyerTalker]

One more delightful little nit about MCO -- the huge number of open-top shopping bags from Disney seem to always slow down the TSA screening.  Stuff keeps falling out.  (And even more so onboard)  Plus getting the "little ones" through the scanners never seems to go smoothly.

 

Pre-check or Clear is definitely desirable at MCO.

[cruising cockroach]

6 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

And don't forget, the OP is flying to Canada, not a domestic flight.

So, don't they recommend you be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight?

 

Not for trans-border.  Standard time (YMMV as to what that is at MCO).  Might take the check-in or gate agent 5-10 seconds more at most to verify docs.

[cb at sea]

There is no need to stay an extra day before flying home.  Just try to pick a time mid-day...you'll be ok.  It's about 1 hour to the airport from your port....and you'll need to go thru security, etc...  You really don't need to spend another day with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, to get home.

 

[cruising cockroach]

19 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

There is no need to stay an extra day before flying home.  Just try to pick a time mid-day...you'll be ok.  It's about 1 hour to the airport from your port....and you'll need to go thru security, etc...  You really don't need to spend another day with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, to get home.

 

 

May not be practical for the OP.  Flights to/from Canada are more limited and other options involve flight change (in the U.S.) which would increase travel time by at least 2 hrs and introduce risk of flight misconnection.