Disembarking Barcelona May 1,2019

[Chopper 342]

Would it be possible to make a 11.15 AM flight after disembarking Seaourn Odessey May 1, 2019 if we took our own luggage off the ship?

[SKP946]

Highly doubtful, you might be lucky, but I don’t think it worth the stress after a (hopefully) relaxing cruise. 

It took us about 4 hours from the ship to the airport lounge when we disembarked Encore in 2017.

We were flying Business Class, so we had Priority Passes for Security and Passport Control, however the Airport was chaotic.

I was pleased that I had booked the 5pm flight rather than the 11am.

This is a photo I snapped after take-off from BCN, you can see Encore sailing out of the Harbour (circled)

[Sparky026]

20 hours ago, Chopper 342 said:

Would it be possible to make a 11.15 AM flight after disembarking Seaourn Odessey May 1, 2019 if we took our own luggage off the ship?

 

Hi,

Before accepting the first response you get. Everyone has different experiences at airports and in general the more time you have to transit anywhere equals less stress.

 

You don't say if you are booking flights or the flight is already booked.

If booked, is it booked through Seabourn's Flight-Ease?

The ship is only 450 +/- pax so getting luggage off in the first off load is not difficult and something you can arrange on board.

If you are travelling to a non Schengen country then the suggested arrival time at BCN is 3 hours prior to flight time.

[rols]

We weren't in a rush last time we flew out of BCN last summer. It took no more than 25 minutes to get to the airport from the cruise terminal and security/passports were quick (we too were on business class so had the priority passes) and we were in the lounge comfortably 30 minutes after we arrived at the airport). We had lots of time to kill. 

 

I think if you're on business and have checked-in online and get to be on the first group leaving the ship, preferably with a car pre-booked, it's a 99/100 you'd make the flight. If you're not and join the longer lines, your percentage drops a bit. In general, and it's not something we rely on, if you get to check-in which tends to close 60 minutes before departure, someone will normally make sure you get on the plane. 

 

I wouldn't take an 1115 flight out of BCN at the end of a cruise myself unless there really was no other option because that 1% of the time it goes wrong, you just soured the end of a nice vacation. I know many people who think nothing of turning up at pretty much any airport to go anywhere 60 minutes before the doors close and they make most of their flights, it's not for me. 

[2SailingNomads]

Last time we left from BCN we were one of the first off, had a car waiting, and were sitting in the lounge in about an hour - and unlike the other posters that time we were not flying business class but could still use the Sky Priority check-in, which is the same as business class.  I don't recall the exact departure time but it was before noon.  My opinion is it all depends on how much stress you want to potentially encounter.

 

[rols]

14 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

we were not flying business class but could still use the Sky Priority check-in, which is the same as business class. 

The priority check-in is handy, what we find makes the most difference, or at least makes transit to the gate the least variable, is the priority security check line. With that you're pretty much guaranteed to make it from check-in to gate in less than 30 minutes wherever the gate is and without having to rush. When an airport gets busy the first thing which tends to get out of hand is the security check on the way out, so if we don't have priority, I tack on 45 minutes just incase. 

 

I checked. The last time we went out of BCN we had a 1530 flight. We left the ship as late as you could. We waited in the port for nearly an hour after that because the earliest pickup we could get was 1130. We had to wait at the airport for checkin to open 3 hours before the flight and spent nearly 2 hours in the lounge. The actual amount of time we spent getting to the airport, checking in, clearing immigration and security and walking to the gate was less than an hour. That's exactly one data point from one set of travellers on one day. I would still not book an 1115 flight if I had another option. 

[Les Picantins]

The last time I disembarked in Barcelona there was a bit of a delay with the ship being cleared. 

 

Also, keep in mind that May 1 is Spain’s Labor Day and there may be fewer government employees working that day at the port, and more travelers at the airport. 

[ab21au]

We have docked in BCN twice, the Encore and the Ovation. Last year on the Ovation we waited for a taxi for about an hour. If you left the ship early that could be avoided provided there are taxis there early.

 

Friends had a private transfer organized to take them to the airport but it didn’t arrive on time; until we were about to get in the taxi. (We had already told them to use our taxi if their transfer didn’t arrive). They were stressed they were going to miss their flight to UK. 

[lincslady]

I don't imagine this applies to the OP, but a word of warning to anyone who has airport assistance - at Barcelona it is absolutely dire, and you can stand (not enough seats) for a long time before you even get any assistance.