Can I make a 10:30 a.m. flight at FLL when ship arrives at 8 a.m.?

[knoxscoop]

I know this  is cutting it close but it's Saturday and it looks like the airport is just 14 minutes from Port Everglades so maybe doable? It would save us a couple days layover.

[JohninDC]

Can you make it?  Maybe.  For a 10:30 flight you need to be at FLL by 9:00. The cab ride from PE to the airport takes 10-15+ minutes.  If you like up early and carry your bags off, and there are no ship, immigration or customs delays you can make it.

 

Do you want to spend your cruise worried about making your flight home?  

 

Not sure I understand how taking a later flight would cost you a couple of days? 

[CruiserBruce]

OK, lets clarify some things. Confirm you are docking at Port Everglades? If so, the comments below apply.

 

I can't recall ever hearing that a ship docks as late as 8am. In fact, it seems rare they dock after 6:30. So disembarking starts by 7:30 at the absolute latest. Some ships arrive by 5am (the RCI mega ships, usually, Oasis, Allure, etc) and start letting people off by 6:30.

 

10:30 is the earliest commonly recommended flight, although some will push for earlier. All you have to do is carry your bags off, and catch a cab, as the drive to the airport is very short. You can make a 10:30 flight if what is described above applies to you. This is probably topic #1 on this board...it is discussed daily.

[BNBR]

Couple days layover?  Yeah totally go for it. Line up at 6:30 or so with your own luggage to be at the front.  Should actually be able to make it pretty easily. 

 

If there is a significant delay, which is rare, and you miss the flight... Well you had a couple days layover as your other option anyways. 

 

But really, you can easily make the 10:30 flight if you line up early. 

[Cienfuegos]

FLL airport security has been relatively quick based on my last few flights with Global Entry / Pre-Check.

 

My recollection is the ships may dock as late as 8am, but, as noted above, usually come in much earlier.

[Corby114]

Most ships that return to Port Everglades dock between 5:00AM and 6:00AM on turnaround days. 8:00AM is considered a late arrival. You can easily make your flight if you carry off the luggage on your own and are one of the first groups off of the ship which usually starts around 6:30AM.

[cutiepie43]

We had a flight last month at 920 out of FLL.  We were with Holland America's Koningsdam, did the express walk off which started a bit early and we were at the airport by 8am.  I didn't want to take a flight this early but we took a chance as the next available flight for us was 6pm.  One other thing we had going for us was this was a Wednesday and we were the only ship in port.

[JohninDC]

35 minutes ago, cutiepie43 said:

 One other thing we had going for us was this was a Wednesday and we were the only ship in port.

That's a big advantage!

[BNBR]

3 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

That's a big advantage!

 

I don't think it makes much of a difference.  When we self-disembark early on a weekend, regardless of the amount of ships, it's dead outside.  Crowds just aren't there yet.  Taxis lined up waiting, etc.  The airport would be similarly "before the crowds" if you head straight there.

[fishywood]

If the stated arrival time is 8 AM do not automatically assume a high likelihood that disembarkation may in reality begin earlier. One example: on a day with a full house of seven or eight ships in port the ship in Terminal 4 usually has to dock much later than the others especially if it is going to do a 180 in the turning basin and back into the berth. Ships in Terminals 2, 18 and 19 must be fully alongside first. Back in November 2017 when I disembarked Royal Princess in Terminal 2 I had cleared out of my cabin, eaten breakfast in the MDR, disembarked, claimed my bag, cleared immigration and was waiting outside to be picked up before I saw the first passenger exit Caribbean Princess in Terminal 4 around 8:45. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by fishywood

[Cienfuegos]

Fort Lauderdale's cruise terminal 4 will also have some changes over the next 18 months.

 

The Sun-Sentinel says plans call for a relocation of  the security gate checkpoint to the terminal for self-park patrons (only).  That should significantly reduce congestion and delays at the beginning of a cruise.  Limo and shuttle drop offs would continue to use the checkpoint.

 

There's a major effort underway area-wide to improve traffic flow to the beach causeway, and this change should reduce congestion on US 1, and 17th Street,  etc.

[andie717]

On 3/23/2019 at 12:14 AM, knoxscoop said:

I know this  is cutting it close but it's Saturday and it looks like the airport is just 14 minutes from Port Everglades so maybe doable? It would save us a couple days layover.

We made an 11:00 am flight with plenty of time to spare...and we arrived at POM and flight was from FLL.