Flight to cruise port

[Lorenky]

Thank you. How about the return flight. Our ship returns to Ft Lauderdale at 7 AM. I have no idea how long it takes to disembark. What time would you recommend we book a flight home same day?

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, Lorenky said:

Thank you. How about the return flight. Our ship returns to Ft Lauderdale at 7 AM. I have no idea how long it takes to disembark. What time would you recommend we book a flight home same day?

I would  say noon   but you might be able to make an 11 am flight

Usually  lots of ships in PE  so lots of people flying out  the same time

 Pre covid  it took us 1 hr just to get through security  thank goodness out flight was  2 pm

[jsn55]

34 minutes ago, Lorenky said:

Thank you. How about the return flight. Our ship returns to Ft Lauderdale at 7 AM. I have no idea how long it takes to disembark. What time would you recommend we book a flight home same day?

Do I really want the stress of worrying about making my flight home?  I'd never book a flight before 2pm.  If it's a place we like, we stay overnight and fly home the next day. As for flying in a day early, I like to look at the big picture.  I spend thousands on a cruise, and I don't want to jeopardize that by trying to avoid the expense of a hotel or a taxi.  My home airport is SFO, so I rarely have to book a connection.  In winter, I refuse to make a connection ever.  Been there, done that.    As others have said, "just take a later flight" these days is not a sound plan; flights are full, especially the cheap airlines.  As for arriving 2 days early, that's good if it's a place you want to visit.  Otherwise, coming in the day before works for me.  Dinner, good sleep and leisurely morning to get ready to board the ship is a nice way to start a cruise.  There's no question that hotels these days are charging so much your eyes water.  I wonder how long this will go on.  This is the time when I'm glad I'm a Points & Miles junkie.  I'd rather spend some points and cash than fork over $350 for a mediocre hotel.  

Edited May 10, 2023 by jsn55

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, Lorenky said:

Hello. We just booked our first cruise which leaves from Ft Lauderdale. We live in California so we have to fly to Ft Lauderdale the day before. No direct flights so we have one connection. Does anyone worry about major flight delays or lost luggage if flying the day before? Is it better to add an extra day at the cruise departure location in case of problems? That is extra time and money though. What do most folks do?   

 

By day before I assume you mean your flight would arrive the day before.  Most would consider that acceptable.   It is certainly preferable to taking a red-eye and arriving morning of, which may not even be an option if you have a connection.    A previous poster mentioned best to have connections in major hubs.  That is a very good thing.  

 

I was thinking you might get a nonstop out of SF or Oakland, but then you would have to deal with parking and perhaps even an overnight in the Bay Area.   If that is the case, might was well add a day at the FLL end.   

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, Lorenky said:

Thank you. How about the return flight. Our ship returns to Ft Lauderdale at 7 AM. I have no idea how long it takes to disembark. What time would you recommend we book a flight home same day?

I think you mean that your ship is SCHEDULED to return at 7 AM. Sometimes that arrival can be delayed for one of all sorts of reasons: weather, engineering issues, port traffic.

On a recent multisegment cruise’s changeover day, our ship arrived in SYD two hours late. An Immigration issue delayed clearance an additional hour. Lots of folks scrambling to change their pre-noon flights.

[Zach1213]

9 hours ago, jsn55 said:

There's no question that hotels these days are charging so much your eyes water.  I wonder how long this will go on. 

As long as the demand is there, it will go on. And the demand is still there...for flights, for rental cars, for hotels. People are still traveling like crazy. 

[CruiserBruce]

43 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

As long as the demand is there, it will go on. And the demand is still there...for flights, for rental cars, for hotels. People are still traveling like crazy. 

Yep...and as international travel is projected to be up 35% this year over last...the answer is pretty obvious. 

[Hlitner]

As others have posted, the best advice is to fly-in 2 or more days early.  The Ft Lauderdale area (and south Florida) offers many options to enjoy a few pre-cruise days.  As to the cost, think of it as a good investment for the purpose of minimizing the risk of missing your cruise, having luggage delayed (and missing the cruise) etc.  

 

Hank

[jsn55]

13 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

As long as the demand is there, it will go on. And the demand is still there...for flights, for rental cars, for hotels. People are still traveling like crazy. 

Do you think people are using up their travel credits from cruises and airplanes?  I know that most of mine will be up at the end of 2023, so gotta use it or lose it.  I think the second half of 2024 will be very interesting in terms of numbers of people travelling.  They will be paying for their travel with cold hard cash.  I booked a first-class tix to the east coast yesterday, and barely noticed that it was nearly $3K.  It only cost me $800, after all.  Imagine paying $3K to fly back east... an amount that would have been unthinkable in 2019.  Amazing how the virus changed travelers mind-sets.  

[Lorenky]

Thanks I’ll fly into FLL 2 days early and choose a 1:30 PM flight the day our cruise arrives back at FLL at 7 AM if that gives ample time to catch the 1:30 flight home. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, Lorenky said:

Thanks I’ll fly into FLL 2 days early and choose a 1:30 PM flight the day our cruise arrives back at FLL at 7 AM if that gives ample time to catch the 1:30 flight home. 

Sounds like a plan!

That said, I’ve got to ask: It appears that you’re from NorCal. If you’re after the “exotic island paradise” cruise adventure, why would you choose the Caribbean over Polynesia (particularly if you’d possibly want to add a land stay of a few days post cruise)?

Now that United has multiple, reasonably priced, non-stop SFO-PPT flights per week, you might want to look at what, IMO, would be the far more interesting and enjoyable Pacific adventure. 

[Zach1213]

9 hours ago, jsn55 said:

Do you think people are using up their travel credits from cruises and airplanes?  I know that most of mine will be up at the end of 2023, so gotta use it or lose it.  I think the second half of 2024 will be very interesting in terms of numbers of people travelling.  They will be paying for their travel with cold hard cash.  I booked a first-class tix to the east coast yesterday, and barely noticed that it was nearly $3K.  It only cost me $800, after all.  Imagine paying $3K to fly back east... an amount that would have been unthinkable in 2019.  Amazing how the virus changed travelers mind-sets.  

 

I think that's part of it, yes. But I also think people still have money saved up from years of not traveling, and I think people realized life can be short during the pandemic so you better live now...that trip you hope to go on in 10, 20, even 50 years may not be a possibility. My wife and I have always prioritized travel above all else, but we've still noticed an uptick in our desire to "blow it all" on travel since the pandemic started. 

[Lorenky]

57 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sounds like a plan!

That said, I’ve got to ask: It appears that you’re from NorCal. If you’re after the “exotic island paradise” cruise adventure, why would you choose the Caribbean over Polynesia (particularly if you’d possibly want to add a land stay of a few days post cruise)?

Now that United has multiple, reasonably priced, non-stop SFO-PPT flights per week, you might want to look at what, IMO, would be the far more interesting and enjoyable Pacific adventure. 

Hi. I don’t really know how to answer that except that Polynesia hasn’t really been on my radar or the radar of anyone I know. Everyone goes to the Caribbean, Hawaii or Mexico. However I will certainly look into it for next time. Thanks. 

[jsn55]

55 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I think that's part of it, yes. But I also think people still have money saved up from years of not traveling, and I think people realized life can be short during the pandemic so you better live now...that trip you hope to go on in 10, 20, even 50 years may not be a possibility. My wife and I have always prioritized travel above all else, but we've still noticed an uptick in our desire to "blow it all" on travel since the pandemic started. 

Agree ... spending 1K for a week driving an SUV  would have been out of the question before the virus shut us down.  $350 for a room at a Hampton Inn?  Not a chance I would have paid that.  

[Zach1213]

25 minutes ago, Lorenky said:

Hi. I don’t really know how to answer that except that Polynesia hasn’t really been on my radar or the radar of anyone I know. Everyone goes to the Caribbean, Hawaii or Mexico. However I will certainly look into it for next time. Thanks. 

 

I love the Caribbean with every ounce of my body, but I definitely recommend checking French Polynesia out once in your life if you can. It's...expensive...but frankly pretty easy to get to as multiple airlines operate nonstop from SFO to Tahiti, with easy onward connections to smaller islands. 

[mnocket]

On 5/9/2023 at 11:29 AM, Lorenky said:

No, I haven’t booked the flight yet. What is the cost to get from the Miami airport to Fort Lauderdale?

4 Ways to get from Fort Lauderdale Airport to Miami Cruise Port

Bus: $24 USD; journey time= 1 hour; take line# Orlando to Miami
Taxi: $70-75 USD; journey time= 45 min
Uber: $50-55 USD

Bus hops: budget option but requires change

 

source:  https://triplyzer.com/transit/us/fort-lauderdale-airport-to-miami-cruise-port/

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by mnocket

[Mary229]

We tend to fly in a few days before but we are retired.  Regardless I carry everything I absolutely need in my carryon and daypack, the extras go into checked luggage.  I only do 30 day+ cruises and I can live with those carryon options, it is not my preference but it can be done. I am not going to ruin my time away because of lost luggage.  The airline lost it they can hang on to it until it is my convenience to retrieve it